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Type: PIB

  • Mass Emission Standards for E12 AND E15 fuels

    The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has notified mass emission standards for E 12 (12% Ethanol with Gasoline) and E15 (15% Ethanol 12 with gasoline) fuels.

    What is the news?

    • The ministry has notified test standards for vehicles compliant with ethanol-blended fuel variants E12 and E15.
    • The ministry made it mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to put “clearly visible stickers” on every vehicle informing about its compatibility to the level of ethanol blend (E12, E15, E20).
    • Currently, India is using E10 fuel (petrol blended with 10% ethanol).

    Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme

    • Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme was launched in January, 2003 for supply of 5% ethanol blended Petrol.
    • The programme sought to promote the use of alternative and environment-friendly fuels and to reduce import dependency for energy requirements.
    • OMCs are advised to continue according priority of ethanol from 1) sugarcane juice/sugar/sugar syrup, 2) B-heavy molasses 3) C-heavy molasses and 4) damaged food grains/other sources.
    • At present, this programme has been extended to whole of India except UTs of Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands with effect from 01st April, 2019 wherein OMCs sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 10%.

    Why ethanol blending?

    • Agricultural waste management: Ethanol blending will solve the problem of agricultural waste as well as sugar rates due to excess production, therefore providing security to sugarcane farmers.
    • Reducing emission: It can help accomplish dual goal of strengthening energy security with low carbon emission.
    • Enhanced participation: It will enable local enterprises and farmers to participate in the energy economy.
    • Reducing import bill: It is another significant benefit. India imports 85% of crude oil.
    • Fuel efficiency: Ethanol blending increases octane number thereby increasing fuel quality in terms of anti-knocking tendency (engine sound)

    Also read:

    [RSTV ARCHIVE] Ethanol Blending: Significance & Road Ahead

     

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  • [pib] Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) for P&K Fertilizers

    The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for fixation of Nutrient Based Subsidy Rates for P&K Fertilizers for the year last quarter of the year 2021-22.

    An aspirant from rural agrarian background is quite habitual to hear about NPK 10-26-26, 20-20-0-13 & 12-32-16. They often get to find the plastic gunny bags mentioning this!

    Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS)

    • The NBS Scheme for fertilizer was initiated in the year 2010 and is being implemented by the Department of Fertilizers.
    • Under the scheme, a fixed amount of subsidy decided on an annual basis is provided on each grade of subsidized P&K fertilizers, except for Urea based on the nutrient content present in them.
    • It is largely for secondary nutrients like N, P, S and K and micronutrients which are very important for crop growth and development.
    • In India, urea is the only controlled fertilizer and is sold at a statutory notified uniform sale price.

    What is NPK?

    • So now that you know what the numbers on fertilizer mean, you need to know why NPK is important to your plants.
    • All plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to grow. Without enough of any one of these nutrients, a plant will fail.
    1. Nitrogen (N): It is largely responsible for the growth of leaves on the plant.
    2. Phosphorus (P): It is largely responsible for root growth and flower and fruit development.
    3. Potassium (K): It is a nutrient that helps the overall functions of the plant perform correctly.
    • Knowing the NPK values of fertilizer can help you select one that is appropriate for the type of plant you are growing.

    What NBS provides?

    • Fixing MRP of NPK fertilizers: The scheme allows the manufacturers, marketers, and importers to fix the MRP of the Phosphatic and Potash fertilizers at reasonable levels.
    • Maintaining stock level: The MRP will be decided considering the domestic and international prices of P&K fertilizers, inventory level in the country and the exchange rates.
    • Inflation control: The NBS ensures that an adequate quantity of P&K is made available to the farmers at a statutory controlled price.

    Issues with NBS

    • Leaves urea: Urea which the most widely used, is left-out in the scheme and hence it remains under price control as NBS has been implemented only in other fertilizers.
    • Cost on exchequer: Fertilizer subsidy is the second-biggest subsidy after food subsidy.
    • Costs on Economy and Environment: The NBS policy is not only damaging the fiscal health of the economy but also proving detrimental to the soil health of the country.
    • Black marketing: Subsidised fertilizers is getting diverted to bulk buyers/traders or even non-agricultural users such as plywood and animal feed makers.

    Back2Basics: Soil Health Card (SHC)

    • Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme is promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
    • An SHC is meant to give each farmer soil nutrient status of his/her holding and advice him/her on the dosage of fertilizers and also the needed soil amendments, that s/he should apply to maintain soil health in the long run.
    • SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings.
    • It will be made available once in a cycle of 2 years, which will indicate the status of soil health of a farmer’s holding for that particular period.
    • The SHC given in the next cycle of 2 years will be able to record the changes in the soil health for that subsequent period.

    Parameters of SHC:

    • N, P, K (Macro-nutrients)
    • Sulfur (S) (Secondary- nutrient)
    • Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo (Micronutrients)
    • pH, EC (Electrical conductivity) , OC (Organic content)

    Try this PYQ:

    The nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at:

    1. expanding the cultivable area under irrigation.
    2. enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality.
    3. checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands.

    Which of the above statements is/are correct?

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 3 only

    (c) 2 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”i15sf2a7rw” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

     

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  • [pib] Indian Space Association

    The PM has launched the Indian Space Association (ISpA), an industry body consisting of various stakeholders of the Indian space domain.

    Indian Space Association (ISpA)

    • The ISpA is a premier industry association of space and satellite companies, which aspires to be the collective voice of the Indian space industry.
    • It will be headed by retired Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, who will be its Director General.
    • It will target to undertake policy advocacy and engage with all stakeholders in the Indian space domain. It will engage with the government and all its agencies.

    Why is the formation of ISpA significant?

    • Million-dollar industry: Governments across the world have poured millions of dollars to push the envelope in term of exploring the edges of the space.
    • Collaborated research: With time, governments and government agencies collaborated to explore newer planets and galaxies in search of life forms that exist outside Earth.
    • Private players involvement: In the recent past, private sector companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin have taken the lead in spaceflight.
    • Easing workload on ISRO: Though India too has made significant strides in space exploration over time, state-run ISRO has been at the centre and front of this progress.

    What does ISpA aim to achieve?

    • Supplementing space research: One of the main goals of the organisation is to supplement the government’s efforts towards making India a global leader in commercial space-based excursions.
    • Commercial space exploration: ISpA said it would engage with stakeholders across the ecosystem for the formulation of an enabling policy framework which fulfills the government vision of leading commercial space exploration.
    • Establishing global linkages: ISpA will also work towards building global linkages for the Indian space industry to bring in critical technology and investments into the country to create more high skill jobs.

    Who are the stakeholders in this organisation? How will they contribute?

    • ISpA will be represented by leading domestic and global corporations that have advanced capabilities in space and satellite technologies.
    • It has taken off with several Indian and international companies betting on it as the next frontier to provide high-speed and affordable Internet connectivity to inaccessible areas as well.
    • This includes SpaceX’s StarLink, Sunil Bharti Mittal’s OneWeb, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, US satellite maker Hughes Communications, etc.
    • OneWeb, for example, is building its initial constellation of 648 low-earth orbit satellites and has already put 322 satellites into orbit.

    Why is satellite-based Internet important in India?

    • The expansion of the Internet in India is crucial to the Modi government’s dream of a digital India where a majority of government services are delivered directly to the customer.
    • The government aims to connect all villages and gram panchayats with high-speed Internet over the next 1000 days through BharatNet.
    • However, internet connectivity in hilly areas and far-flung places of Northeast India are still a challenge.
    • To overcome this, industry experts suggest that satellite Internet will be essential for broadband inclusion in remote areas and sparsely populated locations where terrestrial networks have not reached.
    • Satellite communications remain limited to use by corporates and institutions that use it for emergency use, critical trans-continental communications and for connecting to remote areas with no connectivity.

     

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  • [pib] River Ranching Programme

    The Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, is set to launch the River Ranching Programme in Uttar Pradesh under the Namami Gange Programme.

    What is River Ranching?

    • River Ranching is a form of aquaculture in which a population of a fish species (such as salmon) is held in captivity for the first stage of their lives.
    • They are then released, and later harvested as adults when they return from the sea to their freshwater birthplace to spawn.

    Objective

    The key objectives of the program are:

    • To sustain and conserve the biodiversity in the river.
    • Facilitate regular stocking of fingerlings of cultivable carps to enhance productivity
    • Increase fish production
    • Enhance income and livelihood opportunities to communities’ dependent on these resources

    Why need such a program?

    • River ranching helps in achieving sustainable fisheries, reducing habitat degradation, conserving biodiversity, maximising social-economic benefits and would also remove factors causing pollution.
    • In this activity, different species of fish are released in the river, which destroy factors that increase the level of nitrogen.
    • These fishes will also aid in maintaining the cleanliness of the river as they feed on organic remnants.

    Where is the scheme being launched?

    • In Uttar Pradesh, about 15 lakh fish fingerlings of native carp species shall be simultaneously released into the river in 12 districts by the department.
    • These districts include Bulandshahr/Hapur, Hardoi, Bijnor, Amroha, Fatehpur, Kanpur, Badayun, Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Varanasi and Ghazipur.
    • Four other states namely Uttarakhand, Orissa, Tripura and Chhattisgarh will also witness the launching of nationwide River Ranching program.

     

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  • [pib] National Digital Livestock Mission

    The Union Minister of State Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying unveiled the National Digital Livestock Mission Blueprint.

    National Digital Livestock Mission

    • The NDLM would be a digital platform developed by Dept. of Dairy and Animal Husbandry on the foundation of the existing Information Network for Animal Productivity and Health (INAPH).
    • It aims to create a farmer-centric, technology-enabled ecosystem where the farmers are able to realize better income through livestock activities with the right information.
    • The bedrock of NDLM will be the unique identification of all livestock, which will be the foundation for all the state and national level programmes including domestic and international trade.
    • The farmers will be able to effortlessly access the markets, irrespective of their location or holdings through this digital platform as a wide-range of stake-holders will be connected in this ecosystem.
    • This system will also include robust animal breeding systems, nutrition, disease surveillance, disease control programmes and a traceability mechanism for animals and animal products.

    Why need such mission?

    • The livestock sector has a unique combination of being the backbone of rural livelihood.
    • The growth would have been a lot better if there were concerted efforts to harmonise programmes across the country in order to create an ecosystem that is conducive for growth of the sector.
    • This has been the main idea behind the deployment of NDLM, keeping the welfare of the farmer at the core.

    Back2Basics: National Livestock Mission

    • National Livestock Mission is an initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
    • The mission, which commenced from 2014-15, has the objective of sustainable development of the livestock sector.
    • NABARD is the subsidy channelising agency for following schemes, under Entrepreneurship Development & Employment Generation (EDEG) component of National Livestock Mission.
    1. Poultry Venture Capital Fund (PVCF)
    2. Integrated Development of Small Ruminants and Rabbit (IDSRR)
    3. Pig Development (PD)
    4. Salvaging and Rearing of Male Buffalo Calves (SRMBC)
    5. Effective Animal Waste Management
    6. Construction of Storage Facility for Feed and Fodder

     

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  • 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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