29th, August, 2022

 

Topic: Awards won in 8th International Film Fest held at Shimla

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• The festival was held from 26-28 August at Gaiety Theater in Shimla.

 

How many countries participated?

• Documentaries, animation films, features and short films from 17 different countries, including Canada, America, Lebanon, Spain, Iran, Taiwan, Brazil, Iceland, Singapore, Mexico, Australia, Greece, Belgium, Denmark, and Russia were screened at the festival.
• In total, 62 films — 27 international and 35 national, under the category of documentaries, animation, feature film, short films and music videos, were screened in the competitive section.

 

International category:

 

Best Feature Film:

• The Iranian film The Boarding House by Maryam Ebrahimvand has been awarded the Best Feature Film in the International category at the 8th International Film Festival of Shimla (IFFS).

 

Best Short Film :

• Best Short Film was awarded to a film from Iran, Footsteps by Hamed Bahrami.

 

Special Jury Short Film:

• Coffined At 15 by Gayatri Kumar and Polar Bears by Shilpa Krishnan Shukla.

 

Special Jury Documentary award:

• Emergence: Out of the Shadows by Vinay Giridhar.

 

 

Amongst the National level awards:

 

Best Documentary:

• The First Ink – Memories That Make History by Shridhar KS and Ripples Under the Skin by Farha Khatun.

 

The Special Jury Documentary award:

• 15 Seconds A Lifetime by Divya Hemant Kharnare, while Faraz Arif Ansari’s Sheer Qorma won the Best Short Film award.

 

The Special Jury Short Film award:

• Kakitham – Paper by Vinoth Veeramani, Pinky And Papa by Shivang Khanna, and Kumu by Akanshya Bhagabati.

 

Best Feature Film in this category:

• Chabiwala – The Keysmith by Raja Ghosh.

 

 

For State Category:

• In the awards given from the state of Himachal, Keel by Aaryan Harnot was adjudged the winner of the Best Film award.

(News Source: cinestaan)

 

 

Topic: Book Release

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar released the book ‘Sunita Jain Ka Rachna-Samsar’ written by Priyanka Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan, here today.
• On the occasion, the Governor appreciated the research work and efforts of the author and said that ‘Sunita Jain ka Rachna-Samsar’ was very extensive work and the biggest challenge in itself.

About Book:

• The book interprets the compositions of collection of more than fifty poems of Sunita Jain in the contemporary perspective. He said that the beliefs, values of life of Indians could be seen together in her poems.
• Priyanka Bhardwaj has tried to think from the perspective of social, economic, political, cultural and post-modern discourse emerging in the world of creation of poems by Sunita Jain.

 

About Author:

• Priyanka Bhardwaj hailed from Sanawar village near Kasauli, a famous tourist spot in Solan district and is currently working as Assistant Professor in Government College, Solan. Earlier, in the year 2019, her collection of poems ‘Band Muthhi ka Vyakaran’ was also published.

(Source: HP Government)

 

 

Topic: Awards

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• The Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVN) won two ‘Gold Awards’ in the 12th Exceed Environment, HR and CSR Awards 2022.

 

For which initiative:

• The awards were presented for the SJVN’s mobile health van service, ‘Satluj Sanjeevani Sewa’, and for its extensive efforts in the preservation of environment.
• Satluj Sanjeevani Sewa was started under the umbrella of the SJVN CSR Foundation in 2012.

SJVN chairman Nand Lal Sharma shared:

• The SJVN is committed to fulfill its societal commitment and strives to enhance the quality of life of its stakeholders and follows best practices for environmental preservation.

(Source: The Tribune)

 

 

Topic: Steps to Conserve Ground Water

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• Kangra administration is all set to prepare an ambitious plan for water conservation in the district.
• Task forces will be constituted at the block and gram panchayat-level for the purpose.

Under which scheme it is being carried out?

• Under the Centrally-sponsored Jal Shakti Mission.

 

Steps taken:

• According to Kangra Deputy Commissioner Nipun Jindal:
• A list of all water sources is being prepared for better water management and conservation.
• Instructions had been given for taking steps for the construction of amrit sarovars and check dams in the area, especially where groundwater was deficient.

 

About Jal Shakti Abhiyan:

Phase I: 1st July to 15th September 2019 (all States)
Phase II: 1st October to 30th November 2019 (States with retreating monsoon)

• Inspired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s impetus on Jal Sanchay, the Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) is a time-bound, mission-mode water conservation campaign.
• The JSA will run in two Phases: Phase 1 from 1st July to 15th September 2019 for all States and Union Territories; and Phase 2 from 1st October to 30th November 2019 for States and UTs receiving the retreating monsoon (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu).
• During the campaign, officers, groundwater experts and scientists from the Government of India will work together with state and district officials in India’s most water-stressed districts* for water conservation and water resource management by focusing on accelerated implementation of five target intervention.
• The JSA aims at making water conservation a Jan Andolan through asset creation and extensive communication.*Water-stressed districts: Districts with critical or over-exploited groundwater levels as per the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 2017.
• For states without critical and over-exploited groundwater levels, districts with the least availability of groundwater in comparison to the rest of the districts in the state have been selected.

(Source: The Tribune)

 

 

Topic: ‘Pragatisheel Himachal : Sathapana Ke 75 Varsh’ programme

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• CM presides over ‘Pragatisheel Himachal : Sathapana Ke 75 Varsh’ programme at Dari in Dharamshala.

 

Chief Minister shared achievements of Government:

 

Health Sector:

• There were only two oxygen plants in the State, but today there were 50 PSA oxygen plants in the State. He said that there were only 50 ventilators in the State two years back and today the State has over 1020 ventilators in different health institutions. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided free vaccines to people of the country. Himachal Pradesh ranked at the top in the country in administering the vaccine.

 

Education Sector:

• There were only 301 educational institutions in the State at the time of its formation, whereas today the number has gone up to 16,124.

 

Road Connectivity:

• Prime Minister who started the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna in the country. Nearly 50 percent road networks in the state have been covered under PMGSY and this led to all round progress and prosperity of especially rural areas of the state.

(Source: HP Government)

 

 

Topic: Transport nagar project in Solan stuck in red tape

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• The transport nagar project in Solan has failed to make any headway in the last four years owing to the lackadaisical approach of various departments.
• Chief Minister had laid its foundation stone at Kather Bypass in April 2018 and Rs 2 crore was announced for its construction in March 2021 ahead of the civic body poll in Solan.
• However, the project has been suffering from government apathy. It has been conveniently transferred from one department to the other resulting in delay its construction.

Reasons:

• Initially, the Urban Development Department was to execute the project and bear its cost pegged at Rs 21.22 crore. A detailed project report was prepared and it was decided that 135 showrooms and 140 workshops would be constructed on a 15,417 sq m area on Kather bypass in Solan.
• It was supposed to rehabilitate the displaced motor mechanics whose shops were acquired for four-laning the Solan-Shimla highway at Chambaghat in 2017. Owing to the delay, the displaced motor market owners have set up their shops elsewhere and it seems the purpose of the project has been defeated.
• Lack of funds is one of the key reasons as the project has failed to make any progress. The matter was then referred to the state government, which decided that the Transport Department would execute it. Ironically, the architect, who prepared its detailed project report, was not given a payment of Rs 20 lakh.
• Though last-ditch efforts were made by local politicians to initiate the project, little could be achieved.
• In the latest reply filed by the state government to a question posed by local MLA DR Shandil, it again stated that the project would be executed by the Urban Development Department after transferring it from the Transport Department.
• This assurance has failed to restore the confidence of the displaced motor mechanics, who are disheartened by the dilly-dallying approach of the state government.

 

Highlights of Project:

• The project will be spread over an area of 15,417 sq m on Kather Bypass in Solan.
• A sum of Rs 2 crore was announced for its construction in March 2021 ahead of the civic body poll in Solan.
• It was supposed to rehabilitate motor showrooms located at Chambaghat that were displaced due to the four-laning of the Solan-Shimla highway.

(Source: The Tribune)

 

 

Topic: Sports

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• A three-day state-level open hockey tournament for boys and girls was inaugurated by Power Minister Sukhram Chaudhary.

Where?

• At Thodo ground, Solan.

 

Minister shared:

• Eminent sportsmen were being provided government jobs on the basis of 3 per cent quota. He added that Rs 77 crore was being spent on creating sports infrastructure and small grounds were being created in rural areas.
• SP Jagota, chairman of the Solan Hockey Club, said more than 250 players from nine girls teams and eight boys teams were participating in the tournament.
• The first match was played between Sundernager and Paddal sports clubs.

(Source: The Tribune)

 

 

 

Topic: Creches at Police Stations

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• With the increase in the number of women personnel, police stations will be equipped with creche facilities for their children. At present, Himachal is among the top five states with a maximum number of women police personnel (13.7 per cent).
• DGP Sanjay Kundu has asked the officers concerned in all 13 police lines in the districts, seven battalion headquarters and all 11 women police stations to identify the accommodation for opening of creches.

Challenges:

• Six policewomen have been deployed in all police stations and it has come to our notice that they are facing difficulties in taking care of their children as in a large number of cases, the families are living alone and husband is also working,” he said.

 

National Creches Scheme:

• As per guidelines of the National Creches Scheme, a creche must have a minimum space of 6-8 sq ft per child (total 150-200 sq. ft for 25 children) to ensure that the children can play, rest and learn without any hindrance. Ideally, the crèches should have two rooms or a large hall, a kitchen, toilet and playing area. Una, Chamba, Kangra and the 5th IRDN have taken lead in this initiative.

DGP shared:

• “We have also written to the state government to increase the women percentage in the police to 33 per cent,” said the DGP, adding, “We have reserved 25 per cent posts of constable and 33 per cent posts of sub-inspector for women.”
• Women and children are the victim in over 50 per cent cases and under the new progressive laws, the women police are required for cases related to children and women.

(Source: The Tribune)