UTTARAKHAND
Simgadi tea garden: Helping farmers augment their income
The history of tea cultivation in Uttarakhand is about 150 years old. In 1824, the British writer Bishop Heber, while expressing the possibility of cultivating tea in the Kumaon region, said that tea plants grow naturally on the land here but are not used. Heber had said that Kumaon’s soil, temperature and other weather conditions closely match those of China’s tea gardens. Tea cultivation has a come a long way in Uttarakhand since it was encouraged by the British. Today, there are some tea gardens which not only produce good quality tea but also provide locals with a source of employment. The Simgadi tea garden located along the border of Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts is one such example.
About three dozen women here have become self-sufficient from this plantation. They get 18 to 20 days of work every month, but only a few days in the three rainy months. They get remuneration at the rate of Rs 316 per day. Along with their farming, these women are augmenting their income with their work in the tea garden which is also motivating the women of other villages to do the same.
The Uttarakhand Tea Development Board established the tea garden at Simgadi in 1994. The former Uttarakhand chief secretary RS Tolia and statehood activist Ganga Singh Pangti also played a role in establishment of this tea garden. At a time when lack of employment opportunities remains one of the major factors for migration from the mountainous regions, the tea garden is providing a reason for villagers to remain here. Pangti said that most of the people living in Simgadi are associated with this work. A woman earns upto Rs 7,000 per month from her work in the tea garden. He further said that there was a time when the tea from Uttarakhand was exported to all over the world with the tea from Berinag, Chaukori and Kausani leaving its mark.
INTERNATIONAL
Nagasaki Day of Japan – 9th August
Japan commemorates the ninth of August every year as Nagasaki day. On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.
Highlights:
The bomb was code-named “Fat Man” due to the diagram of the bomb as it had a wide, spherical shape. This passed off three days after losing an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
A region of about 5 square miles was obliterated, and around 65,000 human beings have been killed in the bombing. Nagasaki and Hiroshima continue to experience the impact of the adverse bombing even today.
NATIONAL
Anniversary of Quit India Movement – 8th August
The 79th anniversary of the August Kranti Din or Quit India Movement, which is regarded as one of the necessary milestones in the history of the freedom hostilities of our country, is being determined on eight August 2021.
Highlights:
On eighth Aug 1942, Mahatma Gandhi gave a clarion call to stop British rule and launched the Quit India Movement at the All-India Congress Committee in Mumbai.
After the failure of the Cripps Mission, Gandhiji gave the name “Do or Die” in his Quit India speech delivered at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Mumbai. Grateful India is paying homage to the freedom fighters and remembering the supreme sacrifices of the martyrs during the freedom struggle.
Earth Observation Satellite Soon be Launched by ISRO
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is ready to launch an Earth Observation Satellite on 12th August.
Highlights:
The satellite is set to be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.
Satellite referred to as EOS-03 will be carried onboard the 14th flight of the GSLV celled GSLV-F10.
GSLV-F10 will be a satellite in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
EOS-03 will attain the remaining geostationary orbit using its onboard propulsion system.
In this GSLV flight, a 4-metre diameter Ogive-shaped payload fairing will be flown for the first time.
This will be the 14th flight of GSLV.
Khel Ratna Award as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
PM Narendra Modi has announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award will be renamed as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Highlights:
The pass was primarily based on the numerous requests he obtained from across the nation. Dhyan Chand, whose birthday is celebrated as National Sports Day, won three Olympic golds for India in Hockey.
The award was inaugurated in 1991-92. The Khel Ratna award comprises a medallion, a certificate, and a money prize of Rs.25 lakh. The first awardee of the Khel Ratna was chess legend, Viswanathan Anand. In recent years, some of the winners include cricketer Rohit Sharma, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, women’s hockey team captain Rani Rampal, amongst others.
Steps for Online Education to Students
The Indian government has taken steps to provide online education to students – the information given by the Union Minister for Education.
Highlights:
PM eVIDYA: Facilitating online learning and teaching materials of various types among teachers and students.
DIKSHA: It is a Digital infrastructure for providing students with quality e-content for school education in states/UTs, and it has QR coded Energized Textbooks for all grades.
Swayam Prabha: It’s a programme that offers TV channels for classes 1 to 12 (one channel per class).
Shiksha Vani: This includes the usage of Radio, Community radio and CBSE podcasts.
Special e-content for the visually and hearing impaired developed on Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY) and in sign language on NIOS website/YouTube.
All the mentioned schemes/programmes are free of cost and available to all the students across the country.