Table of Contents:

1. The first nominated member included in the Panel of Vice-Chairman of the
    Rajya Sabha: P T Usha
2. India’s first biomass-based hydrogen plant to come up at Madhya Pradesh
3. National Festival for the Differently Abled – Sammohan 
4. Operation Dost: Search and Rescue Operation to aid Syria and Turkey

The first nominated member included in the Panel of Vice-Chairman of the Rajya Sabha: P T Usha 

Legendary athlete and MP P T Usha chaired a Rajya Sabha session for the first time. She was included in the panel of Vice-Chairman of the House in 2022. She is the first nominated member included in the panel of Vice-Chairman of the House. The panel of Vice Chairpersons, conduct the proceedings of the House when Chairman and Deputy Chairman are not available. 

Rajya Sabha 

• Chairman: Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar 

• Deputy Chairman: Shri Harivansh 

• Leader of the House: Shri Piyush Goyal 

• Leader of Opposition: Shri Mallikarjun Kharge 

• Secretary General: Shri P. C. Mody 

P T Usha 

• First nominated MP in history to become the Vice Chairperson of Rajya Sabha

• President of the Indian Olympic Association 

• Known as: Queen of Indian track and field, Golden Girl, Payyoli Express 

India’s first biomass-based hydrogen plant to come up at Madhya Pradesh

The country’s first commercial-scale biomass-based hydrogen plant is coming up in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. The plant is being put up by a joint venture of Watomo Energies Ltd and Biezel Green Energy with an investment of ?24 crore. The company owns the technology for a ‘thermally accelerated anerobic digestion (TAD) reactor’ that can produce hydrogen, methane and biochar from biomass. Biezel Green will own 50 per cent in the yet-to-be-named joint venture; the other 50 per cent will come from interested farmers. 

Features 

• From 30 tonnes of biomass feedstock, the plant will produce a tonne of hydrogen per day. 

• It will also produce biochar and methane. 

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan 

Union Cabinet Minister to the Ministry of Power: Raj Kumar Singh 

Union Cabinet Minister to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE): Raj Kumar Singh

National Arts Festival for the Differently Abled – Sammohan 

The national arts festival for the differently abled is organized by, The Academy of Magical Sciences, popularly known as the Magic Academy. It is first of the kind organized in India. As part of the festival children from the Different Arts Centre (DAC) will present a cultural fest at the Nishagandhi auditorium, Thiruvananthapuram. The programme will be inaugurated by Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar winner Aditya Suresh. The program is to raise awareness among the general public, parents, decision-makers, elected representatives, professionals, organizations and, institutions working in the field of disability, college/school students, corporate employees and other sections of society. 

What is DAC? 

Different Arts Centre (DAC), is an organisation to educates and empowers specially abled children with various disabilities. 

• Founder: Gopinath Muthukad  

• Founded in: 2019 

• Situated in: Thiruvananthapuram 

• Mission: To act as a window of opportunity in identifying, training and refining the basic talents of differently abled children in various art forms. 

Operation Dost: Search and Rescue Operation to aid Syria and Turkey

On 6 February 2023, a series of violent earthquakes struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria. The earthquake in Turkey was hit by a 7.8 Ritcher. The earthquake was followed by numerous aftershocks, hours after the main quake. The earthquake caused severe damage to the people and was catastrophic. To help the people of Turkey, India launched the rescue operation “Operation Dost”.  In Hindi the word Dost means friend.  

Operation Dost 

• India immediately sent NDRF squads for rescue operations in affected areas. 

• The Indian Air Force sent a C-17 to Adana with 47 personnel from the NDRF. 

• India provided Garuda Aerospace's Droni Drones to the most affected areas. It helps to identify those trapped under rubble. 

• Provided modified Kisan Drones carrying medications, food, and supplies. 

• The Agra-based Army Field Hospital dispatched 89 medical staff.   

As of 9 February 2023, India has sent a total of six C-17 aircraft. 

• Turkish Ambassador to India: Firat Sunel   

• Capital of Turkey: Ankara 

• Minister of External Affairs India: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar