Current Affairs - State

The Maharashtra Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, approved the implementation of a revised National Pension Scheme (NPS) for state government employees, modelled after the Centre's Unified Pension Scheme (UPS). This revised NPS, set to be implemented on March 1, 2024, will cover 13.45 lakh state government employees. It includes provisions for a pension equal to 50% of the last salary plus dearness allowance and 60% of the family pension, as recommended by a high-level committee headed by retired IAS officer Suresh Kumar.

The Subhadra scheme, launched by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, aims to provide financial assistance to one crore women in the state. The scheme promises ₹50,000 to women aged 21 to 60 over five years, with a total budget allocation of ₹55,825 crore. The funds will be disbursed in annual instalments of ₹10,000, divided into two payments, and will be directly credited to beneficiaries' Aadhaar-enabled bank accounts. This initiative is a significant step towards empowering women in Odisha.

The Prime Minister recognized the achievements of 11 lakh new Lakhpati Didis in Maharashtra, awarding them certificates for their annual earnings of over ₹1 lakh. This initiative aims to empower women and promote financial independence. Additionally, the Prime Minister launched a Community Investment Fund and bank loans to further support Self-Help Group (SHG) members, demonstrating the government's commitment to women's economic empowerment.

Himachal Pradesh has introduced the Mukhyamantri Bal Paushtik Aahar Yojana, a scheme designed to enhance the nutritional quality of school meals. Starting from nursery to Class 8 students across 15,181 schools, the program will include weekly servings of eggs and fruits. The initiative involves an allocation of Rs 12.75 crore to support additional nutrition and includes provisions for 17,510 teachers to receive tablets for digital education. This scheme is part of a broader effort to improve educational quality and provide global exposure for teachers through new-day boarding schools.

The KAPS-4 reactor, located in Gujarat at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station, began operating at full capacity on August 21, 2024. This 700 MW reactor is part of India's ambitious plan to expand its nuclear energy capacity. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) aims to build 14 more reactors of the same design by 2031-32, contributing to the country's goal of increasing its nuclear capacity to 22,480 MW within that timeframe.