Viswas Swaroopam, a Shiva statue, installed in the Rajasthani

• The Viswas Swaroopam statue was built by Tat Padam Sansthan and is located 45 kilometres from Udaipur.
• After the statue’s inauguration, a number of religious, spiritual, and cultural events will be organised over nine days, from October 29 to November 6, according to Madan Paliwal, the chairman of the Miraj company and a trustee for the Sansthan.
• Throughout the nine days, religious preacher Morari Bapu will also recite the Ram Katha.

• The Viswas Swaroopam monument, which is positioned on a mountaintop over a region of 51 bighas and is designed in a meditative pose, is believed to be visible from 20 kilometres away.
• According to Jaiprakash Mali, the program’s spokeswoman, the statue has been illuminated with special lights so that it can be seen clearly at night as well.
• Its construction, which took ten years to complete, involved the usage of three thousand tonnes of steel, iron, concrete, and sand, as well as 2.5 lakh cubic tonnes of concrete.
• In August 2012, Ashok Gehlot, who was the CM at the time, and Morari Bapu lay the project’s cornerstone.
• According to Mr. Mali, the Viswas Swaroopam statue was built to last 250 years and can withstand winds of up to 250 kmph.

Maharashtra government to set up Cyber Intelligence Unit

• The meeting was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he discussed many issues of national security.
• Devendra Fadnavis informed that the Cyber Intelligence Unit will be a dedicated single platform, through which a global model will be created to curb cybercrime.
• Through this platform Government and Private banks, financial institutions, Social media institutions, regulatory bodies, cyber police, and technicians will be united.
• The platform will serve as a dynamic response system and make more use of modern technology.
• In recent times, financial and cybercrimes have increased significantly which needs to be controlled.
• According to Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra has completed proceedings at the highest speed in the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS).
• The state government has also marked great progress through Automated Multimedia Biometric Identification System (AMBIS).

Arunachal Pradesh to get Northeast’s first fish museum

Durgavati Tiger Reserve

• The establishment of the Durgavati Tiger Reserve was recently approved by the Madhya Pradesh Wildlife Board.
• The Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), whose quarter is expected to be inundated due to the connecting of the Ken and Betwa rivers, will house its tigers there.
• It will span cross 2,339 square kilometres new tiger reserve, covering Narisinghpur, Damoh and Sagar districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• It will have 1,414 sq km of land as core area and 925 sq km area of buffer zone.
• The tigers will be shifted to the new reserve by encouraging their natural movement via a green corridor that will link it with Panna Tiger Reserve.
• The proposal is in line with the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s order urging Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments to notify new tiger reserves to manage wildlife in Panna Tiger Reserve, which will be impacted by the Ken-Betwa river linking project.
• Earlier, in September 27, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the notification of fourth tiger reserve in the state in the Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS), which is frequented by tigers from the Panna Tiger Reserve.

In November, Dehradun will host the three-day "Akash for Life" Space Conference.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the integration of science and technological development within society in a way that places science in a position to address the needs of the common citizen.
• The curtain raiser event was felicitated by Principal Scientific Advisor, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, Chairman ISRO, S.Somnath, Secretary Science & Technology, Dr. S Chandrashekhar, Secretary, Earth Sciences, Dr. M Ravichandran, Secretary Biotechnology, Dr. Rajesh S Gokhale and DG CSIR Dr. N. Kalaiselvi.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh informed us that 35 eminent speakers will share their thoughts on various dimensions of Akash Tattva during Dehradun Conclave.
• The conclave aims to expose the youth of India to the wisdom of ancient sciences along with modern scientific advancements.

LEADS (Logistics Ease Across Different States) 2022

• The LEADS survey assesses the views of various users and stakeholders involved in the value chain of logistics sector. This survey is conducted recognize the enablers, hindrances and gaps within the logistics ecosystem.
• This annual survey ranks logistics ecosystem of each state and union territory across India using data received from stakeholders (perception data) and states and union territories (objective data).
• The LEAD 2022, unlike the former versions, adopted the classification-based grading, with states and union territories classified under four broad categories – coastal states, hinterland/landlocked states, northeastern states and union territories.
• This indigenous data-backed index assesses the logistics infrastructure, services, and human resources across 36 states and union territories.
• It provides three performance categories – Achievers (states and UTs achieving 90 per cent or more), Fast Movers (states and UTs scoring between 80 and 90 per cent), and aspirers (states and UTs with percentage scoring below 80 per cent).
• The 15 states and UTs that have been categorized as achievers in the logistics index chart 2022 are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• The fast movers in the latest report are Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Sikkim and Tripura.
• 15 states and UTs categorized as aspirers are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Ladakh, Nagaland, Jammu and Kashmir, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The index aims to boost the logistics performance across India, which is critical for reducing the cost of transactions and boosting international and domestic trade.
• The LEADS 2022 will assist in the implementation of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP) and the National Logistics Policy (NLP) by identifying gaps in the existing logistics services, infrastructure and regulatory environment.

Official Language Committee’s Recommendations

• The committee recommended using Hindi as a medium of instruction in IITs, IIMs and central universities in Hindi-speaking states.
• High Courts in non-Hindi speaking states, where proceedings are recorded in English or a regional language, must make translations available in Hindi since they are often cited in judgements.
• Government officials and other employees in the central government not using Hindi in Hindi-speaking states will face consequences in the Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR).
• If imposed, these rules will be applicable only in states where Hindi is the official language.
• States like Tamil Nadu and Kerala are exempted under The Official Languages Act, 1963 and the Rules and Regulations (of the Act), 1976.
• According to the rules, Hindi is official language in A category states, which include Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, and the UTs of Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Category B states, where Hindi is used less than 65 per cent, include Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Punjab, and the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
• Category C states are those where the use of Hindi is less than 65 per cent.
• The Committee suggests fully using Hindi as a medium of communication in A category states, while other states can use regional languages.
• Its ultimate aim is to minimize the usage of the English language in official communication and increase the usage of Hindi.

PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022

• The 2-day PM Kisan Samman Sammelan will witness the participation of more than 13,500 farmers from across India and over 1,500 agrt-startups.
• Researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders will also take part in this event.
• During the event, Prime Minister will inaugurate 600 Pradan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PMKSK), which will operate under the aegis of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Under the scheme, the fertilizer retail shops in India will be converted into PMKSK in a phased manner.
• The PMKSK aims to cater to various needs of farmers and provide agricultural inputs like fertilizers, seeds and tools as well as testing facilities for soil, seeds and fertilizers. It also creates awareness about various government schemes and improve capacity of retailers at block/district level outlets.
• Prime Minister Modi will also launch Bhartiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana – One Nation One Fertilizer, which allows manufacturing companies to market fertilizers under a single brand name – Bharat. Under this initiative, Bharat Urea Bags will be launched.
• 16,000 crore will be released as the 12th instalment under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) through the direct benefit transfer (DBT).
• Under the PM-KISAN scheme, eligible farmer families will be provided Rs.6,000 each year in three equal instalment. Till date, beneficiaries received Rs.2 lakh under the scheme.
• The Agri Startup Conclave and Exhibition will also be inaugurated during the event. Some 300 startups will demonstrate their innovative solutions focusing on precision farming, post-harvest and value add solution, allied agriculture, waste to wealth, mechanisation for small farmers, supply chain management, agri-logistics etc.
• It will enable networking between startups, farmers, FPOs, agri-experts, corporates etc.
• Startups will also be able to share their experience and interact with other stakeholders during technical sessions.
• An e-magazine focusing on fertilizer called “Indian Edge” will be launched. It will provide information about domestic and international fertilizer scenarios, including recent developments, price trends analysis, availability and consumption, success stories of farmers and others.

Cheetah Task Force

• The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has set up a task force to supervise the cheetah introduction project in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh as well as in other designated areas where the cheetahs can be introduced.
• The functioning of the Cheetah Task Force will be facilitated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
• The task force will remain operational for a period of 2 years.
• It is empowered to appoint a subcommittee to regularly visit the cheetah introduction areas as and when decided by the task force.
• The task force will be involved in reviewing and monitoring the health status of cheetahs and the maintenance of their quarantine areas and soft release enclosures.
• It will also monitor the protection status of the entire area where the cheetahs will roam and the adherence of forest and veterinary officials to the set protocols in these areas.
• It will provide recommendations on the cheetah introduction in India based on the status of cheetah’s overall health, behavior and maintenance status.
• The task force will be involved in the monitoring the overall release process, from quarantine bomas to soft release enclosures and finally into the grasslands and open forest areas.
• It will provide recommendations on the development of tourism infrastructure at the fringe regions of the Kuno National Park and other protected areas where the cheetahs will be exposed.
• It will also give suggestions on the regulation of eco-tourism endeavors.
• It will regularly interact with cheetah mitras and local communities to assess their awareness and involvement in the protection of cheetahs in particular and area in general.

SC collegium: Two judges opposed process of selection & appointing judges by circulation