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26th, August, 2022

 

Topic: New Appointment of Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission.

 

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

 

Topic: New Appointment in Himachal

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

  • Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar today administered the oath of office and secrecy to Rameshwar Singh Thakur as the Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) at a ceremony held at Raj Bhawan, Shimla. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was also present on the occasion.
  • The Governor also administered the oath of office and secrecy to Rakesh Sharma, Colonel Rajesh Kumar Sharma and Dr. Nain Singh as Members of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission.

About Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission:

 

Historical Background:
  • Himachal Pradesh attained statehood on 25th January, 1971.
  • Prior to this date, the function of Public Service Commission in respect of the civil services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh were being discharged by the Union Public Service Commission under Article 315 of the Constitution of India.

It was, therefore, incumbent on the State to have its own Public Service Commission. However, since a State Public Service Commission could be constituted simultaneously with the attainment of Statehood, the Union Public Service Commission, on a request from the Governor of the State of Himachal Pradesh with the approval of the President of India, agreed to serve the needs of Himachal Pradesh till the establishment of a Public Service Commission for the State or for a period of three months from 25th January, 1971 whichever was earlier.

  • The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (Members) Regulations, 1971 were notified by the Governor of Himachal Pradesh on 8th April, 1971 by virtue of the power vesting in him under Article 318 of the Constitution of India.
  • These Regulations, prescribed that the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission would consist of a Chairman and two Members to be appointed by the Governor.

 

Important Points:

 

1) Chairman and other members (Number of other members is not fixed. It is determined by the Governor of the state)

2) Appointment by Governor

3) Qualification:

  • The qualification of the chairman and other members is NOT SPECIFIED in the constitution. However, there is a condition that one-half of the members of the commission should be such persons who have held office for at least ten years either under the government of India or under the Government of a state

4) Term:

  • 6 years or until they attain the age of 62 years (Initially, the retirement age was 60 years. It was extended to 62 years by the 41st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976)

7) Resign to Governor

8) Annual Report is submitted to the Governor, who then tables it before the State Legislature for the discussion.

9) Removal of Chairman and members: By President (Although they are appointed by the Governor, only President can remove them from their post)

10) Reappointment after retirement:

  • Chairman: The Chairman of the State PSC cannot be reappointed for the next term in the same PSC. However, he can be appointed as the chairman or member of UPSC or chairman of other PSC or JPSC
  • Member: A member cannot be reappointed for the next term in the same PSC. However, he can be appointed as the chairman of that PSC or chairman or member of other PSC/JPSC or UPSC.

11) Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission: HeadQuarter in Shimla

(News Source: HP Government)

 

 

Topic: Book

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

  • Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar released the book Himachali Jan-Jeevan by Sarla Kumari and another book Jeevan Anant Khoj written by Girdhari Sharma at Raj Bhavan today.

About Sarla Kumari and her book:

  • Sarla Kumari hailed from Chaupal in Shimla district and did freelance writing.

About her Book:
  • In her book, she has presented the various situations of 12 districts of the State through different stories.
  • Appreciating her efforts, the Governor said that she was a budding Hindi writer who was an inspiration to other women. He said that the readers would find these stories revealing the life of the hill people.

 

About Girdhari Sharma and her book:

  • Girdhari Sharma also hails from Sunni Tehsil in Shimla district.

About her book:
  • In the book ‘Jeevan Anant Khoj’, the author has discussed many important topics of human life like spiritual power, self-realization, love and harmony etc and suggested adopting human service with positivity.
(Source: HP Government)

 

 

 

Topic: Voluntary youth clubs in Himachal

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

  • Chief Minister, Himachal Pradesh Government, in his budget speech for the financial year 2022-23, has announced cash awards to three outstanding voluntary youth clubs at the district level.

Purpose:

  • To strengthen the capacity building of the youth and encourage voluntary work done by the youth clubs.

 

Awards:

  • He informed that Rs 51,000 will be given as first prize, Rs 31,000 as second prize and Rs 21,000 as third prize to outstanding youth clubs.

 

Selection process:

  • Outstanding youth clubs for the award will be selected by a committee constituted under the chairmanship of deputy commissioner.
  • Yuva Mandals can submit applications for these awards from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, along with the report of the work done from January 1, 2021 to the District Youth Service and Sports Office Hamirpur by September 30, 2022.
  • It is district level activity.
(Source: HP Government)

 

 

Topic: Illegal mining in Himachal

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

  • Illegal mining threatens another historic railway bridge, 13th century Shiva temple Baijnath in Kangra.

Where exactly the location?

  • Illegal mining that continues unabated in the Binwa rivulet at Baijnath in Himachal’s Kangra has endangered another railway bridge on the heritage Pathankot-Jogindernagar track, besides posing threat to an adjoining highway bridge and the famous 13th century Shiva temple in the town.

Baijnath temple faces risk too:

  • Illegal mining poses risk to the retaining walls of the 13th century Shiva temple Baijnath.
  • The activity also threatens nearby bridge on the colonial-era Pathankot-Jogindernagar rail track.
  • The foundation of an adjoining NHAI bridge has also been weakened.

 

Recent Incident:

  • A colonial-era bridge on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar rail track over the Chakki rivulet in Kangra’s Nurpur was washed away following heavy rain recently, an incident attributed by green activists to illegal mining.

 

What does the state government’s policy say?

  • According to the state government’s policy, mining cannot be carried out within 100 metres of a bridge. Sources said in view of the temple, a complete ban had been imposed on mining in the Binwa.

 

Ghanshyam Awasthi, an environmental activist shared:
  • Despite tall claims by the local administration and the Mining Department, a large number of mules can be seen carrying extracted sand and gravel from the rivulet’s banks. The illegally mined material was transported on mules to certain points from where it was shifted to vehicles by the mining mafia for further sale, said Ghanshyam Awasthi, an environmental activist.
  • Awasthi said several sand and gravel dumps could be seen on the Pathankot-Mandi highway. Deep trenches dug by the mining mafia on the riverbed had weakened the retaining walls of the temple as well as the pillars of the two bridges, said residents Subhash Chand and Neeraj Mehta.

 

About Baijnath temple (Shiva Temple):

Who made this?

  • Baijnath TempleThe Baijnath temple has been continuously under worship ever since its construction in 1204 A.D. by two local merchants named Ahuka and Manyuka.
  • The two long inscriptions in the porch of the temple indicate that a temple of Siva existed on the spot even before the present one was constructed.

 

What is the temple architectural style?

  • The present temple is a beautiful example of the early medieval north Indian temple architecture known as Nagara style of temples.

 

About Temple:

  • The Svayambhu form of Sivalinga is enshrined in the sanctum of the temple that has five projections on each side and is surmounted with a tall curvilinear Shikhara.
  • The entrance to sanctum is through a vestibule that has a large square Mandapa in front with two massive balconies one each in north and south.
  • There is a small porch in front of the mandapa hall that rests on four pillars in the front preceded by an idol of Nandi, the bull, in a small pillared shrine.
  • The Baijnath temple is a highly popular temple as it houses one of the 12 holy jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva in the country and devotees from across the country throng the temple to offer prayers to the lord.
(Source: The Tribune)

 

 

Topic: Greentech Award to SJVN

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

  • Sh Nand Lal Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, SJVN informed that the Company has been conferred with Greentech Award for outstanding achievements in Environment Protection.

 

For what purpose?

  • The Award is in recognition of the environment protection measures adopted by SJVN in its projects under construction stage, especially 60 MW Naitwar Mori Hydro Electric Project in Uttarakhand, 210 MW Luhri Stage-I Hydro Project and 66 MW Dhaulasidh Hydro Project in Himachal Pradesh.

 

About Greentech Award:

  • The prestigious Greentech Awards are presented to the organizations demonstrating commitment towards environmental protection practices.
  • The organizations nominated for the awards are evaluated for their environment management practices that has positive impact on the community by the panel of judges comprising of distinguished professionals and eminent personalities.

 

About Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL):

  • SJVN Limited, a Mini Ratna, Category-I and Schedule –‘A’ CPSE under administrative control of Ministry of Power, Government of India, was incorporated on May 24, 1988 as a joint venture of the Government of India (GOI) and the Government of Himachal Pradesh (GOHP). SJVN is now a listed Company having a shareholders pattern of 59.92% with Government of India, 26.85% with the Government of Himachal Pradesh and the rest of 13.23% with the Public.
  • Beginning with a single Project and single State operation (India’s largest 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station in Himachal Pradesh) the Company has commissioned five projects totaling 2015.2 MW of installed capacity including wind and solar power. SJVN is presently implementing power projects in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Maharashtra and Gujarat in India besides neighboring countries name it as Nepal and Bhutan.
(Source: The Tribune)

 

 

 

Topic: Extention of Atal Pension Yojana

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

  • Labour and Employment Minister Bikram Singh on Thursday attended a two-day National Labour Conference of Labour Ministers and Labour Secretaries of States and Union Territories.

Where it was held?

  • Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

 

It was addressed virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The conference was presided over by Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

Bikram Singh said that:

  • The Atal Pension Yojana has been extended in the state till March 31, 2023 to give pension to the existing beneficiaries and new people. In the year 2022-23, about 20 crores will be spent on this.

 

How many people have been registered under this scheme in the state?

  • One lakh people have been registered under this scheme in the state.

 

Central Government has developed e-Shram Portal with a view to ensure social security of workers and provide various benefits to them.

A target has been set to register 20.87 lakh workers in the unorganized sector on the e-Shram portal, in which the state has completed the registration of 19.13 lakh workers.

The Labor and Employment Minister said:

  • Himachal is among the leading states across the country in achieving the target of registration of workers on e-Shram portal.
  • The state government has increased the current contribution limit of the state government from Rs 2,000 per year to Rs 3,000 under the Atal Pension Yojana.

 

About Atal Pension Yojana:

1) The Atal Pension Yojana (APY) was launched on 09.05.2015 to create a universal social security system for all Indians, especially the poor, the under-privileged and the workers in the unorganised sector. APY is administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

2)  APY is open to all bank account holders in the age group of 18 to 40 years and the contributions differ, based on pension amount chosen.

3)  Subscribers would receive the guaranteed minimum monthly pension of Rs. 1000 or Rs. 2000 or Rs. 3000 or Rs. 4000 or Rs. 5000 at the age of 60 years.

4)  The monthly pension would be available to the subscriber, and after him to his spouse and after their death, the pension corpus, as accumulated at age 60 of the subscriber, would be returned to the nominee of the subscriber.

5)  In case of premature death of subscriber (death before 60 years of age), spouse of the subscriber can continue contribution to APY account of the subscriber, for the remaining vesting period, till the original subscriber would have attained the age of 60 years.

6)  The minimum pension would be guaranteed by the Government, i.e., if the accumulated corpus based on contributions earns a lower than estimated return on investment and is inadequate to provide the minimum guaranteed pension, the Central Government would fund such inadequacy. Alternatively, if the returns on investment are higher, the subscribers would get enhanced pensionary benefits.

7)  Subscribers can make contributions to APY on monthly/ quarterly / half-yearly basis.

8)  Subscribers can voluntarily exit from APY subject to certain conditions, on deduction of Government co-contribution and return/interest thereon.

(Source: Amar Ujala)

 

 

Himachal Sports News:

1) Prerna defeated UP wrestler Sakshi to win the Gold Medal. Ten women wrestlers from Himachal participated in the competition. In this, Baddi’s Prerna staked claim in the 66 kg category.