30th, August, 2022
Topic: Bulk Drug Pharma Park to the State
Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains
Importance Prelims: Economic and social development
Importance Mains:
- PAPER-IV: GENERAL STUDIES-I (Unit II): Topic: Growth of Industrial areas and types of Industries in Himachal, Employment generation and potential.
- PAPER-VI: GENERAL STUDIES-III (Unit I): Topic: Economy of Himachal Pradesh: Health Sector Infrastructure
What is the news?
- Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Government of India for the allocation of Bulk Drug Pharma Park in the State.
Chief Minister shared:
- It was indeed a momentous moment for Himachal to get this project of National importance, as it would ensure retention of pharma formulation units as well as create local employment opportunities for many years in the State.
Objective:
- Prime objectives of allocating bulk drug pharma park to Himachal Pradesh and other states are augmenting domestic manufacturing, ensuring drug security and reducing the dependency of bulk drug on China.
Financial Support:
- Union Cabinet had approved the scheme of the bulk Drug Park on 21st March, 2020 and subsequently guidelines were issued on 21st July, 2020 wherein evaluation criteria were prescribed for submitting the proposal.
- As per the guidelines, 90% of the project cost with the maximum limit of Rs 1000 crore was to be provided by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Government of India.
- Project cost of the park is about Rs 1200 crore, out of which Rs 1000 crore will be funded by the Government of India for development of common infrastructure facilities and expected investment in this park is about Rs 8000-10,000 crore. The expected direct employment potential is about 15,000-20,000 persons. The power requirement is about 100-120 MW.
- Utility charges and additional incentives, including power tariff of Rs. 3 per unit for ten years, zero maintenance charges and warehouse charges for ten years besides land rate at Rs 1 per sq meter per annum for 33 years, stamp duty exemption, interest subvention at seven percent on term loan subject to maximum of Rs 51 lakh per annum and 70 percent exemption on net SGST for ten years were offered in the proposal for ensuring high return of investment.
How this Project will be helpful?
- Himachal Pradesh is home to more than 600 pharma formulation units and annual demand of bulk drug in the State is about 30,000-35,000 crore per annum.
- Now, this entire State; bulk drug demand would be met out from this park in a cost effective manner which would enhance the productivity and operational efficiency of pharma formulation units.
- Besides this park would also cater to the Active pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) needs of the country as a whole particularly of northern India. Himachal Pradesh is the hub of science graduates and would meet the skilled manpower requirement of this park in a comfortable manner.
- Apart from this, other socio-economic activities related to this project such as housing, township, vehicle requirement of park etc would have multiplier and multidimensional effect on the State economy. It is also certain that this park would attract huge investment in the backward and forward activities such as packing, pharma formulation etc.
Where it will be located?
- During the Corona period, the State Government has started identifying the requisite parcel of land and finally selected land parcel measuring 1,405 acres at Polian, Tibbin, Malluwal Tehsil Haroli, district Una.
(Source: HP Government)
Topic: Central Inter-Ministerial Team on losses during monsoon season
Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains
Importance Prelims: General issues of environmental ecology, bio-diversity and Climate Change
Importance Mains:
- PAPER-IV: GENERAL STUDIES-I (Unit I): Topic: Social and Environmental impacts of disasters.
What is the news?
- Chief Secretary RD Dhiman today had a high level meeting through video conferencing with Inter-ministerial team of the Centre, which was on a three day visit of the state to take stock of the damage so far in this monsoon season.
- The members of the central team led by Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Joint Secretary (Disaster Management) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, had a wide discussion with Chief Secretary and other officers of the concerned departments through video conferencing from Dharmshala and Bilaspur, and also received the interim memorandum regarding the damage in the state.
Why important?
- For the first time a high level Inter-ministerial team of the Centre has visited Himachal Pradesh in the mid monsoon season itself from 28th to 30th August, on the special request of the state government, which helped in assessing the actual situation.
Chief Secretary shared:
- An interim memorandum of loss of Rs 1981.86 crore was submitted to the central team. This includes the loss of Rs 957.09 crore to the Public Works Department and Rs 725.07 crore to the Jal Shakti Department.
- Apart from this, there has also been heavy damage to other departments and private property. Total 278 people have lost their lives in various incidents of flash floods, cloudbursts, landslides and house collapse, etc during this season in the state, while 522 people have been injured and 9 people were still missing. 169 houses were completely damaged, while 825 houses damaged partially. 72 shops and 887 gaushalas were damaged and 587 livestocks have also been reported killed, said RD Dhiman.
- This was only an interim report and these figures were likely to be increased significantly in the coming days as 20-25 days were still left for the monsoon season and damage assessment was still being done in many places. He added that the final damage report would be submitted by the end of the season. The suggestions from the central team would also be included in this report.
Joint Secretary (Disaster Management), Sunil Kumar Baranwal shared:
- That two different groups of the central team took stock of the situation by undertaking an extensive tour of the disaster affected areas of Kangra, Chamba, Mandi and Kullu districts. The team visited relief camps also.
- There has been a heavy loss in these areas of the state, said Sunil Kumar Baranwal. He also appreciated the steps taken by the local administration and the State government for rescue and relief works. Sunil Kumar Barnwal and other team members also gave valuable suggestions regarding the report.
(Source: HP Government)
Topic: Person in News
Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains
Importance Prelims: Current events of Himachal
Importance Mains:
PAPER-IV: GENERAL STUDIES-I (Unit I) : Topic: Freedom Struggle: its various stages and the role of eminent personalities from different parts of India.
What is the news?
- Surender Singh Of Ghumarwin Will Be The Successor Of George Cross Medal.
- The George Cross Medal, the second highest gallantry award after the Victoria Cross of the United Kingdom, will now be succeeded by Surendra Singh of Bhaparal village in Himachal Pradesh’s Ghumarwin.
- The British government gave this honor to his wife Brahmi Devi (14 years, then age) posthumously on March 15, 1946, to Kirpa Ram, posted in the Eighth Battalion of the 13th Frontier Force, a brave soldier of Bhaparal village who was martyred while saving the lives of his comrades in World War II.
- After the death of his wife Brahmi Devi (93) on Saturday due to cardiac arrest, the medal will now go to his nephew Surendra Singh in a distant relationship.
- After the child marriage of Brahmi Devi, she neither had any child nor was there anyone else in the family. Surendra was taking care of him. Brahmi Devi has got her will done in the name of Surendra only.
Background:
- This medal came into the limelight when the medal was stolen from Brahmi Devi’s house in the year 2002. A case was registered with the police, but the medal had reached England via India.
- After this there was a long legal process to bring back the medal. In the year 2009, when this medal was listed in an auction house in England, the people of Bilaspur came to know about it. He took up the matter with the government. After a long struggle, the matter reached the court after the intervention of the state and central government. In June 2013, after the mutual consent of both the parties, a London court ordered the return of the medal to Brahmi Devi. When England’s lawyer Ian Mays investigated it, Brahmi Devi’s weak financial condition came to know.
- He won the case for Brahmi Devi by fighting for freedom and paved the way for the return of the George Cross medal. In the year 2015, in a simple ceremony, Brigadier Brian McCall, Security Adviser to the British High Commission, British Deputy High Commission, Chandigarh David Lilliett himself returned this medal to the Brahmi Devi with their own hands.
About Kirpa Ram Volunteered services in World War II:
- Born in the year 1916, Kirpa Ram voluntarily dedicated his service to the Indian Army in the Second World War. He was included in the Burma campaign and on his return to India, during a field firing exercise, a rifle grenade accidentally landed at some distance from his unit. 28-year-old Kirpa Ram ran towards his comrades shouting so that they could defend themselves. He picked up that grenade and started throwing it at a safe distance, but the grenade exploded in his hand, killing him. His self-sacrifice saved the lives of the members of his unit.
(Source: Amar Ujala)
Topic: Fair of Himachal
Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains
Importance Prelims: Himachal Culture
Importance Mains:
PAPER-IV: GENERAL STUDIES-I (Unit III): Topic: Society and Culture in Himachal Pradesh: Culture, customs, fairs and festivals, and religious beliefs and practices, recreation and amusement.
What is the news?
- State-level Vamana Dwadashi Mela to begin from September 7.
This belongs to which district?
- The traditional and famous state-level Vaman dwadashi mela of Sirmaur district will be held with great enthusiasm in Sarahan from September 7 to 09.
(Source: Amar Ujala)
Topic: Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) for the year 2022
Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains
Importance Prelims: Himachal Culture
Importance Mains:
- PAPER-IV: GENERAL STUDIES-I (Unit III): Topic: Education Sector
What is the news?
- All India Engineering Institutes announced by the Indian Institute Ranking Framework (IIRF) for the year 2022 has not been good for NIT Hamirpur.
- In the announced ranking list, the ranking of NIT Hamirpur has dropped by 6 places. With this drop in rankings, NIT Hamirpur has dropped out of the list of top 50 institutes of top engineering institutes in the country.
What is the rank of NIT Hamirpur?
- Nit Hamirpur has moved up to 56th position in the rankings announced for the year 2022, while NIT Hamirpur was ranked 50th among engineering institutes across the country in the ranking announced last year.
What are the Parameters?
- The Indian Institute of Framework, which ranks educational institutions across the country on the basis of various parameters, has announced the engineering ranking for the year 2022 on 7 important parameters including:
1) Placement of trained students.
2) Teaching resources and pedagogy.
3) Research number, income and prestige.
4) Industrial income and integration.
5) Procedure to be adopted for placement and response to them.
6) Evaluated by the Institute on the basis of future orientation.
7) External perception and international outlook.
About Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF):
- Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF), India, presented by Education Post, a monthly magazine for Higher Education, is a non-government body working on ranking of various institutions on a periodic basis.
- There are separate ranking surveys of Indian Universities, Indian B-Schools, Indian Engineering Colleges, Indian Executive MBA offering institutes etc.
- This organization has experts from education, academics, statistics and management, who discuss and develop ranking methodology and approach. Currently, IIRF is conducting a survey to rank the top universities of India.
- This document pertains to this research and cover methodology and approach.
(Source: Punjab Kesari)