23rd, August, 2022

 

Topic: Himalayan Startup Trek 2022

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur will visit IIT Mandi Campus on 27th August to inaugurate the 6th edition of Himalayan Startup Trek 2022 – an annual startup event of IIT Mandi.
• The event will have representatives of stakeholders of the Indian Startup Ecosystem, including startups, investors, and seasoned entrepreneurs. Himalayan Startup Trek is symbolic of the emerging startup ecosystem in the state of Himachal Pradesh with immense support from the state government over the past several years.

 

The event features a startup grand challenge in three thematic areas, namely:

1) Human-Computer Interaction
2) Build for the Himalayas
3) Environment & Sustainability.

 

Objective:

• About 100 startups handpicked through a competitive process will attend the event, and present their startup ideas to a grand jury to win the grand challenge that has prize money of INR 6 Lakhs.
• Several startups will demonstrate their innovative products and interact with the experts that will visit.
• Top startups from the event will be hand picked for incubation support by IIT Mandi Catalyst. Several startups will get an opportunity to pilot their solutions with help from state departments and explore collaborations.

 

Himachal Pradesh Government collaborated with IIT Mandi Catalyst:

• Earlier, several departments of the Himachal Pradesh Government collaborated with IIT Mandi Catalyst – to float state’s problem statements related to waste management, tourism, healthcare, and human resource management.
• The state department officials are likely to be present during the event and assess the suitability of startups’ solutions.During the event, CM will also inaugurate the new office buildings of IIT Mandi Catalyst, the technology business incubator and IIT Mandi iHub and HCI foundation, a technology innovation hub.
• IIT Mandi Catalyst provides mentoring and financial support to innovative startup ideas from across the country.

(Source: HP Government)

 

 

Topic: Meet of Himachal Pradesh Police Service Officers

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, while addressing the Meet of Himachal Pradesh Police Service Officers here last evening, announced enhancement of Uniform Allowance of Himachal Pradesh Police Officers from existing Rs 3675 to Rs 15,000 per annum.

 

Initiatives shared by CM:

• The State Government has also ensured that best working conditions be provided to the Police force to keep their morale high.
• He said that hundreds of posts of police personnel of different categories have been filled during the last four and half years period and over 2500 police personnel have been promoted. He said that several police posts and police stations have been opened to ensure effective policing and to maintain law and order. He said that one new Police district has been opened at Nurpur in Kangra district.
• 350 vehicles have been provided to the Police Department by the State Government to ensure effective mobility of the Force. In addition to this, Rs. 300 crore have been spent on creating an effective infrastructure and modernization of the Police Force.

(Source: HP Government)

 

 

Topic: Pragatisheel Himachal: Sathapna Ke 75 Varsh

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while presiding over the ‘Pragatisheel Himachal: Sathapna Ke 75 Varsh’ celebrations to commemorate 75 years of existence of Himachal Pradesh at Baloh Dhami in Shimla Rural Assembly Constituency of Shimla district today performed inaugurations and foundation stones of 10 developmental projects worth about Rs 35 crore for the constituency.
• Dhami area has also been immortalized due to the infamous Dhami carnage that took place at Dhami about 82 years ago for the freedom of the nation and for securing a separate identity for Himachal Pradesh.

 

Let’s learn about Dhami in Shimla:

• Travelling a few centuries back in time,one finds that Dhami was founded sometime in the end of the 12th century or the early 13th century by one of the descendants of Prithviraj Chauhan, who was driven away from the neighborhood of Delhi to Raipur (Ambala district) by the repeated attacks of Muhammad Ghori. Ultimately the Chauhan adventurer found refuge in the Himalayan foothills and later shifted to Dhami. The new state, covering 28 square miles, remained more or less a feudatory of Kahlur (Bilaspur) for a long time.

 

• In the Princely States of the Shimla Hills, the Princely State of Dhami was a Princely State such as was not left under any other State or Princely State. The king of Dhami is a descendant of Prithvi Raj Chauhan from Delhi. Spread over 70 square kilometres, the capital of that princely state was Halog and Dhami was the state’s most majestic and famous king, Dalip Singh. He ruled from 1908 to 1987. After this Raja Pratap Singh ascended the throne and ruled from 1987 to 2008.

 

• Dhami’s history took a new turn with the advent of the British, who promised the rulers of Dhami as well as 19 other hill states restoration of their territories if they assisted them in defeating the Gurkhas in the Anglo-Gurkha War. The Gurkhas were expelled. Eventually the British granted Dhami with a “Sanad” in September, 1815, recognising it as an independent state by conferring lands upon its legitimate chief “from generation to generation and with all internal rights” provided Dhami fulfilled certain conditions.

 

• Dhami proved its loyalty to the British in 1857 when the Gurkhas’ held a mutiny against the British at Jutogh.

 

• Soon the small hill state of Dhami acquired a great chapter in the history of the Himahal. Arrived under British supremacy, Dhami had to fulfil certain conditions that upset the traditional economy and the lives of the hill people.

 

• Being near the summer capital of Shimla, demands on Dhami were increasing for the supply of free and forced labour, fuel, especially of the prized oak wood, fruits and vegetables, recruits to the British army, expenses for routine shikar expeditions, enhanced revenue, etc. — all for the upkeep of the British bara log at Shimla.

 

• The brewing discontent due to such atrocities led to resentment against the autocratic Rana, and demand for social reform, under the banner of praja mandals. The Dhami Praja Mandal led a crowd of more than 2,000 at Halog on July 16, 1939, to represent their demands to the Dhami Rana. In the melee that ensued, guns were fired by Dhami state leaving two dead in the incident called Dhami goli kand.

 

What is Dhami Firing (Dhami Satyagrah) in Himachal Pradesh of 1939?

• Dhami firing in the history of Himachal Pradesh is known as the black chapter of the state.
• Dhami was a small princely state under Rana rule. The sovereign of the Princely State of Dhami was Rana Dalip Singh back then.
• In order to raise voice against the freedom struggle and the rule of the kings, this state was in the news in the whole country due to the incident of Dhami firing in Dhami princely state in 1939.
• Subsequently, a committee was also set up to investigate this shooting.

 

What were the Demands of Dhami Riyasati Praja Mandal?

Prem Pracharini Sabha Dhami’ was created in 1937 in a Dhami conducted by Sita Ram. On July 13, 1939, the Prem Pracharini Sabha Dhami was renamed “Dhami Riyasati Praja Mandal”. Thus Dhami Satygrah was launched and there was a lengthy agitation against Rana’s oppressive policies. This gathering had 3 main demands :

1. End of forced labort that is End of Begar.

2. Reduction in land revenue (tax) by 50%.

3. Recognition of Dhami Praja Mandal.

These applications were not accepted, but refused by Raja Dalip Singh Rana.

 

What is Dhami Satyagrah?

• On 16 July 1939, a delegation of about 1500 people led by Bhagmal Southa travelled to Dhami to be heard. But before reaching Dhami, Bhagmal Southa was arrested in the middle of the route Ghanahatti.

 

Who Ordered to Shoot at Dhami ?

• When Chief Bhagmal Southa was arrested, people were angry. The revolutionaries were on their way to the Dhami Rana with the police staff. Raja Dalip Singh Rana was startled by the crowd and gave the order to shoot. It was the first incident in the history of the Himahal. Two individuals, Uma Dutt and Durga Singh, were killed in the Dhami shooting.

 

The response of Mahatma Gandhi to the shooting of Dhami incident:

• After the Dhami shooting, a team headed by Raj Kumari Amrik Kaur, Sita Ram and Bhaskar Nand met with Gandhi-Nehru. Then the attention of the national leaders turned to that mountainous state.
• Gandhi and Nehru also condemned the incident. A committee was also formed for this later. The Dhami Goli incident was an unprecedented incident in the mountains. That incident was condemned nationally. Punjabi lawyer Duni Chand was nominated by the Indian National Congress to investigate the incident. Mahatma Gandhi set up a committee chaired by Punjab lawyer Duni Chand to investigate the entire scandal.
• Meanwhile, Raja Dhami and the British government tried to crush the movement by passing orders such as arrests of Prajamandal activists, attachment of their assets and withdrawal from the country. Such a move increased the anger of the people against the king throughout the state. Seeing that, the king of the time called a contingent of the British army to Dhami, the seat of the princely state. The Prajamandal and the houses of the Swarajis were sealed. The settlement scandal in 1941 was a revolt against the British in the same series.

 

About Pragatisheel Himachal: Sathapna Ke 75 Varsh:

• To commemorate 75 years of formation of Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday launched State level programme Pragatisheel Himachal: ‘Sthapna Ke 75 Varsh’ (Progressive Himachal: 75 Years of Formation), at the historic Chamba Chaugan in Chamaba district.

(Source: The Tribune)

 

 

Topic: First Electronic Vehicle Charging Station in Dharamshala

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• Electronic vehicles will soon start getting the facility of charging station in Smart City Dharamshala. This will give people a suitable place to charge electronic vehicles.
• In order to promote the principle of environment protection and Green India in Dharamshala, the first Electronic Vehicle Charging Station has started operating at Bhagsunag in Dharamshala.
• This will be Dharamshala’s first charging station. Where electronic vehicles coming to smart city will get charging facility. With this, where the smart city will be pollution free. At the same time, environmental protection will also be promoted.

 

Why important?

• First EV charging station operational in Bhagsunag, Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. An initiative started by Dharamshala Municipal Corporation for green India.

(Source: Punjab Kesari)