Himachal Pradesh Weekly Current Affairs

As per parasitic worms or Solid-Transmitted Helminth (STH) follow up survey, Himachal Pradesh has topped not only in the country but in the world as worms prevalence was estimated lowest at 0.3 percent only amongst children in the age group of 1-19 years.
A survey conducted by National Centre for Disease Control in 2015 indicated STH prevalence of 29 percent amongst children in Himachal Pradesh whereas as per recent survey held in October 2018 it was estimated as 0.3 percent only.
942 children samples of five districts of all the four agro-climatic zone in Himachal Pradesh were taken and only 3 children were found positive of STH which was lowest in the world.
It was due to the coordinated efforts of all line departments that this deworming campaign was organized on mission mode in state.
Albendazole medicine was given to all the government and private school students, left out students and Anganwadi students of 1-19 years age group.
98 percent of children were administered deworming medicine in the state.
National Deworming Programme was started in the year 2015 by the Center government.

The state government is committed to environmental conservation, increase forest cover and preserve natural beauty.
Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education, Education Department, and Forest Department will start ‘Mukhyamantri Harit Vidyalaya Abhiyan’ from 9 to 16 August 2019 to plant saplings in the different schools of the state.
Forest cover has always been given priority in the state and forest resources are valuable to the people.
The state government has banned the cutting of trees and by availing gas connection under Himachal Grihini Suvidha Yojna, the felling of trees for cooking has been reduced immensely.
The aim of this campaign is to plant more saplings in schools, creating a conducive learning environment and imbibing spirit of hard work in students.

The famous week-long international Minjar fair of Chamba concluded with much fanfare, gaiety, and religious fervour with Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur leading the concluding ceremony procession (Shobha Yatra) that started from Akhand Chandi Palace to Manjri Garden to immerse the Minjar (golden tassel) in a traditional manner in the Ravi river.
Minjar consisting of a coconut, a coin, a fruit, and a few sherfs of paddy tied in a piece of red cloth, offered to the Ravi river.

Question: Write a short note on the Minjar fair of Chamba. [120 words]

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The government of India has accepted various demands of the hilly states of the country including restoring of financial assistance for developmental projects in the ratio of 90:10 and making provision of additional funds for providing a tap to every household under the ongoing schemes.
Most of the proposals given by the hilly states have been incorporated by the Centre in ‘Har Ghar Mein Nal Se Jal’ scheme.
Himachal Pradesh has already provided water facility to 57 per cent of the habitations but there was no provision in the old schemes to provide tap water to every house.
The government of India has agreed that the states, which have already made considerable progress in making the provision of tap to the houses, will be given incentives under this scheme.
The Centre has also agreed that 28 to 30 thousand rupees per person will be given for the hilly states, whereas for other states it will be rupees 15 thousand under this scheme.

A target for providing training to around 50 thousand farmers have been set under the scheme during the financial year 2019-20.
The block-level training camps would be organised in 80 blocks of all the districts of the state during this period.
More than 15 thousand farmers were encouraged to adopt natural farming during the training camps organised last year.
As many as 2669 farmers adopted natural farming in the state during last year.

Chaudhary Sarvan Kumar Agricultural University, Palampur has jumped from 23^rd to 11^th rank among 75 agricultural universities of the country.
The natural farming centre has been set up in the University last year which is first of it’s kind in the country.
More than 40,000 farmers are being trained and provided services by university extension department annually.
A record 17,000 applications have been received for 152 seats in agriculture and veterinary programmes this year.

Question: What is the difference between Natural Farming and Organic Farming? [120 words]

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Himachal Pradesh Weekly Current Affairs – [August 1st Week]