Why in the News?

On the occasion of Uttarakhand's 25^th anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his remarks celebrating the state’s progress and outlining his vision for its future. He highlighted the remarkable achievements made by Uttarakhand, including the state’s rapid development in infrastructure, governance, and economic growth. This marks a significant milestone in Uttarakhand's journey as it enters its silver jubilee year.

About 25^th Uttarakhand Stapna Diwas

• PM’s Vision for Uttarakhand’s Development
  • PM Modi expressed his delight at the progress Uttarakhand has made over the past 25 years.
  • He credited the BJP-led NDA government for its role in the state’s creation, which was the result of persistent struggle by the people of Uttarakhand.
  • The PM emphasized the transformative changes that have taken place in the state, such as achieving the highest growth in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improving the ease of doing business.
• PM’s Nine Requests: On this auspicious occasion, PM Modi made nine requests—five to the people of Uttarakhand and four to tourists visiting the state:
  • To Uttarakhand's residents:
    • Teach and preserve the rich dialects like Garhwali, Kumaoni, and Jaunsari.
    • Support the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” movement to plant trees.
    • Protect rivers and Naul by conserving water resources.
    • Stay connected with their villages and preserve old Tiwari houses.
    • Convert old homes into homestays to create economic opportunities.
  • To tourists:
    • Prioritize cleanliness and avoid plastic use in the Himalayas.
    • Support local products by spending a portion of the travel budget locally.
    • Follow traffic rules in the mountainous terrain.
    • Learn about local customs and regulations before visiting religious sites.

About Uttarakhand

• It was formed on the 9^th November 2000 as the 27^th State of India.
  • It was carved out of northern Uttar Pradesh (U.P.).
• Capital: Dehradun
• Location: At the foothills of the Himalayan Mountain ranges.
  • It is largely a hilly State.
  • On its north-west lies Himachal Pradesh, while on the south is Uttar Pradesh
• International Borders: With China (Tibet) in the north and Nepal in the east.
• It is rich in natural resources especially water and forests with many glaciers, rivers, dense forests and snow-clad mountain peaks.
• Char-dhams: The four most sacred and revered Hindu temples of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are nestled in the mighty mountains.
• Biodiversity: It is blessed with rare biodiversity. Inter-alia, 175 rare species of aromatic & medicinal plants are found in the State.
• Climatic Zones: It has almost all major climatic zones, making it amenable to a variety of commercial opportunities in horticulture, floriculture and agriculture.
• Minerals: The State is rich in mineral deposits like limestone, marble, rock phosphate, dolomite, magnesite, copper, gypsum, etc.
• Economy:
  • The number of small-scale industries is 25,294 providing employment to 63,599 persons.
  • As many as 1802 heavy and medium industries with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore employ 5 lakh persons.
  • Most of the industries are forest-based. There is a total of 54,047 handicraft units in the state.