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KA

In 2011, the Jan Lokpal Bill, also known as the "Citizen's Ombudsman Bill", was a proposed anti-corruption bill crafted by then civil society activists mainly Santosh Hegde, Prashant Bhushan and Arvind Kejriwal. It aimed to establish an independent body tasked with investigating corruption cases within one year and conducting trials within the subsequent year. The Parliamentary Standing Committee led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi tabled the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013 in the Rajya Sabha on 9 December 2011. The bill subsequently was pass on 27 December 2011. Gandhi opines that the Lokpal should be made a constitutional body and it should be made accountable to the Parliament, just like the Election Commission of India. He opined that Lokpal alone cannot root out corruption, rather a strong political will is needed to remove corruption.

Home affairs

In August 2006, Union Council of Ministers assented to the demands of the Uttaranchal Legislative Assembly and leading members of the Uttarakhand statehood movement to rename Uttaranchal state as Uttarakhand. Legislation to that effect was passed by the Uttaranchal Legislative Assembly in October 2006,[26] and the Union Council of Ministers brought in the bill in the winter session of Parliament. The bill was passed by the Parliament and signed into law by then President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam in December 2006, and since 1 January 2007 the state has been known as Uttarakhand.

However, the region was renamed Uttaranchal by the central and state governments during a state reorganization effort in 1998. This change was intended to avoid separatist implications associated with the name Uttarakhand, which had been prominent in statehood movements. This renaming sparked considerable controversy among activists and residents, who viewed it as a political maneuver to overshadow the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal, a key activist party. Despite official adoption, the name Uttaranchal did not gain the same level of popularity in the region as Uttarakhand.

LEAD

The state hosts the Bengal tiger in Jim Corbett National Park, the oldest national park of the Indian subcontinent. The Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the upper expanses of Bhyundar Ganga near Joshimath in Gharwal region, is known for the variety and rarity of its flowers and plants. One who raised this was Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, who visited the region. As a consequence, Lord Dalhousie issued the Indian Forest Charter in 1855, reversing the previous laissez-faire policy. The following Indian Forest Act of 1878 put Indian forestry on a solid scientific basis. A direct consequence was the founding of the Imperial Forest School at Dehradun by Dietrich Brandis in 1878. Renamed the 'Imperial Forest Research Institute' in 1906, it is now known as the Forest Research Institute.

The model "Forest Circles" around Dehradun, used for training, demonstration and scientific measurements, had a lasting positive influence on the forests and ecology of the region. The Himalayan ecosystem provides habitat for many animals (including bharal, snow leopards, leopards and tigers), plants, and rare herbs.

State list

With the elevation of 190 metres (620 ft) above sea level, Sharda Sagar Reservoir is the lowest land point in Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand as a part of Uttar Pradesh, 1950–2000

With the elevation of 7,816 metres (25,643 ft) above sea level, Nanda Devi is the highest mountain in Uttarakhand and the second-highest mountain in India, following Kangchenjunga in Sikkim.