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Punjab Current Affairs

29^th August 2019

Topic:- Education

News:- Punjab Government likely to upgrade 2 med colleges to Universities.

Context:-With the aim to restore the lost glory of two oldest government medical colleges (GMCs), the state is planning to convert them into deemed universities.

Why?

Patiala and Amritsar GMCs were once the most prestigious institutes in the country but at present, they are going through their worst phase.

How do collages change to deemed universities?

Collages changes to Deemed University by the UGC and MHRD Govt of India by the approval of Affiliated University and the State Govt.

How this step by the Punjab government will help?

It includes turning these colleges into deemed universities so that they could get full autonomy in courses, syllabus, admissions and fee.
Once an institute becomes an autonomous body it is expected to work at a high standard in the specific area of study.
At present, there are 125 such universities in the country.

Which are these two collages?

Amritsar GMC
Patiala GMC

The glorious history of institutions:-

Amritsar GMC: It was founded as a medical school in Lahore in 1864 and relocated to Amritsar in 1920. Over the years, the college emerged as a nursery of medical teachers and trained physicians. Of the first 8 directors of the PGIMER, Chandigarh, 7 were from this college.
Patiala GMC: It is the first medical college started by the PEPSU government in 1953. The stone of the college building was laid by the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad and inaugurated by Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1954. Two of the PGIMER directors were from this college too.

(Source: The Tribune)

Topic:- Food Industry.

News:-Grain-rich Punjab woos food processing sector.

Context:-Punjab is pushing itself as the ideal destination to attract the food processing industry, as it gets ready to host the Invest Punjab Summit in the first week of December.

What is the food processing sector?

Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing includes many forms of processing foods, from grinding grain to make raw flour to home cooking to complex industrial methods used to make convenience foods

Where it is proposed in Punjab?

The government is setting up common facility centres in Amritsar, Abohar, Talwandi Sabo and Hoshiarpur to support companies investing in food parks in the state.
As of now, three mega food parks are coming up in Fazilka, Ladhowal (Ludhiana) and Phagwara.

How it will benefit?

With the agrarian sector crisis continuing, the only way for the state to grow economically is to give value addition to its agriculture produce by promoting the food processing sector.
Punjab is not just the biggest contributor of wheat (17 per cent) and paddy (11 per cent) to the Central pool but is also among the largest producers of fruits and vegetables like peach, pear, muskmelon and peas and radish.
The state also leads to the production of milk and honey.

Last two years of initiatives:-

In the past two years, an investment of Rs 3,522 crore has been promised in the state. An investment of Rs 1,350 crore is already being made and the projects are under commercial production or ready.
Punjab had partnered with the World Food India in 2017, a biennial event to attract the food processing sector, which helped the state get major players like Varun Beverages (PepsiCo), which has invested Rs 800 crore for facility to manufacture juices, dairy-based products and carbonated drinks; Sukhjit Mega Food Park that is investing Rs 152 crore for maize processing and Verka Mega Dairy Park being built with an investment of Rs 326. 69 crore.

Upcoming Projects:-

CN Foods of Spain and IFFCO joint venture to buy 1,50,000 tonne of grains from 10,000 farmers for processing. To invest Rs 523 crore.
Ludhiana Beverages (Coca Cola) to expand the facility in Hoshiarpur. To invest over Rs 220 crore.
The Allana Group to set up a meat processing facility. To invest Rs 125 crore.