CHHATTISGARH
- 10 c’garh districts in niti aayog’s five-yr dev plan
- A total of 10 districts of Chhattisgarh have been selected by NITI Aayog for its five-year plan (2018-22) among 115 districts in the country.
- This information was given by Additional Chief Secretary, Economics and Statistics Department Sunil Kujur at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Ajay Singh at the Mantralaya.
- Kujur informed that the districts of Bastar, Bijapur, South Bastar (Dantewada), North Bastar (Kanker), Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, Korba, Rajnandgaon and Mahasasamund had been chosen by the Ayog for development in the areas of education, health, agriculture and skill development.
- In the assigned districts of Chhattisgarh work would be carried out in the areas of health , nutrition, agriculture, fisheries, skill development and financial planning , he said. If it happens, it will be a path-breaking work for the selected districts and no one can deny this overwhelming fact.
- The Chief Secretary directed the Secretaries in-charge of districts to review the work in the assigned areas as per NITI Ayog during their tour of districts.
- Notably on January 31 this year, NITI Aayog had also given ‘in principle’ approval to various proposals related to roads, telecommunication, education, Ujjwala yojana and expansion of bank branches for overall development of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region.
- NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar had asked various departments of the Central Government to ensure speedy implementation of these suggestions and said that the Aayog will review the implementation process on a regular basis.
- At a meeting held to implement Bastar Development Plan held here at the NITI Aayog, senior officials led by Chief Secretary Ajay Singh had discussed these suggestions with NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar, CEO Amitabh Kant, other members and Secretaries of various departments of the Government of India.
- The Chief Secretary informed that ‘in principle’ approval has been given for construction of additional 600 km of roads in Bastar under Rashtriya Road project – 2 and Special Secretary (Home Ministry) has assured that implementation of this proposal will be done on priority.
- The approval was also granted for sanctioning Rs 65 crore for expansion of telecom services and increasing connectivity in remote areas. The amount will be utilised for expansion of districts to development blocks connectivity in Bastar and expedite execution of 402 towers in the first phase and 1028 telecom towers in the second phase.
INTERNATIONAL
· Jacob Zuma Resigns As South Africa’s President
- South Africa’s embattled President Jacob Zuma. He announced the decision in a televised address to the nation after the ruling African National Congress (ANC)party threatened to eject him from office via a parliamentary vote of no confidence.
- The 75-year-old, who was the country’s President for the last 9 years, has been under increasing pressure to give way to Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC’s new leader. Mr. Zuma’s resignation followed weeks of intense public pressure to step down amid long-standing corruption allegations.
· India to Host 8th Theatre Olympics
- In an effort to put India firmly among the top nations in the world theatre map, the country will play host to the 8th Theatre Olympics, the greatest carnival of the pianist.
- The 51-day theatreextravaganza which will be inaugurated at Red Fort will see 450 shows including 65 shows by international artists, 600 ambient performances, and 250 youth forum shows.
NATIONAL
- President inaugurates ‘Agricon 2018’ and ‘Agriexpo 2018’
- The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the international conference ‘Agricon 2018’ and ‘Agriexpo 2018’ at Chandrashekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology (CSAUT), Kanpur on February 14, 2018.
- Speaking on the occasion, the President said that in a country as vast as India, problems of farmers in different regions are different.
- We will have to find solutions according to their needs. Water is a common concern.
- In this regard, the Government has promoted the concept of “per drop, more crop” and this message should reach every farmer in the country.
· President hosts LPG Panchayat at Rashtrapati Bhavan
- President Ram Nath Kovind hosted an‘LPG Panchayat at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
It was organized by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana (PMUY).
- The LPG Panchayat aims to provide a platform for LPG consumers to interact with each other, promote mutual learning and share experiences.
- LPG Panchayat serves as an interactive platform for those who received LPG cylinders under MUY. One panchayat has around 100 LPG customers in nearby areas.
- The panchayats discuss issues such as safe practices, quality of service provided by distributors and availability of refill cylinders.
- India’s first radio festival held in Delhi.
- India’s first radio festival was held at the UNESCO House in New Delhi to mark World Radio Day (February 13). It was organised by International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) in partnership with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The festival aimed to bring together radio professionals, podcasters and other digital audio programmers. It included discussions of expert panels, exhibition and live performances. Its discussions were based on the theme for World Radio Day 2018 – Radio and Sports. It examined potential of sports as a platform for social change, ways to make it more creative and trace journey of music on radio.
- International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) – IAWRT is global organization of women in broadcasting industry. It was established in 1949 by professional women working in electronic and allied media. Its mission is to strengthen initiatives towards ensuring women’s views and values are integral part of programming and advance impact of women in media. It is in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
- Meghalaya Governor inaugurates India, Bangladesh ‘Friendship Gate’
- Meghalaya Governor Ganga Prasad has inaugurated the “Friendship Gate” constructed with an aim to have a Wagah-like beating retreat ceremony for the Indian and Bangladesh border guards.
- The Friendship Gate has been constructed near Integrated Check post, 90 km South of capital Shillong on border with Bangladesh.
· West Bengal Becomes First State To Opt Out Of Modicare
- The West Bengal government already enrolled 50 lakh people under its own Swasthya Sathi programme, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced the decision to opt out of Centre’s ‘Modicare’ scheme.
- This makes West Bengal the first state to withdraw from the ambitious programme. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced the NHPS on February 1, making it the biggest global plan to provide quality health coverage to a population larger than the combined citizenry of the US, UK, Germany, and France.
· BHEL Bags Rs 560 Crore Order From NTPC
- Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)bagged an order worth Rs 560 crore from NTPC for setting up a system for emission control.
- BHEL has secured the order for “supply and installation of the flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systemfrom NTPC for 2×490 MW National Capital Power Station at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.
· Union Government Extends Anti-Narcotics Scheme For 3 More Years
- TheUnion Governmentextended the anti-narcotics scheme for 3 more years to combat illicit trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substance.
- The purpose of the scheme is to assist states and Union Territories, which are contributing in controlling the inter-state and cross-border drug trafficking.
· Sports Ministry to introduce ranking system for national sports federations
- The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs is planning to introduce a ranking system for National Sports Federations (NSFs).
- This will be for the first time the Sports Ministry will have a system by which sports federations will be ranked or rated according to set parameters Key.
- The rankings will be based on federations’ administrative capability, transparency, talent-spotting ability, and medal count of athletes.
- The sports ministry will set up a committee for this purpose.