24.01.18 Sikkim(SikkimPSC) Current Affairs

NORTH-EASTERN STATES

Khandu inaugurates World War II Memorial Museum in Arunachal
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu inaugurated the World War II Memorial Museum in the state’s Changlang district bordering Myanmar.

Built by the Union Culture Ministry, the Rs 2.25 crore museum in memory of those who laid down their lives in WWII is located adjacent to the historic Stilwell Road.

Khandu visited the war memorial where remnants of the war, personal belongings of the soldiers and others involved were preserved.

INTERNATIONAL

· Rachel Morrison 1st Oscar nominated female cinematographer

Rachel Morrison has become the first female cinematographer to receive an Oscar nomination in the 89-year-old history of the Awards. She has been nominated for her work in the film ‘Mudbound’. “The job of the cinematographer is to visualise emotion – things we as women are inherently good at,” said Rachel.

· India inks $120 million loan agreement with World Bank to fund improved water supply in Uttarakhand

India signed $120 millionloan agreement with multilateral lending agency World Bank to help increase access to improved water supply services in in peri-urban areas in Uttarakhand.
The agreement was signed between Government of India, Government of Uttarakhand and World Bank Board.
The loan amount will be used for Uttarakhand Water Supply Program for Peri-Urban Areas to help the state to increase water supply coverage as well as ensure sustainable water supply service delivery in peri-urban areas.
The program will develop and implement service-oriented and efficient water supply for peri-urban areas, strengthen current monitoring and evaluation systems.
It will also provide dedicated incentives for preparation and adoption of of water supply ‘master-plans’ in peri-urban areas.

India Ranked 177 in Environmental Performance Index (EPI)

India has been ranked 177 among 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) – 2018. This index has been developed by Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

Top 5 countries are Switzerland, France, Denmark, Malta and Sweden.

Top bottom countries are Nepal, India, Congo, Bangladesh, Burundi.

NATIONAL

· India to Host 16th International Energy Forum Meet

The 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial meetingwill be held in New Delhi in April 2018.
According to the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, the meeting will be hosted by Government of India in New Delhi and co-hosted by the Government of China and South Korea.
Representatives from 92 countries will be participating in the conference, including 72 member countries of IEF and 20 guest countries.

· Andhra Pradesh and Zurich Sign Sister State Agreement

The Andhra Pradesh Governmentand the Canton of Zurich signed a letter of intent, to promote mutual prosperity and development.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu and Government Counselor Minister Carmen Walker Spah for sister state relation.
This will bring the State of Andhra Pradesh and Canton of Zurich closer and ensure that a framework is created, which supports the exchange between both the parties.

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K Palanichamy receives UNESCO Award.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanichamy received UNESCO Award of Merit awarded to the iconic Srirangam Ranganathaswamy temple in Tiruchirapalli. The award of merit was awarded by UNESCO Asia Pacific region for the reconstruction activities undertaken in temple without in least affecting its traditional splendour and Vedic rituals.

It is considered as one of the most important of the 108 main Vishnu temples (Divyadesams). It is Vaishnava temple built in Tamil or Dravidian style of architecture. It is located on an islet formed by twin rivers: Coleroon and Cauvery. The temple complex is situated in sprawling ground of more than 156 acres. The temple and 1000 pillared hall were constructed in the Vijayanagar period (1336–1565) .

· Water storage level of India’s 91 major reservoirs drops 2%

The water storage available in 91 major reservoirs of the country for the week ending on January 11, 2018 was 80.484 BCM which is 50% of the total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This percentage was at 52 for the week ending January 4, 2018.

The total storage capacity of these 91 reservoirs is 161.993 BCM, which is about 63% of the total storage capacity of 257.812 BCM which is estimated to have been created in the country. Thirty seven of the 91 reservoirs have hydropower benefit with installed capacity of more than 60 MW.

The storage during the corresponding period of last year was 58% and average storage of last ten years during the corresponding period was 54% of live storage capacity of these reservoirs. Thus, the storage during the current year is less than that of the previous year and is also less than the average storage of the last ten years during the corresponding period.

· Monsoon rainfall down only 24mm in country since 1981

Over 50% of sub-divisions in India have witnessed a decreasing trend in monsoon rainfall from 1981 to 2016, but the country has seen a 24mm drop during the period, a fresh Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) report has found.

The study stated that the number of deficient monsoon years during this period have been more than excess monsoon years — with 20 excess and 27 deficient years.

Languages and Literature of Sikkim

Languages and Literature of Sikkim

Today, all the main languages spoken in Sikkim have been given the status of a “State language”.
Notably, Bhutia, Lepcha and Limboo languages have been included in college curricula, while other languages, such as Rai, Gurung, Pradhan (Newar), Mangar and Tamang, are taught till the secondary school level.
Financial help is directly given to different communities to promote research in their respective languages
Sikkim is inhabited by over twenty ethnic communities, each unique in their tradition, customary practices, language and attire.
The outstanding beauty of these people living in harmony and sharing in amity each other’s cultures, ethos and traditions is a colourful mosaic of Sikkimese society

Bhutia People Language of Sikkim

Bhutias are divided into two groups – Tongdu-ruzhi with four clans and Bebtsengyed with eight clans, though there are a number of other sub castes.
They speak and write in the Bhutia language which is also called Lhokey although their script, language, religion, dress and ornaments have semblance with the Tibetans.
The Bhutia language, a long with the Lepcha and Limboo languages are taught in Sikkim till t he univer ity level.

Lepcha People Language of Sikkim

They have their own language, known as ‘Rongring’, with its script, ‘Mutanchi Rong Aming’.
The State Government has accorded official status to the language, along with the Bhutia and Limboo languages.
Since the year 2000 it has been taught in schools and colleges in Sikkim and from 2016 it has been taught at the university level.

Bhujels People Language of Sikkim

They have their own language, called Puhgal Gnur which is a part of the Tibeto-Burman sub-family and Sino Tibetan family of languages.
Some o f them converse in their own language .

Gurungs People Language of Sikkim

Gurungs have their own language, Tamu Kye and script, Khema.
The Gurung language (along with six others) was given official status in 1995 by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, and is being taught in selected Government schools up to the secondary level.
Text books, magazines and dictionaries have also been published in Tamu Kye.
Since 2001, the Gurung edition of the Sikkim Government weekly newspaper, the Sikkim Herald, is also being taken out.

Jirels People Language of Sikkim

Jirels are known to have an ethnic and linguistic semblance with the Sherpas and Central Tibetan tribes.
Their language, like the Sunuwar language, is also a part of the Kanauri branch of Tibeto-Burman.

Kagatey People Language of Sikkim

The community is divided into several sub-groups like Dongba, Sarpa, Shyangba, Lama and Chyaba.
They speak in Kagate, a language of the Kyirong-Kagate language sub-group of the Sino-Tibetan language family, which has similarities with languages of Yolmo, Sherpa and Bhutia

Majhis People Language of Sikkim

Majhis converse in their own language but have no script of their own.
They are dark brown in complexion, medium in height and well built, and have classic Mongoloid features

Mangar People Language of Sikkim

They have their own language, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman family, and also have their own script, ‘Akkharika’.
In 1995, the State Government recognized this language as one of the State languages of Sikkim along with the Rai, Gurung, Tamang, Sherpa, Newar and Sunuwar languages.
The teaching of the Mangar language is being introduced in schools that have the greatest number of Mangar students

Newars People Language of Sikkim

The Newars have their own language.
They used to have a number of scripts as well but in Sikkim the “Prachalit” script is the one in use.
The “Ranjana” script is used in Buddhist Monasteries and the Tantric Kutaktshar Mantra of Buddhists consists of seven letters of Ranjana script.
The Newar language has been declared an Official Language of Sikkim in 1995 and has been introduced in selected Government schools’ curricula from the year 2002.

Rai People Language of Sikkim

The Rai or Kirat Khambu Rai community is one of Sikkim’s major indigenous ethnic communities and has been living in Sikkim from ages past.
Their language and script, which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family of languages, was recognised as one of the official languages of Sikkim with effect from 31 March, 1995 vide the Languages (Amendment) Act, 1995, and published in the Sikkim Government Extraordinar y Gazette No. 76 dated 21 April, 1995.
This language has, since the year 2002, been taught in various Government schools in Sikkim.

Sherpas People Language of Sikkim

They have their own dialect, which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman languages, and they use the Sambhota script as a medium of writing books in their language.
The Government of Sikkim granted official status to the Sherpa language in 1995 along with other languages and the language is being taught in selected Government schools up to the secondary level.
The Sikkim Herald – the official newspaper of the Sikkim Government – Sherpa edition started publication in the year 2001 and has since been in print on a weekly basis

Sunuwar People Language of Sikkim

Mongoloid in appearance, they speak both in Nepali and Koinchlo, which originates from the Sino-Tibeto-Burman family of languages.
Their script is believed to be of ancient origin and possesses only six vowels and twentyfour consonants.
Koinchlo was recognised by the Sikkim Government under the Sikkim Official Languages Act, 1977, and is being taught in Government schools till Class V.
Since 2001, the Sikkim Government weekly newspaper, Sikkim Herald (Sukhim Neskutek) is also being produced in the Koinch language.

Yolomo People Language of Sikkim

Theys peak the Yolmo language o f the Kyiron g-Ka gate branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, which has a similarity to the Kagatey, Sherpa and Tibetan languages.
They use the Sambhoti (Tibetan) script, though modern academics pre fer to use the Devana gari scri pt as well.

Thakuri People Language of Sikkim

They speak and write Nepali, using the Devanagari script.
But their spoken language is markedly different from that of common Nepali.
For instance, Thakuris use the word ‘darshan’, instead of ‘namaste’ or ‘namaskar’.
Claiming to have belonged to Rajgharana, they also use a respectable dialect of Nepali like “maiya sahiba”, “babu sahib,” “yuraj,” dulahi rani,” “muma hajur,” “buba hajur”, “khaisyo”, “laisyo” etc.

Sikkim : Schemes and Projects

Sikkim : Schemes and Projects

Various schemes have been implemented in the State for the growth and development. In order to provide inclusive growth and provide equal benefits and opportunities to all the people, schemes have been launched.

Various schemes are as

Chief Ministers Start Up Scheme

In order to develop entrepreneurship to young minds , this scheme has been launched. In this scheme, 25% subsidy will be provided with an investment of up to Rs. 20 lakhs. This Scheme is being launched with the objective to boost entrepreneurship and encourage start-up ventures by providing them with financial support. Initially a sum of Rs. 10 crores is being earmarked during this fiscal.

Health

Proud Mother Scheme

A new scheme has been launched with initial allocation of Rs. 5 crores, known as “Proud Mother Scheme” which provides a cash incentive of Rs. 7000 at the time of birth of the first child and another Rs. 10,000 at the time of birth of the second child.

Chief Minister’s Annual and Total Health Checkup (CATCH)

It is first of its kind public Health care initiative in the country .The programme’s first phase covering more than 95% of total population has been completed.

In this health profile of all the citizens have to be made. It provides comprehensive health care with focus on health promotions and preventions of by annual and periodical head to toe health check up free of cost. for all the citizens of Sikkim.

Mukhya Mantri Jeevan Raksha Khosh

It was started in the state during 2014-15, by the state government under which financial assistance of US$ 0.03 million would be provided to the patients. The patients under the BPL category would be granted a financial assistance of US$ 0.05 million.

Rural Development

Mukhyamantri Nagar Awas Yojana

The state government has launched Mukhyamantri Nagar Awas Yojana. Under this scheme, the Sikkim government will construct 250 residential housing units. The decision was taken by the Sikkim Housing & Development Board.

A list of the beneficiaries of Mukhyamantri Nagar Awas Yojana will be prepared by the state government. Besides this, the state government has also approved housing scheme of flats in east Sikkim. Although this scheme will be joint ventured under the state government and the private agencies but houses will be provided to the poor people of the state.

Green Mission

Sikkim Organic Mission

State has voluntarily adopted Organic mission and act as a role model for the whole world.

The process for bringing total cultivable land of 58,168 hectare under Organic Mission has been started in 2010. Agencies accredited by Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority are certifying the organic process in

Organic products like fruits and vegetables not only provide additional value to the farmers but also provides multiple benefits. It also supplements the ecotourism of the Sikkim .

Sikkim Green Mission

State Green Mission has completed 12 years in June 2017. Its main aim is to boos t green measures in the state. The mission envisages in avenue plantation and beautification of all vacant and waste lands It protects roads from sides and also in maintaining aesthetic beauty for the travelers.

10 minutes to Earth Mission

Six lakh saplings of trees and flowering plants are planted every year within 10 minutes just before monsoon since 2009. This will help in sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The forest department provides free saplings to other departments and other organizations. It is also being done in Urban areas, as in these areas ornamental flowers and shrubs have been planted.

Universal Financial Inclusion

The Chief Minister’s Rural Universal Financial Inclusion Programme was launched during the Independence Day Celebration on 15th Aug, 2010. The programme aims to provide universal access to formal banking services to rural Sikkim, provide easy access to formal financial services, ensure inclusive and equitable growth, empower rural women and to accelerate economic development in rural areas in general.

It will also provide insurance services related to house and personal accident to the beneficiary families. Under this programme, about 70,000 rural families in the State will be benefited by opening a savings bank account in the name of the mother of the nuclear family. They will be able to operate this account through a composite biometric smart bank card. The facility for savings and withdrawals from these bank accounts will be provided in the Gram Panchayat Unit itself by opening 163 Points of Service (PoS) facilities to be operated by Banking Business Correspondents as per the Reserve Bank of India guidelines.

Self Sufficiency Mission

Government has made significant strides in transforming it as a producer State particularly in regard to enhancement of produce from the agriculture and allied sectors. State is working hard to ensure that all kinds of demands created in the State are met within the State. And state wants to see the people of Sikkim themselves fulfill local demands by becoming producers of goods and services. State has been successful in achieving 100% chicken meat and eggs self sufficiency within the State. Government is striving towards creating vital infrastructure for training, value addition and marketing in this sector to enable people to become producers.

Social Security Mission

Under the mission, the State government has initiated various schemes for different age groups. Various shelter homes for welfare of distressed women have been established. Besides, the State government has introduced welfare schemes for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Most Backward Classes and Other Backward Classes. The schemes are in the form of scholarships, inputs to farmers belonging to marginalized section of society, Scheduled Caste sub-plan and Tribal sub-plan and establishments of a development corporation for the various communities.

Government has worked relentlessly to guarantee full socio-cultural and economic security to all section of the people on a larger canvass of human centric development. Special dispensation in various forms and formats is bring provided to the needy and deserving sections of citizens belonging to various social groups, differently abled persons, old aged and vulnerable groups.

Skill Development Mission

The Skill Development Initiative was launched in 2003 and apart from the Directorate of Capacity Building, the State Institute of Capacity Building at Karfectar with state of the art facilities for residential training have been established. Under the Chief Minister’s Self-Employment Scheme 5,780 youths have been covered for self-vocational ventures encompassing various agro-based activities and IT and Tourism related vocations.. Many boys and girls primarily from rural areas are undergoing different kinds of vocational up gradation trainings in such Institutes across the State.

Chief Minister’s Self Reliant Mission

Objective : Main objective is to empower youth to realise their full potential and understand their roles and responsibilities in making full contribution to the development. This mission plays the significant role in creating employment opportunity thereby making financial independent by setting micr0 small and medium enterprise in the state.

Various sectors include

Industrial-Manufacturing, Processing & preservation of food items.

Animals Husbandry-Dairy, piggery, Poultry , bee keeping.

Tourism-Rural tourism, eco tourism, gust house, home stays, cyber cafes, restaurant/fast food ,travel agencies, adventure tourism(pare gliding , rafting, trekking).

Handicrafts-indigenous handicraft like carpet & ravi weaving ,woodcraft, traditional painting ,tailoring ,jewellery, black smithy.

Agriculture, Floriculture & horticulture-organic seed production ,ginger, cardamom, orange & apple plantation. ,vermin compost, bio-fertilizer production, orchid production, seasonal flower production etc.

IT Sector-computer hardware, software programming, web designing. Creative Sector-Fashion design, interior design draftsmanship.

Sikkim Tourism Policy 2015

To create a plan for the development of human resources in the tourism sector. Providing a quality experience to tourists by enhancing the infrastructure and transport facilities in the state.

To promote tourism in the state of Sikkim by creating a marketing cell within the Tourism Department.

To establish Sikkim as an ultimate and unique ecotourism destination, offering memorable and high quality learning experiences to visitors to contribute to poverty alleviation and promote nature conservation.

To promote ecotourism in a sustainable manner based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria.

IT Policy of Sikkim

To provide better governance and generate employment.

To improve productivity in government departments through computerization.

To promote the Northeast as an attractive investment destination through several concessions and incentives.