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All of us have so many documents that prove our identity. We have an Aadhar card, a passport, PAN card, driving licence and so on. Imagine a Utopian world where you had only one ID to rule them all. Sounds like the perfect reality, doesn't it? Well, soon, India could adopt this policy of having just one ID card that serves all purposes.
What's the update?
With the 2021 national census creeping up slowly, there are plans to do away with the tedious, age-old pen and paper style. Owing to this, the authorities are making plans for One card that integrates all details of an Indian.
The national census in 2021 will be the biggest one ever in the history of the world and the government is cautious enough to not take any chances. At the same time, they are planning to introduce new cards for everyone, which in itself is a major hurdle to get across.
What issues will be faced?
For one, stations where one can get this card made will have to be set up. Considering the population of India, that is not an easy task. Apart from that, there is also the issue of explaining it to the uneducated class of people, which make up about 36% of the entire population.
As for the cards themselves, they will have some major plus points. They will eliminate the need for you to carry around a bunch of documents, solely for the purpose of proving your identity. Since one card will be utilized for everything, it should help streamline a lot of processes regarding administration.
What other plans?
Along with the new cards, it is also proposed that the entire census 2021 take place using a mobile app. This is something that also has similar problems like the other proposed idea.
Though a majority of Indians have smartphones these days, the task of explaining and monitoring the entire process will be a chore. In addition to that, making the app as simple as possible is also something that will take a long time.
Knock Knock
If this ambitious plan comes to fruition, it will be one of the best things to happen to the nation. A step towards a more developed and technologically progressive nation is one that we welcome with open arms.
Kanpur is known for many things- being a forgotten industrial hub, one of the most polluted cities in India and also, the country's leading leather hub. If that is all you think of when you hear Kanpur's name, get ready to see the city in a whole new light.
According to a recent update, Kanpur has been ranked 8th among the top 10 smart cities of the country!
The Smartest City in UP!
Kanpur, which is home to the only IIT in the state, has defeated the capital city of Uttar Pradesh and has stood as the crowned winner when it came to being "smart".
After a recent assessment by the Union ministry of Housing and Urban Development, a list of the country's smartest 10 cities was created. The list placed Kanpur on the 8th position while Ahmadabad stood first, followed by Nagpur, Ranchi, Bhopal, Tiruppur, Surat and Vishakhapatnam, at third to seventh position and Vadodara and Vellore at ninth and tenth.
Kanpur has made quite some progress since the last survey, which happened only last year, where the city did not make the "Top 10" cut.
What Changed?
Kanpur got the lead with its integrated traffic management systems, open gyms in six parks around the city, AstroTurf at Green Park as well as four modern garbage transfer systems, reports TOI.
According to reports, Kanpur has been quick to complete several projects under the smart city initiative and new projects worth ₹900 crore have also been taken up by Kanpur Smart City Limited.
Knock Knock
Along with the Smart City Project, if Kanpur could also take care of its air and the increasing pollution levels, residents would finally be able to see their city progressing!
The dream of Kanpur Metro which has been under wraps for quite some time now is finally coming true. The metro network which is expected to bring tons of development opportunities to the city and provide people with a faster, more reliable means of transport, is finally becoming a reality!
Earlier it was reported that the Kanpur Metro has been given major NOCs from necessary departments and the plan was to begin work as soon as possible. According to new updates, the Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) which is also the driving force behind Kanpur metro has set August 19 as the date for floating the civil tenders. Hopefully the construction work will follow suit and begin by October.
This news has us super excited, because the beginning of metro work means that within a few years people of Kanpur would be able to avail the modern metro services. This will not only make our commute easy, it would also provide seamless connectivity throughout the city.
According to a report by Dainik Jagran, Kumar Keshav the Managing Director of UPMRC has assured that basic structures of the station would be prepared by 2020.
As of now, two of the metro corridors have been confirmed. The first corridor will connect IIT Kanpur to Naubasta area, covering a stretch of 26 kms. The second corridor will run from Agricultural University to Barra-8, with eight overall stations and 9 kms in length.
Kanpur metro is not only expected to provide connectivity but also bring about an era of rounded development and growth for the city.
In the present times, we’re all becoming increasingly aware about our dietary needs- what is good for us and why, yet somehow there is a lingering disconnect between the origins of our food and us!
Of course our food comes from the super markets and local shops yet the main source is always agriculture. Given the need to produce in abundance, many farmers have resorted to chemical farming which includes the heavy usage of pesticides and fertilizers which deteriorates our health further.
To combat such issues which are threatening mankind at large, Dhaanika has taken up two ventures- Zero Budget Nature Farming which propels organic produce and women empowerment, through this programme!
What is this about?
Dhaanika is a fusion of 3 words- Dhaan, Dhaani, Dhaanika which means Grain, Goodness, and Prosperity because they’re on a pursuit to make agriculture flourish for farmers and their consumers alike.
A Kanpur based start-up, Dhaanika strives to provide its consumers with food items that are not only chemical free but also acquired through the goodness of traditional Indian farming wisdom. Although it takes time to grown these crops since it is all natural and environment friendly, these items come loaded with nutrition and the taste isn’t at all compromised.
They also aspire to promote ‘zero budget nature farming’ among women led ‘farmer-groups' which includes food processing and provisions of a market space in which they can flourish and trade chemical-free grubs!
Under the Dhaanika brand, they market their organic Rices, Oils, Pulses, Flours, Spices and so on and all of their products are certified organic and FSSAI certified. So there should be no second-thoughts about investing in this brand’s items since it’s all safe to consume and of course, a healthier alternative to other available options.
Women Empowerment!
Dhaanika presently is working in Kanpur & 5 other districts of Uttar Pradesh with around 1200 women farmers where they are growing organic food and establishing a footprint in this vast market. With Dhaanika’s support, women farmers of UP are able to empower themselves in the social and economic context too! Each district has women farmers with their own style of organization and they carry out activities in an autonomous fashion with no central control.
This ‘organic brand’ represents the set-up of ecological farming which assists the farmers to grow their economy and helps the consumers to revamp their well-being! Dhaanika’s movement is rapidly reaping vigour through the spirit of volunteerism, ethical engagements and conscious production system. This is a step towards saving the local bio-diversity and conserving our natural resources too and we’re applauding their efforts!
Location: Dhaanika Store, In front of Kanha Galaxy, Cocacola Chauraha, Kanpur
A city that’s expanding at an exponential rate, Kanpur is one of the fastest developing cities that you have to look out for. With dazzling new buildings coming up, a growing share in the country’s economy and a major contributor to the GDP growth, Kanpur is one city that has it all and in the near future, could be a model for other cities to follow.
However, one area where the city lacks is the metro rail system. However, now that the LMRC authorities (who will spearhead Kanpur metro as well) have received NOCs from most of the necessary departments, they plan to begin work in full swing and get the metro ready as soon as they can.
After a long, long wait, the metro has received NOCs (no objection certificates) from all the major authorities barring the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). According to officials, the NOC from NHAI should be received in a little over a week’s time.
To fully understand the extent of this development, it is vital to understand what an NOC is, and how it’ll help the LMRC in this case. Basically, the NOC is a certification that states that the respected authorities have cleared any formalities that they need to go through in order to get the infrastructure up and running.
The plan for Kanpur metro has been on the table for a while now. The studies for implementing the system have commenced and construction of the metros will follow suit. As of now, two corridors of the metro have been confirmed. The first corridor of the metro will connect IIT to Naubasta, covering a stretch of 26km.
The first phase of its construction will connect IIT to Moti Jheel and the second one from Harsh Nagar to Naubasta, making for a total of 33km.
The other proposed corridor will cover a distance of 10 km and connect CSA University to Jarauli. Kanpur metro certainly comes as a boon for the residents of the city as it will connect a number of major areas of the city and reduce travel times. The metro could also help in reducing the vehicular traffic on main city roads thereby lowering the city’s pollution.
While 14 metro stations have been proposed on a 15-km overhead stretch of the first corridor, eight have been planned for the 9-km long underground route. Likewise, in the second corridor of 9 km, five stations will be built on the 4.5-km overhead route and four stations on 4.5-km underground route.
In order to complete the project, the government is investing ₹13,721 Crores into the two corridors and Phase 1 of the metro is said to take ₹9,000 crores of the total. As of now, the goal is to complete work and have the metro running by 2022. Three years is a long time and we hope that in the coming future, we get a chance to take a spin around the metro. Now that the NOCs have been received, it’s just a matter of time before construction starts.
For more updates, follow Knocksense Kanpur on Facebook.
Delhi has always been at the top of the pollution radar. It’s of course because of factors like too many vehicles, the massive population levels, ineffective pollution management amidst other reasons! The need of the hour is to monitor the rise and development of pollutants in the city and to devise ways to minimize it.
Along similar lines, we have news which is making us aware about the occurrences in the city, in terms of air contamination and steps being undertaken by the authorities.
What’s the News?
Heeding to the needs of the capital, IIT Kanpur and Ericsson have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deploy a NB-IoT based sensor network to monitor air pollution in Delhi.
As part of this official agreement, Ericsson will implement locally-developed air quality sensors that are capable of sharing and monitoring environmental data at defined time intervals. This will lead to an in-depth analysis of the collected data from different locales of the city. The results will be further shared with local authorities and other key stakeholders in the venture, on a periodic basis to keep everyone in the loop.
According to various sources, these will be "India’s first NB-IoT based low cost Particulate Matter sensors" and the gathered information will be of crucial help in addressing pollution issues.
This partnership also includes working with community-based organizations to raise awareness regarding air pollution and it’ll create a dialogue on how to reduce it.
Nitin Bansal, head of Ericsson India, stated that the NB-IoT based-sensors would be placed at strategic locations in the city. "The sensors are automated and will relay information on defined time intervals, providing data on pollution levels, sources and locations in a sustainable and cost-efficient way," he mentioned.
This step is actually making us heave sighs of relief since we, Delhizens, know that the pollution quandary in the city is taking our breath away and we don’t mean it in a good way! With this step, we can only hope for the best and do our part to slash the causes.
Of late, we’ve heard a lot about the revolutionary Vande Bharat Express train. Touted to be one of the most modern trains of our times, Vande Bharat Express will finally undergo its trial run today. Originating from Delhi and terminating at Kanpur (for the trial run), the train will take you on a quick 4 hour journey, which majorly cuts down travel times between the two places. Read on to know all the details about the trial runs.
Though the entire route of the train will take travellers from Delhi to Varanasi via Kanpur, the trial run is only from Delhi to Kanpur. The trial is mainly being conducted to gauge the response from passengers and check if everything is in order. As per authorities the main draw of this train is that it will take passengers to their destinations in just a matter of four hours.
For the uninitiated, Vande Bharat Express is the first fully homeland developed and built semi-high speed train. The train has a top speed of 130 kmph, which is higher than the average train speed. In fact, passengers can cover the entire distance of the train- from Delhi to Varanasi in just 8 hours.
Though as of now, this is the proposed route, there are plans to have it running on many other routes as well. This is mainly because the trains are fast and less time consuming. The train is also equipped with many conveniences and facilities that make your journey a more comfortable one.
The chairs and seats are specially made so that longer journeys don’t have to be a hassle. Additionally, they also have state of the art bathrooms, which add to the comfort of the train.
As for the fares themselves, they are a bit on the steep end but for the convenience, it is completely worth it. For a ticket from Delhi to Varanasi, you’ll be shelling out ₹1760. For the executive class ticket however, it’ll cost you a bomb at ₹3310.
At any rate the conveniences in the train make it all worthwhile. We are glad to see that a train built under the Make in India project is gaining so much traction and has a plethora of features to boast about.