Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launched ‘Milk Price Incentive Scheme’
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched the ‘Milk Price Incentive Scheme‘ in Dehradun. The scheme is aimed to provide incentives benefiting around 53,000 people of Uttarakhand. The state government is targeting to spend INR 444.62 crore to open 500 milk sales centres in Uttarakhand. It is a Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) scheme, the amount under the scheme would go directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries through their linked bank accounts.
In the Dehradun district, milk production and consumption are completely contradictory. On one hand, the government is making many attempts to enhance milk production, all government claims of promoting products are proving to be fictitious. Despite thousands of hours of labour, milk is not produced in accordance with demand.
The government has been making various attempts for enhancing milk production in the state, some of which include:
- Ganga Cow Scheme: Ganga cow scheme and incentive amount of Rs.3-4 per litre of milk was also announced by the government so that milk production could be promoted and consumption could be met in time.
- Kamdhenu Scheme: The scheme was started in Uttarakhand on the lines of UP. Although there was a provision in Uttarakhand for a 25% subsidy for general farmers and a 33% subsidy for SC-ST on loans up to Rs.6 lakh for dairy under NABARD, farmers did not take advantage of it owing to a lack of knowledge.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Uttarakhand Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer);
- Uttarakhand Governor: Lt Gen Gurmit Singh;
- Uttarakhand Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami.
India won 41 medals at Asian Youth Para Games 2021
India claimed 41 medals (12 Gold, 15 Silver, 14 Bronze) at the 4th Asian Youth Para Games (AYPG), Asia’s biggest event held at Riffa city, Bahrain. The event is organized by the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Bahrain with the support of the local government. Over 700 athletes from around 30 countries participated in the event from 2ndto 6th December 2021. The 5th edition of the Asian Youth Para Games 2025 will be hosted by Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
About the Asian Youth Para Games 2021
Over 700 athletes from around 30 countries participated in the continental youth showpiece event that took place from December 2 to 6. The athletes competed across nine sports – Para athletics, Para badminton, boccia, goalball, Para powerlifting, Para swimming, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo, and wheelchair basketball.
Haiderpur wetland in Uttar Pradesh recognised as Ramsar Site
The Haiderpur Wetland abutting the Madhya Ganga barrage, about 10 km from Bijnor in western Uttar Pradesh, has been recognised under the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Uttar Pradesh is now home to 9 Ramsar wetlands. The wetland has also been identified under Namami Gange, a central flagship, as a model wetland along the Ganga. With this, there are now a total of 47 such designated areas in the country.
The Site supports more than 25,000 waterbirds, serves as a breeding site for the near-threatened Indian grassbird and provides refuge to the northern subspecies population of the vulnerable swamp deer during its seasonal flood-driven migration. The Site also regularly supports more than 1% of the population of greylag goose and bar-headed goose.
PM Modi participates in ‘Summit For Democracy’
US President Joe Biden is hosting the first of two Summits for Democracy, which takes place virtually between December 9–10. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the summit saying that ‘democratic spirit’ and ‘pluralistic ethos’ are ingrained in Indians. A total of 100 nations participated in this ‘Summit for Democracy’.
Even Ukraine and Taiwan were invited to the summit but Russia and China were not. Both these countries released a joint statement in which they said that the US is displaying a “Cold-War mentality” that will “stoke up ideological confrontation and a rift in the world”.
PM Modi highlights in the summit:
- In his address, PM Modi highlighted India’s civilisational ethos as one of the original sources of democracy. He outlined sensitivity, accountability, participation, and reform orientation as four pillars of Indian democratic governance, stressing that principles of democracy should also guide global governance.
- India’s Prime Minister also recalled that 75 years ago, India’s Constituent Assembly had held its first session. He said how democratic countries must deliver on values enshrined in their respective constitutions.
Airtel, Invest India launch ‘Startup Innovation Challenge’
Bharti Airtel and Invest India, National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency jointly launched ‘Airtel India Startup Innovation Challenge’ for Startups to develop solutions in 5G, IoT. Under the Startup Innovation Challenge, early-stage technology companies are being invited to demonstrate differentiated solutions in areas such as 5G, Cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and digital entertainment.
The winners of the challenge will win Rs 3.5 lakh, first runner-up Rs 2.5 lakh and second start-up Rs 1 lakh. The top 10 start-ups will also be able to leverage Airtel’s Digital Innovation Lab for three months. Select start-ups will be offered the opportunity to onboard onto the Airtel Startup Accelerator Program. The top 10 will also be given an Airtel Office Internet plan for a year.
- 5G: B2B or B2C use cases and apps that will leverage high-speed and low-latency 5G tech.
- IoT: Solutions for enterprises that will empower their digital transformation journey.
- Cloud communication: Leveraging AI and ML tech to create B2B and B2C products to improve customer engagement and experience.
- Digital advertising: Creating unique ad formats for both digital and others. Digital entertainment: Disruptive solutions in music, video or gaming.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Airtel Founded: 1995;
- Airtel Headquarters: New Delhi, India;
- Airtel Chairman: Sunil Bharti;
- Airtel MD & CEO: Mittal Gopal Vittal.
Balkrishna Doshi Awarded 2022 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced that Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi will be the recipient of the 2022 Royal Gold Medal. The distinction, approved by Her Majesty The Queen and awarded each year since 1848, is given to architects or practices in recognition of a lifetime’s work and the impact on the evolution of the field and the built environment.
Who is Balkrishna Doshi?
- With a career spanning over six decades, Balkrishna Doshi has had a paramount influence in shaping the architecture of India through a pioneering interplay of modernism and vernacular that translated into projects that celebrate local culture, context and craft.
- One of the most renowned Indian architects, the 2018 Pritzker Laureate has forged a distinct architectural philosophy and expression, informed both by modernist values and local traditions.
- His urban planning strategies and social housing projects brought him international recognition, further solidified by his academic work as a visiting professor at various universities worldwide.
- His work spans a variety of programs and scales, including administrative and cultural buildings, educational facilities, housing developments and residential buildings. Some of these projects include Shreyas Comprehensive School Campus, Ahmedabad School of Architecture, Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, Aranya Low-Cost Housing.
Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women 2021 announced
Fortune India released the list of most powerful women in India 2021 in which Union Minister, Ministry of Finance & Ministry of Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman ranked 1st. She is followed by Reliance Foundation Chairperson and Goodwill Ambassador Nita Ambani in 2nd position, and Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO) at 3rd.
Fortune India’s List of Top 5 Most Powerful Women in India:
| Rank | Name | Position |
| 1 | Nirmala Sitharaman | Union Ministry, Ministry of Finance |
| 2 | Nita Ambani | Reliance Foundation Chairperson and Goodwill Ambassador |
| 3 | Soumya Swaminathan | Chief Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO) |
| 4 | Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw | Executive Chairperson, Biocon |
| 5 | Suchitra Ella | Co-founder and Joint MD, Bharat Biotech International Ltd |
India Skills Report 2022 : Maharashtra Retains Top Position
The 9th edition of India Skills Report (ISR) 2022, released by Wheebox, Maharashtra has retained the top position in the list of states with the highest poll of employable talent followed by Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. The theme of ISR 2022 – ‘Rebuilding and Reengineering the Future of Work’. India Skills Report is a full-fledged report about the future of work, education, and skilling to match the talent demand and supply in a growing India.
States with Maximum Hiring Activity:
- Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu are the 3 states that have a higher job demand.
- Pune is the city with the most highly employable resources with 78% of the test takers scoring above 60 per cent.
Top 5 States with Highest Employability:
| Rank | State | Employability % |
| 1 | Maharashtra | 66.1 |
| 2 | Uttar Pradesh | 65.2 |
| 3 | Kerala | 64.2 |
| 4 | West Bengal | 63.8 |
| 5 | Karnataka | 59.3 |
Federal Bank and Star Health Insurance tie-up for bancassurance
Federal Bank has entered into a Bancassurance partnership with Star Health and Allied Insurance Co Ltd as a corporate agent to provide health insurance products for the Bank’s 8.90 million customers across India. The Bank’s customers can avail benefits of Star Health’s retail products and group affinity products through the bank’s various distribution channels which help the customers to address their complete financial needs under one roof.
What is Bancassurance?
It is a partnership between a bank and an insurance company that would enable them to offer insurance products to the bank’s customers.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Federal Bank Establishment: April 23, 1931;
- Federal Bank Headquarters: Aluva, Kerala;
- Federal Bank Managing Director & CEO: Shyam Srinivasan;
- Federal Bank Tagline: Your Perfect Banking Partner.
