Goa Statehood Day
- Goa is celebrating its Statehood Day on May 30.
- Goa, along with Daman and Diu, was incorporated into the Indian Union and made a Union Territory by the Twelfth Amendment Act of 1962.
- It was on this day in 1987 that Goa was granted full statehood and became the 25th state of the Indian Union.
- This was enacted by the 56th Constitution Amendment Act.
Thirukkural
Abroad to guard, at home to punish, brings
No just reproach; ’tis work assigned to kings
- Explanation
- In guarding his subjects (against injury from others), and in preserving them himself; to punish crime.
- Chapter: Righteous Governance
Sanchi Stupa
- The Sanchi Stupa is located in the town of Sanchi, within the Raisen district of the state of Madhya Pradesh.
- It was built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE.
- The sacred bodily relics of Gautama Buddha and his revered disciples are preserved within this stupa.
- The first systematic survey and excavation works at Sanchi were undertaken by Alexander Cunningham in 1851.
- The Sanchi Stupa was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1989.
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) Scheme
- This scheme was launched in 2016 by restructuring the previously existing ‘Indira Awaas Yojana’ (IAY).
- It aims to provide permanent houses equipped with basic amenities to eligible rural families—specifically those who are homeless, or who reside in temporary-roofed houses comprising zero, one, or two rooms.
- Initially, the scheme targeted the construction of 2.95 crore houses spanning the period from the financial year 2016-17 to the financial year 2023-24.
- The Central Government has extended this scheme for a further five years—from the financial year 2024-25 to 2028-29—and has set a new target to construct an additional 2 crore houses.
- Beneficiaries are selected based on the housing deficiency parameters and exclusion criteria prescribed under the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011.
- Financial assistance of ₹1.20 lakh per house is provided for construction in plain areas.
- Financial assistance of ₹1.30 lakh per house is provided for construction in hilly regions and difficult terrains, including the Northeastern states, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
- In plain areas, the expenditure for this scheme is shared between the Central and State governments in a ratio of 60:40.
- For the Northeastern and Himalayan states, the financial sharing pattern between the Central and State governments is in a ratio of 90:10.
- For Union Territories without a Legislative Assembly, the Central Government provides 100% of the funding.
- The implementation and monitoring of this scheme are carried out through digital platforms such as the ‘AwaasSoft’ Management Information System (MIS) and the ‘AwaasApp’.
- PMAY-G is a flagship rural housing scheme introduced to achieve the goal of ‘Housing for All’.
Mission Queen Pineapple’ Scheeme- This is a coordinated collaborative initiative aimed at promoting Tripura’s ‘Queen’ pineapple, which holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
- The scheme is spearheaded by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
- The total financial outlay for this mission is ₹236 crore.
The scheme will be implemented over a period of three years, spanning from the second quarter of the financial year 2026 (Q2 FY 2026) to the fourth quarter of the financial year 2028 (Q4 FY 2028)
Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL)
- Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL) is a newly formed state-owned public sector undertaking established by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
- Establishment: Incorporated in early 2024 under the Companies Act 2013.
- It was formed by merging the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA) with the dedicated Renewable Energy Wing of TANGEDCO.
- It acts as the operational vehicle to hit Tamil Nadu’s target of deriving 50% of its total power consumption from green energy and cutting carbon emissions down by 70% by the year 2030.
