Odisha Government Promulgated Ordinance Promoting Odia
- Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, issued an ordinance to make use of Odia language mandatory in all official communication in the State on May 24, 2016.
- The Odisha Official Language (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016, empowers the state to make rules, review and monitor whether the direction contained in sub-section 2 of Section-2 of the 1954 Act has been implemented.
- The earlier Act did not have powers to frame rules, this Ordinance will help the State government to successfully implement the 1954 Act.
- Article-345 of Indian Constitution States that the Legislature of a State may by law adopt any one or more of the languages in use in the State or Hindi as the language or languages to be used for all or any of the official purposes of that State.
Himachal Government Launched Artificial Propagation Programme for Conservation of Mahseer Fish
- Himachal Pradesh government began an artificial propagation programme for its rehabilitation and conservation on May 19, 2016 because the population of the golden mahseer, hunted for sport and food, is declining in rivers of Himachal Pradesh.
- The Mahseer, the longest-living freshwater fish, is native to mountain and sub-mountain regions. It belongs to the genus Tor. It is also known as the Tiger of Indian Rivers.
- It migrates upstream for spawning during the South-West floods. After spawning, it returns to tho original feeding grounds. It is available at altitudes of up to 2000 m above sea level and is purely carnivorous.
- It has been declared endangered by the Washington-based International Union of Conservation of Natural Resources.
Gujarat Government Launched ‘Smart Village’
- Gujarat’s Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on May 22, 2016 launched the ‘Smart Village’ project, which provides special grants apart from the annual allotments for introducing new technologies for smooth governance and public health.
- These grants will be directly put into the village account provided villages are able to convince the government that they have no FIRs registered in the last three years, zero drop-out rate in schools, free of open defecation . and several such parameters.,
- Smart villages includes access to sustainable energy services acts as a catalyst for development it is enabling the provision of good education and healthcare, access to clean water, sanitation and nutrition, the growth of productive enterprises to boost incomes, and enhanced security, gender equality and democratic engagement.
Himachal Government Launched Initiatives to Empower Women, Education
- Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on May 20, 2016 launched Pehal – a vision document of the Shimla district administration. It aims at bringing about qualitative change in primary education (Prerna), educating people about forest rights, awareness on health, sanitation, launching anti-drug campaigns, generating jobs and empowering women.
- The initiative also aims at building a resource base of semi-skilled and skilled women. The district administration is also trying to create/enhance the infrastructure for sports and recreational activities to take the young minds away from drugs under the Pehal’s anti-drug campaign.
- Besides, empowering the people with requisite skills under the livelihood mission would be started under Pehal which included basic masonry, electrical work, home appliances and plumber courses.
