Focus Merit

Category: State Wise Current Affairs

Delhi: First smog tower to combat air pollution

January 6, 2020
smog tower in delhi

Delhi’s first smog tower will start working at Lajpat Nagar central market. The 20-feet-tall tower is fitted with exhaust fans to suck in polluted air and can remove up to 80% of the particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM10). The smog towers were to be installed on the lines of China, which has experimented with this technology.

A separate pilot project has been proposed to consider the efficacy of smog towers and this is being undertaken by the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-Bombay) in collaboration with IIT-Delhi and the University of Minnesota.

This tower will purify the air within a circumference area of up to 750 metres. Such initiatives are important to combat air pollution in Delhi, which has also become a pollution capital. In February 2018, the Delhi government had installed an anti-pollution tower at ITO in central Delhi on pilot basis.

Bihar to inaugurate First-of-its kind turtle rehab centre

January 6, 2020
Turtle rehab centre in Bihar

A first-of-its-kind rehabilitation centre for freshwater turtles will be inaugurated in Bihar’s Bhagalpur forest division in January 2020. The rehab centre, spread over half a hectare, will be able to shelter 500 turtles at a time. This centre will play a significant role in treating these animals and their proper upkeep before being returned to their natural habitat. The size of turtles found in eastern Bihar is good as well. A turtle weighing up to 15 kilograms can be found.

Turtles are being frequently targeted for meat and are also being poached for the pet trade. Such turtles are in high demand in south east Asia, China and Japan. According to a recent study conducted by Traffic India, around 11,000 turtles are being smuggled in India every year. In the past 10 years, as many as 110,000 turtles have been traded.

Kolkata Police starts 3rd edition of ‘Sukanya’ project

January 5, 2020
kolkata police

Kolkata Police has started the 3rd edition of ‘Sukanya‘ project. The project is an initiative of the Kolkata Police’s Community Policing Wing with an aim to provide self-defence training to girl students of city-based schools, colleges and universities.

The third batch of ‘Sukanya’ started at 100 city-based schools and colleges situated in Kolkata Police jurisdiction. The initiative is funded by Women and Child Development and Social Welfare Department of the state government.

Rohit Sharma lays foundation stone for international cricket stadium and training centre

January 5, 2020
rohit sharma international cricket stadium

Star opening batsman Rohit Sharma laid down the foundation stone for an international cricket stadium and training centre at Heartfulness Institute on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The cricket stadium has been named after Rohit Sharma and this facility will provide the youngsters at the institute to perfect their cricketing skills. The cricket stadium will be 138 meters in diameters.

The cricketer met the spiritual master of the institute, Kamlesh Patel (also known as Daaji) at the global headquarters in Kanha Shantivanam, Chegur, Hyderabad.

Andhra Pradesh CM to inaugurate YSR Aarogyasri scheme

January 5, 2020
ysr aarogyasri scheme

Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will inaugurate YSR Aarogyasri scheme at Eluru in West Godavari district. The scheme will be inaugurated in each district by respective mandal and district officials. Over one crore individuals will be benefited under this new health scheme. A total of 2,059 medical ailments have been covered under the scheme.

In all, 16,37,230 Aarogyasri cards will be distributed across the State. While a few cards will be handed over on an inaugural day, the rest of the beneficiaries will get them by the end of February. The chief minister has also announced to compensate for wage loss incurred during the post-operative period. With monthly cap of Rs 5,000 Dr YSR Aarogyasri Health Care Trust will pay Rs 225 per day for the prescribed recovery period.

This category of allowance will be applicable for 836 kinds of surgeries out of the total ailments covered under the scheme. Patients suffering from leprosy will also be given Rs 3,000 a month as pension. YSR Aarogyasri scheme is applicable to people having an annual income of up to Rs 5 lakh.

Bengaluru: Yoga Science meet organised at Indian Science Congress

January 5, 2020
indian science congress

A Yoga Science meet was organised as part of the ongoing Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru. The head of SVYASA Yoga deemed University Dr. HR Nagendra spoke on the benefits of Yoga in busting stress, healing the mind, body and soul thereby insulating those doing yoga from diseases.

Dr. Indranil Basu Ray, a cardiologist from Canada spoke on Yoga research. He pointed out that meditation and yoga can compose our body and mind and give relief from any anxiety and stress. The penultimate day of 107th Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru will focus on farming and rural development .

Kerala: K-RERA launched by CM

January 4, 2020

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Kerala Real Estate Regulatory Authority (K-RERA) with an aim to boost the confidence of customers and bring in more transparency in the real estate sector, 

Passed by the Parliament, the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, had directed the state governments to establish RERA for effective regulation of the real estate sector and also for speedy dispute redressal.

As per the Act, buildings with more than eight apartments and real estates projects with 500 square metres of land or more will have to be registered with RERA.

2020 declared as AI year by Telangana Govt, signs 8 MoU

January 4, 2020

Telangana state government declared 2020 as the year of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and signed eight Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with various companies and educational institutes to pave way for upcoming technological advancement in the state.

US-based tech major NVIDIA will partner with the state government to setup a High-Performance AI Computing (HPAIC) Centre in Telangana. They will also assist in startup incubation, host AI training sessions to support women & minority groups and organise hackathons.

Gujarat: KVIC opens 1st silk processing plant

January 4, 2020

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) opened its first “Patola Saree” silk processing plant at Surendranagar in Gujarat with the aim to make silk readily available to Patola saree manufacturers to boost its production. Patola is the trademark saree of Gujarat.

The Patola silk was founded by the Salvi caste (Scheduled) in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. They moved to Gujarat in the 12th century in order. They are highly expensive and were once worn only by royal aristocratic families.

World’s 2nd tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel unveiled

January 4, 2020

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani unveils the 2nd tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the world at the Sardardham campus near Vaishnodevi Circle in Ahmedabad. 

The 50 feet tall bronze statue with a weight of 70 thousand kilograms has been designed by Padma Bhusan Ram V. Sutar, the same sculptor who had designed the Statue of Unity. It was built at a cost of Rs 3.25 crores.