Context

• Recently in a Major boost to entrepreneurship, Uttar Pradesh Government at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow held this two-day entrepreneurial festival is part of the flagship Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (CM YUVA Yojana).

About the Conclave

• It is designed to empower youth aged 21–40 across Uttar Pradesh. 
• The conclave provides a robust platform for startup support under the state's entrepreneurship mission
• The attendees included over 5,000 students, startups, apprentices, along with representatives from 150+ franchise brands, 500+ suppliers, 25+ banks, 30 government departments, and universities like IIT Kanpur and Ambedkar University.

Key Components and Initiatives

UP Mart Portal

• A newly unveiled digital marketplace, UP Mart, connects entrepreneurs directly with machinery and resource suppliers, making it easier to acquire equipment and tools boosting Digitilisation.

Exhibition Pavilions

The Exhibition Displayed:

• Franchise business models across food, wellness, education
• Business-on-Wheels models—smart carts like mobile salons and food stalls
• Machinery & MSME product suppliers for startups

MoUs & Institutional Partnerships

• In a Major boost a total of 17 Memorandums of Understanding were signed across manufacturing, services, and startup incubation, involving academic institutions, government bodies, and industry players.

Schemes and Financial Support

• So far more than 68,000 youth have received interest-free, collateral-free loans totaling ₹2,751 crore—including loans up to ₹5 lakh and a 10% margin money subsidy. 
• While some reports cite 67,897 beneficiaries and ₹2,751.82 crore disbursed.
• The scheme is open to youth with at least an 8th-grade education and skill certification in their chosen field making it more inclusive.

Future Expansion Plans and Next Steps

• The State Government will hold and organize similar conclaves and expos across all 18 divisional headquarters across Uttar Pradesh to extend entrepreneurship outreach statewide.
• The scheme continues its nationwide expansion through campaigns like One District One Product (ODOP) and Vishwakarma Shram Samman, integrating traditional industry support with startup development.

Significance of the Programme 

• It will provide access to capital, equipment, mentorship, and market linkages to the Youth of the State creating Employment Opportunities.
• It bridges gaps between academia and industry with direct university and institutional involvement making it more inclusive.
• It embraces innovation-friendly, low-barrier business models like mobile enterprises and franchising enhancing Ease of Doing Business.

Context

• On the third Monday (28th July 2025) of the sacred Shrawan month, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a historic holy water exchange programme between the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the Shri Jyotirilingas Temple.

Background

• The exchange programme is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Kashi-Tamil Sangmam Initiative, aimed at fostering closer ties between the people of Kashi (Varanasi) and Tamil Nadu. 
• It is a part of bringing Cultural and Spiritual Unity within nation.

Features of the Programme

• Exchange of Sacred Elements: Urns containing Triveni Sangam water and sand from Prayagraj (Holy Confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati) were ceremonially exchanged with Kodi Tirtham water and sand from the Lord Rameswaram Temple.
• These were exchanged between the representatives of the Devakottai Zamindar Family Trust (DZFT) of Shri Rameswaram Jyotirlinga and officials of Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust. 
• The exchanged water will be used for the 'Jalabhishek' (ritual bathing) of both Lord Vishwanath and Lord Ramanathaswamy. 

Other Facets

• The water brought from Rameswaram Temple will be used for the Jalabhishek of Lord Vishwanath on Shrawan Purnima on August 9, 2025.
• Tradition Revived: The practice institutionalizes a centuries-old tradition, with official backing to make it a recurring monthly ritual between both shrines, formalized on June 19, 2025.

Significance of the Programme

• Cultural Unity: This initiative reinforces the unity between north and south India through shared spiritual practice enhancing the idea of Ek Bharat - Shresth Bharat.
• Religious Continuity: Officially brings to life scriptural traditions connecting two major Jyotirlingas—Lord Vishwanath (Varanasi) Temple  and Lord Ramanathaswamy Temple (Rameswaram).

Context

• The Uttar Pradesh government is aiming to make the state self-reliant in high-quality seed production by establishing five state-of-the-art seed parks across different agro climatic zones.

About the Initiative: Key Points

• The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a major initiative to establish five state-of-the-art seed parks, each situated in a different agro‑climatic zone—Western UP, Terai, Central UP, Bundelkhand, and Eastern UP.
• This ₹2,500 crore PPP‑based programme is designed to ensure local production of high-yielding seeds tailored to each region’s crop requirements.
• The seed parks will address region-specific crop needs and ensure the availability of quality seeds, with an investment of Rs 2,500 crore over the next three years. 

Location

• The first park which occupies around 130.63 acres in Attari, Lucknow, which is named after former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, with ₹266.70 crore earmarked for its development.

Infrastructure

• The State Government is providing Modern facilities, including seed production units, processing plants, storage warehouses, hybrid and speed-breeding labs, cold chains, R&D, greenhouse space, and DNA fingerprinting labs.

Quality Assurance

• It will tackle the problem of low germination—3,630 out of 1,33,588 seed samples tested between 2023–24 were substandard—by ensuring regional high‑quality seed production and better Seed Replacement Rate, SRR.

Benefit of the Scheme

• Job Creation : Across all five parks, approximately 6,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs will be generated, benefiting nearly 40,000 seed-producing farmers. 
• The state expects to save around Rs 3,000 crore annually by producing seeds locally, strengthening the local economy and creating jobs in production, logistics, and transport. 
• It will create a robust regional seed ecosystem, addressing reliability, quality, and access to the farmers increasing their income.
• Yield Improvement: :Officials estimate that better seed availability could narrow the yield gap by 15-20%. 
• Uttar Pradesh has the largest cultivable land and the highest irrigated area in the country, but lags behind states like Punjab and Haryana in per hectare yeilds