21st, June, 2022

 

 

Topic: International Yoga Day

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• International Yoga Day Function was organized in collaboration with the Department of AYUSH and Yoga Department of Himachal Pradesh University at Raj Bhavan, Shimla today. Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar presided over the function.
• Program on International Yoga Day organized at Ridge, Shimla.Chief Minister Shri Jai Ram Thakur ji is specially present here.

 

What is the theme of 2022?

• The theme of this year’s Yoga Day celebration is ‘Yoga for Humanity’

 

Significance of international Yoga Day:

• International Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21 to spread awareness about the importance and health benefits of yoga. It is being said that yoga helps balance the body and mind. The term “yoga” has come from two Sanskrit words – “Yuj,” which means together and “Yujir”, which means “to unite”.

(Source: CMO Himachal)

 

 

Topic: HP Shiva Project

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• HP-SHIVA Project:Preparation of MoU with Asian Development Bank for loan of Rs 775 crore; Claim to double farmers’ income from the project.

 

Which department will sign the MOU?

• The agreement will be signed in September this year for an HP shiva project of horticulture sector.

Aim:

• Aim to double the income of farmers.

 

About HP Shiva Project:

• In view of the immense potential of horticulture in low-lying areas with a hot climate, the Sub-tropical Horticulture, Irrigation and Value Addition Project (HP SHIVA) is an innovative initiative of the State Government for overall development of the horticulture sector and to make people self-reliant.
• Under the project, horticulture development would be done on the basis of seed to market concept. The goal of the project is to connect a maximum number of unemployed youth and women with horticulture. Assistance and facilities ranging from suitable saplings to mass marketing would be provided to the orchardist for developing new orchards. Implemented in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank.

 

Under HP SHIVA, high density farming would be promoted to bring horticulture revolution and the orchards would be protected and maintained using scientific methodology. Apart from this, provision has been made for composite solar fencing to protect fruits and crops from wild animals.

There is also a provision of subsidy on agricultural equipments and agricultural inputs for setting up a drip irrigation system and management of clusters to ensure proper utilization of available water resources.

• Under the project, 100 irrigation schemes would be developed to revolutionize horticulture, in which 60 percent of irrigation schemes would be revamped and 40 percent would be new irrigation schemes lower the dependence on rain water.
• Under HP SHIVA Project, the orchardists are being organized in collaboration with AFC India Limited and being registered by forming cooperative societies.
• These committees would work for the collective management of the orchards being established under the project, collective production, value addition and processing of the crops produced and collective marketing, in addition to conducting other commercial activities related to fruits, for which the Horticulture Department would provide training to these committees and help in their capacity building.
• These committees would be linked with various service providers and markets through a multi-stakeholder platform so that the orchardists could be provided technical guidance and services along with cooperation in marketing.

 

For value addition to the crops produced, provisions are being made for the development of various infrastructures like packaging, sorting and grading houses, CA stores, processing units etc. Efforts are being made by the State government to ensure that the orchardists get a fair price of their produce at their own orchards.

• At present, horticulture has become one of the major factors of development in the agriculture sector in the state. The horticulture sector is providing employment opportunities in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. The climate change has relatively lesser impact on horticultural crops, especially fruit crops, due to which more and more people of the State are adopting horticulture.
• These concerted efforts by the State government to promote horticulture in the State are giving a new impetus to the agricultural economy of the state. The day is not far when Himachal Pradesh will establish its identity as a fruit state.

(News Source: Danik Bhaskar)

 

 

Topic: Himachal Government Initiative

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has liked one of the steps in Himachal Pradesh at the first Conference of Chief Secretaries held in Dharamsala.

 

What is this step?

• The State Education Secretary made a presentation during the discussion on the National Education Policy, the theme of which was ‘Harnessing the potential of Digital Sky Opportunity in the National Education Policy’.

 

What is in it?

• In it, Himachal told the Chief Secretaries of all the states and the Prime Minister that employment prospects can be increased by mixing the use of drone technology with the National Education Policy.
• For this, the state government has made a separate drone policy and drone pilots are being prepared in the state itself. This will also meet the industrial demand.
• After this, in his address, the Prime Minister praised this initiative of Himachal and also asked the rest of the states to experiment in this direction.
• Himachal has followed the Garuda principles of the Government of India in the field of drones and with this we can also give employment to the youth. Now, after this suggestion of the Prime Minister, the Himachal Government is also going to make some amendments under the National Education Policy.

(Source: Divya Himachal)

 

 

Some More HP News:

1) A place called Badyalata in the district SIrmour has been approved by the Government of Himachal Pradesh for paragliding. Giving this information, Panchayat Samiti Sangraha President Mela Ram Sharma said that two months ago, the Himachal government had constituted a paragliding committee under the leadership of director of mountaineering institute Manali.

2) The Education Department has taken a new initiative to make students aware about cyber crime in schools and colleges of the state. Now cyber awareness day will be celebrated on the first Wednesday of every month in schools and colleges in the state.

3) The first ever mountain biking event is being organized in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. The event is being organised in collaboration with The Himalayan Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA) and Himachal Tourism Department.

4) The World Bank team is reviewing the Rs 1134 crore Horticulture Development Project (HDP). The World Bank also watched the progress report of the HDP project throughout the day on Wednesday through a virtual medium.

5) In Himachal Pradesh, it has been decided to impose a complete ban on the use of plastic from July 1.

6) In Himachal Pradesh, the change in weather has also started affecting the glaciers. The Chandranahan Lake at the site of The Pabbar River Origin in Shimla is on the verge of drying up.