20th, June, 2022
Topic: Glory for State
Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains
What is the news?
- Himachal bags SKOCH ‘e-Governance’ award.
Under what category?
- The Himachal Pradesh Government has bagged first prize in the finance and revenue categories nationally in the SKOCH State of Governance Report 2021.
Who received the prize and where?
- The Department of State Taxes and Excise received the award at a ceremony held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, yesterday as part of the India Governance Forum.
Why is Himachal selected for the prize?
- Himachal was chosen for the award because of several initiatives taken by the state government by implementing the HP-VAT-IT Project in the state besides 31 online services, reduction and rationalization of business-related compliance burden on taxpayers and other stakeholders.
About SKOCH Awards:
- Instituted in 2003, SKOCH Award salutes people, projects and institutions that go the extra mile to make India a better nation.
- SKOCH Award winners include the mighty and the ordinary alike.
- They receive this Award for their extraordinary achievements in contributing to the society.
- The Roll of Honour of the SKOCH Award over the years is a testimony to this.
- Our awardees value SKOCH Award as the highest civilian honour in the country conferred by an independent organisation.
The SKOCH Award covers the best of efforts in digital, financial and social inclusion. It encompasses the best of governance, inclusive growth, excellence in technology and applications, change management, corporate leadership, corporate governance, citizen services delivery, capacity building, empowerment and other such softer issues that get normally lost in the glamour and the glitz of industry sponsored or advertising focused jamborees.
SKOCH Award not only acknowledges exceptional achievers—organizations and individuals—but also spurs inspirational guidance and motivational leadership.
(News Source: The Tribune)
Topic: Himachal Geography
Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains
What is the news?
- After Rohtang, Baralacha has emerged as a new tourist destination.
Why?
- The 13,058-feet Rohtang Pass is the first choice of tourists visiting Manali. However, with only 1,200 vehicles being allowed everyday, as per the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), tourists are heading towards the 16,040-feet Baralacha Pass in the Lahaul valley by crossing the Atal Tunnel to witness heavy snow.
- The number of tourists going towards Baralacha and Shinkula these days is more than the Rohtang Pass. More than 1,500 vehicles, including those going towards Leh, are plying to Baralacha located on the Manali-Leh road everyday.
About Baralacha Pass:
- Baralacha La is a high mountain pass in the Zanskar range linking the district of Lahaul in Himachal Pradesh to the Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir. The pass is located on the Leh-Manali National Highway.
- Suraj Tal Lake is fed by the Bhaga River, which lies below the summit of Baralacha Pass, which is also known as the ‘pass with crossroads on the summit’.
(News Source: The Tribune)
Topic: Mukhyamantri Bal Suposhan Yojana.
Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains
What is the news?
- A big step has been taken in the direction of making the state free from malnutrition by providing quality nutrition under Mukhyamantri Bal Suposhan Yojana.
What is the objective of this scheme?
- The objective of the MMBSY scheme is to provide assistance in providing health care and nutritious food to the child for about three years after birth, prenatal and postnatal, to overcome malnutrition among pregnant women and newborns.
- This will ensure proper health care of children and avoid the problem of malnutrition.
- A spokesman of the state government said that during the year 2021-22, the Chief Minister had announced to prepare an action plan in view of the nutritional level of the child and mother in the National Family Health Survey-5. Which has been prepared by the state government in collaboration with NITI Aayog.
What is the budget provision?
- A budget provision of about 65 crores has been made by the state government for this scheme.
Who will get covered?
- More than four lakh children in the age group of six months to six years, more than five lakh children in the age group of 6 to 10 years, more than three lakh adolescent girls and 94000 lactating mothers will get its benefit.
- Under the scheme, special attention is being paid to malnourished children, lactating mothers and pregnant women, besides providing extra protein-rich food to children below the age of six years.
- Under the scheme, options have been provided for the purchase of food items through self-help groups to empower women financially. Special campaigns like Diarrhea control, Pneumonia control, Anemia free Himachal will be run in the state to solve the problem of malnutrition and childhood diseases. The MMBSY scheme aims to cover not only children, pregnant and lactating women, but also the husband and family members of the pregnant woman.
- A four-tier monitoring and supervision system will also be established for the successful implementation of the scheme.
(Source: Divya Himachal)
Some More HP News:
- Vanshika, who stood first in the poster competition, was held by the Central Communication Bureau at Chabutra School.
- Hamirpur 20th June. On the occasion of International Day of Yoga, the Central Bureau of Communications, Hamirpur organized a poster painting competition at Government Senior Secondary School, Chabutra on Monday.