State PCS

• 30 Aug 2021

AYUSH University

Why in News

• On August 28, 2021, President Ram Nath Kovind laid the foundation stone of Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath Ayush University in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points

• The estimated cost of this university being built in an area of 21.173 hectare is Rs 299.87 crore and it is likely to be completed by March 2023.
• All the colleges of Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy in the state will be affiliated with this university.
• Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy and Siddha systems of medicine will be developed from this university and students will be proficient in Yoga and Naturopathy systems.
• The architecture of the university will be in line with Indian culture. The campus will have an academic building, administrative building, residential building, hostel, guest house, auditorium and super specialty block.
• So far, there have been separate institutions in Uttar Pradesh for Ayurveda, Unani, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Yoga, Siddha systems of medicine (which are collectively called AYUSH). For the first time in the state, the syllabus of AYUSH systems is being regulated.
• At present, the total number of AYUSH colleges in the state is 94, out of which Ayurveda colleges are 67 (8 government and 59 private), Unani colleges 15 (2 government and 13 private) and homeopathy colleges 12 (9 government and 3 private).

MyBookLo App

Why in News

• On August 28, 2021, Rajasthan's Minister of State for Higher Education launched the MyBookLo app, a digital library in Jaipur, to make study material easily available to college students.

Key Points

• Through this app, students will be able to prepare for competitive exams along with getting study material for their course. Under this, different categories of coaching will be given to the students.
• This innovation done by the College Education Department will prove to be helpful in giving a new direction to the higher education system of Rajasthan in the coming times.
• An MoU has been signed between the Commissionerate College of Education and MyBookLo Company to provide curriculum wise digital study material to the undergraduate and postgraduate level students studying in the college. This app will be a digital library for college students. Through which they can get video and PDF notes.

Helicopter Joyride in Nathdwara

Why in News

• On August 28, 2021, the Speaker of the Assembly, Dr. C.P. Joshi launched the helicopter joyride at Nathdwara in Rajsamand district.

Key Points

• Through this, new heights will be given to tourism development in the region and efforts will be made to attract domestic and foreign tourists to the area with the coordinated efforts of the government, administration and public representatives.
• Joshi said that the tourists visiting Nathdwara will get a chance to see the scenic beauty of Udaipur-Nathdwara-Kumbhalgarh through helicopter and they will be able to enjoy tourism by staying in Nathdwara for two-three days instead of one day, which will help in tourism development of the area. Including economic development of the people here will also be possible.
• He said that keeping in view the passenger load, the number of helicopters can also be increased and in the coming days two engine helicopters will also be used.

Highest Sports Decoration Award, 2020

Why in News

• On August 28, 2021, the State Level Sports Awards were announced by the Sports and Youth Welfare Department after the recommendation of the selection committee constituted for the highest sports awards of Madhya Pradesh and with the approval of the Sports and Youth Welfare Minister of the state.

Key Points

• For the year 2020, 13 Eklavya, 10 Vikram, 3 Vishwamitra, 1 Late Prabhash Joshi and 1 LifeTime Achievement Award have been announced by the state government.
• The LifeTime Achievement Award for the year 2020 will be given to Padma Shri Abhay Chhajlani, while Olympic hockey player of the state Vivek Sagar will be awarded the state's best Vikram Award.
• The list of persons announced for the year 2020 state level sports awards is as follows-
  
  • Eklavya Award:
    
    • Individual Category - Sushma Verma, Kayaking-Canoeing (Sehore), Tushita Singh, Soft Tennis (Bhopal), Sparsh Khare, Wushu (Jabalpur), Arjun Singh, Horse Riding (Bhopal), Sunil Davar, Athletics (Barwani), Gauranshi Sharma, Badminton (Divyang) (Bhopal), Rammilan Yadav, Sailing (Tikamgarh), Ankit Sharma, Fencing (Gwalior), Anuradha Ahirwar, Archery (Bhopal), Preeti Rajak, Shooting (Hoshangabad), Shashank Patel, Taekwondo (Bhopal).
    • Group Category – Sadhna Sengar, Hockey (Hoshangabad) and Dhruvraj Kurre, Powerlifting (Bhopal).
  • Vikram Award:
    
    • Individual Category - Vishwajit Singh, Canoe-Slalom (Hoshangabad), Sunidhi Chauhan, Shooting (Bhopal), Nidhi Nanhet, Karate (Balaghat), Paridhi Joshi, Horse Riding (Indore), Manju Bamboria, Boxing (Ujjain), Ekta Yadav, Sailing (Bhopal). Party Sports - Vivek Sagar Prasad, Hockey (Hoshangabad), Harshvardhan Tomar, Basketball (Gwalior), Pooja Malviya, Mallakhamb (Ujjain).
    • Divyang Category - Prachi Yadav, Para Canoe (Gwalior).
  • Vishwamitra Award:
    
    • Individual Category – Virendra Dabas, Para Swimming and Para Athletics (Gwalior) and Richpal Singh Salaria, Archery (Jabalpur).
    • Group Category - Dr. Habib Hassan is involved.
  • LifeTime Achievement Award: Abhay Chhajlani, Padma Shri and former President Indore Table Tennis Association.
  • Late Prabhas Joshi Sports Award: Vaishnavi Kahar, Mallakhamb (Ujjain).

PM SVANidhi Scheme

Why in News

• On August 29, 2021, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan transferred an amount of Rs 50 crore to the accounts of 50,000 beneficiaries of the scheme in the state-level program for distribution of first and second installments under Pradhan Mantri SVANidhi Scheme at Balaghat and also launched the second phase of the scheme.

Key Points

• In the second phase of the scheme, an interest-free amount of Rs. 20-20 thousand was transferred to the accounts of the beneficiaries.
• The Chief Minister said that small traders can gradually increase their work with the help of the SVANidhi scheme. Madhya Pradesh is first in the country to implement the Pradhan Mantri Svanidhi Scheme.
• At the very beginning of the scheme, about 3.50 lakh beneficiaries were disbursed assistance amounting to Rs.10-10 thousand each.
• At the launch of the second phase of the scheme, the second installment of the scheme (20-20 thousand rupees) was provided to about 1000 beneficiaries of the state.
• Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the help given to self-help groups before the covid crisis will be started again by the government, pucca houses will be provided to all the poor in the state by the year 2024 and on September 18, 2021, the Prime Minister In the second phase of Ujjwala scheme, 5 lakh new connections will be given.

DVC to Install Four 50MW Floating Solar Projects

Why in News

• On August 28, 2021, Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) Chairman RN Singh informed that Floating solar projects would be installed in all dams belonging to DVC, including Tilaya, Konar, Maithon, and Panchet (Bengal-Jharkhand) in Jharkhand with capacities of 50MW each.

Key Points

• RN Singh said that keeping in view the Paris Agreement, it has been decided to set up solar power projects and floating solar projects on all DVC dams.
• Singh informed that Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) intends to increase its renewable energy generation capacity through floating solar and pumped storage projects. DVC plans to increase its power generation capacity to 10,000 MW by the end of 2030.
• He said that Solar units will also be installed on the surplus land in the thermal units as well as on the closed thermal units.
• He also informed that a 1500 MW (6x250) Pumped Storage Plant has also been proposed at Lugu Hills. Apart from this, a solar power unit will soon be installed at B Plant Unit of Bokaro Thermal Plant.

Relief to Drought Affected Farmers

Why in News

• On August 29, 2021, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced an amount of Rs 9,000 per acre to the drought affected farmers of the state (whether production is affected or not).

Key Points

• The Chief Minister said that the farmers who have sown paddy, Kodo-Kutki, Arhar in the current Kharif season, if their crop gets spoiled (whether it is production or not) due to lack of rain, then the government will help them.
• Under the Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, drought affected farmers will be given assistance at the rate of Rs 9,000 per acre on the basis of Girdawari survey.
• He said that drought conditions have arisen in many areas of the state due to scanty rainfall and drought, which has affected Kharif crops mainly paddy, bajra and pulses.
• Along with this, the Chief Minister also announced the publication of biographies of late 'Pandavani' artist Late Punaram Nishad and 'Nacha-Gammat' artist Late Madan Kumar Nishad.

Chief Minister's Announcement on Sports Day

Why in News

• On the occasion of National Sports Day on August 29, 2021, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made various announcements for the development of sports and sportspersons in the state.

Why in News

• The Chief Minister announced that every year 50 girls and boys in the age group of 8 to 14 years would be selected on the basis of their ability and they would be provided Mukhyamantri Khiladi Utthan Scholarship every year. Also, the daily allowance of the players will be fixed at Rs 225.
• He said that a women’s sports college will be established in Udham Singh Nagar district while those who participate in the national games will be provided free travel facility in Uttarakhand State Transport Corporation buses. Further, a five percent sports quota will be provided in colleges and vocational courses.
• Sportspersons who win medals in National Games will also be provided government jobs provided to medal winners in Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Olympics.
• Along with this, Dhami announced that a Sports Science Center would be set up in the State Sports Development Institute to focus on the scientific and psychological aspects of sportspersons' performance and efforts would also be made to make Maharana Pratap Sports College, Dehradun, a sports university.