BIHAR

OCTOBER
2024
Content
z Bihar Business Connect 2024.................................................................................................................................. 3

z Bihar’s Land Survey Sparks Mixed Reactions.......................................................................................................... 3

z Cyclone ‘Dana’ Impact on Bihar.............................................................................................................................. 3

z Russell’s Viper Snake .............................................................................................................................................. 4

z Hooch Tragedy ........................................................................................................................................................ 5

z Classical Language Demand for Maithili.................................................................................................................. 6

z Bihar’s Progress in Basic Indicators......................................................................................................................... 7

z Logo and Mascot for Women’s Asian Champions Trophy, 2024............................................................................. 8

z Bihar’s Annual Flood Crisis...................................................................................................................................... 8

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Bihar Business Connect 2024 This includes verifying the genealogy charts, critical
€
for proving familial claims to land. Boundary
Why in News? measurement for each landholding is slated for
early 2025.
Recently, the Bihar government hosted the Bihar
¾ Challenges Encountered
Business Connect 2024 investor summit to showcase the
€ Verification of Ownership: Absence of clear partition
state’s growing economic and business potential.
deeds has led to disputes, with residents struggling
Key Points to confirm family-owned land as informal, verbal
agreements often dictate ownership.
¾ Objective: € Document Translation: Historical documents, many
€ The summit aimed to attract investments across written in Kaithi script, require translation and
sectors, including manufacturing, infrastructure, comprehension, creating delays. The government
agriculture, and technology, showcasing Bihar’s has introduced training to facilitate script translation.
conducive environment for business growth. € Technology Hurdles: Poor internet connectivity
¾ Government Initiatives: in rural areas hampers real-time updating and
€ Key policies and reforms focused on improving retrieval of records, leading to inconsistencies in
ease of doing business, along with tax incentives, uploaded data .
infrastructure upgrades, and skill development ¾ Social Implications
programs to create a favorable climate for investors. € Gendered Disputes: A significant issue is the

¾ Networking Platform: inclusion of women’s inheritance rights, leading

€ The event provided a platform for networking
to conflicts within families. Married women have
among industry leaders, government officials, faced pressure to relinquish their claims, challenging
and global investors, enhancing collaboration entrenched patriarchal norms .
€ Community Tensions: Land claims have led to
opportunities in Bihar’s economy.
violence in some cases, with recent instances
¾ Sectoral Focus:
of Dalit homes being torched due to boundary
€ Emphasis on sectors like renewable energy, IT,
disputes with upper-caste communities .
tourism, and agri-business aligns with the state’s
plans to diversify its economic landscape.
Cyclone ‘Dana’
Bihar’s Land Survey Sparks Impact on Bihar
Mixed Reactions Why in News?
Recently, Cyclone ‘Dana’ has caused significant
Why in News?
changes in the weather pattern across Bihar, leading to
Bihar’s recent land survey aims to update century- heavy rainfall warnings for several districts.
old records, impacting ownership claims, especially among
marginalized communities. Key Points
¾ Affected Districts: Patna, Gaya, and other nearby
Key Points regions are likely to experience significant rainfall.
¾ Historical Background € The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has
€ Bihar’s last comprehensive land survey dates to the issued a yellow alert, warning residents to prepare
British period in 1910-1911, with partial attempts for potential flooding.
made in 1967 and 1980. € Cyclone Dana is also influencing weather conditions
€ The current survey, initiated in 2013, aims to cover in neighboring states like Jharkhand and West Bengal.
all 45,000 revenue villages by 2025 . ¾ Colour- Coded Weather Warning:
¾ Scope and Process € It is issued by the IMD whose objective is to alert
€ Over 10,000 personnel, including land surveyors, people ahead of severe or hazardous weather which
have been deployed to digitize over 150 million has the potential to cause damage, widespread
land records. disruption or danger to life.

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€ The IMD uses 4 color codes are: Russell’s Viper Snake

z Green (All is well): No advisory is issued.
z Yellow (Be Aware): Yellow indicates severely bad Why in News?
weather spanning across several days. It also
suggests that the weather could change for the Recently, a man in Bihar shocked everyone by arriving
worse, causing disruption in day-to-day activities. at a hospital with the venomous snake (Russell’s Viper)
z Orange/Amber (Be prepared): The orange alert that had bitten him.
is issued as a warning of extremely bad weather
with the potential of disruption in commute Key Points
with road and rail closures, and interruption ¾ Russell’s Viper:
of power supply.
€ Russell’s Viper is one of India’s most dangerous
z Red (Take Action): When the extremely bad
weather conditions are certainly going to disrupt snakes. Its venom is hemotoxic, causing internal
travel and power and have significant risk to bleeding, muscle damage, and renal failure.
life, the red alert is issued. € Bites from this snake can be fatal if untreated,
€ These alerts are universal in nature and are also with symptoms including severe pain, swelling,
issued during floods, depending on the amount and bleeding​.
of water rising above land/in a river as a result of
¾ Venom and Antivenom:
torrential rainfall.
z For instance, when the water in a river is ‘above
€ Venom Composition: The venom of Russell’s Viper
normal’ level, or between the ‘warning’ and disrupts blood clotting, leading to internal bleeding.
‘danger’ levels, a yellow alert is issued. € Antivenom Production: Venom is extracted from
Cyclone snakes, injected into animals (usually horses),
which then produce antibodies. These antibodies
¾ Cyclones are rapid inward air circulation around a low-
pressure area. The air circulates in an anticlockwise are extracted to create antivenom​
direction in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise ¾ Legal Protection under WPA, 1972:
in the Southern hemisphere. € The Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 classifies
¾ Cyclones are usually accompanied by violent storms
Russell’s Viper as protected wildlife under schedule
and bad weather.
¾ The word Cyclone is derived from the Greek word II.
Cyclos meaning the coils of a snake. It was coined € Handling, capturing, or harming these snakes
by Henry Peddington because the tropical storms without permission is illegal.
in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea appear
like coiled serpents of the sea. Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
¾ There are two types of cyclones: ¾ The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides a legal
€ Tropical cyclones; and framework for the protection of various species
€ Extra Tropical cyclones (also called Temperate of wild animals and plants, management of their
cyclones or middle latitude cyclones or Frontal habitats, regulation, and control of trade in wild
cyclones or Wave Cyclones). animals, plants, and products made from them
¾ The World Meteorological Organisation uses the
term ‘Tropical Cyclone’ to cover weather systems ¾ The act also lists schedules of plants and animals
in which winds exceed ‘Gale Force’ (minimum of that are afforded varying degrees of protection and
63 km per hour). monitoring by the government.
€ Tropical cyclones develop in the region between ¾ India’s entry to the CITES (Convention on International
the Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer. They are Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
large-scale weather systems developing over Flora) was made easier by the Wildlife Act, 1972.
tropical or subtropical waters, where they get
organized into surface wind circulation. ¾ Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir was not covered by the
¾ Extra tropical cyclones occur in temperate zones Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The Indian Wildlife
and high latitude regions, though they are known Protection Act, 1972 now applies to J&K as a result
to originate in the Polar Regions. of the reorganisation act.

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Hooch Tragedy ¾ Industrial Production:
€ Methanol is primarily produced industrially
Why in News?
by combining carbon monoxide and hydrogen
Recently, a tragic hooch incident in Bihar has in the presence of copper and zinc oxide
claimed eight lives, drawing attention to the severe catalysts, typically at pressures of 50-100 atm
consequences of illicit liquor consumption. and temperatures around 250°C.
Key Points z Historically, methanol was also produced
through the destructive distillation of wood, a
¾ Hooch Formation Process:
method known since ancient times, including
€ Hooch, also known as illicit or spurious liquor, is
in ancient Egypt.
typically made by fermenting and distilling cheap
raw materials like molasses or grains. ¾ Industrial Uses:
€ Often, dangerous chemicals like methanol are € Methanol serves as a crucial precursor in the
added to speed up production or increase potency. production of acetic acid, formaldehyde, and
Methanol can cause fatal poisoning even in small various aromatic hydrocarbons. It is widely used
amounts. as a solvent, antifreeze, and in various industrial
¾ Contributing Factors: processes due to its chemical properties.
€ Despite strict prohibition laws, the underground ¾ Effect on Human Body:
liquor trade continues to thrive in Bihar. Poor € Metabolic Acidosis:
enforcement and high demand for alcohol contribute z Methanol in the body is broken down into
to recurring hooch incidents. toxic byproducts, primarily formic acid. This
€ Public health experts point to the need for better acid disrupts the body’s delicate pH balance
regulation and stronger policing to prevent the in the blood, leading to a condition called
sale of toxic alcohol. metabolic acidosis (production of excessive
¾ Prohibition Laws: acid that cannot be flushed out by kidneys).
€ Bihar has enforced a total prohibition on alcohol z This makes the blood more acidic, hindering
since 2016 under the Bihar Prohibition and its ability to function properly.
Excise Act, 2016. However, loopholes and weak € Cellular Oxygen Deprivation:
enforcement allow the illegal trade to flourish.
z Formic acid also interferes with an enzyme
€ The law includes stringent punishments for those
called cytochrome oxidase, which is crucial
involved in the production and sale of illicit liquor,
for cellular respiration. This disrupts the cells’
including heavy fines and imprisonment.
ability to use oxygen, leading to a buildup of
Methanol lactic acid and further contributing to acidosis.
¾ Methanol, chemically represented as CH3OH, is a € Vision Impairment:
simple alcohol molecule consisting of one carbon
z Methanol can damage the optic nerve
atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms and one
and retina, causing methanol-induced
hydroxyl group (OH).
optic neuropathy. This condition can lead
¾ Regulations:
to permanent vision problems, including
€ Methanol is classified under Schedule I of the
blindness.
Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous
Chemical Rules 1989 in India. € Brain Damage:
€ Indian Standard IS 517 specifies how the quality z It can cause cerebral edema (fluid buildup in
of methanol should be determined. the brain) and hemorrhage (bleeding). These
can lead to coma and death.

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Classical Language Demand z Establishment of Centers of Excellence for

Classical Language Studies.
for Maithili z The University Grants Commission will create
professional chairs for distinguished scholars
Why in News?
in classical languages, starting with central
Recently, the Janata Dal (United) party in Bihar has universities.
formally demanded the Indian government grant classical
€ Criteria for Declaring a Language as Classical:
language status to Maithili, following the inclusion of
As per the Ministry of Culture, the criteria for a
several other languages in this category.
language to be declared classical include:
Key Points z Age of the Language: The language must have

¾ Languages Recognized: The central government a documented history or early texts between
has recently granted classical language status to 1,500 and 2,000 years old.
languages including Marathi, Bengali, Pali, Prakrit, z Cultural Value: It should possess ancient

and Assamese. literature that its speakers regard as part of

€ Previously, languages such as Tamil, Sanskrit, their cultural legacy.
Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia were z Originality: The literary heritage must be original
recognized as classical. and not borrowed from other languages.
¾ Historical Context: Maithili has a literary history of z Discontinuity: There should be a clear distinction
around 1,300 years, and the state has demanded it between the classical language and its modern
to be classified as a classical language. forms, indicating a potential discontinuity in its
€ An expert committee constituted by the government development.
had made 11 recommendations in August 2018,
Other Provisions to Promote Language
including the inclusion of Maithili in classical
languages. ¾ Eighth Schedule: To encourage the continued
Understanding Classical Languages: development, enhancement, and promotion of the
€ The term “Indian classical languages,” or language. 8th Schedule consists of 22 languages:
“Semmozhi,” refers to languages with a long history € Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada,
and a rich literary legacy. Eleven languages are Kashmiri, Konkani, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi,
recognized as classical languages in India. Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil,
€ The recognized classical languages include: Telugu, Urdu, Bodo, Santhali, Maithili and Dogri.
z Tamil (2004)
¾ Article 344 (1) provides for the constitution of a
z Sanskrit (2005) Commission by the President on the expiration of five
z Telugu (2008) years from the commencement of the Constitution
z Kannada (2008) for the progressive use of Hindi .
z Malayalam (2013) ¾ Article 351 provides that it shall be the duty of the
z Odia (2014) Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language
z Marathi (2024) ¾ Other Efforts to Promote Languages:
z Bengali (2024)
€ Project ASMITA: The project ASMITA aims
z Pali (2024)
to produce 22,000 books in Indian languages
z Prakrit (2024) within five years.
z Assamese (2024)
€ New Education Policy (NEP): The NEP policy
€ Significance of Classical Language Status: According aims to turn Sanskrit universities into multi-
to a government resolution from 1st November, 2004, disciplinary institutions.
classical languages hold significant importance,
which includes: € Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL):
This institute works to promote four classical
z Annual international awards for scholars of
classical Indian languages. languages: Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Odia.

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Bihar’s Progress in It has two Hubs.
€

Basic Indicators z Team India Hub acts as interface between

States and Centre.
Why in News? z Knowledge and Innovation Hub builds the

Recently, NITI Aayog’s CEO highlighted Bihar’s think-tank acumen of NITI Aayog.
achievements in key development areas such as education, ¾ Composition:
health and governance. € Chairperson: Prime minister

Key Points € Vice-Chairperson: To be appointed by Prime-

Minister
¾ Performance in Education and Health: Bihar is making
€ Governing Council: Chief Ministers of all states
notable progress in basic indicators like education and
health, expected to catch up with national standards and Lt. Governors of Union Territories.
in a few years. € Regional Council: To address specific regional

¾ Aspirational Blocks: Improved governance and service issues, Comprising Chief Minister and Lt.
delivery are transforming aspirational blocks into Governors Chaired by the Prime Minister or
inspirational ones. his nominee.
¾ AI in Governance: Bihar is the first Indian state to € Ad-hoc Membership: Two members in ex-officio

implement an AI-driven decision support system for capacity from leading Research institutions on
policymakers and mid-career officers. a rotational.
¾ BIPARD’s Role: The Bihar Institute of Public € Ex-Officio membership: Maximum four from
Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) the Union council of ministers to be nominated
introduces three advanced labs focused on data- by the Prime Minister.
driven governance, simulation-based training, and € Chief Executive Officer: Appointed by the
collaborative policy formulation. Prime-minister for a fixed tenure, in the rank
€ Introduction of New Labs at BIPARD: of Secretary to Government of India.
z GenNext Lab: This lab will leverage secure € Special Invitees: Experts, Specialists with domain
artificial intelligence to train administrators in knowledge nominated by the Prime Minister.
data-driven decision-making, predictive analysis, ¾ Objectives:
and governance optimization.
€ To foster cooperative federalism through
z Niti Shala Lab: An immersive learning environment
structured support initiatives and mechanisms
using advanced simulation technologies. Trainees
with the States on a continuous basis, recognizing
will engage with real-world scenarios to enhance
that strong States make a strong nation.
their governance skills.
€ To develop mechanisms to formulate credible
z Viksit Chintan Kaksh: A collaborative space
plans at the village level and aggregate these
for state officers to strategize and deliberate
on pivotal policy decisions. Equipped with progressively at higher levels of government.
communication and data-sharing tools to drive € To ensure, on areas that are specifically referred

policy consensus and governance reforms. to it, that the interests of national security are
incorporated in economic strategy and policy.
NITI Aayog
€ To pay special attention to the sections of our
¾ Background:
society that may be at risk of not benefiting
€ Planning Commission was replaced by a new
adequately from economic progress.
institution NITI Aayog on 1st January, 2015
€ To provide advice and encourage partnerships
with emphasis on ‘Bottom –Up’ approach to
envisage the vision of Maximum Governance, between key stakeholders and national and
Minimum Government, echoing the spirit of international like-minded Think Tanks, as well
‘Cooperative Federalism’. as educational and policy research institutions.

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€ To create a knowledge, innovation and ¾ Promoting Women’s Empowerment and Sports

Infrastructure:
entrepreneurial support system through a
€ The tournament and its symbolic elements
collaborative community of national and
align with Bihar’s mission to promote women’s
international experts, practitioners and other
empowerment and further develop the state’s
partners. sports infrastructure.
€ To offer a platform for resolution of inter- € Hosting such prestigious international events brings
sectoral and inter-departmental issues in global attention to Bihar, creating new opportunities
order to accelerate the implementation of the for local talent and sports development.
development agenda. Women’s Asian Champions Trophy
€ To maintain a state-of-the-art Resource Centre, ¾ The Women’s Asian Champions Trophy is a biennial
be a repository of research on good governance international field hockey competition featuring
and best practices in sustainable and equitable the top six women’s national teams from member
development as well as help their dissemination associations of the Asian Hockey Federation.
to stakeholders. ¾ Key Highlights:
€ The tournament includes the best six women’s

Logo and Mascot for national teams from Asia.

€ South Korea holds the most titles, having won
Women’s Asian Champions the tournament three times.
Trophy, 2024 € India and Japan have each won the tournament
twice.
Why in News?
Recently, Bihar Chief Minister unveiled the logo and
mascot for the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy, 2024,
Bihar’s Annual Flood Crisis
set to take place in Rajgir, Bihar from 11th November to Why in News?
20th, 2024.
Bihar faces devastating floods every year due to its
unique geography and decades-old flood control methods.
Key Points
¾ Mascot Unveiling - ‘Gudiya’: Key Points
€ The mascot for the Women’s Asian Champions ¾ Flood-Prone Nature of Bihar
Trophy, 2024 is “Gudiya,” a term of endearment € Bihar is India’s most flood-prone state, with 76%
in Bihar for young girls. of North Bihar’s population affected.
€ Inspired by the house sparrow, an endangered € The region is crisscrossed by both snow-fed and

species, the mascot represents resilience, strength, rain-fed rivers, increasing flood risk.
and natural heritage. € Bihar is located below Nepal, with Himalayan rivers
(Kosi, Gandak, Bagmati) flowing into the state.
€ Gudiya’s bold stance and confident expression
€ These rivers carry high sediment loads due to
reflect the determination and athleticism of the
loose Himalayan soil, leading to overflow during
players, symbolizing empowerment and awareness
heavy rains.
for endangered species protection.
¾ Impact of Embankments:
¾ Logo Design:
€ Embankments along rivers like Kosi were built in
€ The logo features the Bodhi Tree, symbolizing the 1950s to control flooding.
growth and resilience, tied to Bihar’s spiritual € Embankments narrowed river channels, leading
heritage. to sediment buildup and higher riverbeds, making
€ The intertwining branches reflect the journey of an the rivers more prone to overflow.
athlete, connecting the past and future, showcasing € Kosi, known as the “sorrow of Bihar,” floods
Bihar’s increasing role in international sports. annually despite embankments.

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¾ Recent Flooding (2024):
€ Heavy rainfall and Nepal’s release of water from the Kosi barrage led to severe floods in North Bihar.

€ Embankments have breached in several districts, affecting 11.84 lakh people.

€ The Birpur barrage released 6.6 lakh cusecs of water, the highest in six decades.

¾ Economic and Social Impact:

€ Flooding results in crop loss, livestock destruction, damage to infrastructure, and forced migration.

€ Bihar government spends Rs 1,000 crore annually on flood relief and management.

¾ Proposed Solutions:
€ Structural: Proposals for dams and additional barrages on Kosi and other rivers.

€ Non-structural: Enhancing flood warnings, improving reaction times, public awareness, and training to mitigate
flood effects.

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Key Points Details

Summary
Key Points Details

Summary