Rewa project will reduce carbon emission equivalent to approx. 15 lakh ton of CO2 per year

The Project exemplifies India’s commitment to attain the target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022 Posted On: 09 JUL 2020 4:11PM by PIB Delhi

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation the 750 MW Solar Project set up at Rewa, Madhya Pradesh on July 10, 2020.

This Project comprises of three solar generating units of 250 MW each located on a 500 hectare plot of land situated inside a Solar Park (total area 1500 hectare). The Solar Park was developed by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL), a Joint Venture Company of Madhya Pradesh UrjaVikas Nigam Limited (MPUVN), and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a Central Public Sector Undertaking.

Central Financial Assistance of Rs. 138 crore has been provided to RUMSL for development of the Park. After the Park had been developed, Mahindra Renewables Private Ltd., ACME Jaipur Solar Power Private Ltd., and Arinsun Clean Energy Private Ltd were selected by RUMSL through reverse auction for developing three solar generating units of 250 MW each inside the Solar Park. Rewa Solar Project is an example of the excellent results that can be achieved if there is synergy between Central and State Governments.

The Rewa Solar Project was the first solar project in the country to break the grid parity barrier. Compared to prevailing solar project tariffs of approx. Rs. 4.50/unit in early 2017, the Rewa project achieved historic results: a first year tariff of Rs. 2.97/unit with a tariff escalation of Rs. 0.05/unit over 15 years and a levelized rate of Rs. 3.30/unit over the term of 25 years. This project will reduce carbon emission equivalent to approx. 15 lakh ton of CO2 per year.

The Rewa Project has been acknowledged in India and abroad for its robust project structuring and innovations. Its payment security mechanism for reducing risks to power developers has been recommended as a model to other States by MNRE.

It has also received World Bank Group President’s Award for innovation and excellence and was included in the Prime Minister’s “A Book of Innovation: New Beginnings”. The project is also the first renewable energy project to supply to an institutional customer outside the State, i.e. Delhi Metro, which will get 24% of energy from the project with remaining 76% being supplied to the State DISCOMs of Madhya Pradesh.

The Rewa Project also exemplifies India’s commitment to attain the target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by the year 2022, including 100 GW of Solar installed capacity.

Ministry is trying to onboard all remaining States/UTs for One Nation-One Ration Card by January 2021: Shri Ram Vilas Paswan Posted On: 09 JUL 2020 6:54PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Shri Ram Vilas Paswan today briefed the media through video conferencing about the progress of Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana and Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. Shri Paswan welcomed the decision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for the extension of PMGKAY for five more months till November 2020.He said, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi started the two biggest food grains distribution scheme-PMGKAY and ANBA for poor and needy persons, so that no one sleeps hungry at the time of Covid-19 pandemic.

Shri Paswan also briefed media about the cabinet decision to allow extra time period for distribution of balance of allocatedfree food grains to beneficiaries of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan till 31st August 2020.Shri Paswan said that the implementation of these two schemes will ameliorate the hardships faced by the poor and needy due to economic disruption caused by Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

Food grain distribution to migrant labourers: (Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package) Speaking about extension of the distribution of ANBA free food grains till 31st August, 2020, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan said that the scheme was launched on 15th May 2020 and the identification process of genuine beneficiaries took some time, therefore, distribution period of the balance of already lifted 6.39 LMT food grains with the states/UTs has been extended till 31st August 2020. He said that now States/UTs can complete distribution of balance of allocated free food grains and whole gramunder ANB by 31st August 2020.

Under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package, 5kg of free food grains per person and 1 kg of free whole gram per family has been distributed to migrant labourers, stranded and needy families, who are not covered under NFSA or State scheme PDS cards.

The states and UTs have lifted 6.39 LMT of food grains. States and UTs have distributed 2,32,433 MT of food grains to 2.24 crore beneficiaries in May and to 2.25 crore beneficiaries in June,2020.He informed that around 33,620 MT whole gram have been dispatched to the states and UTs. A total 32,968 MT whole gram has been lifted by various States and UTs, out of which10,645 MT has been distributed.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana-1: Food grain (Rice/Wheat) Shri Paswan informed that total of 116.02 LMT food grains has been lifted by the States/UTs. In the month of April2020, 37.43 LMT (94 %) food grains have been distributed to 74.14 crore beneficiaries, in May 2020, total 37.41 LMT (94%) food grains have been distributed to 73.75 crore beneficiaries and in the month of June 2020, 32.44 LMT (82%) food grains have been distributed to 64.42 crore beneficiaries.

Pulses As regards Pulses, Shri Paswan informed that so far, 5.83 LMT Pulses have been dispatched to States/UTs and 5.72 LMT have reached the States/UTs, while 4.66 LMT pulses has been distributed.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana-2: Keeping in view of the ongoing crisis and need for the continuous support to the poor and needy, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi extended the PMGKAY scheme for next five months i.e. till November 2020. The Minister informed that the allocation order for PMGKAY has already been issued to all States/UTs and FCI on 8th July 2020 for distribution of additional 5 Kg food grains(Rice/Wheat)/per person/month during July-November to all 80.43 crore NFSA beneficiaries(9.26 crore AAY persons and 71.17 core PHH persons; including those covered under DBT Cash Transfer in Chandigarh,Puducherry and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).A total of 203 LMT food grains will be distributed among 81 crore beneficiaries.

He said a total of 201.1 LMT food grains have been allocated for PMGKAY-2 to States and UTs for the 5 months period July to November 2020. This includes 91.14 LMT wheat and 109.94 LMT rice. Wheat has been allocated to four States/UTs and rice has been allocated to 15 States/UTs for distribution under this scheme.

Total food grain stock: As per the Food Corporation of India report dated 08.07.2020, FCI currently has 267.29 LMT rice and 545.22 LMT wheat. Hence, a total of 812.51 LMT food grain stock is available (excluding the ongoing purchase of wheat and paddy, which have not yet reached the godown). About 55 LMT food grains is required for a month under NFSA and other welfare schemes.

Since the lockdown, about 139.97 LMT food grains have been lifted and transported through 4999 rail rakes. Since 1st July 2020, 7.78 LMT food grains have been lifted and transported through 278 rail rakes. Apart from the rail route, transportation was also done through roads and waterways. A total of 11.09 LMT food grains has been transported since 1st July 2020 and 0.28 LMT food grains have been transported to the North-Eastern States since 1st July 2020.

Food grain Procurement: As on 08.07.2020, total 389.45 LMT wheat (RMS 2020-21) and 748.55 LMT rice (KMS 2019-20) were procured.

One Nation One Ration Card: Shri Paswan said the Ministry is trying to include all remaining States/UTs on board of ONORC by January 2021. He said that earlier many States/UTs highlighted the challenges related to slow network connectivity, in this regard he informed that he has taken up the issue with the DoT and there is a proposal to provide free net connection to every gram panchayat for one year duration.

All 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur expected to be published by 2022 under National Mission for Manuscripts Posted On: 09 JUL 2020 4:16PM by PIB Delhi

The Ministry of Culture has taken up the project of reprinting of 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur under the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM). The first set of five volumes of Mongolian Kanjur published under the NMM was presented to the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind on the occasion of Guru Purnima, also known as Dharma Chakra Day, on 4th July 2020. A set was then handed over to His Excellency Mr. Gonching Ganbold, Ambassador of Mongolia to India by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Culture and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Tourism, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in presence of Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju.

It is expected that all the 108 volumes of the Mongolian Kanjur will be published by March, 2022.

The Pime Minister of India, Sh. Narendra Modi in his address on the occasion of Dhamma Chakra expressed: “On this day of Guru Poornima, we pay homage to the Lord Buddha. On this occasion, the copies of the Mongolian Kanjur are being presented to the Government of Mongolia. The Mongolian Kanjur is widely respected in Mongolia.”

The National Mission for Manuscripts was launched in February 2003 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, with the mandate of documenting, conserving and disseminating the knowledge preserved in the manuscripts. One of the objectives of the mission is to publish rare and unpublished manuscripts so that the knowledge enshrined in them is spread to researchers, scholars and general public at large. Under this scheme, reprinting of 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur has been taken up by the Mission. It is expected that all the volumes will be published by March, 2022. This work is being carried out under the supervision of eminent Scholar Prof. Lokesh Chandra.

Mongolian Kanjur, the Buddhist canonical text in 108 volumes is considered to be the most important religious text in Mongolia. In the Mongolian language ‘Kanjur’ means ‘Concise Orders’- the words of Lord Buddha in particular. It is held in high esteem by the Mongolian Buddhists and they worship the Kanjur at temples and recite the lines of Kanjur in daily life as a sacred ritual. The Kanjur are kept almost in every monastery in Mongolia.Mongolian Kanjur has been translated from Tibetan. The language of the Kanjur is Classical Mongolian.The Mongolian Kanjur is a source of providing a cultural identity to Mongolia.

During the socialist period, xylographs were consignd to flames and monasteries were bereft of their sacred scriptures.During 1956-58, Professor Raghu Vira obtained a microfilm copy of the rare Kanjur manuscripts and brought them to India. And, the Mongolian Kanjur in 108 volumes was published in India in 1970s by Prof. Lokesh Chandra, former Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha).Now, the present edition is being published by the National Mission for Manuscripts, Ministry of Culture, Government of India; in which every volume will have a list of contents indicating the original title of the sutra in Mongolian.

Historical interaction between India and Mongolia goes backcenturies. Buddhism was carried to Mongolia by Indian cultural and religiousambassadors during the early Christian era. As a result, today, Buddhists form the single largest religious denomination in Mongolia. India established formal diplomatic relations with Mongolia in 1955.Since then, the overwhelming relationship between both the countries has now reached a new height. Now, the publication of Mongolian Kanjur by the Government of India for the Government of Mongolia will act as a symbol of cultural symphony between India and Mongolia and will contribute to furtherance of bilateral relations during the coming years.

The Supreme Court has allowed a one-month extension to the government to implement its February 17 judgment to grant permanent commission/command posts to eligible women officers in the armed forces.

What’s the issue? A petition was filed in the Supreme Court which said the government was creating hurdles in the implementation of the judgment.

However, the government has clarified that it is in the process of implementation of the judgment was at an “advanced state” and a circular would be issued soon.

SC’s February order and its implications: Women officers are be eligible to tenant all the command appointments, at par with male officers, which would open avenues for further promotions to higher ranks for them.

The court dismissed the government’s stand that only women officers with less than 14 years of service ought to be considered for permanent commission, and those with over 20 years service should be pensioned immediately. The court has done away with all discrimination on the basis of years of service for grant of PC in 10 streams of combat support arms and services, bringing them on a par with male officers.

Observations made by the Court in its judgment: It rejected arguments against greater role for women officers, saying these violated equality under law (Article 14).

The biological argument was also rejected as disturbing. The court had rejected government’s arguments, saying they are based on sex stereotypes premised on assumptions about socially ascribed roles of gender which discriminate against women (Article 16).

It had also said that it only shows the need “to emphasise the need for change in mindsets to bring about true equality in the Army”.

What were the arguments put forth by the government in its defence? Motherhood, childcare, psychological limitations have a bearing on the employment of women officers in the Army. Family separation, career prospects of spouses, education of children, prolonged absence due to pregnancy, motherhood were a greater challenge for women to meet the exigencies of service.

Physical limitations: Soldiers will be asked to work in difficult terrains, isolated posts and adverse climate conditions. Officers have to lead from the front. They should be in prime physical condition to undertake combat tasks. The Govt. said women were not fit to serve in ground combat roles.

Behavioural and Psychological Challenges: Army units were a “unique all-male environment”. The presence of women officers would require “moderated behaviour”. The male troop predominantly comes from a rural background and may not be in a position to accept commands from a female leader.

Bayannur, a city in northern China, is on high alert after a suspected case of Bubonic plague was reported Recently.

Authorities in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region announced a level III warning of plague prevention and control. Local authorities announced that the warning period will continue until the end of 2020 since the plague ran the risk of spreading.

What is the plague? The plague is a disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, which is found in animals, particularly rodents.

It can be transmitted to humans through infected animals and fleas. In the Middle Ages (5th-15th century), plague was also known as the ‘Black Death’ as it was responsible for the deaths of millions of people in Europe.

There are three types of plague: Bubonic plague: This infects a person’s lymphatic system (which is a part of their immune system), causing inflammation in the lymph nodes. If left untreated, the bubonic plague can also convert into either pneumonic of septicemic plague. Its symptoms include fever, chills, weakness and headaches.

Pneumonic plague: According to WHO, pneumonic plague is the ‘most virulent form of plague’ and can be fatal within 24 to 72 hours. It occurs when the bacteria infects the lungs. It is the only type of plague that can be transmitted from human to human. Symptoms are chest pain, fever and cough. It is highly contagious and transmissible merely by coughing.

Septicemic plague: This is when the bacteria enters the blood stream and multiplies there. If left untreated, pneumonic and bubonic plague can lead to septicemic plague. A person infected by septicemic plague may also notice their skin turning black.

How to treat and control plague? The plague is a life-threatening disease but if caught early, can be treated with antibiotics. However, without prompt treatment, the disease can lead to serious illnesses and even death.

At times, antibiotics alone are not enough —additionally intravenous fluids and extra oxygen are required to treat a person. Since it is highly contagious, those who are infected with pneumonic plague are kept in isolation.

And people in close contact with the person infected are given a dose of antibiotics as a preventive measure. Other preventive measures to curb a plague outbreak are to keep the rodent population in control with pest control measures, ensuring that surrounding areas are clear of stacks of wood that rodents feed on among others.

India chapter: The Bubonic plague severely impacted India too. The first official case was reportedon 23 September 1896 in what was then Bombay. It was a part of the third plague pandemic, which originated in China in 1855.

The disease was spread in India through trading ships, hitting the port cities of Calcutta, Karachi, Punjab and United Provinces among others.

Over 12 million Indians were estimated to have succumbed to this disease. The situation went so out of hand that it led to the Epidemic Disease Act of 1897 being ‘hastily’ drafted. The law has the “power to take special measures and prescribe regulations as to dangerous epidemic disease”.

The US has urged all its allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that risk triggering sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

This indicates that despite a change in the ground realities following the deadly clash between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) last month, the U.S’s message to countries, including India, on sanctions for the purchase of Russian arms has not changed.

What is CAATSA? Enacted in 2017, it is a US federal law that imposed sanctions on Iran, North Korea and Russia. Includes sanctions against countries that engage in significant transactions with Russia’s defence and intelligence sectors.

The Act empowers the US President to impose at least five of the 12 listed sanctions on persons engaged in a “significant transaction” with Russian defence and intelligence sectors.

What sanctions will be imposed? prohibition on loans to the sanctioned person. prohibition of Export-Import bank assistance for exports to sanctioned persons. prohibition on procurement by United States Government to procure goods or services from the sanctioned person. denial of visas to persons closely associated with the sanctioned person.

Implications on India: Although the sanctions are not directly imposed on India, it affects India nevertheless. The major reason for this is the nature of relationship India has with Iran and Russia. India happens to have strong trade ties with both these nation states.

No, as per the provisions of the bill, US imposes sanctions on all its adversaries, as well as all countries and firms dealing with this adversaries.

So, if India does not remove ties with Russia and Iran, the US may invoke sanctions against India. India cannot afford to lose the growing diplomatic relations with the US, but neither can it afford to forego supplies of defence and oil from Russia and Iran.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a new directive barring international students from continuing their higher education in the country unless they meet specific quotas of in-person classes.

Who will be affected? Students participating in university programmes that rely entirely on online courses now risk deportation if they do not leave the country, or transfer to schools with “in-person instruction.”

The order directly relates to those students on F-1 and M-1 visas. F-1 visa holders are those pursuing undergraduate, post-graduate or doctoral studies at tertiary education institutions. M-1 holders are those engaged in vocational courses.

Overall impact: Nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States.

Those whose colleges and universities were moving to an online only model would therefore have to leave the country or find another way to stay in status. Other measures include such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status.

How will this order affect the Indian students? International students, reportedly, make up 5.5 per cent of the US’ higher education population, numbering just short of 1.1 million.

The Indian student cohort is second only to the Chinese, representing 18 per cent of all foreign students in the US, according to 2017-2018 ICE data.

The announcement comes weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump suspended H1-B highly skilled worker visas through the end of the year. Most of these visas go to Indian citizens each year.

The World Bank and the Government of India have signed a loan agreement to enhance support for the Namami Gange programme that seeks to rejuvenate the Ganga river.

World Bank provides $400 million to enhance support for rejuvenating the Ganga.

About Namami Gange Programme: It is an umbrella programme which integrates previous and currently ongoing initiatives by enhancing efficiency, extracting synergies and supplementing them with more comprehensive & better coordinated interventions.

Implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterparts—State Programme Management Groups.

Created in October 2016 under the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016, dissolving the National Ganga River Basin Authority.

Headed by the Prime Minister. It replaced the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA).

NGC would have on board the chief ministers of five Ganga basin states—Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal—besides several Union ministers and it was supposed to meet once every year.

Main Pillars of the Namami Gange Programme are: Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure River-Surface Cleaning Afforestation Industrial Effluent Monitoring River-Front Development Bio-Diversity Public Awareness Ganga Gram

Why we need “Namami Gange” programme? River Ganga has significant economic, environmental and cultural value in India. Rising in the Himalayas and flowing to the Bay of Bengal, the river traverses a course of more than 2,500 km through the plains of north and eastern India. The Ganga basin – which also extends into parts of Nepal, China and Bangladesh – accounts for 26 per cent of India’s landmass.

The Ganga also serves as one of India’s holiest rivers whose cultural and spiritual significance transcends the boundaries of the basin. If we are able to clean it, it will be a huge help for the 40 per cent population of the country.

What are the pollution threats to Ganga? Rapidly increasing population, rising standards of living and exponential growth of industrialization and urbanization have exposed water resources to various forms of degradation.

The deterioration in the water quality of Ganga impacts the people immediately. Ganga has become unfit even for bathing during lean seasons. The impacts of infrastructural projects in the upper reaches of the river Ganga raise issues.

Challenges ahead: Sewage treatment. Restoring the flow. Sludge control. Cost overruns. Governance glitches.

The fourth edition of the virtual Ministerial on Climate Action was recently held.

The meeting was co-chaired by European Union, China and Canada.

Outcomes of the meet: Developed country parties were called upon to do their part as envisaged under UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement, for extending financial and technological support to developing countries.

What was announced under the Paris Agreement? At the Paris Conference in 2015 where the Agreement was negotiated, the developed countries reaffirmed the commitment to mobilize $100 billion a year in climate finance by 2020, and agreed to continue mobilizing finance at the level of $100 billion a year until 2025.

What is the Paris Agreement? It is a historic international accord that brings almost 200 countries together in setting a common target to reduce global greenhouse emissions in an effort to fight climate change.

The pact seeks to keep global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels, and to try and limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

To this end, each country has pledged to implement targeted action plans that will limit their greenhouse gas emissions. The Agreement asks rich and developed countries to provide financial and technological support to the developing world in its quest to fight and adapt to climate change.

About UNFCCC: The UNFCCC was adopted in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, which marked the beginning of the international community’s first concerted effort to confront the problem of climate change.

Known also as the Rio Convention, the UNFCCC established a framework for action to stabilise concentrations of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere. The UNFCCC entered into force in 1994.

A Himalayan butterfly named Golden Birdwing is now India’s largest.

While the female Golden Birdwing was recorded from Didihat in Uttarakhand, the largest male was from the Wankhar Butterfly Museum in Meghalaya capital Shillong.

So far, the record was held by the Southern Birdwing, recorded in 1932. The only measurement used in the study of Lepidoptera is wingspan — a simple concept with various interpretations of the term.

The wingspan of female Golden Birdwing is 194 mm, marginally larger than the Southern Birdwing (190 mm). The smallest is the Quaker (Neopithecops zalmora) with a wingspan of 18 mm and forewing length of 8 mm.

DUAC is a statutory body formed by an Act of Parliament in 1973.

DUAC is meant to advise the Centre on matters of preservation, development and maintenance of the aesthetic quality of the capital’s urban and environmental design.

It also provides advice and guidance to any local body. DUAC plays a three fold role – a policy advisor to the Government of India, a regulatory body and a think tank.

Syrian and Russian planes have carried out deadly aerial strikes on schools, hospitals and markets in Idlib province. UN investigators have termed these attacks as war crimes.

Where is Idlib? Idlib is a city in northwestern Syria, 59 kilometers southwest of Aleppo, which is the capital of the Idlib Governorate. It has an elevation of nearly 500 meters above sea level.