3rd, March, 2023

Topic: Asian Development Bank has okayed Rs 1,311crore for tourism: Himachal CM

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

Importance for Prelims: Current Events in Himachal Pradesh.

Importance for Mains Exam:

• PAPER-VI: GENERAL STUDIES-III : UNIT II: Topic: Tourism policy, potential and initiative in Himachal Pradesh.

 

What is the news?

• The planned infrastructure development investment program’s phase-1 budget of Rs 1,311.20 crore has been authorised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Chief minister, shared:

• The state administration has been putting a lot of effort into establishing undiscovered tourism destinations in order to make Himachal the top travel destination in the nation.
• He declared that the first stage will involve beautifying Palampur. A convention centre, a thematic park with a green area, wellness centres in Dharamsala, Shimla, Nadaun, and Kullu-Manali, as well as a high-end tourist attraction with a fountain would all be constructed.
• “Besides, wayside amenities will be developed on the Mandi-Kullu highway, Nadaun, Kaleshwar Mahadev and Kangra, while rafting-cum-water park complex will be established at Nadaun. Facilities like shikaras, house boats, jetties, water biking at Pong Dam, Nadaun and Bangana, etc, would be developed.

 

About Asian Development Bank (ADB):

• ADB, established in 1966 is owned by 68 members-49 from the region.It is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.
• In order to support social and economic growth, it also offers loans, grants, technical support, and equity investments to members and partners.
• In Asia and the Pacific, it seeks to advance social and economic development.
• The People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), Australia (5.8%), and Japan (each holding 15.6% of the total shares) make up the top five shareholders of ADB as of the end of 2019.
• It is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.

 

Origin:

• ADB was conceived in the early 1960s as a financial institution that would be Asian in character and foster economic growth and cooperation in one of the poorest regions in the world.
• A resolution passed at the first Ministerial Conference on Asian Economic Cooperation held by the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East in 1963 set that vision on the way to becoming reality.
• The Philippines capital of Manila was chosen to host the new institution, which opened on 19 December 1966, with 31 members that came together to serve a predominantly agricultural region. Takeshi Watanabe was ADB’s first President.
• During the 1960s, ADB focused much of its assistance on food production and rural development.

(News Source: The Tribune)

 

Topic: Dharamsala to host sports ministers, G20 delegates

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

Importance for Prelims: Current Events in Himachal Pradesh.

Importance for Mains Exam:

• PAPER-VI: GENERAL STUDIES-III : UNIT II: Topic: Initiatives in Himachal Pradesh.

 

What is the news?

• Three major national and international events will be organized in Dharamsala in April and May.

What are these three major events?

1) On April 10 and 11, the city will serve as the location for a gathering of state sports ministers. Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Sports, will preside over the meeting. Yesterday, representatives of the district administration and the Union Sports Ministry met here.

2) On April 19 and 20, meetings of G20 nations on scientific topics relating to civil engineering would be held here. The 70 delegates attending the G20 conference would also be taken to a number of Kangra district landmarks.

3) On May 9 and 10, meetings of G20 business executives would also take place here.

(News Source: The Tribune)

 

Topic:  CM assured financial assistance for the treatment of 14 years child suffering from muscular dystrophy.

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

Importance for Prelims: Biology

Importance for Mains Exam:

• PAPER-VI: GENERAL STUDIES-III : UNIT II: Topic: Socila Initiatives in Himachal Pradesh.

 

What is the news?

• Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has assured all possible financial assistance for the treatment of 14 years son of Prem Lal resident of Barsar of district Hamirpur, who is suffering from muscular dystrophy.

What is muscular dystrophy?

• Muscular dystrophies are a group of muscle diseases caused by mutations in a person’s genes. Over time, muscle weakness decreases mobility, making everyday tasks difficult. There are many kinds of muscular dystrophy, each affecting specific muscle groups, with signs and symptoms appearing at different ages, and varying in severity. Muscular dystrophy can run in families, or a person can be the first in their family to have a muscular dystrophy.
• There may be several different genetic types within each kind of muscular dystrophy, and people with the same kind of muscular dystrophy may experience different symptoms.
• Muscular dystrophies are rare, with little data on how many people are affected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to estimate the number of people with each major kind of muscular dystrophy in the United States.

(News Source: HP Government)

 

Some Important  H.P Cabinet decisions

• The State Cabinet meeting decided to engage 780 ASHA workers under National Health Mission (NHM) on incentive basis to provide affordable and reliable healthcare to the people, as they function as health activists at the community level. It also gave its nod to the guidelines for the engagement of ASHA facilitators under Community Process Programme in NHM.

 

• The Cabinet decided to transfer an amount of Rs 600 per student to all the girls, the Schedule Caste (SC), Schedule Tribe (ST) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) boys of 1st to 8th classes through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), either in the name of the student or mother, in lieu of providing them free School Uniform, which would benefit about 3.70 lakh students in the State.

 

• The Cabinet has given go-ahead to lease out the toll barriers under Himachal Pradesh Tolls Act, 1975 by way of auction-cum tender process for the year 2023-24.

 

• Approval was accorded by the Cabinet to rationalize the engineering staff of Forest Department and the services of 26 engineering staff would be absorbed into Public Works Department, Jal Shakti Vibhag, HP State Industrial Development Corporation, HP State Electricity Board and HP Power Corporation Ltd.

 

• The Cabinet gave its nod to merge excised civil areas from the limits of Yol Khas Cantonment Board with the adjoining Gram Panchayats Rakkar, Baghni, Tangorti Khas and Narwana Khas.

 

• The Cabinet also approved repealing of Himachal Pradesh Loktantra Prahari Samman Adhiniyam, 2021 and Himachal Pradesh Loktantra Prahari Samman Niyam, 2022.

(News Source: HP Government)