Context

• Recently, Under the Pre - Metric Scholarship Programme, the Uttar Pradesh government has doubled the monthly maintenance allowance for disabled individuals residing in special and recognized institutions—from ₹2,000 to ₹4,000 per month.

About the News

• A total of 2,650 students across 28 residential schools under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities will benefit from this enhanced support.
• According to the data of the UP government, over 50 lakh students benefit from the state’s scholarship and fee reimbursement programs every year, including around 14-15 lakh from the Scheduled Castes.
• A special Divyangjan Employment Campaign has also been launched from August 6 to August 13, aiming to facilitate employment for the trained disabled beneficiaries.

Other Key Points

• Excluding Criteria: The government has made students above 40 years of age ineligible for scholarships, whereas previously, there was no maximum age limit for applicants.
• Students passing their high school exams from state boards outside UP will no longer be eligible for scholarships, but those from central boards like CBSE and ICSE will still receive them.
• The amended scheme will also exclude students of UP campuses run by universities domiciled outside the state from receiving scholarships.

Mandatory Provisions

• Digi Locker registration will now be mandatory for scholarship applicants, enabling automatic Aadhaar-based data verification and helping prevent fraud.
• Increased Amount for SC Students: For Schedule Caste students, the yearly scholarship amount will be increased by Rs 500, taking the total to Rs 3,500 per annum.
• Under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, the income limit restriction has been removed for children of families engaged in unhygienic professions such as manual scavenging and working with raw leather, allowing them to avail the benefits of the scholarship scheme.

Context

• Uttar Pradesh in a Major move setting four High Tech Wildlife Rescue Centres across the state.

About the News

• The Uttar Pradesh Forest & Wildlife Department is setting up four modern rescue centres at:
• Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary (Meerut)
• Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
• Sohagibarwa Wildlife Sanctuary (Maharajganj)
• Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary (Chitrakoot)

Locations

• These centers strategically cover Western UP, the Terai, Awadh, and Bundelkhand regions to manage increasing encounters with large carnivores like tigers, leopards, and jackals

Budgetry Allocation

• The state has allocated ₹57.2 crore for this initiative under the Programme.

Execution

• It is executed by Construction and Design Services (CNDS). 

Wildlife in Uttar Pradesh

• National Parks in Uttar Pradesh - 1, Dudhwa National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary - 25

Tiger Reserves

• Dudhwa Tiger Reserve — Includes Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary, and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
• Pilibhit Tiger Reserve — It is a separate tiger reserve, notified in 2014
• Amangarh Tiger Reserve —It is located in Bijnor district, buffer area of the Corbett landscape and it was notified in 2012.

Context

• The Uttar Pradesh government has secured financial approval of Rs 12,031 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban 2.0, aimed at constructing permanent pucca houses for the urban poor. 

Key Points

• The scheme is being closely monitored by both state and district-level officials to ensure timely delivery and quality standards. 
• Geo-tagging and photographic documentation will be mandatory to allow real-time construction monitoring. 
• Houses will be equipped with disaster-resilient features to withstand earthquakes, floods, and other calamities. 
• CM Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to ensure strict adherence to quality and transparency.

About PMAY 2.0 (Urban)

• Launch Year: 2024 (PMAY-U was originally launched in 2015)  
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA)  
• Type: Centrally Sponsored Scheme  
• Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS) component is Central Sector Scheme  
• Eligibility: EWS/LIG/MIG families without pucca house; income up to ₹9 lakh  
• Benefits: Subsidy for all-weather pucca houses  
• Target: 1 crore urban families (construction, purchase, rental)  
• Total Outlay: ₹10 lakh crore (₹2.3 lakh crore Central Assistance)  
• Coverage Area: The scheme covers all statutory towns notified in the Census 2011 and towns notified subsequently by State Governments.  
• Notified Planning Areas and regions under Urban Development or Industrial Authorities are included under PMAY-U 2.0.