By: D.K Choudhary
Center reconstitutes Committee assisting Krishna River Management Board
i. The Centre has reconstituted a committee that was tasked with assisting the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).
ii. The new committee will be headed by A.K. Bajaj, former chairman of the Central Water Commission. Other board members include Gopala Krishnan, R.P. Pandey, Pradeep Kumar Shukla and N.N. Rai.
iii. The objective of the committee will be to assist the Krishna River Management Board in preparing a manual on how projects, common to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, needs to be handled.
iv. It would also deal with how the Godavari waters ought to be transferred to the Krishna Basin in accordance with the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award.
v. The need to reconstitute the committee was required as the earlier Board ruled that Krishna water should be divided 70:30 between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for the coming month. The Telangana government has strongly objected to this.
vi. The Water Resources Ministry constituted the first committee of irrigation, hydrology and hydel power experts in September 2016 to suggest a mechanism for facilitating the effective functioning of the KRMB as per the provisions of the A.P. Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Textile Ministry to launch Bunkar Mitra-Handloom Helpline Centre for weavers
i. The Ministry of Textiles has planned to set up a “Bunkar Mitra-Handloom Helpline Centre” where professional experts would solve the queries of the weavers.
ii. The helpline center would function from 10.00 a.m. to 6 p.m. and initially it will be provided in 7 languages including Hindi, English, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada Bengali & Assamese.
iii. Currently 28 Weavers’ Service Centres (WSCs) are functioning across the country to provide technical assistance to handloom weavers in improving their skills. For seeking assistance, weavers have to personally visit the WSCs.
iv. However, till date, there is no single point of contact where weavers can seek solutions for their technical issues/problems. The helpline aims to overcome these problems.
v. To set up this helpline, M/s. MSD (I) P. Ltd., Bhopal has been selected as an agency for providing Handloom Helpline Centre. The call centre would start operating within a month.
Indo Tibetan Border Police to procure local yaks and ponies to sustain troops at Indo-China Frontier
i. To strengthen India’s positions along the Indo-China frontier, the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has launched a drive to procure local varieties of tough mules and yak to carry supplies for the troops at snow-hit posts.
ii. The border guarding force, which secures 3,488 km of this icy frontier from the Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh, has launched an aggressive drive to purchase sturdy livestock like horses, mules, ponies, yak and dogs from the locals living in these areas.
iii. Purchasing local born and reared animals will enable the force to get trained and tough four-legged companions who are habitual to the Himalayan climate and would be more reliable. They would need less care and rarely get ill.
iv. With local procurement the force gets a chance to make some good friends with the local population as it gives money and financially empowers the locals by procuring these animals from them at government rates which are quite handsome.
v. The new initiative is being conducted under the modified strategy of the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) of the Union Home Ministry which also aims to get the participation of the local border population while securing country’s borders. A good number of yaks and ponies have been procured.
vi. The force is also hiring over 70 personnel for working as handlers and caretakers in the AT wing of ITBP.
vii. Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of India, raised on 24 October 1962, under the CRPF Act. The ITBP was intended for deployment along India’s border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected therewith.
UP Government to include 17 sub-castes of OBCs into SC category
i. In an attempt to seek the favour of the backward castes ahead of Assembly polls in 2017, 
the Uttar Pradesh state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav passed a resolution to include 17 sub-castes of Other Backward Castes (OBCs) into the Scheduled Castes (SC) category.
ii. These sub-castes include Kahaar, Kashyap, Kewat, Nishad, Bind, Bhar, Prajapati, Rajbhar, Batham, Gaur, Tura, Majhi, Mallah, Kumhar, Dheemar and Machua.
iii. However, the final decision to declare any caste as ‘Scheduled Caste’ rests with the Centre.
iv. It is the third time that the SP government has made an attempt to include 17 OBC castes into the SC bracket. The first attempt was made by Mulayam Singh Yadav’s regime when it brought a resolution in 2004. But, the Allahabad High Court later rejected the decision declaring the move unconstitutional and void.
v. The second attempt was made in 2012 – when Akhilesh Yadav came to power. In 2013, just before the Lok Sabh polls, the Samajwadi Party had launched Samajik Nyaya Yatra demanding that these 17 OBCs be included in the SC bracket.
vi. The move is directed at strengthening the SP’s weakening hold over a section of the OBCs. It will also benefit the party in getting the votes of both the OBCs who finds place in SC category.
Uttar Pradesh
♦ Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in the Republic of India created on 1 April 1937. It is the fourth largest Indian state by area and the third largest Indian state by economy, with a GDP of Rs. 9,763 billion (US$150 billion). Agriculture and service industries are the largest parts of the state’s economy. Hindi is the official widely spoken language in its 75 districts.
♦ State animal: Swamp deer ♦ State bird: Sarus crane
♦ State dance: Kathak ♦ State sport: Field hockey
Odisha Government launches Biju Sishu Surakshya Yojana for HIV+ orphan children
i. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on December 22, launched “Biju Sishu Surakshya Yojana” for care and protection of HIV positive orphan children in the state.
Important aspects of the scheme
ii. Under the scheme, the children would get financial support from the state
government for their studies till higher secondary along with Rs. 20,000 reward after passing higher secondary.
iii. State government would provide Rs. 7,000 to Rs 40,000 for technical education to the beneficiary to meet the expenses like admission and tution fee, study material and other related expenses
iv. The scheme also includes scholarship to 3 meritorious students every year in each district.
v. The state will bear the cost of marriage in case the beneficiary is a girl. Rs 1,000 per year would also be deposited in the Sukanya Samridhi Account of the girl child till she attains the age of 18 years.
vi. Apart from this, the scheme provides for one time token assistance of Rs 50,000 for girls and Rs 40,000 for boys on completion of 18 and 21 years respectively to facilitate marriage ceremony.
Odisha CM Adds 25 Lakh new Beneficiaries under the Mamata Yojana
i. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, on December 22, addressed a meeting at the Jayadev Bhawan to mark five years of completion of the Mamata Yojana.
ii. The state government added 25 lakh new beneficiaries under the Mamata Yojana and electronically transferred Rs 1,100 crore to the bank accounts of these beneficiaries.
iii. The Chief Minister also announced a onetime incentive of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 for Anganwadi workers, Anganwadi assistants and Asha workers respectively to promote the scheme.
iv. This incentive will benefit 70,000 Anganwadi workers, 60,000 Anganwadi assistants and 48,000 Asha workers.
v. He also inaugurated the Mamata software that will transfer Rs 3,000 to enrolled pregnant women in the first phase at six months of pregnancy and Rs 2,000 in the second phase at the tenth month of pregnancy.
vi. This has become the largest Direct Benefit Transfer programme in the country aimed at pregnant and expectant mothers.
Mamata Yojana
♦ It is a scheme which aims to provide monetary support to the pregnant and lactating women tom enable them to seek improved nutrition and promote health seeking behavior.
♦ It was launched by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in October 2011. Under the Mamata Scheme, the government provides Rs. 5,000 to pregnant and lactating women in rural areas.
♦ The Mamata scheme has been very helpful in making sure that the mothers are not only healthy, but also self-dependent and empowered.
PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of Pt Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre in Varanasi
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for Pt Mohan Malviya Cancer Centre and a 150-bed ESIC super speciality hospital in his Lok Sabha constituency, Varanasi on December 22, 2016
ii. He visits Kabir Nagar area to inspect laying of underground cables, installation of heritage streetlights and lighting of heritage buildings
iii. He also Inaugurated new Trade Facilitation Centre and Crafts Museum
Varanasi :
♦ Varanasi also known as Benares, Banaras or Kashi
♦ It is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world.
♦ Kashi Vishvanath Temple or Golden Temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples and is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
