National
1st Edition of Women Icons Leading Swacchata (WINS) Awards 2023 Launched by MoHUA
⇒ To highlight the impact of women in sanitation and waste management, the Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri announced the ‘Women Icons Leading Swachhata’ (WINS) Awards 2023 on 7th March 2023, on the eve of International Women’s Day.
The WINS Awards 2023 aim to recognize celebrate and disseminate inspiring and exemplary initiatives in urban sanitation and waste management by women led organizations and individual women.
- Applications were open from 8th March to 5th April 2023.
» Applications for the Awards were open to (i) Self-Help Groups (SHGs) (ii) Micro-enterprises, (iii) Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), (iv) Startups and (v) Individual Women Leaders/Swachhata champions.
Applications were considered under the thematic areas-
- Management of Community/Public Toilets
- Septic Tanks Cleaning Services
- Treatment Facilities (Used Water/Septage)
- Municipal Water collection and /or Transportation
- Operation of Material Recovery Facilities
- Waste to Wealth products
- Treatment Facilities (Solid Waste Management)
- IEC, Training, Capacity Building
- Technology and Intervention and
- Others.
Award Process:
- States & Cities will publicize details of WINS Awards 2023 via their website, portals, and social media. Citizens are invited to apply. A suggested application format has been provided by MoHUA.
- Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) will evaluate entries & nominate up to 5 applicants to the State via the Swachhatam portal. ULBs can organize public felicitation of their nominees as city winners. ULB wise nominations will be evaluated at the State level.
- Up to 3 entries in each category will be nominated by the State to Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). State can organize public felicitation of nominees as State winners. State nominations will be evaluated at the national level on their innovativeness, impact, uniqueness, sustainability & replicability.
- At the national level, the MoHUA team will set up a Jury to evaluate the applications and select winners in each category. The Jury shall comprise of stakeholders from cities and States, independent experts, brand ambassadors, influencers and industry representatives. Winning entries will be featured in a compendium.
Background:
- It is now eight years since the flagship Mission of the Government of India-the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban was launched by the Prime Minister in October 2014.
- The country is now poised to make a transformational shift from ‘Women in Swachhata’ to ‘Women led Swachhata’.
SRTEPC Annual Export Awards
⇒ The Union Minister for Textiles, Commerce and Industry, and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal attended the Export Awards function organized by The Synthetic & Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC) in Mumbai on 09 March 2023.
Addressing the industry, the Commerce and Industry and Textiles Minister said that we have to study each Free Trade Agreement and understand requirements of other countries better.
- The Minister presented the Exemplary Award to Balkrishnan Goenka, Chairperson, Welspun Goup.
Immediate Past Chairperson, SRTEPC Ronak Rughani said that it is the first time in the history of SRTEPC that the Commerce and Industry Minister is giving away awards to winners of SRTEPC Export Awards.
PM visits Mandya and Hubballi-Dharwad in Karnataka
⇒ PM lays foundation stone and dedicates key development projects in Mandya
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated and laid the foundation stone of key development projects in Mandya, Karnataka on 12 March 2023.
Development projects:
The rapid pace of development of infrastructure projects has been a testament to the vision of the Prime Minister to ensure world-class connectivity across the country.
» In this endeavor, the Prime Minister dedicated the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway to the nation.
- The project involves 6-laning of the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta-Mysuru section of NH-275.
- The 118 Km long project has been developed at a total cost of around Rs 8480 crores. It will reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from around 3 hours to about 75 minutes.
» The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for Mysuru-Kushalnagar 4-lane highway.
- Spread over 92 Km, the project will be developed at the cost of around Rs 4130 crores and will play a key role in boosting the connectivity of Kushalnagar with Bengaluru. Travel time will be reduced from about 5 hours to only 2.5 hours.
PM lays foundation stone and dedicates to nation key development projects in Hubballi-Dharwad:
» The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated and laid the foundation stone of key development projects in Hubballi-Dharwad, Karnataka on 12 March 2023.
Development projects:
IIT Dharwad:
The Prime Minister dedicated IIT Dharwad to the nation. The foundation stone for the institute was also laid by the Prime Minister in February 2019.
- Developed at a cost of over Rs 850 crores, the institute currently offers a 4-year B.Tech programs, inter-disciplinary 5-year BS-MS program, M.Tech and PhD programs.
Longest railway platform in the world:
The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the longest railway platform in the world at Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Station.
- The record has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records recently. The 1507 m long platform has been built at a cost of about Rs 20 crores.
Electrification of the Hosapete – Hubballi – Tinaighat section and the upgradation of the Hosapete station:
The Prime Minister dedicated the electrification of the Hosapete – Hubballi – Tinaighat section and the upgradation of the Hosapete station to boosting connectivity in the region.
- Developed at a cost of over Rs 530 crores, the electrification project establishes seamless train operation on electric traction.
- The redeveloped Hosapete station will provide convenient and modern facilities to travellers. It has been designed to resemble the Hampi monuments.
Various projects of Hubballi-Dharwad smart city:
The Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various projects of Hubballi-Dharwad smart city.
- The total estimated cost of these projects is about Rs 520 crores. These efforts will enhance the quality of life by creating hygienic, safe and functional public spaces and transforming the town into a futuristic urban centre.
Jayadeva Hospital and Research Centre
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the Jayadeva Hospital and Research Centre. The hospital will be developed at a cost of about Rs 250 crores and will provide tertiary cardiac care to the people of the region.
Dharwad Multi Village Water Supply Scheme
In order to further augment water supply in the region, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the Dharwad Multi Village Water Supply Scheme, which will be developed at a cost of over Rs 1040 crores.
Tupparihalla Flood Damage Control Project
PM also laid the foundation stone for the Tupparihalla Flood Damage Control Project, which will be developed at a cost of about Rs 150 crores. The project aims to mitigate damage caused by floods and involves the construction of retaining walls and embankments.