Himachal Pradesh Affairs
Education loan to underprivileged students on 1% interest, says Sukhu
Himachal Pradesh chief ministerSukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said an innovative Mukhyamantri VidyarthiProtsahan Yojna will be launched in the current financial year to provide educational loans to underprivileged students at the rate of 1% to help them pursue higher and professional studies.
The has proposed Rs 200 crore under the scheme which aims to provide eligible poor children (families having income of less than Rs 3 lakh per annum) with Education loans through financial institutions or banks at an interest of 1%.
The loans will help the students cover the charges of tuition fees, accommodation, books and other allied expenses associated with their education, he said. The scheme covers a wide range of professional courses, including engineering, medical, management, PhD, courses from ITIs, polytechnic,BPharmacy, Nursing and general nursing and midwifery among others.
Sukhu said 1% interest rate is just to instill a sense of responsibility among the beneficiaries so that they have the motivation to achieve their aim. Reiterating the claim to refurbish the system, he said that in the times to come, the people would witness radical changes in the Education sector and the Mukhyamantri Vidyarthi Protsahan Yojna is one of many other initiatives aimed at improving the education system in the state.
National and International Affairs
INS Vikrant gets back its original 1961 bell
The bell was given by Vice Admiral SN Ghormade, who recently retired as the Vice Chief of Navy Staff, to the commanding officer of INS Vikrant on March 22.
The INS Vikrant is expected to exhibit the original bell at the carrier to motivate current and future officers and sailors about the warships significant HISTORY. In 1961, the bell was installed on the first INS Vikrant carrier after India acquired a British aircraft carrier, HMS Hercules, and renamed it. The original bell was then transferred from the decommissioned carrier, INS Vikrant, to the designated residence of INDIAN NAVY Vice Chief located at Motilal Nehru Marg.
Project Tiger: Indias tiger population was 3,167 in 2022
According to the latest tiger census data released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the tiger Population in India has reached 3,167 in 2022, which is a significant increase compared to the previous census figures of 1,411 in 2006, 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014, and 2,967 in 2018. During the inauguration of the commemoration of 50 years of , the Prime Minister also launched the International Big Cat Alliance that aims to protect and conserve seven major big cats worldwide, including tigers and lions. The Prime Minister emphasized that wildlife protection was a universal issue and that the IBCA was Indias contribution to protecting and conserving big cats. Additionally, he released a booklet named Amrit Kaal Ka Tiger Vision, which outlines the vision for tiger conservation in the next 25 years
Project Tiger is a tiger conservation programme launched in India on April 1, 1973, to protect and increase the tiger population in the country. Initially, the project covered nine Tiger Reserves spread over 18,278 sq km. currently, there are 53 tiger reserves spanning more than 75,000 sq km, which is approximately 2.4% of Indias geographical area.
India become worlds second-largest solar manufacturer by 2026
India has been making significant strides toward in recent years, with a focus on Solar Energy. The country has set ambitious targets to increase its solar energy capacity and has been taking various steps to achieve them. In line with this, India is expected to become the worlds second-largest solar manufacturer by 2026
According to a report by the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), India is poised to become the second-largest solar manufacturing country in the world by 2026, overtaking Japan and trailing only China. The report states that Indias solar manufacturing capacity is expected to increase from 10 GW in 2020 to 50 GW by 2030. This increase in capacity is expected to create around 3 lakh (300,000) direct jobs and 9 lakh (900,000) indirect jobs
Indias solar manufacturing Industry has received a boost due to the governments focus on renewable energy and initiatives like the National Solar Mission. The government has also introduced various policies and schemes to promote domestic solar manufacturing, such as the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Under this scheme, the government has earmarked a budget of Rs 4,500 crore ($600 million) for the solar PV segment, which is expected to create manufacturing capacity of 10 GW
Indias solar manufacturing industry has also received a boost due to the global demand for renewable energy. As countries around the world are looking to shift towards clean energy, the demand for solar panels and other solar equipment is expected to increase. This presents an opportunity for Indian manufacturers to tap into the global market
Worlds most criminal countries ranking: India behind US, UK at 77 spot
World of Statistics has shared the ranking of the worlds most criminal countries. On the list, Venezuela has been ranked top, followed by Papua New Guinea (2), Afghanistan (3), South Africa (4), Honduras (5), Trinidad (6), Guyana (7), Syria (8), Somalia (9) and Jamaica (10), respectively. India stood at 77 spots while the US and UK were ahead of India in the criminal ranking country. The USA was at 55th number and the UK at 65th rank, according to the World of Statistics. Turkey, Germany, and Japan were among the least criminal countries, ranking at 92nd, 100th, and 135th ranks