Current Affairs February 2020 - Regional

1 - Uttar Pradesh State government approved five-acre land to Sunni Waqf Board in Ayodhya

The Uttar Pradesh state government has approved five acre land to Sunni Waqf Board in Ayodhya. The cabinet meeting has approved the land at village Dhannipur under Sohaval Tehsil in Ayodhya district. The proposed land is 18 kilometer from Ayodhya.

The supreme court in its historic decision on 9^th November 2019 had ordered to allot five acre land in Ayodhya to Sunni Waqf Board for construction of a Mosque.

2 - Madhya Pradesh bagged first position for implementation of PMMVY

Madhya Pradesh has bagged the first position for the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. Indore district has also bagged the first place for better performance of the scheme. The main objective of the Matru Vandana Yojana is to provide incentives of five thousand rupees for the loss of wages of working women.

MP registered more than 14.55 lakh beneficiaries under the PMMVY. The first installment has been paid to about 13.40 lakh women, while second installment to around 12 lakh and third installment has been paid to 8.80 lakh beneficiaries.

3 - India’s biggest rural technical festival ‘Antahpragnya 2020’ kicked off

India’s biggest rural technical festival titled ‘Antahpragnya 2020’ was held in Telangana. The theme for the year 2020 was “Spot and encourage rural tech innovators”. The three-day technical fest displayed 300 plus prototype working models created by 4000 rural ignited minds from the RGUKT varsity. RGUKT is the first institute in India to implement Block-chain Technology.

People witnessed technologies such as automatic switch for water, homemade electricity, smoke absorber, automatic-street lighting system, smart dustbins, zero budget farming, automatic irrigation and others.

4 - Karnataka Government launched Janasevaka scheme

The Karnataka government launched a doorstep delivery scheme - Janasevaka scheme. The government also launched a website - janasevaka.karnataka.gov.in, to provide citizens with easy access to important government services.

The Janasevaka scheme will enable citizens of the state to get home delivery of 53 important government services including issuance of ration card, health card, senior citizen identity card, revenue khatas and marriage registration certificate. The service will cost a citizen Rs 115.

5 - Telangana CM inaugurated JBS-MGBS corridor-II of Hyderabad Metro Rail

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao has inaugurated the Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) - Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) corridor -II of Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR). The JBS - MGBS stretch is part of 14.78 km JBS - Falaknuama metro corridor. With the inaugural of this stretch, a total of 69.2 km metro corridor comes into operation.

Hyderabad Metro Rail is considered as the world’s largest Public-Private Partnership(PPP) project in the metro sector. With the inaugural of corridor - II, Hyderabad Metro Rail is poised to be the second biggest metro network in the country after Delhi Metro.

6 - MP government to use drones for mapping villages

The Madhya Pradesh state government has decided to use drones for mapping villages. Currently, land survey work is being done either manually or with the help of satellite images in the state.

55 thousand villages of the state have been selected for mapping. Now, the map of the population area will be made on a scale of 1: 500, which will give a clearer picture of the population area. The state has entered into an agreement in this regard with Survey of India, the country's national mapping agency.

7 - West Bengal presented Rs. 2,55,677 crore budget for next fiscal

The West Bengal Finance Minister, Dr. Amit Mitra proposed 2,55,677 crore rupees budget for the next fiscal in the state assembly.

The Budget for 2020-21 shows a limited deficit of eight crore rupees. Dr. Mitra proposed Revenue Receipts of 1,79,398 crore rupees while receipts from public debt and loans around 80,000 crore rupees. The Budget puts emphasis on employment generation and economic development besides launching of several social sector schemes. A new incentive scheme for MSME named “Bangashree” and soft loan subsidy for the new income-generating project up to 2 lakh rupees was proposed.

8 - Tripura organised Hornbill festival to raise awareness for bird conservation

Tripura government for the first time organised two-day Hornbill Festival to raise awareness for forest bird conservation "Hornbill" and to boost the livelihood of the people through tourism. The first-ever hornbill festival in Tripura was celebrated at Barmura Eco park. Indian hornbill is the large and colourful forest bird, which is displayed in the folklore of most of the tribes among the tribals in northeast India. The northeastern region has the highest diversity having five hornbill species.

Various tourists including foreigners visited the park as a new conservation centre for hornbills is the major attraction.

9 - Lt. Governor of J&K to head reconstituted Science Technology and Innovation Council

Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu will head 24 members reconstituted Jammu and Kashmir Science Technology and Innovation Council (STIC). Members of the council include five representatives from Jammu and Kashmir government, 10 from universities and research and development institutions and eight from the Science and Technology Department of the Central Government. Chief Secretary J&K B V R Subrahmanyam has been nominated as the chairman of the six-member executive committee of STIC.

J&K STIC endeavors to harness the potential of science and technology as an instrument of socio-economic change. The council conducts science popularisation programmes and confers awards to scientists.

10 - Uttarakhand’s first Heli Services under UDAN flagged off

Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) operationalised the first ever helicopter services from Dehradun’s Sahastradhara helipad to Gauchar, and Chinyalisaur under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) of Government of India. The inauguration of the heli routes in the Uttrakhand region is in line with the objective of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to enhance the aerial connectivity of the hilly areas in the country.

MoCA awarded the Sahastradhara-Gauchar-Chinyalisaur route to Heritage Aviation under the UDAN 2 bidding process. Heritage Aviation will operate helicopter services from Sahastradhara to Gauchar and Chinyalisaur twice daily.

11 - Andhra Pradesh state launched the first Disha Police Station

Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy launched the first Disha Police Station in Rajamahendravaram city of Andhra Pradesh to provide speedy justice for female victims of Sexual assault (rape), Sexual harassment and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. A ‘disha app’ was also launched to help women in distress.

Disha station is first of the 18 police stations that are set to open up under the Disha Act which looks at the completion of an investigation of heinous crimes against women and children within seven days, trial in 14 working days and conviction in court to 21 days.

12 - India's first underwater train lines inaugurated in Kolkata

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the first phase of East-West Metro in Kolkata. It will be country's first underwater train lines where trains will play in tunnels under river Hooghly. The 4.88-km section of the metro corridor connects Sector V with Salt Lake Stadium.

The 16.6-km-long rapid transit system, connecting the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah is expected to be completed by mid -2022. More than 2,400 crore rupees have been spent for first phase of East-West Metro.

13 - Uttarakhand CM inaugurated web portal of Badrinath-Kedarnath Mandir Samiti

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched the web portal of Shri Badrinath and Shri Kedarnath temple committee. He also released Shri Badrinath and Kedarnath temple committee's diary and calendar.

The web portal has been developed by Uttarkhand state National Informatics Centre. It will provide all the important information regarding Chardham yatra to the people from any part of the world. Badrinath and Kedarnath are one of the most visited pilgrimage centers of India, having recorded 10,60,000 visits.

14 - Manipur CM launched 'Anganphou Hunba' programme

The Manipur state government has launched the 'Anganphou Hunba' (Early Paddy Crop) programme. The 260-crore rupee project is awaiting the Centre’s approval. It will provide irrigation facilities by pumping ground water.

Manipur government has planned to provide irrigation water by the Minor Irrigation Department to places having adequate arable land and large number of farmers. The government has also taken up steps to produce sufficient quantity of fishes by providing loans to 800 selected fish farmers.

15 - 'Hunar Haat' held at Delhi’s India Gate Lawns

The 20^th ‘Hunar Haat’ was held at India Gate Lawns, Rajpath, New Delhi. It was organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the theme of the haat was ‘Kaushal Ko Kaam’.

Master artisans, craftsmen, and culinary experts from across the country participated in the haat. Similar ‘haats’ are being organised across India as part of an effort to empower master artisans. The next Hunar Haat will be organised at Ranchi from 29 February to 8 March, and in Chandigarh from 13 to 22 March.

16 - India’s 1^st glass floor suspension bridge to be built in Rishikesh

The Uttarakhand Government approved a glass-floor suspension bridge, to be built across the river Ganga in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. It is first of its kind in the country to have a floor made of toughened transparent glass. The bridge is similar to the iconic Lakshman Jhula, almost 94 years old, which was closed in 2019 due to safety reasons.

Public Works Department has designed the bridge of 1.5m in width on both sides on 2.5m wide road.

17 - Ground Water Act-2020 approved by UP Government

Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved Ground Water Act-2020 to improve falling ground water levels.

As per act:

Registration made compulsory to install sub marine pumps.
Provision of penalty and punishment who pollutes groundwater through boring pipes.
Mandatory registration for boring companies.
Government schools and hospitals to have compulsorily ‘rainwater harvesting system’.
Private buildings government map will be cleared only, if they have provision of rainwater harvesting system’.
Waiver of fee for farmers and domestic users.

18 - Largest air quality monitoring network of India to be installed in Mumbai

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) approved the setting up of an air quality monitoring network of 90 stations in Mumbai, Maharashtra. With this, Mumbai will be first city to have largest air quality monitoring network in India. BMC approved project cost at Rs₹9.5 crores to install 80 real-time air monitoring stations. At present, Delhi has 38 monitors.

Mumbai witnessed particulate matter concentration rise by 80% from 2007 to 2018. Mumbai’s PM10 concentration was considered as highest in 20 years in 2018 at 162 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m3).

19 - Arvind Kejriwal sworn in as Chief Minister of Delhi for third time

Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal took oath as Chief Minister of Delhi for the third consecutive time. Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Kejriwal.

Mr. Kejriwal's first term lasted only for 49 days and completed the full tenure in the second term. The Aam Aadmi Party swept the Delhi assembly polls with 62 out of 70 seats.

20 - J&K, Ladakh to come under jurisdiction of CAT soon

Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh will soon be covered by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The CAT so far had jurisdiction only over central services issues in Jammu and Kashmir. Justice L. Narsimha Reddy is the Chairman of CAT.

An exclusive bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal will be set up in Jammu and Kashmir and till then the Chandigarh bench of the tribunal may attend to the service disputes and other cases from the Union territory.

21 - Arunachal Pradesh government to form panel for Stilwell Road Development

Arunachal Pradesh state government will form a committee on Stilwell Road Development and would appeal Government of India for prioritising on restoration of the road. Both India and Myanmar would be mutually benefitted by the road. The re-opening of the Stilwell Road would also act as catalyst for cross border trade.

The Historic Ledo Road or Stilwell Road was constructed by the Allied Soldiers lead by America during the Second World War. The road links northeastern India with the Burma Road (Myanmar), and from Myanmar to China.

22 - UP Budget 2020-21

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government presented a Rs. 5,12,860.72 crore budget for FY 2020-21 in the state assembly. The state government has made provisions worth Rs 10,967.87 crore for new schemes.

Highlights:

Rs. 2,000 crore for the Jewar Airport in Gautam Buddh Nagar.
Rs. 180 crore for setting up a cultural centre in Varanasi and Rs. 200 crore for expansion and beautification of Kashi Vishwanath temple.
Rs. 500-crore allocation for constructing an airport in Ayodhya.
Rs. 2,000 crore for about 637 km long 'Ganga Expressway' from Meerut to Prayagraj.
Rs. 783 crore for the improvement of education and basic infrastructure facilities.

23 - Odisha budget 2020-21

Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari presented the annual budget of the Odisha state for 2020-21 with an outlay of 1.5 lakh crore rupees. He had presented a 1.39 lakh-crore rupees Budget last year.

Budget Highlights

Expenditure for 2020-21 is estimated to be Rs 1,50,000 crore while Total receipts (excluding borrowings) to be Rs 1,24,550 crore.
Fiscal deficit for the year 2020-21 is targeted at Rs 17,878 crore (3% of GSDP).
A Climate Budget has been introduced to provide an account of tracking climate public expenditure.
A SAMRUDHI-Agriculture Policy 2020 has been proposed which is focused on farmers’ well-being.

24 - MP becomes first state to launch unified vehicle registration card

Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to introduce the unified registration card and the second state to launch the unified driving license after Uttar Pradesh.

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had issued the guidelines to bring uniformity in driving licenses and vehicle registration cards across the country in March last year. These cards are being issued in compliance with these guidelines. The new cards will have more exhaustive information printed on both the sides of the cards. It will also bear a unique number recognised across the country.

25 - Bihar state annual budget for 2020-21

The Bihar State annual budget for 2020-21 worth Rs 2,11,761 crore laid special emphasis on education, health and infrastructure. It has projected a fiscal deficit of Rs 20,374 crore, which is 2.97% of GSDP worth Rs 6,85,797 crore.

The government has earmarked Rs 21,264 crore (20.20%) for education, followed by Rs. 16,014 crore (15.21%) for rural development, Rs. 9,619 crore (9.14%) on rural works, Rs. 7,997 cr (7.6%) on social welfare, and Rs. 5,610 crore (5.33%) on health.

26 - NABARD sanctioned over Rs. 400 cr. to boost infrastructure in J&K

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned an amount of 400.64 crore rupees to UT of J&K during the current financial year for giving boost to the infrastructure in the rural areas. The funding is a part of the NABARD’s ‘Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) - Trench XXV’.

The Bank has sanctioned 209.87 crore rupees for construction of 82 rural roads and 03 bridges and 143.66 crore rupees has been sanctioned for implementation of 38 water supply schemes. The Bank also sanctioned an amount of 47.11 crore rupees towards improving the Animal and Sheep Husbandry sectors.

27 - Rajasthan presents state budget for 2020-21

The Chief Minister, Mr. Ashok Gehlot, presented the Budget for Rajasthan for financial year 2020-21.

Rs. 100 cr 'Nehru Baal Sanrakshan Kosh' to be established to prevent child labour and trafficking.
Rs. 39,500 crore proposed for education.
Rs. 100 crore of outlay for setting up of tourism development board
The Gross State Domestic Product of Rajasthan for 2020-21 (at current prices) is projected to be Rs. 11,33,298 crore. This is an 11% increase over the revised estimate for 2019-20.
Total expenditure for 2020-21 is estimated to be Rs. 2,25,731 crore, a 0.4% increase over the revised estimate of 2019-20.

28 - World famous Goa carnival held in Panaji

The world-famous Goa Carnival was celebrated across Goa including the capital Panaji. The festival, which displays Goan art and culture, is celebrated with fun, frolic, pomp and splendor. The four day carnival is said to be one of the few most glamorous carnivals in Asia and also the only carnival celebration in India.

Goa carnival is a colourful and vibrant celebration. It is usually held in the month of either February or March. Goa Carnival was brought to India by the Portuguese settlers.

29 - PM Modi inaugurated ‘Kashi Ek Roop Anek’ exhibition in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated 'Kashi Ek Roop Anek', a cultural arts and handicrafts exhibition in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. This exhibition displayed products from over 10,000 artisans from all over Uttar Pradesh. The state has established raw material banks, testing labs, common facility centres for artisans and weavers.

People witnessed launch of new scheme ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) in which one craft per district was identified. It was launched due to availability of more than 23 lakh artisans and weavers in Uttar Pradesh.

30 - Kerala launched “Yodhavu” mobile app to combat drug menace

Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched “Yodhavu” (Warrior) mobile app (application) at Kochi, Kerala. 'Yodhavu' (Warrior) is a mobile app through which public can inform police about drug abuse and its distribution. It was launched with an aim to curb the growing menace in the State. The unique feature of app is that the informer's identity could be kept secret.

A most modern cyberdomcyber crime police station was also inaugurated in Kochi, Kerala. The model of Kochi city police's new police complex being constructed at Marine Drive was also unveiled at the launch event.

31 - First edition of Bharat-Bangla Paryatan Utsav commenced in Agartala

The 1^st edition of the Bharat-Bangla Paryatan Utsav-Tourism festival started in Agartala, Tripura to promote tourism in Tripura. The festival was organised in remembrance of the contribution of Tripura in 1971 Bangladesh liberation war as well as to boost the tourism sector of Tripura.

The first-ever colourful Bharat-Bangla Paryatan Utsav registered massive gathering in the city. The artists from Tripura, Bangladesh and Kolkata enthralled the audience with their electrifying performances. Some of the tour operators and tourist guides were awarded in the programme.

32 - Government of Haryana announced to open Atal Kisan – Majdoor canteens

Government of Haryana announced to open Atal Kisan – Majdoor canteens across the state. Haryana will also open sugar mills across the state to provide affordable and cheap meals to farmers and laborers at a concessional rate of 10 rupees per plate. These canteens have started functioning at five Market Committees namely, Karnal, Bhiwani, Nuh, Panchkula, Fatehabad Market Committee Mandi and at Karnal Co-operative Sugar Mill.

Haryana government will also provide free and concessional travel facility to 41 different categories of residents in the ordinary buses of Haryana Roadways.

33 - Maharashtra passed bill proposing to make Marathi a compulsory subject

Maharashtra’s Upper House has unanimously passed the Maharashtra Compulsory Teaching and Learning of Marathi Language in Schools Bill, 2020. The Bill proposes to make Marathi a compulsory subject in all schools across the state.

According to the legislation, schools found in non-compliance with the provisions of the bill would attract penalty of upto 1 lakh rupees. The bill covers all schools irrespective of the boards they are affiliated to.