National
PM lays foundation stone and dedicates to nation development projects in Sagar
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation, development projects in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh on 12 August 2023.
Projects Details:
Sant Shiromani Gurudev Shri Ravidas ji Memorial:
» Prime Minister participated in a public programme at Dhana where he laid the foundation stone for Sant Shiromani Gurudev Shri Ravidas ji Memorial.
- Honoring prominent saints and social reformers has been a special hallmark of the work done by the Prime Minister. Driven by his vision, Sant Shiromani Gurudev Shri Ravidas ji Memorial will be constructed in an area of more than 11.25 acres and at a cost of more than Rs 100 crores.
- The magnificent memorial will have an impressive art museum and gallery to showcase the life, philosophy and teachings of Sant Shiromani Gurudev Shri Ravidas ji.
- It will also have facilities for devotees visiting the memorial like Bhakt Niwas, Bhojanalay etc.
Doubling of the Kota-Bina rail route:
» The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the project marking the completion of the doubling of the Kota-Bina rail route.
- The project, which has been built at an estimated cost of more than Rs 2475 crores, passes through Kota and Baran districts in Rajasthan, and Guna, Ashoknagar and Sagar District in Madhya Pradesh.
Road projects:
» The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of two road projects at a cost of more than Rs 1580 crores.
- These include a four-laning road project connecting Morikori – Vidisha – Hinotiya and a road project that will connect Hinotiya to Mehluwa.
Report on Study on ‘Assessment of Employment Potential of Jal Jeevan Mission'
⇒ The Report on Study on ‘Assessment of Employment Potential of Jal Jeevan Mission’ was released on 10 August 2023 at CSOI, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
Undertaken by:
The study on ‘Assessment of Employment Potential of Jal Jeevan Mission’, undertaken by Centre for Public Policy under Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B) with technical support from International Labour Organization (ILO) Delhi.
Objective:
- The objectives of the study were to estimate the total direct and indirect employment generated in the construction phase, and estimate the direct employment generated in the operation & maintenance phase.
- The study has assessed and quantified the huge employment generation potential of Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections to all rural households in India.
Highlights:
In a study undertaken by IIM-Bangalore with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), a detailed analysis of direct and indirect employment creation potential under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has been carried out.
The report provides keen insights on the employment generation potentials of JJM at various stages of its implementation, including aspects such as direct employment via construction, allied employment like transportation and long-term engagement for operation & maintenance of piped water supply systems and assets being created in the country under the flagship initiative of Jal Jeevan Mission in the country.
Key Points:
- The report of the study has estimated an immense employment generation potential of JJM to the tune of 2.82 crore person-year employment.
- The estimated generation of 2.82 crore person-year employment includes 59.93 lakh person-year of direct employment during the construction phase of JJM and an additional 2.22 crore person-year of indirect employment in the country through manpower engaged in production of the materials such as pipes, valves, pumps etc.
- Almost 40% of the direct employment created is i.e., 23.8 lakh person-year, is estimated to be on account of engagement of engineers, managers, plumbers, electricians, motor mechanics and chemists etc.
- Additionally, 11.84 lakh person-years of direct employment has been estimated during the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) phase every year.
Union Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in Investigation, 2023
⇒ The “Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation” for the year 2023 have been awarded to 140 Police personnel.
Among the personnel receiving these awards-
- 15 are from CBI, 12 from NIA, 10 from Uttar Pradesh, 09 each from Kerala & Rajasthan, 08 from Tamil Nadu, 07 from Madhya Pradesh and 06 from Gujarat and the remaining from the other States/UTs/Organizations.
- These include 22 Women Police Officers.
List of Award Winners (Official Link)
About Medal:
This medal was constituted in 2018, with the objective to promote high professional standards of investigation of crime and recognize such Excellence in Investigation. It is announced on 12th of August every year.
Gold Award under the Excellence in Government Process Reengineering for Digital Transformation Category-1, of DARPG
⇒ The team of National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) of NCRB won the Gold Award under the Excellence in Government Process Reengineering for Digital Transformation Category-1 of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
The award for its excellence in delivering e-governance is a recognition of the dedication the entire NAFIS team has put into creating a fool-proof fingerprint identification system, in pursuit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji’s vision of a secure India.
Other Points:
- Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry of Home Affairs has provided NAFIS devices to all Districts, Police Commissionerates, Central and State Fingerprint Bureaus and Central agencies like NIA, CBI and NCB.
- NAFIS has revolutionized the fingerprint recognition system in crime control. With this system, the work of tracing the involvement of interstate criminals in crimes is being done with greater ease, accuracy and efficiency across the country.
- NAFIS has created a central database of fingerprints of criminals, which can be accessed by users from all States, Union Territories and Central Agencies.
- This has resulted in a qualitative improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of the criminal detection and investigation process.
Important Day
World Lion Day 2023
⇒ World Lion Day is celebrated every year on 10 August. The 10th World Lion Day was observed on 10 August 2023.
History:
- World Lion Day was first established in 2013 by Big Cat Rescue, the world’s largest accredited sanctuary dedicated to lions and it was co-founded by Dereck and Beverly Joubert.
- Prior to this, the Jouberts also partnered with National Geographic to create the Big Cat Initiative. Again, this initiative focused on trying to stop the rapid decline in lion populations.
- It was founded by Derek and Beverly Joubert with the intention of raising awareness about the challenges lions face in the wild.
Significance:
- The lions are often referred to as the “king of the jungle” across the world. These magnificent Panthera leo are facing numerous threats in the wild where these threats include habitat loss through deforestation or threats of poaching, conflict with humans, climate change and depletion of their natural prey.
- World Lion Day is observed annually on a global scale to raise awareness about their conservation and protection. The day serves as a platform to educate people about the challenges faced by the lions across the world and to promote efforts to conserve them as well as to celebrate these majestic big cats and their significance in ecosystems and cultures around the world.