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Type: PIB

  • India joins High Ambition Coalition (HAC)

    India has officially joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, a group of more than 70 countries encouraging the adoption of the global goal to protect 30×30.

    High Ambition Coalition (HAC)

    Aim: To promote an international agreement to protect at least 30 % the of world’s land and ocean by 2030

    • The HAC is an informal group of approximately 61 countries within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
    • It is committed to advancing progressive proposals on climate ambition.
    • The HAC was founded by the Republic of the Marshall Islands in 2014 with the aim of ensuring the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, was as ambitious as possible.
    • The Republic of the Marshall Islands serves as the convener and secretariat of the HAC.
    • The global 30×30 goal is currently a centerpiece of the treaty.

    Members

    • HAC members currently include a mix of countries in the global north and south; European, Latin American, Africa and Asia countries are among the members.
    • India is the first of the BRICS bloc of major emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) to join the HAC.

     

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  • [pib] Central Asian Flyway

    The two-day meeting of 30 range countries of Central Asian Flyway has begun.

    What is Central Asian Flyway?

    • Central Asian Flyway (CAF) is a flyway covering a large continental area of Eurasia between the Arctic Ocean and the Indian Ocean and the associated island chains.
    • It comprises several important migration routes of waterbirds, most of which extend from the northernmost breeding grounds in Siberia to the southernmost non-breeding wintering grounds in West Asia, India, the Maldives and the British Indian Ocean Territory.
    • The CAF range is essentially centred on one of the three major wintering areas of waterfowl in the Old World, namely the Indian subcontinent, the other two being Africa.
    • There are also the African-Eurasian Flyway (AEWA) to the west, and south-east Asia in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAAF) to the east.
    • These wintering areas are geographically separate, and present entirely different ecological, historical and cultural situations.

    Range countries

    • The flyway covers 30 countries of North, Central and South Asia and Trans-Caucasus.
    • India is the core country of the CAF and supports 257 species of water birds.

    Major migratory birds

    • Critically Endangered – northern bald ibis, white-bellied heron, Baer’s pochard
    • Endangered – greater adjutant
    • Vulnerable – black-necked crane, Indian skimmer, lesser adjutant, masked finfoot, Socotra cormorant, wood snipe
    • Near Threatened – black-headed ibis, lesser flamingo, pygmy cormorant, white-eyed gull

    Why designate such flyways?

    • Approximately one in five of the world’s 11,000 bird species11,000 bird species migrate, some covering enormous distances.
    • Conserving migratory birds requires cooperation and coordination along the entire flyway between countries and across national boundaries.

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  • [pib] National Road Safety Board

    The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has notified the constitution of the National Road Safety Board.

    National Road Safety Board

    • The NRSB will be constituted of a panel of seven members and a chairman, with the members having experience in the fields related to road safety, traffic regulation, urban planning, civil engineering and police enforcement and investigation.
    • Additionally, the board will also comprise of technical committees to look into a variety of aspects of road safety from civil engineering to vehicle construction and safety equipment.

    Why need such board?

    • Along with the rapid expansion and up-gradation on the road network and the enforcement of higher safety standards for vehicles, the Government is now actively looking into the safety of roads too.

    Terms of reference

    • The Head Office of the Board shall be in the National Capital Region and the Board may establish offices at other places in India.
    • The Board shall be responsible for promoting road safety, innovation and adoption of new technology and for regulating traffic and motor vehicles.

    For this purposes, inter alia, the Board shall formulate

    • specific standards for road safety, traffic management and road construction for hilly regions
    • guidelines for capacity building and development of skills for traffic police, hospital authorities, highway authorities, educational and research organizations and other organizations
    • guidelines for establishing and operating trauma facilities and para-medical facilities, for consideration by the Central Government
    • provide technical advice and assistance to the Central Government, State Governments and local authorities on road safety and traffic management

    Key provision: Protection of Samaritans

    • The board aims to promote Good Samaritans and good practices in road safety and traffic management
    • Good Samaritans who rescue victims of serious road accidents and rush them to a hospital within the golden hour will now be rewarded with ₹5,000.
    • They will also be eligible for a cash prize of ₹1 lakh which will be given to 10 such Samaritans in a year.
    • It has been felt that there is a need to motivate the general public through cash awards and certificates to help the road accident victims in emergency situation and to boost their morale.
    • The categories of accidents that will make one eligible for the award will include those that result in a major surgery or minimum three days of hospitalisation or brain and spinal cord injuries.

    Do you know?

    The ‘golden hour’ has been defined as ‘the time period lasting one hour following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood of preventing death by providing prompt medical care.

     

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  • [pib] GI tagged sweet dish Mihidana

    The first consignment of GI-tagged sweet dish Mihidana sourced from Bardhaman, West Bengal has been exported to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

    About Mihidana

    • Mihidana, described as the micro cousin of the traditional Boondi, is derived from two words, Mihi meaning fine, and Dana, meaning grain.
    • The dessert is made from powdered Kaminibhog, Gobindobhog and basmati rice, mixed with a small amount of gram flour and saffron for a golden colour.
    • It is then blended with water by hand till its colour lightens.
    • This mix is then poured through a brass ladle with tiny holes into a pot of ghee and deep-fried.
    • The fine fried small rice-like grains are dipped in sugar syrup and drained once soaked.

    Back2Basics: Geographical Indication

    • A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
    • Nodal Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
    • India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 w.e.f. September 2003.
    • GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
    • GI is granted for a term of 10 years in India. As of today, more than 300 GI tags has been allocated so far in India (*Wikipedia).
    • The tag stands valid for 10 years.

     

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Which of the following has/have been accorded ‘Geographical Indication’ status?

    1. Banaras Brocades and Sarees
    2. Rajasthani Daal-Bati-Churma
    3. Tirupathi Laddu

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”e2pqlqv8zy” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • [pib] DigiSaksham Initiative

    The Ministry of Labour and Employment has launched DigiSaksham Initiative.

    DigiSaksham

    • It is joint initiative with Microsoft India is an extension of the Government’s ongoing programs to support the youth from rural and semi-urban areas.
    • Through DigiSaksham initiative, free of cost training in digital skills including basic skills as well as advance computing, will be provided to more than 3 lakh youths in the first year.
    • The Jobseekers can access the training through National Career Service (NCS) Portal.
    • DigiSaksham will be implemented in the field by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India (AKRSP-I).

    Training offered

    • Under the initiative, there will be basically three types of training viz. Digital Skills – Self paced learning, VILT mode training (Virtual Instructor led) and ILT mode training (Instructor led).
    • The ILT training which is in person training would be conducted at the Model Career Centres (MCCs) and National Career Service Centres (NCSC) for SCs/STs across the country.
    • Students will be able to access training in areas like Java Script, Data Visualisation, Advance Excel, Power Bi, HTML, Programming languages, software development fundamentals, Introduction to coding etc.

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  • [pib] Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Mechanism

    Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy has given his assent to amendments in the existing Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism.

    What are RECs?

    • Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) is a policy instrument to catalyze the development of renewable energy.
    • It is a market-based mechanism that will help the states meet their regulatory requirements (such as Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs)) by overcoming the geographical constraints on existing renewable potential in different states.

    REC Mechanism

    • REC mechanism is a market-based instrument to promote renewable energy and facilitate compliance of renewable purchase obligations (RPO).
    • It is aimed at addressing the mismatch between availability of RE resources in state and the requirement of the obligated entities to meet the RPO.
    • 1 REC is treated as equivalent to 1 MWh.

    How many types of RECs are there?

    There are two categories of RECs, viz., solar RECs and non-solar RECs.

    1. Solar RECs are issued to eligible entities for generation of electricity based on solar as renewable energy source.
    2. Non-solar RECs are issued to eligible entities for generation of electricity based on renewable energy sources other than solar.

    Sources of revenue under REC mechanism

    • Revenue for a RE generator under REC scheme includes revenue from the sale of electricity component of RE generation and the revenue from the sale of environmental attributes in the form of RECs.

    What are the proposed changes?

    The salient features of changes proposed in revamped REC mechanism are:

    • Validity of REC would be perpetual i.e., till it is sold.
    • Floor and forbearance prices are not required to be specified.
    • The RE generator who are eligible for REC, will be eligible for issuance of RECs for the period of PPA as per the prevailing guidelines.
    • The existing RE projects that are eligible for REC would continue to get RECs for 25 years.
    • A technology multiplier can be introduced for promotion of new and high priced RE technologies, which can be allocated in various baskets specific to technologies depending on maturity.
    • RECs can be issued to obligated entities (including DISCOMs and open access consumers) which purchase RE Power beyond their RPO compliance notified by the Central Government.
    • No REC to be issued to the beneficiary of subsidies/concessions or waiver of any other charges.
    • Allowing traders and bilateral transactions in REC mechanism.

     

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  • [pib] National Export Insurance Account (NEIA) Scheme

    The Centre has approved the contribution of Grant-in-aid (Corpus) of ₹1,650 Crore to the National Export Insurance Account (NEIA).

    National Export Insurance Account Scheme

    • NEIA Trust was established in 2006 to promote project exports from India that are of strategic and national importance.
    • The NEIA Trust promotes Medium and Long Term (MLT) /project exports.
    • It extends (partial/full) support to covers issued by ECGC (ECGC Ltd, formerly known as Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd.) to MLT/project export and to Exim Bank for Buyer’s Credit (BC-NEIA) tied to project exports from India.

    Benefits offered

    • The capital infusion in NEIA Trust will help the Indian Project Exporters (IPE) to tap the huge potential of project exports in focus market.
    • Support to project exports with Indian content sourced from across the country will enhance the manufacturing in India.
    • In addition, assuming an average 75% Indian content in the projects, it is estimated that around 12000 workers will move into formal sector.

    Performance highlights

    • Since inception, NEIA has extended 213 covers, with a consolidated project value of Rs. 53,000 crores, to 52 countries as of 31st August 2021.
    • Its impact in enabling project exports has been most significant in Africa and South Asia.

     

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  • [pib] Crop varieties with special traits

    In an endeavor to create mass awareness for adoption of climate resilient technologies,  PM will dedicate 35 crop varieties with special traits to the Nation.

    About Crop Varieties with Special Traits

    • The crop varieties with special traits have been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to address the twin challenges of climate change and malnutrition.
    • Thirty-five such crop varieties with special traits like climate resilience and higher nutrient content have been developed in the year 2021.
    • These special traits crop varieties also include those that address the anti-nutritional factors found in some crops that adversely affect human and animal health.

    Which are these varieties?

    • Drought tolerant variety of chickpea
    • Wilt and sterility mosaic resistant pigeonpea
    • Early maturing variety of soybean
    • Disease resistant varieties of rice
    • Biofortified varieties of wheat, pearl millet, maize and chickpea, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean and faba bean
    • Pusa Double Zero Mustard 33
    • Canola quality hybrid RCH 1 with <2% erucic acid and <30 ppm glucosinolates and
    • Soybean variety free from two anti-nutritional factors namely Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and lipoxygenase.

    Try answering the PYQ:

    The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is constituted under the:

    (a) Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

    (b) Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999

    (c) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

    (d) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”nw6o24hkvd” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

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  • [pib] SAUBHAGYA Scheme completes 4 years

    The Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – SAUBHAGYA Scheme has successfully completed four years of its implementation.

    Progress till date

    • 82 crore households have been electrified since the launch of SAUBHAGYA till 31st March, 2021.

    About SAUBHAGYA Scheme

    • The Saubhagya is a scheme to ensure electrification of all willing households in the country in rural as well as urban areas.
    • It was launched in September 2017.
    • The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) is the nodal agency for the operationalization of the scheme throughout the country.

    Objective

    • To provide energy access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas
    • To achieve universal household electrification in the country

    Beneficiaries of the project

    • The beneficiaries for free electricity connections would be identified using Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data.
    • However, un-electrified households not covered under the SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500 which shall be recovered by DISCOMs in 10 installments through electricity bill.
    • The solar power packs of 200 to 300 Wp with battery bank for un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible areas, comprises Five LED lights, One DC fan, One DC power plug.
    • It also includes Repair and Maintenance (R&M) for 5 years.

    Implementation process

    • For the easy and accelerated implementation of the Scheme, modern technology shall be used for household surveys by using Mobile App.
    • Beneficiaries shall be identified and their application for electricity connection along with applicant photograph and identity proof shall be registered on spot.
    • The Gram Panchayat/Public institutions in the rural areas may be authorised to collect application forms along with complete documentation, distribute bills and collect revenue in consultation with the Panchayat Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies.

    Expected outcomes of the scheme

    The expected outcome of the Scheme is as follows:

    • Environmental upgradation by substitution of Kerosene for lighting purposes
    • Improvement education services
    • Better health services
    • Enhanced connectivity through radio, television, mobiles, etc.
    • Increased economic activities and jobs
    • Improved quality of life especially for women

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  • [pib] International Hydropower Association (IHA)

    NHPC’s 510 MW Teesta-V Power Station located in the Himalayan State of Sikkim has been conferred with the prestigious Blue Planet Prize by International Hydropower Association (IHA).

    Teesta-V Power Station

    • The power station has been built, owned and being operated by NHPC.
    • The award has been conferred for its sustainability assessment undertaken by Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) of IHA.

    About IHA

    • IHA is a London based non-profit membership association operating in 120 countries.
    • The IHA membership includes leading hydropower owners and operators, developers, designers, suppliers and consultants.
    • The IHA Blue Planet Prize is awarded to hydropower projects that demonstrate excellence in sustainable development.
    • The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) is the leading international tool for measuring the sustainability of hydropower projects.
    • It offers a way to benchmark the performance of a hydropower project against a comprehensive range of environmental, social, technical and governance criteria.

    Back2Basics: Teesta River

    • Teesta River is a 414 km long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal through Bangladesh and enters the Bay of Bengal.
    • It drains an area of 12,540 sq km.
    • In India, it flows through North Sikkim, East Sikkim, Pakyong District, Kalimpong district, Darjeeling District, Jalpaiguri District, Cooch Behar districts and the cities of Rangpo, Jalpaiguri and Mekhliganj.
    • It joins River Brahmaputra at Fulchhari in Bangladesh. 315 km portion of the river lies in India and rest in Bangladesh.
    • Teesta is the largest river of Sikkim and the second largest river of West Bengal after Ganges.

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