State PCS CA Consolidation (Bihar) October 2023 | Monthly Current Affairs BPSC - BPSC (Bihar) PDF Download

Caste Based Survey Released in Bihar

Why In News?

On October 2, 2023, Bihar Development Commissioner Vivek Kumar Singh held a press conference and released the caste census data.

Key Points:

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According to statistics, the population of extremely backward and backward classes in the state is 63%. Of these, backward classes are 27.12% and extremely backward classes are 36.01%. Scheduled Castes constitute 19.65% and Scheduled Tribes 1.68%, while unreserved (Hindus and Muslims) constitute 15.52% of the total population. Among them, the upper castes (Bhumihars, Brahmins, Rajputs and Kayasthas) constitute 10.56%

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In the first phase of the caste census, the process of survey of households started from January 7, 2023. It was completed by January 31. The second phase was to run from April 15 to May 15, but on May 4, the counting work was stopped on the order of the High Court. The High Court gave the green signal on August 1.

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The state’s population has increased by 2.66 crore in 11 years to 13 crore 7 lakh. At the same time, in the report released by the caste-based census, the number of castes has been stated as 214.

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It is noteworthy that for the first time since independence, an ethnic-based survey was released in a state in the country. Before Bihar, states like Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha, etc. had initiated caste census, but they could not release the report.

Bihar Becomes the Third State in the Country in Domestic Use of Electricity

Why In News?

According to the central government report released on October 2, 2023, Bihar has come third in the country in terms of domestic electricity consumers. Assam is at the first place and Jharkhand at the second position.

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According to the report, Assam has the highest number of 93 percent domestic electricity consumers out of the total consumers, while Jharkhand has the second highest number of consumers in the domestic category at 92.6 percent.

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In Bihar, 92.1 percent of domestic electricity consumers are in North Bihar (North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited) and 86.8 percent in South Bihar (South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited).

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While electricity consumption had decreased in other states, this consumption increased in Bihar. People used a lot of electronic devices sitting in homes.

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Urban consumers in north Bihar are only 16 percent while in south Bihar it is 29 percent. In rural areas, north Bihar has 84 percent consumers and south Bihar has 71 percent consumers. Among the non-domestic electricity consumers, north Bihar accounted for 6 percent and south Bihar 7.7 percent.

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North Bihar has 0.6 percent consumers and South Bihar has 1 percent consumers. Its number is higher in south Bihar than in north Bihar in agricultural connections. North Bihar has only 1.1 percent

agricultural connections, South Bihar has 4.4 percent agricultural connections, while in other categories, North Bihar has 0.2 percent connections and South Bihar has 0.4 percent connections.

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According to the report, an average of six lakh electricity consumers are expected to increase every year in Bihar.

Jeevika Didi’s First Makhana Industry to open in Saharsa, Bihar

Why In News?

On October 1, 2023, Saharsa district’s Jeevika Project Manager Amit Kumar informed that under the Chief Minister’s Micro and Small Cluster Development Scheme, the center of Makhana industry will be established in Saharsa.

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An amount of Rs 2 crore 33 lakh 91 thousand has been approved for setting up the makhana industry. The Makhana industry will operate under Jeevika Women Farmer Producer Company Limited, which will be known as the common facility center of Makhana.

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DM Vaibhav Chaudhary said that in the makhana processing industry, normal (normal) types of makhana will be processed and made of excellent quality. It will be packaged and branded. Various quality products made from Makhana will be made available in the international market besides the country.

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The products will be made in such a way that there is a different identity in the market and people buy it as soon as they see it. Makhana will be supplied in the country and abroad by packaging the district

industrial level of livelihood and in addition to the design and testing center, raw material depots will also be established.

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At these centers, skill enhancement of farmers will be done by providing training on quality makhana production with new technology.

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There is also a plan to open food processing industries in Darbhanga and Katihar districts through Processing Industry Jeevika. The surrounding districts of the district will be connected to here and the benefit of other facilities including packaging of Makhana will be given. 500 makhana farmers of these block areas have been added to the producer group.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Unveiled the Brand ‘Mukti’ of Bihar Prison Industry

Why In News?

On October 3, 2023, in a program organized at the museum located at Sardar Patel Bhawan in Patna, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unveiled the brand ‘Mukti’ of the prison industry.

Key Points:

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An exhibition of materials made by the prisoners in the jail was also organized in the museum. The prisoners lodged in the jails of Bihar are manufacturing more than 100 items.

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In this, spices, sattu, bread, herbal tea, cotton clothes, khadi clothes, wood industry, handicrafts, printing materials, slippers industry, home care, food, iron, paper etc. are produced.

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At present, prison industries are operating in 8 central and 2 divisional prisons (total 10 prisons) of Bihar. Through this, about 1000 hard labor prisoners are getting employment. The prisoners have been given special training for this.

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The scheme of ‘one prison-one product’ is being worked on in the jails of Bihar. There is a plan to include 33 divisional jails and 17 sub-jails in this scheme. The Kara industry will be established here.

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The Inspector General of Prisons said that the revenue received from the sale of products manufactured by the prison industry is spent on the welfare of the families of prisoners suffering from crime, and some part of it also goes to the Prisoner Welfare Fund.

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The exhibition included Adarsh Central Jail, Beur, Patna, Central Jail, Buxar, Central Jail, Motihari, Shaheed Khudiram Bose Central Jail, Muzaffarpur, Shaheed Jubba Sahni Central Jail, Bhagalpur, Special Central Jail, Bhagalpur, Central Jail, Gaya, Camp Mandal Jail Various materials made by prisoners from Phulwari Sharif and Mandal Jail, Chhapra have been displayed.

Roshni Parveen of Kishanganj will Represent India in the World Youth Conference 2023.

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on October 4, 2023, social activist Roshni Parveen from Kishanganj district of Bihar will represent India at the World Youth Summit 2023 to be held at the United Nations Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland in November.

Key Points:

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In the World Youth Conference, only 6 youth have been selected all over the world. Roshni Parveen will be the only participant to represent India.

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On November 16, 2023, she will deliver a speech as a speaker at the Young Activist Summit at the United Nations Headquarters Geneva (Switzerland), from where it will be broadcast live. Apart from this, it will also be broadcast on the Instagram channel.

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It is known that the UN team came to the Kishanganj women’s helpline office and inquired about the work being done by Roshni Parveen.

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Roshni Parveen, a resident of Simalbari in Kishanganj block, has been working closely with the state government’s program and UNICEF for the last several years on the issue of child safety. She has been actively working on the issue of child protection independently since January 2023.

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They have worked hard to prevent child marriage, connect dropout girls to schools.

Patna is the Second Polluted City of the Country and Muzaffarpur is the Third Polluted City.

Why In News?

According to the report of Respirator Living Sciences released on October 4, 2023, Bihar’s capital Patna is the second most polluted city in the country, while Muzaffarpur is at number three.

Key Points:

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According to the report, Patna is second with 97.7 micro/cubic meter, but last year it saw a 24 percent decline in air quality.

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It is worth noting that seven of these top 10 cities are in Delhi-NCR and Bihar, which are part of the Gangetic plain.

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According to Aarti Khosla, director of Climate Trends, this analysis shows that the air quality of the Gangetic plain cities has improved in the last few years.

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However, given the heavy pollution, these cities continue to experience the highest PM levels in the country. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the reasons for the increase in pollution, so that corrective measures can be taken.

Muzaffarpur Ranks top in Agriculture in the Country

Why In News?

On October 5, 2023, NITI Aayog released the delta ranking of 112 aspirational districts of the country. In this, Muzaffarpur district of Bihar ranks top in the country in the field of agriculture.

Key Points:

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Continuous improvement in the field of agriculture has taken Muzaffarpur to the first ranking among the aspirational districts.

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This time Muzaffarpur district has got sixth position in the overall ranking in the country. It ranks 100th in education and 26th in health. The district has been continuously slipping in education and this time it has had its worst performance in two years.

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Under the aspirational districts, work is being done in Muzaffarpur especially on education, health, agriculture, financial and skill development, and basic infrastructure. There were continuous achievements in the field of education in the district.

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From December 2020 to 2021, the district remained in the top positions from 1 to 10. After this it reached the 20th and 64th number.

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This time not only has the ranking slipped to 100th but the scoring has also decreased. This time the score has gone down by one percent compared to last time.

Two Day Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) 2023

Why In News?

A two-day Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF)-2023 was organized at Gyan Bhawan, Patna on October 7-8, 2023.

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In this two-day brainstorming, Bihar will be developed from the perspective of the capital of spiritual tourism. In the last session of the ceremony, Bihar Agriculture Minister Kumar Sarvjeet awarded the participants.

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Before the concluding session, a discussion was organized on the topic ‘Possibilities of Spiritual Tourism: Meditation, Yoga, Health’.

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In the program, Protocol Officer of Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee, Rahul Dev told that a meditation center has been built in Bodhgaya. The first course will start in this center from this session.

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Tourism Corporation Director Nand Kishore said that Bihar is the spiritual capital. There are three important places in the world – Vatican City, Mecca and Bodh Gaya. Of these three, one is in Bihar, where tourists come from all over the world.

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The following awards were given in this program-

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Best Print Promotional Material Award: India Tourism, Chhattisgarh Tourism and Jharkhand Tourism

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Partner Hotel Award: Hotel Chanakya and Hotel AVR Patna

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Transport Partner: Popular Tours

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Group Participations Award: ABTO and TAB

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Most Innovation and Product: Riya Travels and Tour

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Best Decoration Award (Small Pavilion): Haryana Tourism

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Best Decoration Award: Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited and Tamil Nadu Tourism

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Best Decoration Award (Big Pavilion): Uttar Pradesh Tourism

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Most Promising Destination for Adventures and Spiritual Tourism: Bihar Tourism

Patna Legal Services Committee Reconstituted, Kishore Kunal and Sudha Varghese made members

Why In News?

On October 6, 2023, the Legal Services Committee was reconstituted under the chairmanship of Justice Vipul M. Pancholi of Patna High Court. Three non-ex officio members including Acharya Kishore Kunal have been appointed in this eight-member committee.

Key Points:

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Former IPS officer and Mahavir Mandir Trust secretary Acharya Kishore is among the three non-ex officio members nominated by the Chief Justice of Patna High Court. The other two members include social worker Sudha Varghese and retired district judge Om Prakash.

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There will be a total of three ex-officio members in the committee including the Advocate General. Two other ex-officio members include Patna High Court Advocate Association President Shailendra Kumar Singh and Patna High Court Bar Association President Sanjay Singh.

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The tenure of the members will be two years. The committee will have a total of 8 members including the Chairman and Member Secretary.

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The committee prepares a panel of advocates of the Patna High Court. The services of the advocates of this panel are provided free of cost to those needy who are unable to fight legal battles due to poverty.

Bhim Sansad Rath

Why In News?

On October 10, 2023, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar flagged off the Bhim Sansad Rath in Patna.10

Key points:

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The Chief Minister flagged off the ‘Samvidhan Bachao, Aarakshan Bachao, Desh Bachao’ chariot in the name of Bhim Sansad Rath.

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Through Bhim Sansad Rath, people will be made aware of the ideals, thoughts and work done by Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.

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Bhim Sansad will be organized on November 5 at the Veterinary College, Patna.

Sub Junior Boys National Football Championship

Why In News?

On October 10, 2023, Bihar won the Sub-Junior Boys National Football Championship Tier-2 title.

Key Points:

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In the match played in Andhra Pradesh, the Bihar team defeated Delhi 1-0 with the help of Ayush Kumar (captain) only goal.

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Earlier, Bihar defeated Assam in the semi-finals.

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In this match, Ayush Kumar (Captain), Shravan Kumar (Goalkeeper), Ajit Kumar, Motik Ansari, Rajkaran Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Vikram Kumar, Alok Kumar, Nilesh Kumar, Karan, Himbaram, Vikram Rajvanshi were the team members.

ASHA worker Kalpana Kumari and volunteer Lalita Kumari received the Award.

Why In News?

On October 10, 2023, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani felicitated two women ASHA workers from Bihar, Kalpana Kumari and Volunteer Lalita Kumari at a function held in New Delhi.

Key Points:

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Bihar-based ASHA worker Kalpana and volunteer Lalita Kumari have done excellent work in providing referral

services and management of severely malnourished children.

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Activist Lalita Kumari is from Bhagalpur and ASHA worker Kalpana Kumari is a resident of Khagaria.

Seed Hubs will be Built in 10 Districts of Bihar

Why In News?

On October 11, 2023, Bihar Agriculture Department approved the setting up of seed hubs in 10 districts of the state. Wheat, pulses and oilseeds seeds will be produced in these districts.

Key Points:

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In the first phase, farming will be done in 3125 acres for certified seed production. The Assistant Director (Cultivation) of the concerned district will select the village or Panchayat for the Seed Hub.

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The work of seed production here will be done by the farmers or farmer groups of the selected village under the supervision of the Agriculture Department.

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For this, the department has decided to give 80 percent subsidy on seeds to the farmers. Apart from this, if needed, farmers will be provided help (revolving fund) for three years. The amount received as assistance will have to be returned to the farmers.

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It is noteworthy that in the fourth agricultural road map, a target has been set to make the state self-reliant in seed production. Therefore, a target has been set to create 100 seed hubs in the next five years, out of which ten seed hubs will be created in the Rabi season.

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683.75 quintals of seeds will be distributed in this. Through this, a target has been set to produce 16375 quintals of seeds. Next year, seed hubs will be created in new villages or panchayats.

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District wise crops have been determined as follows - wheat, gram and moong in Gaya, wheat, lentils and moong in Vaishali, wheat, mustard and moong in Bhagalpur, wheat, lentils and moong in Nalanda, wheat and rye in Begusarai, Samastipur. A seed hub will be created for wheat, lentil and moong in Patna, wheat, mustard and moong in Patna, wheat, lentil and moong in Nawada, wheat, lentil and moong in Darbhanga and seed hub for wheat, lentil and moong in Purnia.

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The area of the seed hub will be a minimum 125 acres for wheat and 62.5 acres for pulses and oilseeds.

Purnia District is on Top in Providing Banking Facilities to Aspirational Districts.

Why In News?

According to the report received by the state government from the Bankers’ Committee on October 12, 2023, Purnia district topped the list of aspirational districts of Bihar in terms of providing banking facilities.

Key Points:

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Under the second phase of the Targeted Financial Adjustment Integrated Programme (TFIIP), banking

facilities are extended to the target group under the integrated programme in the aspirational districts of Bihar. Through that, they get the benefit of government schemes.

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The Finance Department said that the achievement of Atal Pension Yojana in Aurangabad, Nawada and Purnia has been more than 200 percent. The lowest achievement was 131 per cent in Muzaffarpur.

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Purnia has been at the top with an achievement of 23.1 percent. The achievement of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana in Sheikhpura has been 111 percent. Sitamarhi district has been the worst performer in this scheme at 58 per cent.

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In Araria, Begusarai, Jamui, Muzaffarpur, Purnia and Sheikhpura, the achievement of Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana was found to be more than 100 percent. Overall, the achievement of all the aspirational districts has been better.

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Significantly, 13 districts of Bihar are included in the aspirational districts. These include Araria, Banka, Aurangabad, Begusarai, Gaya, Jamui, Katihar, Khagaria, Muzaffarpur, Nawada, Purnia, Sheikhpura and Sitamarhi. In all these districts, the target was to open the account of the citizens deprived of banking facilities as well as to provide the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana.

Bhojpur Team became Winner in Folk Dance Competition

Why In News?

On October 11, 2023, The team of Kahari High School, Bhojpur became the winner in the state level folk dance competition organized by the State Education Research and Training Council.

Key Points:

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The winning team of Bhojpur will now participate in the National Folk Dance Competition. The team of Nawada Ekma (Saran) High School stood second. The team of Rungta Girls High School, Naugachia, Bhagalpur stood third.

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The program was inaugurated by Dr. Rashmi Prabha, Joint Director of SCERT DIET, Amitabh, Project

Coordinator of Shri Krishna Science Center and Dr. Vibha Rani, Department In-charge of Population Education Cell of SCERT.

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The theme of the competition was equal opportunities for boys and girls, drug abuse prevention, healthy relationships during adolescence, role of joint family in child development and protection of the environment.

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In this state level folk dance competition, a total of 8 participating teams from 18 districts of the state participated.

Barauni Refinery Received the Best Refinery Award

Why In News?

Recently, Center for High Technology (CHT) of the Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas awarded the prestigious Best Refinery Performance Improvement Award under the category of Capacity Less than 09 MMTPA to Barauni Refinery located in Begusarai district of Bihar.

Key Points:

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It is noteworthy that in the 26th Energy Technology Meeting organized by CHT in New Delhi from 9-11 October, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri met Indian Oil Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Director (Refineries) Shukla Mistry. And this award was given to R.K. Jha, Executive Director and Refinery Head of Barauni Refinery.

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The theme of the 26th Energy Technology Meeting was ‘Emerging Energy Trends and the Future of Refining’ and was attended by around 1400 delegates and speakers from across the world.

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The evaluation of the award was based on seven important parameters for the financial year 2022-23.

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Barauni Refinery performed better than all the refineries in the country during 2022-23 on all parameters including crude throughput 6785.40, MBN 71.24, operational availability 99.90%, operating cost $1.92/bbl, specific steam consumption 0.90, energy conservation measures 18807 SRFT/year, specific water consumption 0.83 and carbon emission intensity of less than 1459.50 TMT.

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A state-owned Barauni refinery of Indian Oil was constructed in 1964 with a capacity to refine 1 million metric tonnes per annum at a cost of Rs 49.40 crore with limited participation of Romania in collaboration with the Soviet Union. It was dedicated to the nation by the then Petroleum Minister Dr. Humayun Kabir on January 15, 1965.

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As a new initiative towards energy efficient operations at Barauni refinery in May 2022, India’s first and the world’s third green cooling tower was commissioned.

Three New Power Sub Stations will be Constructed in Bihar

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on October 15, 2023, three new power substations (PSS) will be constructed at a cost of about Rs 37 crore in Vaishali, Begusarai and Biharsharif to ensure uninterrupted and quality power supply in Bihar.

Key Points:

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The three power substations (PSS) will have two power transformers of 10 megawatt (MVA) capacity each. Along with this, Rs 46 crore will be spent on connecting power sub-stations with newly built grids in half a dozen districts.

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According to the power company, the GIS-based PSS will be constructed at a cost of Rs 14.73 crore at Ramchandrapur (Biharsharif) Supergrid Campus in Nalanda district.

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The new PSS will be set up at a cost of Rs 10.032 crore in the grid campus of Vaishali block itself. At the same time, a new sub-station has been approved at lakhanpur village of Bhagwanpur block in Begusarai district at a cost of Rs 11.98 crore.

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It may be noted that the power companies have built many new grids in view of the increased demand for electricity. Now those grids are being connected to the old power substations, so that they can be saved from being overloaded. With this, 24-hour uninterrupted and quality power supply will be provided to the concerned areas to the establishments like hospital, sub-divisional court and sub-divisional court and sub-jail Paliganj.

Agreement for Academic Cooperation Between French Institute and IIT Patna

Why In News?

On October 14,2023,a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for academic cooperation was signed between IIT Patna and the Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse (Toulouse INP), France. The MoU is aimed at improving symbiotic relations between the two institutions.

Key Points:

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The MoU was signed by Prof. T.N. Singh, Director, IIT Patna, Dr. Asif Iqbal, Associate Dean, Resources, IIT Patna, Dr. Raju Halder, Associate Professor (CSE), IIT Patna and Prof. Pascal Moussivan, Vice President, International Relations, Université Detouloud, France. .

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The MoU was signed by the two institutes to jointly conduct exchange of academic, administrative staff and students for various short-term programmes on subjects of mutual interest.

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In addition, it will promote a wide range of research to each other’s faculty/students/scholars. It was agreed to invite training/educational programmes to address the problems involved and challenging.

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With this, IIT Patna will move forward in the field of effective research and quality education. India and France have long shared cultural, trade and economic ties.

Shipra of Maner (Patna) got Mrs. Universe Creativity Title.

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on October 16, 2023, Shipra Singh of Maner (Patna), Bihar won the title of Mrs. Universe Creativity in the ‘46th Mrs. Universe’ held in Manila, Philippines.

Key Points:

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This competition started from October 1 and he was awarded this title on October 8.

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Shipra Singh has achieved this title by representing India among the participants from 91 countries.

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Earlier in April, she was the second runner up in ‘The International Glamor Project’. On this basis he got a place in the competition.

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The Indian outfit in which Shipra Singh walked the ramp was designed by herself.

‘Non-Residential Sports Training Scheme’ launched in Bihar

Why In News?

On October 17, 2023, Bihar’s Art Culture Minister Jitendra Kumar Rai launched the ‘Non-Residential Sports Training Scheme’ to nurture the talent of sportspersons.

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The Minister said that under this scheme, trainee players from 8 to 14 years will be given training in sports.

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With the help of this scheme, modern training facilities will be provided to the players of Bihar.

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The players registered under the non-residential sports training scheme will attend the training site at the scheduled time of sports training and receive training.

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This scheme will be operated in every district. This scheme will be operated in the main outdoor stadium, district sports building, sports ground and schools of panchayats, blocks, districts. There will be a four-hour training period on each working day.

President Draupadi Murmu launched the Fourth Agricultural Roadmap of Bihar

Why In News?

On October 18, 2023, President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the Fourth Agriculture Roadmap of Bihar (2023-28) by unveiling the stone slab through remote at the Bapu Auditorium of the Samrat Ashoka Convention Centre.

Key Points:

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Addressing the program organized on this occasion, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the first agricultural roadmap of the state was started in the year 2008. The second agricultural roadmap was launched by the then President Pranab Mukherjee and the third agricultural road map was launched by President Ramnath Kovind.

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Farmers have benefited a lot from the agricultural roadmap in Bihar. The production and productivity of paddy, maize, wheat and potatoes has increased. From 2008 to 2012, work was done under the first agricultural roadmap. In the year 2011-12, a farmer from Nalanda left China behind by producing the highest amount of paddy per hectare. Earlier the record per hectare was in the name of China. A village in Nalanda district also made a world record in the production of potatoes.

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From 2012 to 2017, work was done under the second agricultural roadmap, as a result of which the production of fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs and fish has increased significantly. Farmers have benefited greatly from increased productivity.

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Work was scheduled under the third agricultural roadmap from 2017 to 2022, but its tenure was extended by one year to 2023. Fourth agricultural roadmap has been started for the remaining work and further work and expansion. Under this, work will be done quickly, so that farmers can get more benefits.

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Fish production in Bihar has increased two and a half times. Now Bihar has become self-sufficient in fish production. Bihar has received Krishi Karman Awards for the production of rice, wheat and maize. The production of potato, cabbage, brinjal and tomato has also increased significantly. The production of Makhana has also increased significantly in Bihar.

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The Chief Minister said that in the Fourth Agricultural Roadmap, along with agriculture, arrangements have also been made for proper care of animals. Animal hospitals are being opened in every 8 to 10 panchayats, so that animals can be properly cared for and treated. A large part of North Bihar is the Chaur region. There is water there for 9 months in a year. There is 9 lakh hectare land area. Under the agricultural roadmap, a scheme has been started for 6 such districts.

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To meet the goals of the Fourth Agriculture Roadmap, the Cabinet approved Rs 1 lakh 62 thousand crore. Agriculture is the basis of the livelihood of 75 percent people in the state. The Fourth Agriculture Roadmap has taken all things into consideration and has been made very comprehensive. This will not only increase production and productivity, but will also increase the income of farmers. The state will also benefit from this.

President Attends the First Convocation of Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari

Why In News?

President Draupadi Murmu attended the first convocation ceremony held in the auditorium of Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari on October 19, 2023.

Key Points:

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The President first addressed the famous industrialist, writer and social thinker R.K. Sinha and Indian actor, film director and screenwriter Chandraprakash Dwivedi were awarded honorary doctorates.

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The President awarded the Chancellor’s Gold Medal by presenting medals and citations to the pass out students of various streams of undergraduate and postgraduate courses of Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari.

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In the convocation ceremony, Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Sanjay Srivastava announced the opening of satellite campuses of the university in Bettiah and Sheohar. He also informed that a medical college will be opened in the university campus.

Now the Families of Martyred Policemen in Bihar will get a Compensation of Rs 25 lakh.

Why In News?

On October 21, 2023, Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) RS Bhatti told the Police Memorial Day program at the Special Armed Police (B-SAP 5) complex in Patna that financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh will now be given to the families of the martyred policemen of the state. Earlier the compensation amount was only Rs 2 lakh.

Key Points:

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This decision has been taken for the welfare of the policemen and this amount should be made available to the dependents of the martyr as soon as possible, so that their problems can be solved.

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This amount will not be payable in case of policemen committing suicide. Along with Indian Police Service

officers, Bihar Police Service officers will also be able to get such benefits. On the initiative of Police Headquarters, about lakhs of policemen have been included in this benefit.

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This amount of grant will also be given in case of death during the raid. At the same time, this amount will also be given in cases of death during militant encounter, criminal encounter, landmine, Naxalite attack, riot, accident or death during treatment after getting injured in these incidents.

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The DGP has also announced changes in the accommodation and transfer-posting policy of Bihar Police. These changes will be completed soon to maintain balance between the personal life and duty of Bihar Police officers and personnel.

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The state government is working on a systematic housing policy, so that the families and children of all the officials and personnel who are on duty can stay at one place, study and live a normal life.

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The policy of second transfer posting of Bihar Police is also being changed, so that there is a balance between personal responsibilities towards your family and responsibility towards duty. Considering that the number of women is going to be one-third, a change in policy is necessary.

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It is known that every year Police Memorial Day is celebrated on 21st October.

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On October 21, 1959, 10 brave soldiers were martyred in an attack by Chinese invaders on a base of the Central Reserve Police Force in the snowy heights of Ladakh on the India-China border. After this, in the conference of Inspectors General of Police in 1961, it was decided that every year on 21 October, Police Memorial Day would be celebrated throughout the country, since then this tradition has been going on.

JTBS Scheme

Why In News?

According to the information received from the media on October 20, 2023, Samastipur Railway Division of Bihar has started the JTBS scheme for unemployed youth, under which the Railways will deploy ticket booking agents at a total of 28 stations including Samastipur.

Key Points:

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People will be able to buy unreserved tickets through JTBS at these stations. Apart from this, they will also get the facility to buy monthly season tickets and platform tickets. Nearby stations have been selected for this.

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Local youth will be given priority in the selection process. Also, youth with a clean image will be selected. Samastipur Railway Board will take applications for this. These will be paid on commission basis.

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It is known that at present the payment of Rs 2 per ticket and Rs 5 per monthly season ticket is fixed by the Railways.

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For JTBS scheme, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Raxaul, Bapudham Motihari, Jaynagar, Sitamarhi, Bettiah, Madhubani, Narkatiaganj, Janakpur Road, Sugauli, Bagaha, Bairagnia, Laheriasarai, Madhepura, Supaul, Jhanjharpur, Rusera Ghat, Simri Bakhtiyarpur, Chakia, Harnagar, Banmankhi, Sakri, Purnia Court, Murliganj, Hasanpur Road and Motipur stations are included.

17 Personalities from Bihar Received Bihar Kesari Award

Why In News?

On October 22, 2023, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the first Chief Minister of Bihar and freedom fighter Dr. Sri Krishna Singh, 17 eminent personalities of the state were awarded the Bihar Kesari Samman at a ceremony held at BIA auditorium.

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The award ceremony was organized by Bihar Intellectual Forum and Medieval Foundation at BIA auditorium.

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Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar felicitated these eminent personalities of the state for their hard work and distinguished service spirit in medicine, service, education, social service and politics.

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Personalities who have been awarded the Kesari Award-

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Folk singer Padma Bhushan Sharda Sinha, Padmashri Dr. Shanti Rai, Padmashri Dr. Vijay Prakash, Padmashri Sudha Varghese, Khan Sir, Dr. Ajay Kumar, Dr. Satyajit Singh, KPS Kesari, Dr. Sahajanand Singh, Vipin Singh, Dr. Arjun Singh, Dr. Vimal Karkar, Dr. Amulya Singh, O.P. Agarwal, Dr. S.N. Sinha, N. Agarwal and Dr. Gurudev.

Bihar Athlete Shailesh Kumar won Gold Medal in High Jump Event T63 of Para Asian Games 2023.

Why In News?

On October 24, 2023, Shailesh Kumar, an athlete from Jamui district of Bihar, won the gold medal in the high jump competition T63 at the Para Asian Games. The Para Asian Games are being held in Hangzhou, China from October 22 to 28.

Key Points:

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Shailesh Kumar is a resident of Islamnagar in Aliganj block of Jamui district of Bihar.

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Earlier, Shailesh had won a silver medal at the Para Athletics World Championships held in Paris in July. He also won a gold medal in the 21st Para Athletics National Championships held in Pune from March 16 to 20, 2023.

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Apart from this, Shailesh also won a gold medal in the National Championship held in Bhubaneswar from March 28 to 30, 2022.

15 Craft Artists of Bihar honoured with State Award and 14 Merit Awards for the year 2021

Why In News?

On October 25, 2023, Bihar Industries Minister Sameer Kumar Mahaseth honoured 15 craftsmen from the state with the state award for the year 2021 and the Medha award to 14 at a ceremony held at Adhiveshan Bhawan.

Key Points:

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The awardees were given Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively.

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These artists have been selected through a state award competition. From November 15, 2021 to December 24, 2021, a competition was organized by Upendra Maharathi Crafts Institute for various crafts. A total of 322 artists participated.

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Artists awarded the State Award (2021):

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Archana Kumari (Madhubani Painting), Bhagwan Thakur (Madhubani Painting), Ambika Devi (Paper Meshi Craft), Deepesh Soni (Wood Art), Swati Raj (Metal Craft), Radha Kumari (Sikki Art), Abhishek Kumar (Leather Art), Hina Kumari (Manjusha Painting), Chandrakanti Devi (applied craft), Suman Singh (Sujani Art), Anita Pandey (Bhojpuri Art), Gyananti Devi (Croatia), Pooja (Tikuli Painting), Namita Azad (Other Beautiful Paintings).

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Meritorious Artists:

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Abha Das (Madhubani Painting), Manju Karan (Madhubani Painting), Amresh Kumar Lal Das (Madhubani Painting), Ruby Devi (Madhubani Painting), Rama Devi (Madhubani Painting), Sunil Kumar Chaudhary (Manjusha Painting), Jhana Rani (Paper Mache Craft), Rupa Kumari (Jute Craft), Meena Devi (Applied Craft), Sujata Kumari (Sujani Craft), Kaushiki Srivastava (Block Painting), Nikki Kumari (Bhojpuri Art), Soni (Bhojpuri Art), Soni (Tikuli Painting)

In Bihar, Names of lakhs of Children were Removed from Schools on the Instructions of the Education Department.

Why In News?

According to the information given by Bihar Agriculture Department on October 26, 2023, the state government has decided to increase the area of maize in the state to increase the production of ethanol. The government plans to emphasize maize cultivation in all districts and plant 100 percent hybrid seeds.

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According to the Bihar Agriculture Department, the government plans to expand the area of maize cultivation in all 38 districts of the state. Maize is cultivated mostly by farmers in the northern and eastern plains.

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As part of the process of inspection of schools on the instructions of Additional Chief Secretary, from July to October 24, 2023, the enrollment of a total of 21 lakh 90 thousand 20 students of classes 1 to 12 has been canceled from all over the state.

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The highest number of 1,43,140 nominations have been rejected from East Champaran, while the lowest 13,237 nominations have been rejected in Sheikhpura district.

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Students from classes 1 to 8 are more than the total number of students who have been canceled from schools. This includes 18,28,859 students studying in classes 1 to 8 and 3,61,161 students from classes 9 to 12.

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The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has banned these students from appearing in the upcoming matriculation and inter examinations.

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However, there is a provision to give an opportunity to the students whose enrollment has been canceled, for this the parents will have to submit an affidavit to come to the school regularly.

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If a child’s enrolment has been cancelled due to low attendance, parents can ensure the child’s re-enrolment by submitting an undertaking to attend regular school, but in case the child does not attend regular school, the enrolment can be cancelled again.

Plan to Install Solar Plates on the Banks of Californias Approved

Why In News?

Chief Minister on October 29, 2023 While approving the plan of installing solar plates on the banks of canals, Nitish Kumar gave instructions to implement it at a rapid pace.

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This scheme is to be implemented by the electricity company through BREDA. The plan to install grid-connected solar panels along the canals is a priority of the government.

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For the plan of installing a large number of solar plates in a row along the canals, the Water Resources Department has provided its No Objection Certificate to the power company for all the canals of the state.

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Now the power company will not need to take any separate permission for the work of installing solar panels on the banks of different canals.

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The power company had planned to launch its scheme of installing grid-connected solar plates along the canals in the Bikram area of Patna Canal. This was meant as a pilot project.

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It took seven to eight months to obtain interdepartmental approval for this project. After this, the Water Resources Department has given approval to the power company with the condition that it should leave the path of vehicles going to clean the canals and carry out its work. After this permission, the work on the pilot project proceeded.

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The power company has gotten a DPR from a Gujarat company on the feasibility of this project. This model has been quite successful in Gujarat. The problem of land for installation of solar panels has been solved due to availability of straight land on the banks of the canal.

Emphasis on Maize Production for Ethanol in Bihar, Target of Planting 100 Percent Hybrid Seeds

Why In News?

According to the information given by the Bihar Agriculture Department on October 26, 2023, the state government has decided to increase the area of maize in the state to increase the production of ethanol. The government plans to focus on maize cultivation in all districts and plant 100 percent hybrid seeds.

Key Points:

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According to the Bihar Agriculture Department, the government plans to expand the area of maize cultivation in all the 38 districts of the state. Maize is most commonly cultivated by farmers in the north and eastern plains.

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President Draupadi Murmu had recently launched Bihar’s fourth agriculture roadmap (2023-2028) in Patna, with an emphasis on increasing ethanol. Maize can play a big role in increasing the production of ethanol.

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The Bihar government has set a target of planting hybrid maize ‘hybrid’ seeds with an aim to achieve maximum production in the Rabi season. In Rabi, 100 percent hybrid seeds of maize seeds are being planted. For this, initiatives are being taken to provide other facilities to the farmers in addition to subsidies on seeds.

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According to the Bihar Agriculture Department, this time a target has been set to cultivate maize in 1.50 lakh acres area in the state, in which a target of maize production will also be fixed up to about 12 thousand quintals.

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The Agriculture Department has also directed all Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Agricultural Universities, Farmer Advisors and Agriculture Coordinators to make farmers aware.

Bhagalpur Tops the Entire State in Providing Employment to Youth

Why In News?

On October 29, 2023, the Planning Department of Bihar released the ranking of all the districts on the progress of the month of September, in which Bhagalpur is at the top of the entire state in providing employment to the youth of Bihar.

Key Points:

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Bhagalpur got 100 percent marks out of the total score of 100, while the other five districts of the state, Kaimur, Nalanda, Saharsa, Samastipur, and Vaishali, also got 100 percent marks, but Bhagalpur had the highest target and was successful in achieving the target. Has been ranked number one when it happens.

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Assistant Director (Planning) Bharat Ji Ram said that the department has assessed the performance of the districts in four categories. 30 marks were fixed for completing the target in registration of job seekers on the National Career Service Portal, 20 marks for career and vocational guidance, 30 marks for organising job camps, 10 marks for inspection, and 10 marks for submitting inspection report.

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In this, Bhagalpur got 1011 registrations done, against the target of one thousand registrations. The target was to organise four camps for vocational guidance; five were organised. In career and participation, 255 came against the target of 200. Against the target of 4 job camps, 9 were organised to provide employment. In this case, 105 out of 105 were given jobs. Apart from this, 100% marks were obtained in both components of inspection.

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Sequential ranking of 38 districts: Bhagalpur, Kaimur, Nalanda, Saharsa, Samastipur, Vaishali, Saran, Buxar, Gopalganj, Patna, Begusarai, Motihari, Lakhisarai, Darbhanga, Kishanganj, Jamui, Nawada, Munger, Bhojpur, Sheikhpura, Siwan, Supaul Katihar, Khagaria, Rohtas, Madhepura, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Bettiah, Purnia, Arwal, Muzaffarpur, Jehanabad, Gaya, Shivhar, Banka, Araria, and Aurangabad.

State Government will Provide Accommodation to 5 lakh Teachers of Bihar

Why In News?

On October 29, 2023, the Bihar government decided to provide accommodation to 5 lakh teachers in the state. Recently, the result of 1 lakh 22 thousand teachers was released by Bihar Public Service Commission.

Key Points:

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Apart from those teachers, the state government has decided to provide accommodation to about 5 lakh teachers already working. Arrangements will be made to stay near the school so that there is no delay in reaching school.

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Houses will be rented by the Bihar government for teachers’ residence up to the villages of the district, sub-division, block, and panchayat. Along with this, even if the real estate company builds a house and provides it, the government will also take it.

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The Education Department has asked interested landlords and real estate companies how many flats and houses can be made available immediately, as well as how many additional ones can be built in the next one or two years. Instructions have been given to make its list available on the website.

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The Education Department spends approximately Rs 33 thousand crores on teachers’ salaries every year. Of this, 8 percent, i.e., approximately Rs 2500 crore, is spent on housing.

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According to the Education Department, after deducting the housing allowance, this money will be given to the houses taken on lease and to the real estate companies.

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The Education Department is working on two models to provide housing facilities to teachers in remote areas. Firstly, proposals have been sought from the owners of houses and multi-story buildings as to

how many houses they can provide in which district, block, and gram panchayat, which are already made. The education department can hire him immediately.

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Second - Proposals have been sought from real estate companies or other interested land owners for constructing multi-storey buildings and buildings in the district, sub-division and block headquarters. Only teachers of the department will remain here. Private companies will build these buildings at their own expense. The education department will take them on long-term lease and pay rent every month.

North Bihar’s Largest Skill Training Center will Open in Bela Industrial Area of Muzaffarpur.

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on October 30, 2023, the largest skill training centre of North Bihar will open in Bela Industrial Area of Muzaffarpur, whose work is in the final stage.

Key Points:

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In the skill training centre, the youth will get training in 40 sectors, including construction, electronics and hardware, food processing, furniture and fittings, handicrafts, gems and jewellery, leather technology, and bag manufacturing. More than one thousand youth will be trained under one roof simultaneously.

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This centre will train the youth of other states, including North Bihar, in the field of employment and issue proficiency certificates to them.

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Production of fancy garments will start in December in Bela Industrial Area Phase I. A Delhi-based garment company has set up a factory here, which will start production in December. This will provide employment opportunities for more than 1,000 people.

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Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana was started in 2015 to provide skill training to the unemployed youth of the country. After the successful operation of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana from 2015 to 2016, part-II of the scheme was launched in 2016, which lasted till 2020. Part-III of this scheme was started in 2020. About eight lakh youth have been trained in Part-III.

Shashi Bhushan of Bihar won Silver Medal in 37th National Games

Why In News?

Shashi Bhushan from Arrah district of Bihar won a silver medal in the 1500 meters race in the ongoing 37th National Games in Goa on October 30, 2023.

Key Points:

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Bihar State Sports Authority Director General and Chief Executive Officer Ravindran Sankaran said that Shashi Bhushan won the silver medal with a time of 3 minutes, 41.49 seconds.

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After 20 years, Bihar has won a medal in athletics at the National Games. This is the second silver medal for Bihar at the National Games. Earlier, Bihar had won a silver medal in women’s rugby.

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The 37th National Games are being held in Goa from October 25 to November 9. A total of 223 people, including 208 male and female players and coaches from Bihar as well as 15 officials of Bihar Olympic Association, participated in 22 different sports disciplines.

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Players from Bihar state have participated in major sports like Athletics, Archery, Boxing, Fencing, Rugby, Cycling, Judo, Taekwondo, Yoga, Swimming, Penchak Silat, Sepak Takra, Weightlifting, Wushu, Triathlon, Martial Arts, Squash, Wrestling etc.

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The players here have been specially trained by the Bihar State Sports Authority for the National Games. For this, special training camps were organized in different sports, such as rugby and sepak takraw at IIT Bihta, Wushu at Muzaffarpur, and archery at Pataliputra Sports Complex.

Two-Day 29th Annual Conference of Bihar Unit of Cardiological Society of India

Why In News?

The two-day 29th Annual Conference of Bihar Unit of Cardiological Society of India from October 28–29, 2023 was held at Hotel Maurya.

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The conference was inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Cardiologists from different states of the country participated in the event.

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The Chief Minister said that Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) is being made a 5462-bed state-of-the-art hospital so that patients can be treated better.

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Bal Hriday Yojana was started in Nishchay-2. Under this, children with holes in the heart from birth are treated free of cost. Now arrangements have been made for its treatment in Patna itself. 198 children in IGIC and IGIMS A total of 24 children have been treated.

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The Chief Minister said that earlier there were 6 medical colleges and hospitals in the state, which has now increased to 13. Many hospitals are being further expanded. 2500 in IGIMS Patna, 2500 in NMCH. 2500 beds are being expanded in Patna, 2500 beds in SKMCH, Muzaffarpur, 2500 beds in DMCH Darbhanga.

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Rajvanshi Nagar Hospital has been made a specialized hospital for the treatment of orthopaedics, which has been named Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. Rajendra Nagar Hospital has been made a special hospital for the eye. New Gardiner Hospital is being developed as a specialized hospital for diabetes.

Chief Minister Unveiled Statues of Freedom Fighters Late. Ram Bahadur Singh and Late. Padmanand Singh ‘Brahmachari’

Why In News?

On October 27, 2023, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar paid tribute to ‘Kosi Ka Gandhi’ Swatantryaveer Late at Bhagwati Courtyard of Panchgachhia village in Saharsa district. Ram Bahadur Singh and his eldest son were freedom fighters. Padmanand Singh unveiled a life-size statue of ‘Brahmachari’.

Key Points:

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Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that Ram Bahadur Babu was born in 1901 AD and died in 1950 AD. In 1919 AD, Rambahadur Babu came in contact with Swami Sahajanand Saraswati and gave his arrest while opposing the black law ‘Rowlatt Act’ brought by the British.

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In order to make Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement successful, Rambahadur Babu along with hundreds of people formed the Kosi Sevak Dal in 1920 AD and boycotted foreign clothes in the Kosi region and started the Khadi Village Industry.

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In 1925, when Gandhiji came to Bihar and went to Purnia, Araria, Farbisganj etc., Rambahadur Babu stayed with him during the tour. In 1930, he also participated in Gandhiji’s Salt Satyagraha movement.

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In the year 1934, when there was an earthquake in Bihar and Gandhiji reached Munger to meet the earthquake victims, Panchgachia village also came and met Rambahadur Babu, because his house was also destroyed in the earthquake. Even in such a situation, Kunti Devi, wife of Rambahadur Babu, donated her money to Bapu, so that the victims could be helped. Ram Bahadur Babu also played an active role in the Quit India Movement of 1942 AD.

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The Chief Minister said that Padmanand Singh ‘Brahmachari’, son of Ram Bahadur Babu, also participated in the Quit India Movement of 1942 AD. Padmanand Singh was born in the year 1921 and died in the year 2016.