dr gauravgarg - best online coaching ssc cgl, … gets geographical indication status west...
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SWADESH DARSHAN, 100% funding will be done by the central government for strengthening infrastructure, capacity building of
staff and locals, finding new avenues to connect people with tourism activities
Ministry of Tourism – PRASAD - Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive and Swadesh Darshan
Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana(HRIDAY)scheme - UrbanDevelopmentMinistry
PRASAD Scheme was launched in 2014-15 with 12 identified sites namely Ajmer (Rajasthan), Amritsar (Punjab), Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Dwarka (Gujarat), Gaya (Bihar), Kedarnath (Uttarakhand), Kamakhya (Assam), Kanchipuram (Tamil
Nadu), Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Puri (Odisha), Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and Vellankani (Tamil Nadu).
During 2015-16, Patna (Bihar) and in 2016-17, 12 more sites were added in the scheme for development namely Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Badrinath
(Uttarakhand), Belur (West Bengal), Deoghar (Jharkhand), Guruvayur (Kerala), Hazratbal and Katra (Jammu & Kashmir), Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh),
Somnath (Gujarat), Srisailam and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Trimbakeshwar(Maharashtra).
HRIDAY SCHEMEDeadline
November, 2018
Outlay of INR 500 Croresthe Scheme is being implemented in 12 identified Cities
namely, Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and
Warangal.
4th NationalSummitonGood,ReplicablePracticesandInnovationsinPublicHealthCareSystemswas
conductedinIndore,MP
InauguratedbyLok Sabha speakerSumitra Mahajan.
ShealsodiscussedonNationalHealthPolicy2017andhowtoachieveSDGsinHealth
SDG 3 – GoodHealthandWellBeing
Category States/UT
AwardfordeclineinInfantMortalityRate(IMR)– BiggerStates
Jammu&Kashmir&WestBengal
AwardfordeclineinInfantMortalityRate(IMR)– SmallerStates
Manipur
Gobindobhog ricegetsGeographicalIndicationstatus
WestBengal’sGobindobhog ricerecentlyreceivedtheGeographicalIndication(GI)statusfromtheGeographicalIndicationsRegistry(GIR).
ThestategovernmenthadappliedfortheGIstatusforGobindobhog riceon24August2015.
TheGobindobhog riceisaspeciality fromBurdwan districtofWestBengal.TheregionofBurdwan (nowdividedintothedistrictsofeastandwest
Burdwan)isknownasthericebowlofBengal.
Nitasha BiswascrownedfirstMissTransQueenIndia
Ontheotherhand,Manipur’s Loiloi wascrownedthe firstrunner-
up while Ragasiya.k fromChennaibaggedthe secondrunner-up position.
BiswaswillnowgotoThailandforMissInternationalQueen,whileLoiloi willcompeteat
MissTranssexualAustralia.
FormerWestBengalMinisterGyan SinghSohanpal dies
• HewaselectedtotheWestBengalassemblyfor10timesandwasdefeatedin2016assemblyelectioninthestate.
• Between1972and1977,heservedasTransportMinisterduringtheChiefMinisterialstintofSiddharthaShankarRay.• HewassworninastheSpeakerofLegislativeAssemblyby
GovernorMKNarayananinMay2011.
28th Dantan Gramin Mela was inaugurated Midnapore district in West Bengal
It was inaugurated by Ex President Pranab Mukherjee on 19th
Jan.
The mela display the rural handicraft skills of the people of the region and the different goods ranging from textile to
terracotta.
India’sfirstmulti-sportsmuseumFanaticSportsMuseum(FSM)wasinauguratedattheEcospace inNewTown,Rajarhat,Kolkata.
ItwasjointlyinauguratedbySachin Tendulkar,Sourav Ganguly,Abhinav Bindra,Deepa Malik andDevendra Jhajaria.
Themuseumspreadover6700squarefeethasbeenlaunchedjointlybysportshistorianBoria Majumdar andindustrialistfromKolkata,Harshavardhan Neotia.
ItisafirstofitskindmuseuminIndiaandisinspiredbytheMCCMuseumatLord’sandtheIOCMuseuminLausanne.
EntryticketstothemuseumhavebeenpricedatRs100witha50%concessionforstudents.
IndiaalreadyhastwocricketmuseumslocatedatPune andChennai.
Howeverthenewmultisportsmuseumwouldcovervarietyofgamesrangingfromfootball,hockey,badminton,tennis,golfandathleticsbesidescricket.
BharatHeavyElectricalsLimited(BHEL)hascommissionednew500MWThermalUnitinWestBengal
Thiswasthesecond500MWatSagardighi ThermalPowerStation(TPS)PhaseIIprojectinMurshidabad districtofWestBengal.
Thefirstunitofthe1,000-MWprojectwascommissionedinDecember,2015.TheprojecthasbeensetupbyWestBengalPowerDevelopment
Corporation(WBPDCL).
TheequipmentfortheprojectweremanufacturedatBHEL'sTrichy,Ranipet,Haridwar,Hyderabad,BengaluruandBhopalplants,whilethecompany'spowersector- easternregion- undertookerectionand
commissioningoftheequipment.
VodafoneIndiasignedanMoUwiththeWestBengalgovernmenttoinvestRs3,000crore.
Thedealwassignedforcapacityaugmentationandnewbusinessinitiativesovernextthreeyears.
TheMoUsignedonthesidelinesofBengalGlobalBusinessSummit2017.
Aim:ToimproveVodafone’sleadershippositioninthestatebyofferingcustomersaSuperNetexperiencethroughenhancednetwork.
Presently,BHELisalsoexecuting3unitsof40MWeachofRammamhydro-electricprojectofNTPCLtd,inWestBengal.
Parag Havaldar won the prestigious Scientific & Technical Awards popularly called the `Technical Oscar’
It was given by the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences,
For the development of expression-based facial performance-capture technology at Sony Pictures Imageworks.
Havaldar's popular works include `Watchmen', 'Green Lantern', 'The Amazing Spider-Man', 'Beowulf ' and 'Hancock'
He was be awarded a certificate from the Academy at Beverly Hills, California.
The Scientific & Technical Awards were first presented at the 4th Academy Awards ceremony in November 1931.
UNESCOhasregisteredSitalpati orcoolmatfromtheCoochBehardistrict,WestBengalasanintangibleculturalheritage.
TheSitalpati arethematsthatareusedforsittingorhangingonthedoorsorwindowsduringsummerseason.
Theyaremadeupofweavedgreencaneslipsofmurta plantswidelyfoundintheregion.
Sitalpati hasfoundaplaceintheUNESCO-sponsoredRuralCraftHubproject.Underthisprojecttrainingandmarketingcentres,andmuseumshavebeensetupin10locationsacrossninedistrictsofthestatetohelppromoteandmarketcraftsindigenoustothoseregions,to
nationalandinternationaltourists.
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and Sundarbans National Park are two UNESCO World Heritage sites located in West Bengal.
Damodar ValleyCorporationreceivedNTPCawardfromthethenUnionPowerMinister,Piyush Goyal.
DVCreceivedNTPCaward20015-16
DVCchairmanAndrewWKLangstieh,receivedtheprizebyGoyal amongstthepowersectorsunderforimplementationofOfficialLanguage.
The current UnionMinister ofState(Independentcharge)isR.K.Singh
WestBengalSettoGiveLegalProtectiontoHilsa Fish
IthasannouncedtoprotecttheendangeredHisla Fish fromgettingextinct
Andthushasproposedtointroducelawtoarrestanyonefoundinillegalcatching,buyingorsellingofHilsa fishweighinglessthan500grams(also
calledjuveniles)
Withtheintroductionoftheproposedprovision,Hilsa Fishwouldbecomethefirstfishtogetlegalprotection.
Witheachmonsoon,schoolsofthemigratoryHilsa orIndianShad(Tenualosa ilisha)swiminfromtheBayofBengaltothenetworkofriversfor
breeding.
ThismigrationhastraditionallysustainedtheHilsa fishery.
Governmentofficialspointedoutthatpresently,thedepartmentoffisherieshasnopunitivepowersandthesaleofsmallHilsa,colloquiallyreferredtoas‘khoka
ilish’ neededtobestopped.
Itwasn’tuntil2013thataspecificnotificationwasbroughtinbytheWestBengalgovernmenttocontroloverfishingandconservethehilsa population.
Thenotificationlayprohibitionsoncatchingofthefishusingagillnethavingmeshbelow90mm, prohibitedcatching,transportorsaleofsmallhilsa.
Italsodeclaredfivehilsa sanctuariesontheHooghlyriverfromFarakka toSagar,coveringastretchof250km,wherefishinghasbeenbannedbetweenJune-
AugustandOctober-December.
Assessmentoftheproductiontrendsofhilsa from1961to2013inthemiddlestretchoftheGanga byCentralInlandFisheriesResearchInstitute(CIFRI)revealedasignificantdeclineintheannualaverageproductionfrom36tonness to0.9tonnes.
FindingsbyCIFRIrevealthatduringtheperiod1998-2012,theaveragecatchofjuvenilehilsa (2to20grams)fromthesystemwas
astaggering85tonnesperyear.
Expertspredictthatsavingeven1percentofthesejuvenilescouldenhancethehilsa productionby4000tonnesperyear
India’sfirstadvancedHomoeopathyVirologylabinauguratedinKolkata
Shripad YessoNaik,UnionMinisterofStateforAYUSH(IndependentCharge),on12September2017inauguratedIndia’sfirstStateofartvirologylaboratoryatDr.AnjaliChatterjeeRegionalResearchInstituteforHomoeopathyinKolkata,WestBengal.Thelaboratoryhasbeenestablishedtodevelopnewdrugsandtechnologiesinhomoeopathytocombatemergingchallengesofviraldiseases.
• ThelaboratoryisestablishedatacostofRs.8croreistheonlyoneinIndiaforconductingbasicandfundamentalresearchinHomoeopathyforviraldiseaseslikeinfluenza,Japaneseencephalitis,dengue,chikungunyaandswineflu.• Newdrugsandtechnologieswouldbedevelopedatthelaboratorytocombatemergingchallengesofviraldiseases.
ZoologicalSurveyofIndiareleasedfirstcompendiumofanimaldiversityinIndianSundarbans
ZoologicalSurveyofIndia(ZSI)inSeptember2017publishedafirsteverexhaustivecompendiumofanimalspeciesintheIndianSundarban andthethreatsitfaces.
Thecompendiumistitled FaunaofSundarbanBiosphere Reserve.Asperthepublication,theZSIestimatesthatthereare2626oftheanimalspeciesinthefragileislandecosystem.Thelistingincludesadiverse25phyla,astheyarebiologically
classified.• Thecompendiumisthefirstconsolidatedandupdatedinformationofthefaunal
diversityoftheSundarbans.• Itlistsover2600species,includingthenewspeciesdescribedfromthemangrove
ecosystemaswellasthreatsfacedbythemduetoclimatechange.• Thepublicationisencyclopaedic initsscope.
• ThepublicationcataloguestheentirefaunaldiversityofSundarban BiosphereReservecovering9630squarekilometres spreadover19blocksinSouth24Parganas andNorth24
Parganas ofWestBengal.
Thecompendiumfeaturesfamoustigersoftheseislands,whichhaveadaptedtoaquaticconditionsaround,thehuman-tigerconflict,andbehaviour ofthebigcat.
• Itfeatures50mammalianspeciesincludingtheAsiansmall-clawedOtter,GangeticDolphin,GreyandMarshMongooseandthewildRhesusMonkey,the
onlyprimateintheSundarbans.• Asperthepublication,twoRhinos,Swampdeer,BarkingdeerandHogdeerand
AsiaticWildWaterBuffaloarenotfoundinSundarbansanymore.• Itfeatures356speciesofbirds,themostspectacularbeingraptors,orbirdsofprey,thatoccupythehighestcanopiesoftheforest.Osprey,Brahminy KiteandWhite-BelliedSeaEaglearedominant,whileRose-ringedparakeets,flycatchersandwarblersarealsofoundinthemiddletier,whileinthelowertier,kingfishers
abound.
There are 11 turtles, including the famous Olive Ridley and Hawskbill sea turtles and the most threatened freshwater species, the River Terrapin.
• A crocodile, 13 lizards including three species of Monitor Lizards and five Geckos are also found the Sundarbans.
• The rivers, creeks channels and the islands together harbour about 30 snake species, led by the King Cobra, considered vulnerable by IUCN.
• Others documented in the publication are the Monocellate or monocledcobra, Russell’s viper, common and banded kraits.
• The mangrove ecosystem covers about 350 species of fish. Cartilaginous fish, which have skeletons of cartilage rather than bone, make up 10.3 per
cent of the fish population. Also, there are 173 molluscs.• In another indication of its richness, 753 insect species are encountered in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve. Of these, 210 are butterflies and moths.
BengalClinchesU-19CoochBeharCricketTrophyfor2016-17season
WonagainstDelhiinthefinalattheFeroz ShahKotla StadiuminNewDelhi
Bengalwasdeclaredwinnerinthedrawnfinalsonthebasisofafirstinningsleadwith79-run.
EarlierBengalwontheU-19CoochBeharCricketTrophytitlein1997-98season.
Veteran All India Forward Bloc leader and former West Bengal minister Saral Deb passed away .
He was the state Library Minister from 1977 to 1982 and held the Cooperative portfolio from 1982 to 1987.
He was a six-time state legislator, winning from Barasat constituency of North 24 Parganas district.
TheIndianInstituteofTechnology(IIT)KharagpurisstartingIndia’sfirstinterdisciplinarySchoolonQualityandReliability(Q&R)inIndia.
ThemainaimtoestablishtheschoolistoimprovethequalityoflifeforthepeopleofIndiaaswellasdevelopqualityconsciousglobalcitizens.
Itwantstoimprove thetrinityofProcess,PlanetandPeople(3Ps) targetingEngineering,HumanandNaturalsystems.
TheQ&Rschool,incollaborationwithotheracademicunitsintheInstitutewillofferacademiccourses,researchandmission-modeprogrammesintheareaofQualityand
Reliabilityforsocialtransformation.
TheschoolisbeingnamedafteranIITKharagpuralumnusQualityguruSubir Chowdhury astheSubir
Chowdhury SchoolofQualityandReliability.
Heisthepatronoftheschoolwhohasoffered$1millionfundforschool.
WestBengalCMMamataBanerjee declaredKalimpong as21st districtofWestBengal
ThenewdistrictisfromDarjeeling.22nd – Jhargram
23rd - West Bardhaman district
ShealsoannouncedtwoprojectsforthedevelopmentofnewlycreatedKalimpong
1.Rs220croreroadlinkprojecttoconnectKalimpong withSikkimviatheoldSilkRoute
2.Rs50crorewatersupplyprojecttoaddressKalimpong’s waterscarcityproblem
India’sfirsthillstationbicyclepathwasinauguratedinDarjeeling
The20kmlongcyclerouteisdevelopedatanaltitudeofover2,000metersandrunsthroughthickpineforestandSenchal wildlife
sanctuary.
Thepathalsoprovidesaviewofthethird-highestmountainintheworld,Kanchenjunga.
TheroutestartsfromnearJorebunglow,southofDarjeelingandendsatasmalllocaleco-villageresortinChatakpur.
TheUnionMinisterofAgricultureandFarmersWelfare,Shri Radha MohanSinghinauguratedtheIndianSeedCongress2017inKolkata
ThethemeofSeedCongress:SeedofJoy.
ThethemeisinlinewithvisionofPMModigovernmenttobringhappinessandprosperityinthelivesoffarmersbydoublingtheirfarmincomeby2022.
Theavailabilityofcertified/qualityseedsinthecountryhasincreasedfromlessthan 40 lakhquintalduringdecadeof 60 to 370 lakhquintalin 2015-16.
HeaskedtheStateGovernmentstopreparevarietywiseseedrollingplantstomeetyearwise,seasonwiserequirementsofqualityseeds.
Thisseedrollingplantwillfulfil thedoublepurposeofimprovingtheSeedreplacementratealongwithVarietyreplacementratesothatsustainableagriculturalproductionand
productivitycouldbeensured.
AgricultureMinisterplacedemphasison 7 pointsprogrammeslaiddownbyHon’ble PrimeMinister,Shri NarendraModitomaketheincomeofthe
farmersdouble.
Thedetailsthereofareasfollow:
1)Bigfocusonirrigationwithlargebudgets,withtheaimof“perdrop-morecrop.
2)Provisionofqualityseedsandnutrientsbasedonsoilhealthofeachfield.
3)Largeinvestmentsinwarehousingandcoldchainstopreventpost-harvestcroplosses
4) Promotionofvalueadditionthroughfoodprocessing.
5)Creationofanationalfarmmarket,removingdistortionsande-platformacross 585 stations.
6)Introductionofanewcropinsuranceschemetomitigaterisksataffordablecost.
7)Promotionofancillaryactivitieslikepoultry,beekeepingandfisheries.
NotedBengalisingerBanasree SenguptapassedawayinKolkata
SheiswellknownforsomeofthemostpopularmodernsongslikesAaj Bikeler Daake Tomar Chithi
Pelam,Amar Ange Jawle Rangmashal
FormerMohun Bagan goalkeeperShibaji BanerjeepassedawayinKolkata
ThesoccerlegendShibaji hadplayedfortheclubfor11years.
Banerjee won34trophieswiththeclub.
He is also well known for stopping a free kick taken by Pele during the 1977 exhibition match against New York Cosmos.
Banerjee waspartofMohun Bagan’s three-mantechnicalcommitteeatthetimeofpassingaway
TheWestBengalClinicalEstablishments(Registration,RegulationandTransparency)Bill,2017waspassedbythe
statelegislativeassemblywithfullsupport.
TheBillreplacestheWestBengalClinicalEstablishments(Registration,RegulationandRegulation)Bill,2010.
Thestatewillsetupa 13memberWestBengalClinicalEstablishmentRegulatoryCommission whichwillmonitorprivatehealthcarefacilities,decideonchargesforhospitalsanddealwithcomplaintsfrompatients
KeyFeatureoftheBill:
HospitalscannotchargemorethanasstatedintheBill.
Hospitalscannotdelaythereleaseofadeceasedpatientevenifthefamilycannotpayupimmediately.
Incaseofdeathduetonegligenttreatment,hospitalwouldbeliabletopayRs.10lakhascompensation.
Victimsofaccidentswillhavetobeprovidedcareevenifheorshecannotimmediatelypayforit.
Hospitalsthatreceivedlandfromthestategovernmentwillhavetoprovidefreetreatmenttooneinfiveoutdoorpatients,andonein10patientsadmitted
tothehospital.
Everyclinicalestablishmentshallmaintainapublicgrievancecellforlodgingofcomplaintsontreatment,improperbilling,deficitservice,
behaviourofattendingstaff.
OfferfreeCardiacsurgerytochildrenunderSishu Sathi Scheme
Sishu Sathi Scheme
InamajorboosttochildhealthcareinWestBengal,theStateGovernmenthasjoinedhandswiththreeprivatehospitalsand
governmenthospitalstoprovidefreepaediatric cardiacsurgeryto3,000childreneachyearundertheinitiativenamed'Sishu Saathi'or
friendsforchildren thatflaggedoffonAug21,2013
Thegovernmenthastiedupwiththreeprivatehospitals- BMBirlaHeartResearchCentreandRNTagoreInstituteofCardiacSciencesinKolkataandMissionHospitalinDurgapur-
forthefree-surgeryscheme.
SethSukhlal Karnani MemorialHospital,B.C.RoyMemorialHospitalforChildrenandR.G.Kar MedicalCollegeandHospitalaresomeofthegovernmenthospitalsthathavecutting-
edgefacilitiesforpaediatric care.
Salientfeaturesofthisschemeinclude
a)theStateGovtconductshealthtestsingovernmentschoolstodetectheartailments,b)theStateGovtprovidesfreecardiacsurgeryforchildrenupto12yearssufferingfrom
heartailments,c)Allchildrenareeligibleirrespectiveoffamilyincome,d)AllexpensesarebornebytheStateGovernment.
TheWestBengalgovernmenthasgivenanofficialstatustoKurukh language
IthasbeenlistedasanendangeredlanguagebytheUNESCO.
ThelanguagewasgiventheofficialstatusonFebruary21ontheoccasionoftheInternationalMotherLanguageDay.
Kurukh isatriballanguagethatbelongstotheDravidianfamily.
ItisspokenbytheOraon tribalcommunitylivinginBirbhum-Bankura-Purulia-Midnapore beltandtheteagardenregionsinnorthBengal
ExpertssaythatwhilemostofthetriballanguagesintheStatehavetheiroriginsintheAustro-AsiaticandTibeto-Barmanfamilies,Kurukh isan
exception.
TheonlyexampleofatriballanguagehavingitsoriginfromtheDravidianfamilyisMalto,whichisnotspokeninWestBengal,butintheRajmahal hills
ofJharkhand
Santhali,Munda andHoelanguagesbelongtotheAustro-Asiastic family,whilethelanguagesspokenbytheLepcha,Tamang andBhutia tribesofthe
DarjeelinghillswereoftheTibeto-Burmangroup.
Jharkhandhasrecognised Kurukh asalanguage,andstudentscanwritetheirschoolfinalexaminationinitsscript.
IndianInstituteofTechnologyKharagpurbecomethefirstacademicinstitutionsinIndiatoreceiveasupercomputingfacilityof1Peta-flopcomputing powerundertheNationalSupercomputingMission
(NSM).
NationalSupercomputingMissionenvisagesbuildingsupercomputingcapacityandcapabilityinthecountrywithanestimatedbudgetofRs4,500
croreoveraperiodofsevenyears.
Peta-Flopisameasurementofcomputingpowerbasedonthefrequencyofmathematicalcalculationsthatcanbedonepersecond.
TheinstituteissettingupanewCentreforComputationalandDataSciences(CCDS) tobuild,manage,andoperatethehigh-performance
computingfacility
WestBengalHasHighestNumberofArsenicAffectedPersonsinIndia:Report
WestBengalwasthetopmoststateofIndiahavinghighestnumberofarsenic-affectedpersonsasonMarch4,2017
Thetotalnumberofarsenic-affectedpersonsinthestatewasmorethan1.04crore.
TheStateMinisterofPublicHealthEngineering(PHE)SubrataMukherjee informedthatthestatehas83blocksineightdistricts
wheregroundwaterisaffectedbyarseniccontamination.
ThesedistrictsincludeBardhaman,Malda,Hooghly,Howrah,Murshidabad,Nadia,NorthandSouth24Paraganas
Biharcomessecondwith16.88lakhpersons,withAssaminthirdspotwith14.48lakhvictims.
Thetotalnumberofarsenic-affectedpeopleinthecountryisabout1.48crore.
AboutArsenicContamination
Arsenicisanaturalcomponentintheearth’scrust.Itiswidelydistributedthroughouttheenvironmentintheair,waterandland.Itishighlytoxicinits
inorganicform.
Contaminatedwaterusedfordrinking,irrigationoffoodcropsandfoodpreparationposesthegreatestthreattopublichealthfromarsenic.
Long-termexposuretoarsenicfromdrinking-waterandfoodcanleadtochronicarsenicpoisoning.
Itcancausecancer,skinlesions,developmentaleffects,cardiovasculardisease,neurotoxicityanddiabetes.
WestBengalbeatGoa(1-0)toclinchthe71SantoshTrophyforarecord32nd time
FinalswasplayedattheGMCBambolimStadium,Goa.
ThemaidengoalcamefromManvir Singhin119minutesafterplayingagoalless90minutestodefeatGoaathomeground.
LasttimeWestBengalclinchedthetitlein2010-11againstMizoram.
PopularBengalifolkmusicsingerKalika PrasadBhattacharyadiedinaroadaccidentatPalsit inWestBengal.
Hewas47yearsold
TheaccidenttookplaceatGurap onDurgapurExpressway(NH2)inWestBengal’sBurdwan district.
ThefolksingervoicedinfilmslikeJaatishwar (2014),Moner Manush(2010)andBhuban Majhi (2017).
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared Jhargramas the 22nd district of Bengal
It has been bifurcated from West Midnapore.
April 4 will now be celebrated as Jhargram Diwas
Jhargram, a part of the Jangalmahal area, was a hotbed of Maoists activities between 2008 and 2011.
The new district comprises eight blocks, nine police stations and one municipality. It has a population of around 11,37,000 and four Assembly
constituencies — Jhargram, Gopiballavpur, Nayagram and Binpur
WestBurdwan hasbeendeclaredas23rd districtofWestBengalasaBengaliNewYeargifttothepeople.
WestBurdwan districtwascarvedoutofBurdwan.
Everyyear,April7willbecelebratedasthebirthdayofPaschim (West)Bardhaman district.
Thecountry'soldestIIT(Kharagpur)isgoingtointroduceVastu Shastra classesforitsarchitecturestudents.
ClasseswillbeintroducedfromAugust,2017
Vastu Shastra willbeintroducedtoarchitecturestudentsfromthenextacademicsession.
Itwillbeintroducedtoundergraduatestudentsaspartofcoursesonbasicdesignandhistoryofarchitecture.
PhoenixIndiaResearchandDevelopmentGroupinKolkatahasdesignedabusthatwillrunonbiogasproducedfromcow
dung.
Thecompanyhastied-upwithAshokLeylandtomanufacturethe54-seaterbusatacostofRs13lakhapproximately.
ThefirstbuswasflaggedoffonApril7,2017andwillrunbetweenUltadanga inthenorthandGaria inthesouthinKolkata.
TheticketwillbechargedRe1forthe17.5kmstretch,whichwillbethecheapestmodeoftransportforapassengerinthecountry.
Bengal government introduces Social Security Yojana converges 5 beneficiary schemes
TheBengalgovernmenthaslaunchedtheschemeforunorganizedsectorsandselfemployedpeople.
KeyfeaturesoftheschemeAcommonbeneficiaryprogrammeispreparedforallthesectorsand
accordingtothatworkersfromeachofthesectorsandtheirfamilymemberswillbebenefitted.
Childrenwhowillenrollinthisschemewillalsogeteducationbenefits.
5crorepeoplewillgetbenefitfromtheSocialSecurityYojanaandaround1crorewillgetdirectbenefit.
Peoplewillbederivingmorebenefitswiththeintroductionofthenewonecomparedtothatofthepreviousfivedifferentschemes.
workersfrom46differentunorganised sectorsincludingbidiworkers,bookbindingworkers,motormechanics,boatmenand
ICDSworkerswillbegettingthebenefit.
Selfemployedpeoplefrom15differentsectorsincludingjewellerymanufacturingsectorandamins willalsocomeundertheyojana.
Beneficiarieswillalsogetsupportformarriageoftheirtwodaughtersbesidesgettinghealthcardsandotherbenefits.
Fiveschemesthatareconverged:
StateAssistanceSchemeforProvidentFundforUnorganised Sector
WestBengalUnorganizedSectorWorkers’HealthSecurityScheme
SocialSecurityschemeforConstructionWorkers
WestBengalTransportWorkersSocialSecurityScheme
WestBengalBidi WorkersWelfareScheme.
Atpresentabout85Lakhpeoplearebeingbenefitedjointlybyallthe5schemes.ThestategovernmenthasspentaboutRs.880crorebetween
2011and2016fortheimplementationoftheseschemes.
ThestategovernmenthasalsodecidedtointroduceStateNutritionMission.
Thestephasbeentakentoensuredistributionofnutritionalfoodamong
pregnantwomen,lactatingmothers,childrenbelowsixyearsandadolescentgirls.
TheWestBengalgovernmenthasmadetheBengalilanguagemandatoryinallschools.
ItwasdeclaredbytheState’sEducationMinisterPartha Chatterjee on15May2017.
TheBengalilanguageiscompulsoryforallschoolsincludingEnglishmedium.
Thestudentswhoselectanyoftheotherlanguagesastheirfirstlanguagewouldneedtopickuptwootherlanguages,amongwhichonewouldhavetobe
Bengali.
OtherthanBengali,EnglishandHindithereareprovisionsforoptingforUrdu,Gurumukhi,NepaliandOl-chiki amongotherlanguagesasthemediumof
instructioninschoolsoftheState.
Kolkata will launch an underwater Metro which will pass through tunnels several feet under the Hooghly.
ThefirstunderwatertransportationtunnelofIndiaisreadywiththesecondonenearingcompletion.
Thetunnelhasbeenconstructed30metersbelowriverbed.
Itwillbeconnectingtwomainterminals:HowrahandSealdah - eachofwhichhasafootfallofabout10-12lakhpassengersperday.
Thetrackwillbe16.6kmlongandthetrainwillrunwithoutadriver.Therewillbesixair-conditionedcoachesinthetrainanditwillhaveacapacityof1,000
passengers.
TheprojectisbuiltbyAfcons Transtonnelstroy andimplementedbyKMRCL(KolkataMetroRailwayCorporationLtd).
Afcons Transtonnelstroy isanIndo-Russianjointventure.
TheprojectconnectsHowrahtothewestandSaltlaketotheeast.
AmassivetunnelboringmachinecalledRachna wasusedforboringthe underwatertunnel.
TheEastWestMetrowithalengthof16.6kmwillhave12stations,sixofwhichwillbeundergroundstations.
ThetotalestimatedcostoftheprojectissaidtobeRs60croreanditwillbecompletedbyDecember2019.
VeteranBengalifilmactorSoumitra ChatterjeehasbeenconferredwiththehighestFrench
civilianhonour,theLegiond'Honneur.
AmbassadorofFrancetoIndiaAlexandre ZieglerwillbeinKolkatatopresentthehonour
Itistobenotedthat,exactly30yearsago,BengalifilmmakerSatyajit RaywasawardedtheLegionofHonorbythenFrenchPresidentFrancoisMitterrandin1987
IndianInstituteofTechnologyofKharagpuronhasdevelopedawirelesstechnologyforremotemonitoringofpatients.
ThetechnologyhasbeendevelopedintheSWANlaboftheDepartmentofComputerScienceandEngineering(CSE)oftheinstitute.
Ambu Sens iscapableofwirelessmonitoringofvariousphysiologicalparameterslikeECG,heart-rate,temperatureandblood-pressure.
Itcanbefittedinanambulancetoensureremotemonitoringofpatientconditionbythedoctorsevenbeforetheyreachthehospital.
Thesystempreservespatient'sdataconfidentialitywhilesimultaneouslyusingtheanalyticandcomputingpowerofcloud
computing.
ThewebinterfaceoftheAmbuSens systemprovidesaneasy-to-usegraphicalinterfacefordoctorsandparamedicsalikewithdata
visualisation toolssuchasreal-timeECGgraphrendering,andcanbeaccessedfrominternet-enabledlaptops,tabletsand
smartphones.
LegendarysingerSabita Chowdhury passedaway.
ShehaddonemanyplaybackforBengaliandHindifilms.
Shesufferedfromlungscancerandthyroid.
HerfamoussongsareOi jhilmil jhauer boney,Jaare jaa jaa monopaakhi,Jhilmiljhilmil opaarero monjil
UnionCabinethasapprovedthecreationofthreepostsofDirectorsforthethreenewAllIndiaInstitutesofMedicalSciences(AIIMS).
TheseAIIMSareat:
Mangalagiri nearGunturinAndhraPradeshKalyani inWestBengalNagpurinMaharashtra.
ThethreeAIIMSarebeingsetupaspartofthePradhanMantri Swasthya SurakshaYojana(PMSSY).
AspertheAIIMSAct1956AmendedvideAIIMS(Amendment)Act,2012,thereshallbeaChiefExecutiveOfficeroftheInstitute.
HeshallbedesignatedastheDirectoroftheInstituteandshallbeappointedbytheInstituteprovidedthatthefirstDirectoroftheInstituteshallbeappointedbytheCentral
Government.
The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), in association with the West Bengal Government, will host Horasis Asia Meeting.
It will be a Global Business meeting.
The two-day business meet will start from 26th November, 2017
It will focus on sustainable business practices in various areas, including power and energy.
Horasis - a global visions community committed to enact visions for a sustainable future - provides a unique platform for companies from emerging and developed markets to globalize their organisations.
MinistryofHealthandFamilyWelfarehassignedanMoUwithGovernmentofWestBengaltosetupastate-of-the-art
CentreofExcellenceinTransfusionMedicine
TheCentreofExcellenceinTransfusionMedicinewillbesetupinKolkata.
GovernmentofIndiahasapprovedthisimportantinitiativewithanoutlayofapproximatelyRs.200Crorestowardsequipment,manpowerand
runningcosts.
ThemoveintendstostrengthenthebloodtransfusionservicesintheStateandthesurroundingregion
MetroBloodBankProjectisconceivedtobeaCentralSectorSchemeoftheMinistryofHealthandFamily
Welfaretosetupstate-of-the-artCentres ofExcellenceintransfusionmedicineinthefourmetrocitiesofDelhi,
Mumbai,ChennaiandKolkata.
Thesecentres arehighvolumebloodcollectioncentres.
FacilitiesforscreeningofcollectedbloodbyNATwouldbemadeavailableatthesecentres andalsoextendedtothe
otherbloodbanksoftheState.
Veterean ActressShakuntala Barua Gets'Mahanayak Samman 2017'
ItwasgivenbyWestBengalChiefMinisterMamataBanerjee.
Itwasgivenforhercontributiontotheworldofcinema.
Forthisyear,Prosenjit Chatterjee andNusrat JahantookhometheBestActorandBestActressawards
TheBestDirector:Arindam Sil
MusicDirector:PtBickram Ghosh
Cinematographer:Shoumik Halder
ScriptWriteraward:Padmanabha Dasgupta
Suparnokanti Karati for‘Bisarjan’filmandShiboprasad Mukhopadhyay ofWindowsProductionsfor‘Praktan’filmwereawardedinBestFilmandBest
Producercategories.
FormerBengalandJharkhandFirst-ClasscricketerGour Ghosh passedaway.
Gour wasright-handbatsmanandwicketkeeper.
Heplayed17First-Classmatchesinacareerspanning1960-61to1970-71
WestBengalCabinetApprovesMergerOfPSCAndSSC
Thestepwastakentocurtailcostsandforbetterutilisation ofmanpower.
Partha Chatterjee,EducationMinisterstatedthattherewillbenojoblossandnobodywillbeaffected.
ThestateSSCwassetupbyMamataBanerjeegovernmentin2012forrecruitmentinGroupCandDposts.
WestBengalhikessalariesofministers,MLAsandAssembly Speaker
Stateministers,whowereearlierdrawingamonthlysalaryofRs7,500,wouldgetahikeofRs10,000takingtheirtotalsalaryamounttoRs17,500.
ForMLAsandtheSpeaker,whoweregettingamonthlyremunerationofRs12,500,theproposedhikewasthatofRs5,000each,takingtheirsalarytoanequal
platformwiththeministers.
ThecabinetgaveitsnodtoincorporateSouth24Parganas KolkataLeatherComplex intotheKolkataPolicejurisdiction,hesaid.
Thecabinetalsosanctionedfivemajorbridge/RailwayoverbridgeprojectstoimprovecommunicationandroadsafetyatanestimatedcostofRs251.51crore
UpgradationofWBCSofficers:StatebureaucratshailCMmove
ChiefMinisterMamta BanerjeeinthecabinetmeetingdecidedtointroduceWestBengalHigherCivilService
WestBengalCivilService(WBCS)officersworkingfor8to10yearscanbeselectedasmembersofWestBengalHigherCivilService(WBHCS).
ShesaidthatthestatedidnotgetIASofficersdespiterequestingtheCentreandaWBCSofficerheretakesaround28to30yearstogetpromotedasanIASofficer.
TheIASofficerswhoareworkinginBengalatpresentareextremelytalented.Thus,ithasbeendecidedtointroduceWBHCSandacommitteehasalsobeenformedto
lookintotheentireprocess
MSMEsectormergedwithindustrialdepartment
WestBengalGovernmentinitscabinetmeetingdecidedtomergeMSMEwiththeindustrydepartmentofthestateforbetterfunctioningand
administrativeefficiency.
ThestategovernmentDecemberlastyearhadmerged21governmentdepartmentstoform10newones.
ThecabinethadpassedtheproposaltomergethedirectorateofsericulturethatwasundertheMSMEdepartmentwithstateagriculturedepartment.
TheWestBengalGovernment'sfundforMSMEwascreatedjointlywiththeSmallIndustriesDevelopmentBankofIndia(SIDBI) abouttwoyearsback
TheWestBengalGovernment'sRs200croreventurecapitalfundforMicro,SmallandMediumEnterprises
(MSME)
BengalisnumberoneintheMSMEsectorandthisfundisbeingcreatedtoprovideequitycapitaltostart-upswithinnovativebusinessmodelsornewproducts,servicesand
technology.
WestBengaldistrictsdeclinetoacceptnewRe1 coins
FourdistrictsinWestBengal,shopsandgeneralpeoplearerefusingtoacceptReonecoinintransaction,puttingtheauthoritiesinaquandary.
Thefourdistrictsare:
NadiaandMurshidabad
Bankura andHooghly
PeopleinthesedistrictssaidthattheproblemwasonlywiththesmallershiningvarietyoftheReonecoin,andnotwiththeoldervariety.
Trinamool MLAcapsRs250asconsultationchargefordoctorsinCoochBehar
WestBengallawmakerhascappedatRs250theconsultationchargefordoctorsinhisconstituency,thecontroversialmovecomesaweekafterchiefministerMamataBanerjee announcedacrackdownonprivatehospitalsfor
allegedovercharging.
Onthesecondvisit,thedoctorchargewouldbehalvedtoRs125,UdayanGuha (Dinhata MLAandrulingTrinamool Partyleader)said,adayafterhe
madehisdecisionknowntohealthcareprofessionals
Healsosaidthatnohospital,ornursinghomecanchargemorethanRs18,000for adeliverycasethatinvolvescaesarianoperation.
BengalCabinetApprovesIncreasingAgeLimitForStateCivilServicesExam
ThestategovernmentdecidedtoincreasetheupperagelimitforentryofGroupAofficersfrom32to36.
ForGroupBofficers,ithasbeenincreasedfrom32to39
WestBengalgovttweakingacttodirectlyrecruitprofessors,associateprofessors.
Directappointmentwastillnowrestrictedonlytoassistantprofessors,whowerethenpromotedtotheseniorpoststhroughtheCarrierAdvancement
Scheme.
Thehighereducationdepartmentwillplacethe WestBengalCollegeServiceCommission(Amendment)Bill2017inthecurrentsessionoftheassemblyand
modifythenecessarysectionstoincorporatethechanges.
Asofnow,the CollegeServiceCommission (CSC)hasthemandatetorecruitonlyatthelevelofassistantprofessorsandprincipals.Appointmenttothe
postsofassociateprofessorswereonlypossiblethroughtheCarrierAdvancementScheme(CAS)afterreceivingpromotions
Gati Dhara Scheme
TheWestBengalStateGovernment(MinistryofLaborandEmployment)hasinitiatedanewprogramcalled‘Gati Dhara Scheme‘fortheunemployedyouthofstate.
Themainmottoofthisschemeistoprovidefinancialhelpforpurchasingsmallbusinessvehiclee.g.Taxi,Bus,Smalltrucks,AutoRickshawetc.
Benefitsofthescheme:
TheGati Dhara scheme providesbenefitsinWestBengalstatetobuysmallbusinessvehicletounemployedpersonsagedbetween20and45
UnderthisschemeLoanisprovidedofamountRs.10,00,000throughalltheNationalizeBanks,Co-operativeBanks,Gramin Banks
30%orupto Rs.1,00,000subsidyprovidedoversanctionedloanwhilerepayingtheloan.
Easyavailabilityofloan
Norestrictionofloanrepayment
5to7yearsaregiventorepaymentofloanasamoratoriumperiod
EligibilityCriteria
Applicantcandidatemustbelongtoage20to45year.
ThereisagerelaxationforSC,STandOBC.ForSC,ST5yearandforOBC3year
TheapplicantcandidatesfamilyandoverallincomeshouldnotexceedRs.25,000permonthandhe/sheshouldabletoearnmoneythroughtransportservice
Kanyashree Scheme For Girls In Bengal Wins UN Award
ThegovernmentofWestBengalwastheawardedinstitutionforKanyashreewhichaimstoimprovestatusofadolescentgirlsfromdisadvantagedfamilies
throughsmallcashtransfers.
India wasnamedfirstintheAsia-Pacificgroupforthecategory:'ReachingthePoorestandMostVulnerablethroughInclusiveServicesandParticipation'.
"Kanyashree ofBengalnowbecomes"Kanyashree"oftheworld.TheUnitedNationstoday,ontheoccasionofUNPublicServiceDay,awardedtheUnited
NationsPublicServicesfirst-placewinnerawardtoGovernmentofWestBengalfor"Kanyashree",outof552nominationsfrom62countries,"Mamata
BanerjeewroteonFacebook
Kanyashree Yojana Kolakata
WestBengalChiefMinister,MamataBanerjee haslaunchedanewschemenamed‘Kanyashree Yojana‘toprovidefinancialbenefitstopoorgirlstudents.
Underthisscheme,poorgirlsofthestatewillbebenefitedbythegovernment.Thegovernmentwilltransferfinancialassistancedirecttogirlstudentsbankaccount.
Thegovernmentwillprovide25,000RupeestogirlstudentsunderKanyashree YojanaKolkatawhentheyreach18yearsofage.ThegovernmentwilltransferRs.500peryear
togirlsbankaccountasfinancialassistance.
AroundUSD500millionhasbeentransferreddirectlytothebeneficiaries'bankaccountthroughthescheme,whichisbeingimplementedthrough16,000institutesandschools.
TargetBeneficiary
Allgirlchildrenwithintheageof13to19yearsfromfamilieswithannualincomeuptoRs1,20,000/-
Girlsregularlyattendinginstitutionsforeducationorvocational/sportstraining.
GirlsofChildCareInstitutesregisteredunderJ.J.Actwithintheageof18-19years.
Fortheone-timegrant,girlswhoarecompleting18yearsonorafter1stApril2013.
Approximately18Lakhs girlstudentsforannualscholarshipeachyear
Approximately3.5Lakhs girlsforone-timegranteachyear
Thisschemehasalsoincreasedthenumberofgirlstudentsinthesecondaryexamination.19,000girlstudentshaveregisteredinKanyashree YojanaKolkatainthisfinancialyear.
WestBengalBudget2017-2018
TheBudgetwaspresentedbystate Finance Minister Amit Mitra.
The WestBengal government allocatedfundsforpeopleaffectedby demonetisation andmadeadjustmenttothe
proposedGoodsandServices Tax (GST)regimeinits2017-18Budget,whichaimedata tax revenue riseof14percentover
therevisedestimatesof2016-17.
TheplanoutlayfortheyearhasbeenproposedatRs64,733crore
ChangesproposedinWBVATAct,2003
Thresholdforpaymentoftax
Inordertogiverelieftothesmallbusinesses,itisproposedtoincreasethethresholdforpaymentoftaxfromRs.10lakhtoRs.20lakh.
VATRegistration
AsmallsectionofdealersstillhavetosubmithardcopiesoftheregistrationdocumentsintheVAToffices.Itisproposedinthebudgettocompletelydispensewiththerequirementofsubmittinghardcopiesofregistration
documentstotheVAToffices
Submissionofseparateauditreport
ItisproposedtocompletelyabolishtheprovisionofsubmissionofseparateVATauditreport.InsteadthedealersmaysubmittheincomeauditreportwhichwillbeacceptedasaVATauditreportasother
purposes.
VATRefund
Inordertofacilitateearlyrefund,Itisproposedthatallpendingrefundcaseswillhavetobedisposedofandenclosedbetween31st December
2017.
Composition scheme
Presently,onlytraderswithannualturnovertolessthanRs.50lakharecoveredundertheCompositionSchemeinwhichthereisanominalVATliability.
ItisproposedinthebudgettobringsmallmanufacturerswhoseannualturnoverislessthanRs.50lakhundertheCompositionscheme.
Asaresultthesemanufacturerswillhavetopayonlyanominaltax.33,000smallmanufacturerswillbebenefittedfromthismeasure.
Tax relief Itisproposedinthebudgettoexemptsomeenvironment-friendlyitemslikeBio-diesel,
BiomassBricket,Solarwaterheater,platesandcupsmadeupofSaal leaf,tilesofterracotta,etcandalsosomeitemsforcommonuselikekerosenestove,hairbandand
hairclip,etc.
Cess on tea
Itisproposedinthebudgettoextendtheexemptiononpaymentofprimaryeducationandruralemploymentcess onteaforafurther
periodofoneyearupto 31stMarch2018.
Stamp Duty and Registration
ItisproposedinthebudgettoreducetheStampDutyonAgreementtoSalefromthepresentrateof5to7percentto2percent.
Inordertogetthebenefitofthereducedrate,theregistrationhastobedonewithinaperiodof4yearsfromthedateofagreementon
paymentofthebalancestampduty.
It is also proposed to reduce the rate of registration fee on all by 9 percent.
It is also proposed to incentivise early registration of properties by reducing the registration fee by 20 percent if the registration is done within one year from the date of completion of property.
Tax collection has increased by 103% from 2010-11 to 2016-17”, which is a record among States."
AnallocationofRs250crorewasalsomadetowardsonetimeassistanceto50,000skilledworkerswhowereforcedtoreturnhomeonaccount
of demonetisation fallout.
TheassistancewillbeofRs50,000eachanddistrictmagistratesareworkingtopreparealistofthebeneficiaries,accordingtoMitra.
AspecialfundofRs100crorehasalsobeenproposedtohelpfarmerstideoverthecrisisarisingoutofnoterecall.
TheBudgetalsoprovidedforanincreaseinthemonthlyhonorariumofRs500toICDS(IntegratedChildDevelopmentServices)andAsha workersof
thestate.Itwillbenefit2lakhAnganwadiworkersand50,000ASHAworkers
IntegratedChildDevelopmentServices
IntegratedChildDevelopmentServices (ICDS)isan Indiangovernment welfare programmewhichprovidesfood, preschooleducation,and primaryhealthcare tochildrenunder6yearsofageandtheirmothers.
Theschemewashoweverlaunchedon2nd October1975butMorarjiDesaiGovernmentdiscontinueditin1978buthoweverfromTenthfiveyearplanthecentralgovernmentstartedfocussing moreonitsobjectiveandrelaunched it.
TenthfiveyearplanalsolinkedICDSto Anganwadi centres establishedmainlyinruralareasandstaffedwithfrontlineworkers.
Inadditiontofighting malnutrition andillhealth,theprogrammeisalsointendedtocombat genderinequality byprovidinggirlsthesameresourcesasboys
A2005studyfoundthattheICDSprogrammewasnotparticularlyeffectiveinreducingmalnutrition,largelybecauseofimplementationproblemsandbecausethepooreststates
hadreceivedtheleastcoverageandfunding.
Duringthe2012–13 fiscalyear,theIndiancentralgovernmentspent ₹159billion (US$2.5 billion)ontheprogramme.
ThewidespreadnetworkofICDShasanimportantroleincombatingmalnutritionespeciallyforchildrenofweaker
groups.
Implementation
FornutritionalpurposesICDSprovides300kilocalories(with8-10 gramsof protein)everydaytoeverychildbelow6yearsofage.
Foradolescentgirlsitisupto500kilocalorieswithupto25 gramsofproteineveryday.
TheservicesofImmunisation,HealthCheck-upandReferralServicesdeliveredthroughPublicHealthInfrastructureunderthe Ministryof
HealthandFamilyWelfare.
UNICEF hasprovidedessentialsuppliesfortheICDSschemesince1975.
WorldBank hasalsoassistedwiththefinancialandtechnicalsupportfortheprogramme.
ThecostofICDSprogrammeaverages$10–$22perchildayear.
TheschemeisCentrallysponsoredwiththestategovernmentscontributingupto ₹1.00 (1.6¢ US)perdayperchild.
PostmanMobileApplaunchedtotrackreal-timedeliveryinWestBengal
Thepostaldepartmenthaslaunchedanewmobileapplication,PostmanMobileApplication(PMA)intheheadpostofficeofWestBengal’sSiliguri.
Theappenablesthepostmantocapturereal-timedeliverytrackingusingtheirmobilephones.
PostmanMobileApplicationisanandroidbasedmobileappdesignedanddevelopedbyCentreofExcellenceinPostalTechnology(CEPT),Mysore.
Currently,36mobilephoneshavebeengiventothepostmanandinthefuturemorethan1800phoneswillbegiventoeverypostmanintheNorthBengalcircle.
WBGovtlaunches'Pathadisha'App&faresmartcardforbuses
Launchingthe'Pathadisha'mobileapp, WestBengal TransportMinisterSubhenduAdhikary saidthelaunchwaspartoftheinitiativeoftheVision2016ofTransport
departmenttoprovidesmart,transparentandsimplewayofcommuting.
LikeOlaandUber app-basedcabservice,whereacommutercanverifythepositionofanapproachingvehicle,'pathadisha'willfromnowonenablea
commutertoseelocationofabus,it'snextdestination,theavailabilityofseats,howmuchcrowdeditisinside- inshorteverything
Theproject,havingWorld Bank andaKoreanGreenGrowthfundasdevelopmentpartners,willalsobeextendedfromWestBengal TransportCorporation-runbusesincitytotwootherstateundertakingsinnextsixmonthsandwillcovertheentire
state
Comingtosmartcard,thepre-paidelectronictransportcardwillbeintroducedin700busesnowandanother300busesinfewmonths'
time.
TheprepaidcardismodeledonLondon’sOysterCardwhichisplasticpay-as-you-gocard.
Thiswillstoppilferageinexpensesinstatetransportundertakings,savepassengersandbusemployeesfromsmallchangecrisisand
bringmoretransparencyinthetransportsystem,hesaid.
Thesmartcardfacilityand'Pathadisha'appwillalsobeextendedtothewaterwayswithWorld Bank asthedevelopmentpartner.
WestBengaltourismdepartmentlaunchesapp
Thetourismdepartmentofthestatehaslaunchedamobileappbasedonthethemeof'ExperienceBengal'.
Alongsideinformationonplacesoftouristinterest,theappwouldbeloadedwithotherfacilitieslikemapsanddirections.
Throughsomerelatedlinksontheapp,theuserscanalsogetaccesstoFacebook,TwitterPageofWestBengalTourismDevelopmentCorporationandBengalcuisine
website.
Onlinebookingfacilitieswouldalsobeavailablethroughtheappavailableonandroid.
WestBengal:BirbhumtogetBaul Acadaemy.
ChiefMinister MamataBanerjee announcedthesettingupoftheBaul AcademyinBirbhum,whichshesaidwouldservetopreserveandpromotemusicalandreligioustraditionsofthesyncretic sectspreadthroughoutthestate,particularlyinthedistrict.
MamatawasspeakingattheinaugurationoftheJaydeb Mela — anannualfairthatseesthepilgrimageofthousandsofbauls andfakirsatBirbhum.
Bauls areaheterogeneousgroupwithmanysects,whosemembershipconsistsofbothVaishnava HindusandSufiMuslims,andtheirtraditionwasincludedinthelistof
‘MasterpiecesoftheOralandIntangibleHeritageofHumanity’in2005.
StatehasstartedLok Prasar Prakalpa forourfolkartistes.80,000artisteshavebeenregisteredunderthescheme.
CalcuttaHighCourt’sOrderPavesWayForAsbestosFreeWestBengal&India.
TheDivisionBenchofCalcuttaHighCourthaspassedanorderwhichcansettheprocessofmakingWestBengalfreeofasbestosbasedproducts.
Theorderseeksremovalofcarcinogenic-asbestosthathasbeenusedforroofingintheCourt’sbuildings.
ThisorderunderlinestheseriousunprecedentedenvironmentalandoccupationalhealthcrisiswithregardtotheunnoticedepidemicofasbestosrelateddiseasesinWestBengalinparticularandinthecountryingeneral.
WestBengaltotakepartWorldFoodIndia(WFI)2017as‘focusState’.
WestBengalwilltakepartintheWorldFoodIndia(WFI)2017as‘focusState’andtakefulladvantageoftheplatformthattheUnionministryoffoodprocessingindustrieshas
created.
ItwasinformedbyMsNandini Chakrabarty,foodprocessingindustriesandhorticulturesecretaryofWestBengalataroadshoworganizedonFridaybyCIIahead
oftheWorldFoodIndia2017 billedforNewDelhifrom3-5November2017.
WFI2017willbea“goldenmoment”forBengaltoshowcaseitspotentialaswellasthehugesuccessithasachievedinthesector.“Itwillbeaplatformtoshowcaseits
innovativefoodprocessingmethods.
WestBengalstartsorganicfarmingactivitiesacrossthestate .
Withaneyetoframeanorganicfarmingpolicy,Bengalagriculturedepartment,foodprocessingindustries,andhorticulturedepartmenthave
startedorganicfarmingactivitiesinacrossthestate.
Theincreasingdemandfororganicvegetables,especiallyamongurbanresidents,hasconvincedthestategovernmenttoformulatetheorganic
farmingpolicy.
Thefoodprocessingindustriesandhorticulturedepartmenthasaskedtheruralagriculturalfarmstobeginorganicfarmingandassuredthemoftechnicalassistanceaswellashelpinpromotionandmarketing.
Thedepartmentwillsupplygreenhousesandpackhousesalongwithorganicfertilizers.Itwillalsoprovidecarstoferrythosefarmproductstothemarkets.
Thedepartmentisalsotakinguporganicfarmingatitsownfarms.
Theagriculturedepartment,ontheotherhand,hassetatargettoprepare 32organicvillagesacrossBengal — especiallyinthedistrictsofNorthandSouth24
Parganas,HowrahandHooghly.
Ithassetup120clusters,of50acreseach,whereorganicfarmingistakingplace.Around194farmhousesunderthedepartmentarealsofarmingorganic
vegetablesseparately.
Thisapart,thedepartmentunderSwanirbhar Krishi Prakalpa iscollaboratingwithprivateagenciesonorganicfarming.
StategovtgettinghugeresponseforITparks:WestBengal FM
WestBengalfinanceministerAmit Mitrasaidthestategovernmentwasgettinghugeresponsefrominformationtechnology(IT)firmsintermsofoccupyingspacesinnewly
developedITparksacrossthestate.
Speakingattheinauguralsessionofthe15theditionof‘TechnologySenate— TheIndianITLeadershipConclave’,organisedbyTheExpressGroup,hesaidearlier,wehadeightITparks.
TwelvenewITparkshavebeensetup.
TheparksarelocatedatAsansol,Barjora,Bolpur,Durgapur,Haldia,Howrah,Kalyani,Kharagpur,Purulia,Rajarhat,Siliguri andTaratala.
WestBengalgovernmentannouncesRs20crorefundsfornon-NETstudents
MamataBanerjee oannounced thathergovernmentwillstartagranttoaidscholarshipsfornon-NETMPhil andPhDscholarsfromthestate.AnamountofRs20crorehasbeenearmarkedforthis.
TheUGChasterminatedthefellowshipgrantofRs5,000andRs8,000fornon-JuniorResearchFellowship(JRF)scholarspursuing
MPhil andPhDcourses.
Thestudentshavenarratedwithpainthatmanyresearchersdonothavethemoneytoevenpaytheirhostelandmessfees,andsomeareevenfacedwiththeprospectofabandoningtheirdreamsofpursuingresearch,duetostoppageofnon-NET
Fellowship,”Mamatasaidinastatement.
SheallegedthatthereleaseoffundsbyUGCunderNET-JRFfellowshipshaseitherbeenerraticordelayedandhascaused
“uncertaintyanddistress”totherecipients
WestBengalgovt's biotechnologydepartmenttosetupstate-of-the-artplanttissueculturelaboratory.
ThebiotechnologydepartmentoftheWestBengalgovernmenthasdecidedtosetupastate-of-the-artplanttissueculturelaboratoryattheKolkataBiotechParktoenhance
productionandqualityofplantsandvegetables.
Therewillbescientistsandresearchfellowswhowillcarryoutvariouskindsofresearchonplantsandbio-fertilizersandhowtheycanbeusedtoincreasetheproductionof
vegetablesinthestate.
VariousmedicinalplantswillbeconservedintheBiotechParkforresearchpurposes.ThedepartmentisalsointheprocessofformulatingtheBiotechPolicyforBengal.
ThestategovernmenthasalreadytakentheinitiativetoupgradetheinfrastructureofKolkataBiotechParkapartfromsettingupnew
BiotechnologyhubsinBurdwan andKalimpong
Thedepartmenthasbeenfocusingonthemodernisation andexpansionoftheCommonInstrumentFacilityCentreintheBiotech
Parkinthecity
Thebiotechnologydepartmentwilltieupwithotherdepartmentslikeagriculture,fisheriesandfoodprocessingtostrengthenorganisational
collaboration.
CabinetapprovesRajbangshi board
TheBengalcabinetapprovedtheformationofadevelopmentboardfortheRajbangshi people.
AdecisionthatisseenasanattemptbyMamataBanerjee tocheckmatethegrowthoftheBJPinCoochBeharandotherareasdominatedbythe
community.
TheWestBengalRajbanshi Development&WelfareBoardisthefirstofitskindforacommunitylivingintheplainsofthestate.
Earlier,theMamatadispensationhadcreated15developmentboardsfordifferentcommunitiesintheDarjeelinghills
DuringhertriptoCoochBehar,Mamatahadannouncedthatadevelopmentcouncilwould
beconstitutedfortheRajbangshis andmembersoftheCoochBeharroyalfamily
wouldbeincludedinit.
InCoochBeharandAlipurduar districts,theRajbangshis formalmosthalfofthe
population.
WorldBankapproves$210millionloanforWestBengal'sgrampanchayatdevelopment .
The WorldBanktodayapprovedaUS$210millionloantostrengthenGramPanchayats(GPs)– thelowesttierofrurallocalgovernments– acrossthestateofWest
Bengal.
Followingtherecommendationsofthe14thCentralFinanceCommissionandthe4thStateFinanceCommission,aggregatefundflowstotheseentitieswillmorethan
doubleby2020.
The WestBengalSupporttoInstitutionalStrengtheningofGramPanchayat Program–PhaseII(ISGPP-II) willsupportall3,342GPsinthestatetoeffectivelyutilizethese
untied/discretionaryfundsthatisbeingprovidedtothemundertheinter-governmentalfiscaltransfersystem.
Yuvashree Yuva Utsaha Prakalpa
UnderthisschemegovernmentwillprovideunemploymentallowancestounemployedyouthofWestBengal.
Thegovernmentwillprovidetheunemploymentallowancestohelpthejob-seekerstoupgradetheirlevelofskills.
ThegovernmentofWestBengalwillprovideRs.1500permonth tounemployedyouthpermonthundertheYuvashree Scheme.
EligibilityCriteriaforYuvashree Yuva Utsaha Prakalpa
Onlyonememberofafamilywillgetfinancialassistanceunderthisscheme.
Applicantsbetweentheageof18-45willbeeligibleforYuvasree Scheme.
Applicantsshouldbeenrolledinemploymentbank.
ApplicantsshouldbetheresidentofWestBengal.
Applicantsshouldbeunemployedandenrolledasjob-seeker.
Applicantsshouldpassed8th classandabove.
MGNREGA:WestBengalreceiveshighestshareoffunds
WestBengalgotthehighestshareoffundsfromtheMahatmaGandhiNationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteeAct(MGNREGA)schemefortheyear2016-2017up
tolastNovember.
WestBengalreceivedoveratenthofthefundswiththetotalallocationbeingRs3945.28crore.
RajasthancameinsecondwithanallocationofRs3571.15crorefollowedbyAndhraPradesh,TamilNaduandUttarPradesh.
Darjeelingwriter,singerreturnWestBengalStateawards
SteppingupthemovementforseparateGorkhaland State,atleastthreepersonalities fromtheDarjeelinghillsreturnedawardsconferredonthemby
the WestBengal governmentatapublicgathering
OntheoccasionofGorkha Exta Dibas,thebirthanniversaryofNepalipoetBhanubhakta Acharya,WriterandtranslatorKrishnaSinghMoktan,musicianKarmaYounzon andKurseong CollegePrincipalPrakash Pradhanreturned
theirawards.
OnJuly8,theGorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM)hadcalledonawardeestoreturntheirhonours givenbytheStategovernment.
WestBengalgovernmenttoconverttotos toe-rickshaws
Intheongoingoperationtoreplacethetotos plyinginthestate,onethousande-rickshawswereintroducedinNorth24Parganas
StateTransportministerSuvendu Adhikari officiallyintroducedthevehiclesataneventinBarasat.
Sofar,4,000totos havebeenreplacedbye-rickshawsalloverBengal .
Thisisamajorstepbythestategovernmenttowardspromotinge-vehicles.
Therearearoundonelakhtotos andanotheronelakhvanos,bothofwhichareindigenously-builtpassengerferryingvehicles,inthestate.Stepshavealreadybeentakentoreplacethe
vanos bye-carts.
ChiefministerMamataBanerjee hadaskedtheAdhikari toensurethatnototo driverisrenderedjoblessafterthetotos arereplaced
WestBengalgovernmenttosetaricemuseum
WestBengalgovernmentisallsettogetaricemuseumshortlythatwillexhibitsomeofthefinestricevarietiescultivatedinthestate.
ThegovernmentisbuildingthemuseumatPhulia inNadiadistrict.
Themuseum,whichisunderconstruction,willstore450varietiesofrice,includingthearomaticvarieties(likerandhuni pagal,radha tilak,kanakchur,badshah bhog
andothers)
Eventhoseonthevergeofextinctionaswellasthosenewlycreatedinthestategovernment’sagriculturallaboratories,forexample,ricewithmoreironcontent,
ricebeneficialforanaemic womenandchildrenamongothers
WestBengalgovernmenttosoonintroducenewfishingmethod'cageculture'
Takingacuefromthepisciculture practicesinNorway,Thailand,JapanandthePhilippines,WestBengalgovernmentisallsettointroduceanewmethodofdeep-
seapisciculture commonlyknownascageculture .
Asthenamesuggests,thepracticeconsistsofculturingfishinsidebigfloatingcagesinthemiddleofthesea.
Theprojectisatpresentinthepilotstage.
Two4.5metre-diameter cagesmadeoutofGIpipesandnetlon meshhavebeensetup2kmoffthecoastofMandarmani atthenorthernendoftheBayof
Bengal.
Thecagesarecoveredwithnetstopreventseabirdsfromfeedingonthefish.
Theyaretieddownwithbuoystoprovidestability.Eachcageisgoingtolasteighttotenyears.
HatchlingsforthepilotprojectwillbereleasedinSeptember,whichwillgrowtotherightsize– 1to1.5kg– withinsixmonths.
Mostly,bhekti andpomfret willberearedinthesecagesasthesefishesinhighdemandandareexpensiveaswell.
Suchdeep-seacultureinlargenumberswillbringdownpricesofthesefishesandmakethemmoreaffordable.
Thiswillalsohelptobringdownthepressureonthelakesandinlandhatcheries.
Scientistsarealsoresearchingtheviabilityofpearlcultureintcages.
WillMakeWestBengalTheNumber1StateintheWorld:MamataBanerjee.
CelebratingsixyearsoftheTrinamool CongressgovernmentinBengal,ChiefMinisterMamataBanerjee pledgedtomakethe
statenumberoneintheworld
AndexpressedgratitudetoMa,Mati,Manush forsupportingheralltheseyears.
TwocategoriesofawardswerepresentedaspartofBangaSamman – Banga BhushanandBanga Bibhushan.
TherecipientsofBanga Bibhushan thisyearareYCDeveshwar,DrDhiman Ganguly,Dr
ArunPrasadMukherjee,Soumitra ChatterjeeandNirendranath Chakraborty.
TherecipientsofBanga BhushanareKhidmatFakir,Chapal Bhaduri,Lakshman DasBaul,Rezwana Chowdhury Bonya,DrAbhijit
Chowdhury.