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Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs 2020

Table of Contents
Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - January 2020 ................................................................................................. 3
Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - February 2020 .............................................................................................. 3
Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - March 2020 .................................................................................................... 4
Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - April 2020 ...................................................................................................... 7
Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - May 2020 ........................................................................................................ 8
Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - June 2020 ..................................................................................................... 10
Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - July 2020 ...................................................................................................... 14
Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - August 2020................................................................................................. 15
Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - September 2020 ......................................................................................... 19

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Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - January 2020

CM Jai ram launches Himachal MyGov portal & CM app for HP
On January 6, 2020, Himachal Pradesh (HP) Chief Minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur has launched the Himachal
MyGov portal – (https://himachal.mygov.in/en) to strengthen public participation in the government system. He
also launched CM App during the occasion in Shimla, HP. Himachal is the 11th state in India to provide this app.
Key Points:
i.Himachal MyGov portal:
It is a new innovative initiative of a partnership between government and citizens with the help of technology for the
development of India. The portal will help the people of Himachal to take their views, suggestions, feedback and
complaints to the government. The government will consider constructive criticisms and coordinate all suggestions
for the betterment of the state and the country.
ii.CM app:
With this app, citizens of Himachal will be able to get direct and quick information about various policies and
programs of the government. Through the App, the people of the state will be able to write complaints directly to the
Chief Minister. This will prove to be helpful in harmonizing various schemes.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital– Shimla (summer capital) and Dharamshala (winter capital).
Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya.
Dams– Bhakra Dam ,Pandoh Dam ,Nathpa Jhakri Dam ,Chamera Dam.

Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - February 2020

Losar festival was celebrated in Himachal Pradesh
On February 24, 2020 Losar festival was celebrated at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. The festival is celebrated on
the 1st day of the lunisolar Tibetan calendar also called Tibetan New Year.Losar is a festival in Tibetan Buddhism.
Key Points:
i.Hundreds of people from the Buddhist community gathered at different temples in the state to celebrate Losar
festival & prayers were offered at Dorje Drak Monastery in Shimla.
ii.Cultural events were held in different parts of the state as the Tibetan community celebrated the festival.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital- Shimla (summer capital), Dharamshala (winter capital).
Chief Minister (CM)- Jai Ram Thakur.
Governor- Bandaru Dattatreya.

Himachal Pradesh: 1st State to achieve 100% LPG coverage

On February 24, 2020 Himachal Pradesh became the 1st state in the country to have 100% LPG (Liquified
Petroleum Gas) coverage due to the implementation of PMUY (Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana) scheme.
Key Points:
i.Following the implementation of the PMUY scheme, the state government launched ‘Himachal Grihini Suvidha
Yojana’ in May 2018 to cover the scheme to remaining households.
ii.Under the scheme except families having a pensioner, income taxpayer or any member employed with the
government, board, corporation etc, all households of the state without an LPG connection were eligible.
iii.Nearly 2.64 lakh free gas connections were provided through the state funded Grihini Suvidha Yojana & 1.36 lakh
were benefited through PMUY scheme.
iv.About PMUY scheme: The scheme was launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 1st May, 2016 in Ballia,
Uttar Pradesh (UP). Under this scheme 5 Crore LPG connections will be provided to BPL (Below Poverty Line)
families & Rs. 8000 crore were allocated towards the implementation of the scheme.
v.PMUY scheme aims to safeguard the health of women & children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel – LPG,
so that they don’t have to compromise their health in smoky kitchens or wander in unsafe areas collecting firewood.

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About Himachal Pradesh:
National Parks- Great Himalyan NP, Pin Valley NP, Inderkilla NP, Khirganga NP, Simbalbara NP.

Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - March 2020

Traditional ‘Fagli’ festival celebrated in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur on March 10, 2020
On March 10, 2020, the traditional “Fagli” festival celebrated at kinnaur district in Yangpa village, Himachal
Pradesh. This festival is celebrated to denote the end of the winter and the start of the Spring. It is mainly celebrated
on the moonless night.
It is also celebrated to receive blessings from Deota(God) for the upcoming harvest season.
Men start to dance in circles wearing their traditional attire and face masks, where a large number of local people
gather to watch the event.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Chief Minister- Jai Ram Thakur
Governor- Shri Bandaru Dattatraya

DST sanctioned Rs 7.25 crore to IIT Mandi to set up a Technology Innovation Hub
On March 11, 2020 the Department of Science and Technology (DST) sanctioned Rs 7.25 crore to the Indian Institute
of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Himachal Pradesh to set up a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) at the institute under the
National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).
Focus of TIH
Main focus of TIH is on human-computer interaction (HCI) research where projects focus on design &
development of computer technology (interfaces) & the study of interaction between humans (users) & computers
It also focuses on human resource & skill development, entrepreneurship & collaboration with other leading
institutions & some of the technologies will focus on solving problems of the Himalayan region.
Key Points
i.TIH to develop tools, education material, hands-on experiments with specialised tool kits, connecting with existing
innovation ecosystems & also to organize Several workshops & seminars.
ii.The institute aims:
To develop a technology interface for challenges concerning landslides, environment (including climate change), air
pollution, agriculture, cybersecurity, defence forces, healthcare, & forensics
To collaborate with universities and organisations in India and abroad as well as create a startup ecosystem in the
field.
TIH to work on the development & evaluation of interfaces of CPS:
i.TIH to also work on the development & evaluation of interfaces of Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) , a Internet of
things (IoT) based, which contains physical elements like sensors for collecting data & cyber elements
for alerting/educating people for directed action.
ii.The data collected from CPS will be evaluated by human experiments & cognitive models for training & to
improve decisions of the human stakeholders for better outputs.
iii.CPS is a new class of engineered systems that integrate computation & physical processes in a dynamic
environment.
iv.CPS encompasses technology areas of Cybernetics, Mechatronics, Design & Embedded systems, IoT, Big Data,
Artificial Intelligence (AI) among others.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital- Dharamshala (in winter), Shimla (in summer)
Chief Minister– Jai Ram Thakur
Governor– Bandaru Dattatraya

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Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur presents Rs.49,131 crore budget for FY21
On March 6, 2020, Himachal Pradesh (HP) Chief minister(CM) Jai Ram Thakur has presented Rs.49,131 crore
budget for the financial year (FY) 2020-21 in state assembly in Shimla. This is the 3rd budget being presented by
Thakur & for the first time, a paperless budget was presented as he read from a laptop.The state has a debt burden of
Rs 55,737 crore.
Here are highlights from the budget speech:
The Key Focus of the budget is road and air connectivity, housing for poor and scheduled castes and quality
education.
i.The state’s revenue receipts are estimated to be Rs 38,439 crore in the year 2020-21 while the total revenue
expenditure is estimated at Rs 39,123 crore.
ii.The revenue deficit grant of about Rs 19,308 crore received from the Center on the recommendations of the
15th Finance Commission has helped in making this budget for the next financial year.
The state Government will celebrate 2020-21 as golden jubilee year of statehood as it attained statehood in 1971.
A provision of Rs 3,986 crore for PWD ( Public Works Department)
An outlay of Rs 44 crore has been allocated to install crash barriers and improve condition of roads & Modern
Transport Nagar also proposed in Hamirpur.
A provision of Rs 150 crore for ‘nayi rahein nayi manzilen’ scheme, which aims to beautify untapped areas of the state
in terms of tourism.
Rs 480 crore subsidy for domestic power consumers & Rs 158-crore scheme to deal with low voltage issues.
For the welfare of startups in the state, ‘Him startup Yojana’ to be launched with the venture capital fund of Rs 10
crore.
Rs 2,213 crore for irrigation and public health department & State’s TB (tuberculosis) patients will get Rs 1,500 crore
as monthly financial assistance.
Allocation of Rs 8,016 crore for education sector ,Rs 15 crore to increase forest cover, Rs 50 crore for anti-hail net
structures, Rs 25 crore for natural farming has been made.
101 new trout units to be established in Himachal to boost trout production.
State government will use approximately Rs 5,109 crore on loan interest payment out of the total Rs 49,131 crore
budget in 2020-21.
The fiscal deficit is estimated at Rs 7,272 crore for 2020-21, which is 4 per cent of GSDP. The net borrowing will be 3
per cent of GSDP.
Rs 14.79 will be spent on pension, Rs 10.4 on interest payment, Rs 7.29 on loan repayment and Rs 41.22 will be on
development works and other activities
The pension of 1.25 lakh widows and disabled has been increased to Rs 1,000 from Rs 850 per month. Besides, social
security pension will be provided to 50,000 more eligible persons.
Per capita income in Himachal Pradesh is Rs 60,205 higher than that of the country.
Rs 1,013 crore earmarked for expanding air connectivity, the amount is the highest ever in any budget of the state.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital– Shimla (summer capital), Dharamshala (winter capital).
Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya
National Parks– Great Himalyan NP, Pin Valley NP, Inderkilla NP, Khirganga NP, Simbalbara NP.

Himachal Pradesh Government launched Police Station Visitor Survey System and e-Night Beat Checking
System
On March 19, 2020, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur launched Police Station Visitor
Survey System and e-Night Beat Checking System for Himachal police in Shimla. These systems help the Police
Department to provide an immediate response to the complaints registered in the police stations.
Key Points:
i.About Police Visitor Survey System: This system helps in creating a database of the complaints & visitors visiting
the Police Stations, Police Posts and all other police units.
ii.The system is linked with ‘http://bit.ly/HPPolice’ , which helps the public to fill the complaints directly through
online and all SPs (Superintendent of Police) of the district, range & police headquarters will monitor the feedback

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being given by the public.
iii.The link would be shared by the police with the public through social and print media, Jan Manch meetings, Nasha
Nivaran Samiti meetings, Community Policing Meetings, etc., to provide justice to the people and the system also
identifies the persons filling fake feedback.
iv.About e-Night Beat Checking System: The system helps the state police department to track the suspected
vehicles & criminals who move in the night.
v.The system automatically captures the date, time and GPS (Global Positioning System) Location of the policeman on
beat patrolling / night checking duty & thus would help in ensuring the increased presence of police on the roads for
better safety of the citizens.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital- Shimla (summer capital) and Dharamshala (winter capital).
Governor- Bandaru Dattatreya.

IIT Mandi, EWOK Society sign tripartite deal with NABARD for setting up 3 FPOs in Himachal
On March 2, 2020,The IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Mandi (Himachal Pradesh) along with Enabling Women of
Kamand (EWOK) Society have signed a tripartite agreement with the National Bank For Agriculture And Rural
Development (NABARD) for collaboration on setting up 3 Farmer Producer Organisation (FPOs) in Himachal
Pradesh’s(HP) Mandi district in the next 3 years.
Key Points:
i.NABARD has approved an amount of Rs 35 lakhs in this regard to IIT Mandi and EWOK Society for establishing
FPOs, which is a group of farm producers, with members as shareholders in an organisation. It helps them get better
access to quality inputs, technology, credit and better marketing access through economy.
ii.The agreement was signed by IIT Mandi’s Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy (SRIC) Dean Venkata
Krishnan, EWOK Society Secretary Sandhya Menon and NABARD Chief General Secretary Nilay Kapoor on February
22,2020.
iii.It is to be noted that EWOK is an initiative of IIT Mandi Women’s Center to assist rural women set up small
enterprises in 5 panchayats of Kataula, Katindhi, Navlaya, Batheri and Kamand in Mandi by giving them proper
guidance, training & information.
iv.Earlier, the union Cabinet gave its nod to set up 10,000 FPOs by 2024.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital– Shimla
Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya
Chief minister– Jai Ram Thakur
About National Bank For Agriculture And Rural Development (NABARD):
Formation– July 12, 1982
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– Dr. Harsh Kumar Bhanwala

World Bank to provide USD 80 million to an integrated project in Himachal Pradesh

On March 11, 2020 The Government of India, Government of Himachal Pradesh(HP) & the World Bank signed a loan
agreement of US$80 million (about Rs 600 crore) to improve water management practices & also to increase
agricultural productivity in selected Gram Panchayats (Village Councils) in HP.
Gist about the Project
i.The Integrated Project for Source Sustainability & Climate Resilient Rain-Fed Agriculture to be implemented in
428 Gram Panchayats in 10 districts which will benefit over 400,000 smallholder farmers, women & pastoral
communities.
ii.It will improve upstream water sources to ensure sufficient water is available for sustainable agriculture in
Himachal Pradesh & downstream states.
iii.The key component of the project is to enhance the climate resilience of agriculture & its allied activities for
which efficient use of water is the focal point
iv.It will establish hydrological monitoring stations to monitor the water quality and quantity.

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v.It will also work in collaboration with other government programs especially with agriculture, horticulture, and
animal husbandry departments & also will support institutions through training of gram panchayats for management
of its water resources.
vi.The loan agreement was signed by the Additional Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs Sameer Kumar
Khare & Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Country Director for India, the World Bank.
vii.The project agreement was signed by Ram Subhag Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) & Junaid Ahmad,
Country Director for India, the World Bank.
viii.The loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) (which is one of the 5 member
institutions of the World Bank) has a final maturity of 14.5 years including a grace period of five years.
About World Bank:
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States.
President- David R. Malpass

Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - April 2020

Himachal Pradesh starts to use eSanjeevaniOPD
On April 21, 2020 the Himachal Pradesh government has started eSanjeevaniOPD through which free online
medical consultation & general health advice will be provided to the people at their residence throughout the state
from doctors of different medical colleges from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM on all working days.
It can be accessed by logging into ‘esanjeevaniopd.in‘ & soon this facility will be available on mobile phones in the
state.
Gist about eSanjeevaniOPD
i.It is a National Teleconsultation Service of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare & is the 1st of its kind online
OPD (Out Patient Department) service. It aims to provide healthcare services to patients in their homes, which
enables a safe & structured video-based clinical consultations between a doctor in a hospital and a patient at home.
ii.It is a Stay Home OPD & is India’s flagship telemedicine technology developed & designed by Health Informatics
Group at Centre for Development of Advanced Computing C-DAC centre in Mohali, Punjab. It is a web-based system
and does not require an installation.
iii.It is based on eSanjeevani, a doctor to doctor telemedicine system which is deployed nationally for the Ministry of
Health & Family Welfare at 155,000 Health and Wellness Centres under Ayushman Bharat Scheme of Government of
India.
Features
Patient registration, Token Generation, Queue Management, Audio-Video Consultation with a Doctor, ePrescription,
SMS/Email Notifications, Serviced by State’s Doctors, Free Service, Fully configurable (no. of daily slots, no. of
doctors/clinics, waiting room slots, consultation time limit etc).
The other states which are on-boarded on National Teleconsultation Service: Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar
Pradesh
About C-DAC:
It is the premier Research & Development (R&D) organization of the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) to carry out R&D in Information Technologies and Electronics (IT & E) & associated areas.
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra
Director General (DG)– Hemant Darbari

World Bank approved Rs 585 cr for Himachal Pradesh State Roads Transformation Project (HPSRTP)
The Himachal Pradesh State Roads Transformation Project (HPSRTP) will receive a funding of US$82 million (Rs 585
crore) from World Bank (WB) for the upgradation of major roads and modernization of the Public Works
Department (PWD) in Himachal Pradesh (HP).
Under tranche-I of HPSRTP, Road construction work of Barotiwala-Baddi-Sain-Ramshehar with length of 45 kms,
Dadol-Ladraurr Road with length of 14.5 kms, Mandi- Riwalsar-Kalkhar of length 28 kms and Raghunathpura-Mandi-
Harpura-Bharari road with length of 3.5 kms would be undertaken.

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Efforts by HP govt to Speed-Up the Construction Work
The lockdown has disrupted the construction and maintenance of road projects in the state. For FY 19-20 the state
govt’s target was to construct 900 kilometres road length but only 800-km was achieved as works were halted due to
Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown. Now, to speed-up the road projects the state government has taken the following
decisions:
Optimal utilization of local labour.
Allowing inter-district movement of trucks carrying construction material from mining sites to project areas.
Opening of hardware shops so that works do not hamper due to want of construction material.
Apart from above, the construction of 4,960-km roads has been fixed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna
(PMGSY) for FY 2020-21 for which financial allocation of Rs 1,666 crore had been made.
Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojna (PMGSY):
It was launched by the Govt. of India in 2000 by then-prime minister of India Late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee to provide
all-weather road connectivity to unconnected Habitations as part of a poverty reduction strategy. In HP the target
length is 3,015 Km but completed only 1,050.589 as of FY 2019-20. It works under the aegis of Ministry of Rural
Development.
About HP:
Chief Minister– Jai Ram Thakur
Capital– Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
State Animal– Snow leopard
State Bird– Western Tragopan (Tragopanmelanocephalus)
State Flower– Pink Rhododendron (Rhododendron campanulatum)
About World Bank:
Establishment– 1944
President– David R. Malpass
Headquarters– Washington, D.C., United States
Subsidiaries– International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development
Association (IDA,) International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - May 2020

Five more States/UTs integrated with ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ platform, taking the total to 17
On May 1, 2020, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shri RamVilas Paswan approved the
integration of 5 more States and Union Territories under “One Nation One Ration Card” plan with the already 12
existing states taking a total number of states/UTs to 17.
The newly approved states/UTs under this plan are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Dadra &
Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
Already this plan has been initiated in 12 states viz. Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala,
Karnataka Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura.
All 17 States/UTs are instructed to formally commence seamless inter-State/national portability operations in a
single cluster w.e.f. May 1, 2020 or at the earliest, depending upon their on-field readiness.
Benefit of One Nation One Ration Card:
With this, the facility of national/inter-State portability will be available for nearly 60 Crore beneficiaries of 17
States/UT under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and they may lift their entitled quota of food grains from any
Fair Price Shop (FPS) anywhere in these 17 States/UT by using their same/existing ration card.
Reason behind the move:
This decision to integrate 5 more states has been taken as per the Supreme Court direction to the Centre for taking
the appropriate decision regarding the implementation of “one nation-one ration card” under the lockdown scenario,
as there have been reports of problems faced by migrant workers in getting subsidised food grains.

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About one nation, one ration card:
The scheme announced in June 2019 allows portability of food security benefits across the country from 1st June
2020. This means poor migrant workers or the beneficiaries who are taking food grains under the Public Distribution
System (PDS) will be able to buy subsidized rice and wheat from any ration shop in the country. Simply, it is inter-
state portability of ration cards.The rest of the country will be included in the portability scheme by June this year.
This will benefit 600 million beneficiaries out of 810 million covered under the Food Security Act, 2013.

HP govt to launch ‘Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee Yojna ‘ for urban employment
On May 2, 2020, In a bid to revive the economy of the state affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,
the Himachal Pradesh (HP) state government has decided to launch employment guarantee scheme
called “’Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee Yojna” that will provide 120 days of employment to those
living in urban areas.
The decision was taken during the cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister(CM) Jai Ram
Thakur.
Key Points:
i.People employed under the scheme will also be imparted training to increase their skills as and when required.
ii.Other major decisions:
The state government has provided Rs 2,000 to about one lakh workers registered under the Building and Other
Construction Workers Board, on which 20 crores have been spent so far. Now the government has decided to provide
another Rs 2000 per worker to these workers.
A cabinet sub-committee headed by Jal Shakti Minister Mahender Singh will be formed to start economic activities in
the state.
It was also decided to extend the excise policy for 2019-20 up to May 31, 2020. Excise fees have also been waived
since March 22, as long as the liquor contracts remain closed.
As the tourism industry is worst affected, the state decided to waive electricity demand charges for the industry for 6
months, hence providing them relief of about Rs 15 crore.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital– Shimla
Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya
Chief Justice– Lingappa Narayana Swamy
National Parks (NP)– Great Himalayan NP, Pin Valley NP ,Inderkilla NP, Khirganga NP, Simbalbara NP.

Himachal Pradesh to launch ‘Nigah’ to aware family members of migrant returnees

On May 5, 2020, Himachal Pradesh(HP) government plans to launch a new programme ‘Nigah’ to sensitize and
educate the family members of the people coming to the state from other parts of the country.
Key Points
i.The programme will deploy ASHA(Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, health and Anganwadi workers to
create general awareness in maintaining social distancing during home quarantine, to save themselves from any
possible infection.
ii.The residence of such persons who have recently returned to the state from other states must be properly labelled.
iii.Members of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies must ensure that such persons do not jump from
home quarantine.
iv.Stringent action will be taken against those who jump home quarantine as this will harm their family members &
society.
Background
The Indian Railways began to operate ‘Shramik Special’ trains to transport migrant workers, tourists, pilgrims,
students and others, who were stranded due to the sudden nationwide lockdown from March 22, back to their home
States on May 1.
Other initiatives
Decided to launch an employment guarantee scheme, “’ Mukhya Mantri Shahari Rojgar Guarantee Yojna” which
will provide 120 days of employment to those living in urban areas so as to rescue the state from the pandemic.

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Started eSanjeevani OPD by which free online medical consultation & general health advice will be provided to the
people at their residence throughout the state from doctors of different medical colleges from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM on
all working days.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital– Shimla(summer) and Dharamshala (winter)
Chief Minister(CM)– Jai Ram Thakur
Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya.

Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - June 2020

Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur launched ‘Panchvati Yojana’ for the senior citizens of rural areas
On June 8, 2020 Himachal Pradesh(HP) Chief Minister(CM) Jai Ram Thakur launched ‘Panchvati Yojana’ for
the senior citizens of rural areas of the state. Under the yojana parks & gardens will be established in every
development block with mandatory facilities under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Act(MGNREGA) 2005, Scheme of Rural Development Department. About 100 such parks will be developed in
different parts of the state during FY 2020.
Main objective of the yojana– To enable elderly to spend their leisure time in these parks & gardens.
Key Points
i.The parks & gardens will be developed in at least one bigha(a traditional unit of measurement of land) along with
MGNREGA, Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) and 14th Finance Commission.
ii.Ayurvedic and medicinal plants will be grown, recreational equipment, walking tracks and other basic facilities for
elderly people will be provided.
iii.Every park will have a 500 to 1,000 metre concrete trek. Women self-help groups will be allowed to sell their
products in these parks
iv.The 1st phase of these parks was inaugurated through video conference in Gohar Development Block of District
Mandi and Bangana Development Block of Una district, among 15.
v.The work on these parks has been started with the help of local labourers who receive daily wages under
MGNREGA.
Note– 90% of states population lives in rural areas
About HP:
Capital– Shimla (summer capital), Dharamshala (winter capital).
Governor– Bandaru Dattatraya
National Park(NP)– Great Himalayan NP, Pin Valley NP, Inderkilla NP, Khirganga NP, Simbalbara NP

World Bank Approves $500 mn Under ‘STARS’ Project to Improve Education Quality in 6 Indian States
On June 28, 2020, The board of executives of the World Bank (WB) has approved loan of $ 500 million (about Rs
3,700 crore) under ‘Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program (STARS)’project to improve
the quality and governance of school education across six states (Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan) in India.
The new project will be executed through flagship central scheme, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.
The Loan has a final maturity of 14.5 years including a grace period of five years.
Right to education:
A total of 250 million students in the age group of 6 to 17 years studying in 15 lakh schools and more than one crore
teachers will be benefited from this program by improving learning assessment systems, strengthen classroom
instruction, and remediation, facilitate school-to-work transition, and strengthen governance and decentralized
management.
Key Points:
i.STARS program has been built on the solid foundation of the India-World Bank relationship since 1994 to
strengthen education in government schools and make education available to everyone.

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ii.STARS will support India’s renewed focus on addressing the ‘learning outcome’ challenge and help students better
prepare for the jobs of the future – through a series of reform initiatives.They are,
Focusing more directly on the delivery of education services at the state, district and sub district levels
Addressing demands from stakeholders, especially parents, for greater accountability and inclusion
Equipping teachers to manage this transformation
Investing more in developing India’s human capital.
iii.Prior to the STARS program, World Bank had assisted $3 billion in this direction.
iv.As per WB, India has made better improvement in access to education across the country from 2004-05 to 2018-
19, where the number of children going to school hiked from 21.9 crore to 24.8 crore.
However, the learning results of students continue at below level. STARS program will help improve assessment
systems at the national level through education as a whole and in partnership with states.
About World Bank:
Headquarters– Washington D.C., United States (US).
Motto– Working for a World Free of Poverty.
President– David Malpass.

Harsh Vardhan released Annual TB Report 2020 prepared by Central TB Division; 14% rise in TB patients in
2019
On June 24, 2020, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s (MoHFW) Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and its
Minister of State (MoS), Ashwini Kumar Choubey launched the Annual “India TB (Tuberculosis) Report
2020” through a virtual event which is released by Central TB Division (CTD), MoHFW . The salient feature of 2020
report is that for the first time CTD introduced a quarterly ranking on TB elimination efforts by all the states and UTs.
In accordance with the report, there were around 24.04 lakh TB patients in 2019, a 14% increase in as compared to
the year 2018.
It should be noted that the sustainable goal of eradicating TB globally is 2030, but the Indian government is
committed to achieve this target in the country by 2025.
In this regard, the programme has been renamed from the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP)
to National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP). 14 committees have been constituted at national level to
provide technical guidance for programme implementation.
The Minister also released a Joint Monitoring Mission report, a manual on Direct Benefit Transfer to TB patients
under NIKSHAY system, a Training Module, and the quarterly newsletter NIKSHAY Patrika.
Following table shows the best performing states and UTs as per report:
Rank State
Larger states with more than 50 lakh population
1 Gujarat
2 Andhra Pradesh
3 Himachal Pradesh
Smaller states with less than 50 lakh population
1 Tripura
2 Nagaland
Union Territory
1 Dadra and Nagar Haveli
2 Daman & Diu
Key achievements listed in the report:
-There has been a reduction in the number of missing cases to 2.9 lakh cases as against more than 10 lakhs in 2017.
-Private sector notifications increased by 35% with 6.78 lakh TB patients notified.

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-Due to easy availability of molecular diagnostics, the proportion of children diagnosed with TB increased to 8
percent in 2019 compared to 6 percent in 2018.
-Provision of HIV testing for all notified TB patients increased from 67 percent in 2018 to 81 percent in 2019.
-Expansion of treatment services has resulted in a 12% improvement in the treatment success rate of notified
patients. For 2019 it is 81% compared to 69% in 2018.
-More than 4.5 lakh DOT (Directly observed treatment) Centers provide treatment covering almost every village
across the country.
-Near-complete on-line notification of TB patients have been achieved through the NIKSHAY system. NIKSHAY also
expanded the provision of four Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) schemes of the programme:
Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) to TB patients
The incentive to Treatment Supporters
An incentive to Private Providers and
Transport incentive to TB patients in the notified tribal areas
About NIKSHAY
NI-KSHAY-(Ni=End, Kshay=TB), a web enabled patient management system for TB control under the NTEP is
developed and maintained by the CTD in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), and the World
Health Organization (WHO) Country office for India.
It is used by health functionaries at various levels across the country both in the public and private sector, to register
cases.
It also functions as the National TB Surveillance System and enables reporting of various surveillance data to the
Government of India.
Click Here for Official Link
Static :
World Tuberculosis Day– March 24
2020 theme– It’s Time
TB Campaign (India)– TB Harega Desh Jeetega

Himachal Pradesh panchayati raj department wins 1st prize under e-Panchayat Puraskars 2020 for effective
use of e-applications
Himachal Pradesh panchayati raj department wins 1st prize under e-Panchayat Puraskars 2020 for effective
implementation of e-applications, developed by the central government & other applications developed by the state
government. The prize will be given by Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Key Points
All 3,226 panchayats of Himachal Pradesh were provided with internet facilities to help people access various
services online like family registration, registration of birth, death and marriages.
About e-panchayat puraskar
The e-panchayat puraskar is given to states that have made maximum use of Information Technology to monitor the
works of the panchayat
Note
The Union ministry of panchayati raj is making efforts to bring transparency, efficiency and accountability in the
functioning of gram panchayats through the use of information and communication technology(ICT).
About Panchayat Raj ministry
Union Minister– Narendra Singh Tomar
About Himachal Pradesh:
Capital– Shimla (Summer), Dharamsala (Winter)
Chief Minister– Jairam Thakur
Governor– Bandaru Dattatraya

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IIT Mandi Develops Herbal Infusion Technology to Help Farmers in the Mid-Himalayan Region
On June 19, 2020 Researchers of Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Mandi have developed a herbal infusion
technology, as a source of income for local marginal farmers in the mid-Himalayas.
Major Highlights
i.The Researchers from the institute’s Botanical Garden and Medicinal Plant Lab have analysed a variety of herbs
growing in the mid-Himalayan region in & around the villages around IIT Mandi, Kamand region to create value
added products in the form of herbal infusions known for their health benefits (mainly rich in antioxidants).
ii.The technology is ready to license industries interested in working with Enabling Women of Kamand(EWOK)- a
rural incubator at IIT Mandi, in the interest of empowering the Kamand Valley farmers.
iii.At present the researchers have successfully formulated 9 different herbal infusions with constituents such as
tulsi, mint, rose, amla, bayleaf, turmeric, rhododendron and lemongrass.
iv.The researchers aim to create 100 Kamand Valley Infusion formulations and also establish a farmer-academia-
industry-Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) network for the purpose of buying-back and sustainable market
linkages.
v.The vacuum drying process is optimized for each herb to maintain quality.
vi.The lab is training local farmers in collaboration with EWOK with regards to farming of herbals, processing,
packaging and marketing of the infusions.
Key Points
EWOK has also received funding from NABARD to establish 3 farmer producer companies (FPCs).
Among 3, one FPC focuses on the aromatic and medicinal plant farming, value-addition and market linkages.
Note– IIT Mandi & EWOK have signed a tripartite pact with the National Bank for Agriculture And Rural Development
(NABARD) to set up 3 Farmer Producer Organisations(FPOs) in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district. Where NABARD
has sanctioned an amount of Rs 35 lakhs to IIT Mandi and EWOK for this establishment in the next 3 years.
About IIT Mandi:
Chairperson– Subodh Bhargava
Director– Prof. Timothy A Gonsalves

Maha Vir Chakra awardee & 1971 war hero Lt Gen Raj Mohan Vohra passed away at 88 due to COVID-19
On June 14, 2020 Maha Vir Chakra(MVC) awardee, Lieutenant general (Lt Gen) Raj Mohan Vohra passed away at
88 due to COVID-19. He was born in 1932 in Shimla.He received the MVC in 1972 for his role in the Battle of
Basantar(Part of 1971 India-Pakistan war). He also received the Param Vishisht Seva Medal.
About Raj Mohan Vohra:
i.Raj Mohan Vohra was Commissioned into the Army in 1952 & retired in 1990. He also fought in the Punjab sector
during the Indo-Pak War of 1965.
ii.In his initial years of his career he served in the Scinde Horse regiment & later commanded the 4th Horse(Hodson’s
Horse- a unit of the Indian Army which originated as part of the British Indian Army) in the Shakargarh Sector during
the Indo-Pak War of 1971.
iii.He was part of the 1st batch of the National Defence Academy, then the joint services wing of the Indian Military
Academy, which started its training in 1949.
iv.He was the alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.
Few prestigious appointments: General officer commanding in Chief(GOC-in-C) Eastern Command and GOC 31
Armoured Division.
About Maha Vir Chakra:
MVC is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy whether on land, at sea or in the air. It
is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra.

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Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - July 2020

Central Govt approved funds for Implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Himachal Pradesh &
Goa
On the lines of the announcement made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 regarding Jal Jeevan Mission
(JJM) which aims to provide “Functional Household Tap Connection” (FHTC) to 18 Crore rural households of the
country by the year 2024, the Centre has earlier approved funds for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission for
Odisha, Meghalaya, Assam & Bihar. Click Here to Read. After that Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand & West Bengal received
fund allocations for the same. Click Here to Read and then to Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tripura. Click Here to
Read and then Telangana. Click Here to Read. Now extending this scheme further for other states, Centre has now
approved funds to the following states for FY 2020-2021:
HP to provide tap connections to all rural households by 2022; Received Rs. 326.20 Cr funds from Central
Govt for FY21
On 4th July 2020, during a video conference between Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and
Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh (HP) Jairam Thakur, the Union Government allocated Rs. 326.20 Crore for the
effective implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Himachal Pradesh for FY 2020-21. Including the state’s share
the total funds available for providing Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) is Rs. 371 Crore.
• Himachal Pradesh is planning 100% coverage by August, 2022, ahead of national goal by 2024.
• Out of 17.04 lakh rural households in the State of Himachal Pradesh, 9.52 lakh (55.87%) are already provided
with FHTCs. Out of the remaining 7.52 lakh households, HP plans to provide tap connections in 2.44 lakh
households during 2020-21.
• HP has been allocated Rs. 429 Crore under 15th Finance Commission Grants to Panchayati Raj Institutions
(PRIs) and 50% of it is to be used for water supply and sanitation.
Goa plans to provide 100% FHTC in rural areas by 2021; Received Rs. 12.40 Cr funds from Central Govt for
FY21
The government of India has allocated Rs. 12.40 Crore for FY20-21 to Goa on the basis of Annual Action Plan (AAP)
presented by the state to the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The funds have been increased from Rs. 3.08 Crore.
• Goa is planning 100% FHTCs to all rural households by 2021. Out of 2.6 lakh households in the State, 2.29 lakh
households have already been provided with FHTC.
• Goa will be one of first few States to achieve the feat and become 100% ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State.
• In 2020-21, Goa will get Rs.75 Crore as 15th Finance Commission Grants to PRIs.
About JJM:
It aims to enable every rural household to have assured availability of potable water at a service level of 55 litres per
capita per day (lpcd) on a regular and long-term basis. As a mission target, all states are presenting their
implementation plans to the National level Committee headed by Secretary, Department of Drinking Water &
Sanitation, Govt. of India for approval.
• The estimated outlay of the mission is Rs 3.60 Lakh Crore with Central and State share of Rs. 2.08 Lakh Crore
and Rs.1.52 Lakh Crore respectively.

Nadaun Police Station of Himachal Pradesh declared as one of the best in India
On 9th July 2020 Amit Shah, The Union Minister of Home Affairs announced the Annual Ranking of Police Stations for
2019 prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India in the Director General of
Police’s (DGP’s) conference. Nadaun Police Station of Hamirpur District in Himachal Pradesh is ranked as one of the
best Police Stations of India.
Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs presented the Certification of Excellence to Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister
of Himachal Pradesh during the ceremony on 9th July 2020 which was handed to Sanjay Kundu, IPS, the Director
General of Police (DGP), Himachal Pradesh.
Annual Police station ranking:
i.The ranking system of Police Stations was introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2018.

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 State-Wise PDF
ii.The ranking is made through data analysis, direct observation and public feedback.
iii. The ranking is a two stage process,
• shortlisting the police stations – 3 stations are selected from the states having more than 750 police stations, 2
stations from other states and Delhi and 1 station from each Union Territories(UT).
• The Survey, based on the Note on Performance measurements which includes, Crime prevention and proactive
measures, Execution, Disposal of cases, Law and Order etc.
iv.The best performing police station is based on the addressing of Property offence, crime against women and
weaker sections.
About Ministry of Home Affairs:
Union Minister– Amit Shah
Ministers of State– G.Kishan Reddy & Nityanand Rai
About Himachal Pradesh:
Chief Minister– Jai Ram Thakur
Governor– Bandaru Dattatraya
Capital– Shimla (Summer) & Dharamshala (Winter)

Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - August 2020

National Commission on Population: Projects India’s Population to be More Feminine by 2036
The National Commission on Population under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) submitted the
Report of the Technical group on population projections July 2020, titled “Population projections for India and
States 2011- 2036”. The report projected that the India’s sex ratio of the total population (females per 1000 males)
is expected to be more feminine in 2036 compared to the population as of 2011.
Population projections for India and States 2011- 2036:
Sex ratio:
i.The report estimates the sex ratio to increase from 943 in 2011 to 957 in 2036.
ii.Compared to 2011, the sex ratio in 18 states except Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat are expected to
increase by 2036.
iii.In 2036, the lowest sex ratio of 899 is expected to be in NCT of Delhi, followed by 900 in Gujarat and 908 in
Haryana.
Infant Mortality Rate:
i.India’s Infant Mortality Rate(IMR) is reported to be 46 in 2010 which is expected to reduce to 30 by the end of
2031-2035.
ii.The report projects the IMR to reduce in all the state of India in 2011 to 2035.
Madhya Pradesh has the highest IMR at 58 followed by Uttar Pradesh with 57 in 2011-2015 which is expected to
come down to 37 and 38 in MP and UP respectively in 2031-35.
iii.During 2031-35, the IMR is expected to be in between 30-40 in Rajasthan, Assam, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, MP and UP.
iv.Kerala is expected to have the lowest IMR at 9 in 2031-35 followed by Tamil Nadu from 22 in 2011-15 to 16 during
2031-35.
Fertility Rate:
i.Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is expected to decline from 2.34 during 2011-2015 to 1.73 during 2031- 35.
ii.The declining fertility rate will change the age demographics of India’s population and increase the medium age
from 24.9 in 2011 to 34.5 in 2036.
iii.Bihar and UP have the higher TFR with 3.5 and 3.7 respectively which is higher than the TFR of India (2.5).
Population of India:
i.The report projects India’s population to increase by 25.7% in 25 years at a rate of 1% annually i.e., from 121.1
crore to 151.8 crore during 2011-36.
ii.The population density will increase from 368 to 463 persons per square kilometer.
iii.As per the 2011 Census India’s population was 1.21 billion which is estimated to grow by 311 million by 2036.

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Youth Population:
i.Youth population (15-24 years) is expected to increase from 23.3 crores in 2011 to 25.2 crores in 2021 and then
continue to decrease to 22.7 crores in 2036.
ii.The youth population proportion to the total population is expected to become 14.9%in 2036.
Decline in rate of population growth:
The population growth rate will decline by 8.4% during 2021-2031.
Note:
The report projects that India will overtake China and become the most populated county around 2031.
Urban Population:
i.The urban population of India was 31.8% in 2011 which is projected to increase to 38.2% by 2036 which
contributes 73% of the total population growth by 2036.
ii.Delhi with 98% urban population in 2011 is expected to become 100% urban by 2036.
iii.Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana and Gujarat are expected to have more than 50% urban population by
2036.
Life Expectancy:
i.For men the life expectancy is expected to increase from 66 to 69 and for women it is expected to increase from 71
to 74.
ii.Kerala could become the only Indian state to have life expectancy above 80 for women and 74 for men by 2036.
iii.The Northeastern states are estimated to have a life expectancy of 77 for women and 73 for men by 2036.
Click here for the complete report
Recent Related News:
i.UN’s Global Multidimensional Poverty Index: India Record Largest Reduction in Number of People Living in Poverty
ii.Climate-friendly Cooling can cut 460 Giga Tonnes of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Cooling Emissions and Policy
Synthesis Report
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW):
Union Minister– Harsh Vardhan
Minister of State– Ashwini Kumar Choubey

Himachal Pradesh gets approval from Centre for projects worth Rs 7922.69 Crores
Himachal Pradesh (HP) has received Investment Clearance from the Union Government for six multipurpose and
flood control projects involving expenditure of Rs 7,922.69 crore for on 7th August, 2020.
i.The clearance was given during the 13th meeting of Investment Clearance Committee (ICC),Department of Water
Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR), Union Jal Shakti Ministry in New Delhi.It
has approved the proposals in respect of major and medium irrigation, flood control and multipurpose projects.
List of Approved Projects:
i.One of the six projects cleared is Renukaji Dam Project on Giri river, Sirmour district, Himachal Pradesh. It is a
national project with an estimated cost of Rs. 6, 946.99 Crores.
• The project is expected to benefit six states of the Yamuna Basin – Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi,
Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan
• Himachal Pradesh will get 40MW of free electricity generated from the Renukaji Dam Project by Himachal
Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (HPCL).
• Himachal Pradesh will also get 3.15 percent of water share from this project.
ii.Five other proposals related to flood protection works/anti erosion measures with an estimated cost of Rs. 975.70
Crore have been granted investment clearance.
iii.Flood Protection Projects include Kangra district for Naker Khad and its tributaries with an estimated cost of Rs
231.02 crore, Sirmour district for Right Bank of the River Yamuna and its tributaries with an estimated cost of Rs
250.46 crores.
iv.Dharampur constituency in Mandi district got the clearance for Sakrain, Malthod, Thothu, Dol and Samour Khad
with an estimated cost of Rs 145.73 crore.
v.Shimla district for the River Pabbar from Tikkari to Hatkoti in Rohru Tehsil with an estimated cost of Rs. 190.82
crore

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Recent Related News:
i.Himachal Pradesh(HP) government plans to launch a new programme ‘Nigah’ to sensitize and educate the family
members of the people coming to the state from other parts of the country.
ii.Himachal Pradesh panchayati raj department wins 1st prize under e-Panchayat Puraskars 2020 for effective
implementation of e-applications, developed by the central government & other applications developed by the state
government
About Himachal Pradesh
Capital – Shima (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)
Chief Minister – Jai Ram Thakur
Governor – Bandaru Dattatreya
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Union Minister – Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Minister of State (MoS) – Rattan Lal Kataria

Himachal Pradesh, Micro Tek New Technologies Private Ltd Sign MoU to set up Electronics Manufacturing
Unit at Baddi
The Government of Himachal Pradesh (HP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth Rs110 Crores
with Micro Tek New Technologies Private Ltd for setting up an Electronics Manufacturing Unit at Baddi, Solan
District, Himachal Pradesh.
The MoU was signed by Director of Industries, Himachal Pradesh, Hans Raj Sharma and Subodh Gupta,Chairman of
MicroTek New Technologies Private Ltd.
i.The unit will manufacture Thermometers, online/offline UPS, high capacity inverters, oximeters and other electrical
products.
ii.It is expected to be completed by March, 2021 and will provide direct employment to around 450 people.
Recent Related News:
i.On June 8, 2020 Himachal Pradesh(HP) Chief Minister (CM) Jai Ram Thakur launched ‘Panchvati Yojana’ for the
senior citizens of rural areas of the state.
ii.Nadaun Police Station of Hamirpur District in Himachal Pradesh was ranked as one of the best Police Stations of
India in the Annual Ranking of Police Stations for 2019 prepared by ministry of Home Affairs.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Chief Minister – Jai Ram Thakur
Governor – Bandaru Dattatreya
National Parks – Great Himalayan National Park, Pin Valley National Park, Khirganga, Inderkila, Simbalbara

NITI Aayog Released Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020: Gujarat Tops the Overall Rankings
On 26th August 2020, NITI Aayog in partnership with Institute of Competitiveness released the Export Preparedness
Index (EPI) 2020, this is the first report to examine export preparedness and performance of the states of India.
Gujarat was identified as the top performing state in the category of Coastal state and also topped the Overall
rankings.
AIM of EPI:
• To identify the challenges and opportunities
• Enhance the effectiveness of Government policies
• Encourage a facilitative regulatory.
Structure:
The structure of the EPI includes 4 pillars which are Policy, Business Ecosystem, Export Ecosystem and Export
Performance and 11 sub pillars which are Export Promotion Policy, Institutional Framework, Business Environment,
Infrastructure, Transport Connectivity, Access to Finance, Export Infrastructure, Trade Support, R&D Infrastructure,
Export Diversification, and Growth Orientation.

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Framework:
i.The framework of the EPI is based on the feedback from the states, Union Territories(UT) and organisations like
Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) and Directorate General of
Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS).
ii.Reserve Bank of India(RBI), DGCIS and Central ministries were consulted for some of the indicators.
Features:
i.The EPI 2020 evaluates the true potential and capacities of the Indian States.
ii.It also provides the detailed insights to guide the stakeholders towards strengthening the national and
international level export ecosystem.
iii.This data driven effort identifies the core areas that are significant to promote the exports at sub national level.
iv.This index will support the state governments to achieve the benchmark regional performance in export
promotion and provide insights on how to improve
Highlights:
i.The landlocked states, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand had taken several measures to promote exports which can be
implemented by the other states with similar socio-economic challenges.
ii.The Northeastern states under the Growth orientation sub pillar focused on the indigenous products like spices to
promote their exports.
iii.Among the 8 Coastal States, 6 states occupied the positions among the top 10 ranking which indicates the strong
enabling and facilitating factors to promote exports.
Top 5 in Overall rankings:
Rank State Export Preparedness State Category
1 Gujarat 75.19 Coastal
2 Maharashtra 75.14 Coastal
3 Tamil Nadu 64.93 Coastal
4 Rajasthan 62.59 Landlocked
5 Odisha 58.23 Coastal
Category wise top 3 ranking:
Rank State Export Preparedness
Coastal States
1 Gujarat 75.19
2 Maharashtra 75.14
3 Tamil Nadu 64.93
Himalayan States
1 Uttarakhand 48.11
2 Tripura 40.79
3 Himachal Pradesh 38.85
Landlocked States
1 Rajasthan 62.59
2 Telangana 57.43
3 Haryana 56.03
Union Territories / City states
1 Delhi 45.8
2 Goa 40.94

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3 Chandigarh 26.07
Challenges in Export:
• Intra-regional and inter-regional disparities in export infrastructure.
• Poor trade support and growth orientation among states.
• Poor R&D infrastructure to promote complex and unique exports.
Click here for the complete Report
Recent Related News:
i.Latest ranking based on fastest growing urban regions/ fastest growing cities in the world was released by the
Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). as per the report 3 of the cities in Kerala were ranked in the top 10 places.
ii.According to the rankings of ‘Central and state governmental water departments based on their efficiency targets
for 2019’ released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Gujarat ranked the best for parameters on efficiency targets, while
National Capital Territory of Delhi remains in the worst-performing state category.
About NITI Aayog:
CEO– Amitabh Kant
Headquarters– New Delhi

Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs - September 2020

Himachal Pradesh, World Bank Sign $82 million Loan Deal for HP State Roads Transformation Project
On September 7, 2020 The State Government of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and World Bank signed a $82 million
(approximately Rs. 600 Crores) loan deal to strengthen its transport and road safety institutions by improving the
condition, safety, resilience, and engineering standards of the state’s road network.
The loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a final maturity of 15 years
including a grace period of five years.
Signing Authorities:
The Loan Deal was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of
Finance on behalf of Government of India, Jagdish Chander Sharma, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister and Public
Works Department, on behalf of Government of HP, and Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, India on behalf of the World
Bank.
Objective:
The Agreement will help the state develop reliable, resilient and safe roads which are crucial for the economic
development of the state. It will also enhance the state’s ability to identify, analyze, develop and prioritize critical
road safety measures that benefit all road users.
Key Points:
i.‘Safe Systems’ approach to be adopted in selected districts and heavily trafficked corridors.
ii.Under the agreement, the State Highway Patrol will be trained and equipped with surveillance gear.
iii.Emergency response system to be established to help connect accident sites with dedicated hospitals for post-
crash care and data collection.
iv.Measures such as creating an emergency response crew, upgrading drainage structures and protecting landslide
prone areas to help build resilient road infrastructure.
v.Himachal Pradesh State Roads Transformation Project will finance initiatives to build climate and disaster resilient
roads, improve road safety along tourism corridors in Himachal, enhance logistics along fruit belts and support the
government’s initiative to create a corporate entity responsible for ensuring well-performing roads.
vi.Himachal Pradesh has the potential to produce high-value horticultural products.This project will support the
Government of Himachal Pradesh to provide greater opportunity to smallholder farmers access domestic and
international agricultural markets, increase jobs and farmers’ incomes.
Women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs):
A third of the maintenance contracts under the project will be awarded to women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Environmental Forces:
i.HP often faces landslides and flash floods that affect its road connectivity.

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 State-Wise PDF
ii.Events such as Cloud bursts, extreme river flows and flooding are causing landslides and erosion of embankments
and loss of roads or bridges are set to increase over the next few decades due to climate change.
iii.In order to address these issues, and to protect against landslides and floods, the project will implement
engineering solutions that are plant and natural-based and control vehicular emission to address the climate risks.
iv.The state has no Early Warning System (EWS), landslides cause fatal accidents, during snow and rainy season,
transportation of agricultural products and tourists, so the services are either terminated or delivered at a high cost.
Recent Related News:
i.Board of executives of the World Bank (WB) approved loan of $ 500 million (about Rs 3,700 crore) under
‘Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program (STARS)’project to improve the quality and
governance of school education across six states (Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha,
and Rajasthan) in India.
ii.World Bank named former Bear Stearns executive Carmen Reinhart as its new Vice President (VP) and chief
economist.
About World Bank:
President – David Malpass
Headquarters – Washington D.C (United States of America)
About Himachal Pradesh:
Chief Minister – Jai Ram Thakur
UNESCO Heritage Site – The Great Himalayan National Park, Kalka Shimla Railway Line.

Kerala tops literacy rate chart with 96.2%; Andhra Pradesh worst performer at 66.4%: NSO
In accordance with the report on “Household Social Consumption: Education in India as part of 75th round of
National Sample Survey(NSS) – from July 2017 to June 2018″ conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO),
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Kerala again emerged as the most literate state in the
country with 96.2% literacy followed by Delhi (88.7%), Uttarakhand ( 87.6%), Himachal Pradesh (86.6%) and Assam
(85.9%).
• On the other hand, Andhra Pradesh (AP) is the worst performer at 66.4% followed by Rajasthan at 69.7%,
Bihar (70.9%), Telangana (72.8%), Uttar Pradesh (73%) and Madhya Pradesh (73.7%).
• The survey provided state-wise detail of literacy rate among the persons aged seven years and above.
• The overall literacy rate in India is pegged at 77.7% where rural areas have 73.5% literacy rate and urban
areas has 87.7%.
• Literacy rate: Literacy rate is defined as the percentage of literate persons among persons of age 7 years and
above.
Objective :- to create the participation of persons aged 3 to 35 years in the education system, creating indicators of
the expenditure incurred on the education of household members and various indicators of those who are not
currently attending education.
This survey enclosed with both qualitative and quantitative aspects related to educational fulfilment of the household
members.
• Qualitative aspects included literacy, educational level attained, type of institution, nature of
institution,current attendance/enrolment, free education, reason for never enrolled/ever enrolled but
currently not attending, etc.
• Quantitative aspects, information was collected on expenditure incurred on education of the household
members by the household itself, by other households or by any institutions/organizations other than
Government.
Key Points:
-At national level, the male literacy rate is higher at 84.7% compared to 70.3% among women.
-Also, the male literacy rate is higher than the female literacy rate among all states.
• In Kerala, the male literacy rate is 97.4% compared to 95.2% among females and in Delhi stood 93.7% higher
than 82.4% among females.
• In the worst performing states, there was a considerable gap in male and female literacy rate like in AP the
male literacy rate is 73.4%, and female literacy rate is 59.5%.

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• In Rajasthan, the gap is even wider as male literacy rate stood at 80.8% compared to 57.6% of females and in
Bihar the male literacy rate was 79.7% compared to 60.5% of females.
-The report also revealed that nearly 4% of rural households and 23% of urban households possessed computers.
-Among persons aged 15-29 years, nearly 24% in rural areas and 56% in urban areas were able to operate a
computer.
Click Here for Official Report
About NSO 75th round (July 2017-June 2018) Survey:
NSO 75th round was conducted during 1st July 2017- 30th June 2018 under which 9 items were covered for broad
coverage of information. The survey covers whole of the Indian Union except the villages in Andaman and Nicobar
Islands which are difficult to access.
• This survey covered 1,13,757 households (64,519 in rural areas and 49,238 in urban areas) and enumerated
5,13,366 persons (3,05,904 in rural areas and 2,07,462 in urban areas). A total number of persons of age 3 to
35 years surveyed was 2,86,456 (1,73,397 in rural areas and 1,13,059 in urban areas).
• The Survey Design and Research Division (SDRD) of NSO undertook the development of the survey
methodology and the field work is carried out by Field Operations Divisions (FOD) and the data processing and
tabulation work was done by Data Quality and Assurance Division (DQAD).
Recent Related News:
In accordance with the annual Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for [July 2018 – June 2019] of NSO, India’s
unemployment rate fell between July 2018 and June 2019 to 5.8% from 6.1% during the same period of 2017-18
while the Indian economy grew 6.1% in 2018-19, slower than the 7% expansion recorded the year before.
About Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI)
Minister of State (Independent Charge)– Rao Inderjit Singh
Secretary– Pravin Srivastava
Director General (NSS)– Vijay Kumar

Gujarat, Andaman & Nicobar Emerge as Best State/UT in providing Strong Ecosystem for Startups: DPIIT
ranking
On September 11, 2020 Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) released the 2nd Edition
of ‘States on Support to Startup Ecosystems 2019’ . The Rankings are based on providing a Strong Ecosystem for
promoting Startups.
i.Gujarat emerged as the best performer among Category X.Gujarat topped the rankings in the 2018 edition of
Ranking also.
(In Category x – All States and New Delhi, barring North Eastern (N. E) States & other Union Territories (U. T))
ii.Andaman and Nicobar Islands emerged as best performer among Category Y
(Category y – All N.E states except Assam and all UTs except Delhi).
iii. The Rankings were released by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal and a total of 22
states and 3 UTs participated in the exercise.
Rankings:
For the purposes of ranking, states/UTs are classified into five categories: Best Performers (100 Percentile), Top
Performers (More than 75 to Less than 100), Leaders (More than or equal to 30 to less than or equal to 75), Aspiring
Leaders (More than 10 and less than 30) and Emerging Startup Ecosystems (Less than or equal to 10).
Category – X
All States and New Delhi, barring North Eastern (N.E) States & other Union Territories.
State Category
Gujarat Best Performer
Karnataka Top Performer
Kerala Top Performer
Category – Y
All N.E states except Assam and all UTs except Delhi

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State/Union Territory (U.T.) Category

Andaman & Nicobar Islands Best Performer
—– Top Performer
Chandigarh Leader
Other Performers:
Category X:
i.Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh were placed in Leaders Category.
ii.Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Nagaland were placed in Aspiring Leaders Category.
iii.Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh,
Mizoram and Sikkim were placed in Emerging Startup Ecosystems.
Category Y:
i.Nagaland was placed in Aspiring Leader Category.
ii.Mizoram & Sikkim were placed in Emerging Startup Ecosystems.
Basis for Dividing into Categories:
The States and UTs have been divided into two groups to establish uniformity and standardisation in the ranking
process.
Ranking Framework:
i.The ranking framework 2019 has seven broad reform areas consisting of 30 action points ranging from institutional
support, easing compliances, relaxation in public procurement norms, incubation centres, seed funding, venture
funding, and awareness and outreach.
ii.The parameters also involved getting feedback from beneficiaries gathered through 60, 000 calls to connect with
beneficiaries to ascertain real situations at the implementation level.
Other Info:-
The National Report and Specific Reports for all participating States and Union Territories had also been launched
and it is available in Startup India Portal.
National Report – highlights the vision, trajectory, methodology and the future roadmap of the States Ranking
Exercise.
State Specific Report – containing a comprehensive analysis of respective ecosystem, which highlights strengths and
priority areas for future
A ‘Compendium of Good Practices’ adopted by various States in supporting start-ups has also been released. It
identifies 166 good practices.
Initiatives for Startups:
i.Government launched Startup India Action Plan in January 2016 to promote startups in the country.
ii.The aim of Startup India Action Plan is to give incentives like tax holiday and remodel Inspection regimes and
capital gains tax exemption.
Note – The DPIIT has created an India Investment Grid (IIG), an interactive investment portal providing details of
sectors, states and projects to ease the domestic and foreign investors.
Recent Related News: online portal called the
i.On May 8, 2020 Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh (chief guest) presented
the award to the winners of “Startup India-Animal Husbandry Grand Challenge”.
ii.On June 25, 2020, According to the report, ‘Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2020; the New Normal for the
Global Startup Economy and the Impact of COVID-19’ released by Startup Genome, Bangalore,Bengaluru Becomes
India’s Only City in Top 30 with 26th position.
About DPIIT:-
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is a central government department under the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Secretary – Guruprasad Mohapatra.

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