Indian Council of Agricultural Research Regional Committee Meeting

Paper 3 –Agriculture

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: “In order to increase the income of farmers, we need to reduce their debt burden, provide developed seeds, create market linkages and storage facilities.” In the light of this statement, explain the steps taken by the Government of India in this direction. are being picked up.

Why Should You Know?

Recently 26th meeting of Indian Council of Agricultural Research Regional Committee-II was held at National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack.

In details –

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India conducted the 26th Meeting of ICAR Regional Committee -II comprising the States of West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands today at ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack.
• Addressing the inaugural session in virtual mode, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary said, there is a need to intensify our research and development activities and ensure that it reaches out to our farmers at the ground level.

About the meeting

• State-wise problems and research needs/development issues were discussed during the technical session.
• Action Taken Report (ATR) with respect to the issues finalized during earlier meeting were deliberated and discussion made to prepare a roadmap for the development of agriculture including animal husbandry, dairy, fisheries, natural resource management and human resource development in the region.
• This meeting will help to establish the link between ICAR and state governments for identifying state specific problems related to agricultural and allied aspects and offering suitable solutions through achievements and accomplishments of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) of the concerned states within specific timeline.
• The ICAR has set up eight Regional Committees on the basis of agro-climatic regions. The purpose of the Regional Committee is to provide a forum to the researchers and the State Government functionaries to examine the major gaps in the current research and training efforts in agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries; to identify priorities; and to decide agenda of research and extension education in different agro-ecological regions of the country for the coming two years.
• A research agenda of national relevance in the areas of agricultural technology assessment, refinement and transfer is set up for discussion in the regular meetings of the Regional Committee, which is held once in two years.

About Indian Council of Agricultural Research –

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous body under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education in the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
• Registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, it was established on July 16, 1929, in pursuance of the Report of the Royal Commission on Agriculture.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi. The first name of this society was the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research.
• It aims to promote and educate about science and technology programmes in the field of agricultural research.
• The Council is directly involved in research activities in traditional and marginal sector to conserve and manage resources in agriculture sector to overcome problems related to crops, animals and fish and related fields etc. It plays an important role in developing new technology in the agriculture sector
• The Council is an apex body for coordination, guidance and research management and education in the field of agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the country.
• It has 103 ICAR institutes and 73 agricultural universities spread across the country and thus is one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world. 
• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has played a leading role in the development of the country’s agriculture sector through its RandD after bringing green revolution in the country.From 1951 to 2014, the country’s food production increased by 5 times., 9.5 times in horticultural crops, 12.5 times in the field of fisheries , It has been able to increase milk production by 7.8 times and egg production by 39 times, thus reflecting a clear impact on national food and nutritional security.
• The Council has played a major role in promoting excellence in higher education in agriculture. The Council has been engaged in working in innovative areas of science and technology development and its scientists are internationally known in their disciplines.

75 Digital Banking Units

Paper 3 – Economy

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: What do you understand by financial inclusion? How can Digital Banking Units (DBUs) help in making financial inclusion more widespread?

Why Should You Know?

Prime Minister shree Narendra Modi is going to dedicate 75 Digital Banking Units across 75 districts to the Nation on 16th October

In details

• In yet another measure to deepen financial inclusion, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will dedicate 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) to the nation on 16th October via video conferencing.  He will also address the gathering on the occasion.
• As part of the Union budget speech for 2022-23, the Finance Minister had announced the setting up of the 75 DBUs in 75 districts of the country to commemorate the 75 years of independence of our country.
• The DBUs are being set up with an objective to ensure benefits of digital banking reach every nook and corner of the country and will cover all the States and Union territories.
• 11 Public Sector Banks, 12 Private Sector Banks and one Small Finance Bank are participating in the endeavour.

Functions

• DBUs will be brick and mortar outlets which will provide a variety of digital banking facilities to people such as opening of savings account, balance-check, print passbook, transfer of funds, investment in fixed deposits, loan applications, stop-payment instructions for cheques issued, apply for credit / debit cards, view statement of account, pay taxes, pay bills, make nominations, etc.

Singnificance

• DBUs will enable customers to have cost effective, convenient access and enhanced digital experience of banking products and services all round the year.
• They will spread Digital Financial Literacy and special emphasis will be given to customer education on cyber security awareness and safeguards.
• Also, there shall be adequate digital mechanisms to offer real time assistance and redress customer grievances arising from business and services offered by the DBUs directly or through Business Facilitators/ Correspondents.

“Manak Mahotsav”

Paper 3 – Economy

From the point of view of mains examination

“Standards” are the new guardians of the market, who control standards, in fact they control the market, prices, processes, manufacturing and innovation. Explain.

Why Should You Know?

Recently, Bureau of Indian Standards, Mumbai organises Conclave –“Manak Mahotsav” on occasion of World Standards Day.

In details –

• On the occasion of World Standards Day, Bureau of Indian Standards, Mumbai today organized a Standards Conclave –“Manak Mahotsav” based on the theme ‘Standards for Sustainable Development Goals – A Shared Vision for a Better World’.
• Union Minister for Consumer Affairs Shri Piyush Goyal addressed the conclave virtually. Addressing 200 participants attending the conclave, Consumer Affairs Minister said that with the mantra of quality and sustainability, we can create brand value for Indian products across the world. “For ‘Brand India’ to emerge across the globe, we need a change in mind set towards quality standards and become more conscious towards their importance.”
• The All India First licensees and long-standing licensees of product as well as management system licensees of Western Regional Office of Bureau of Indian Standards were felicitated during the event.
• Earlier today, BIS Mumbai organised Quality Run (Walkathon) near the Juhu Beach in Mumbai. Bollywood Actory Shri Punit Issar graced the occasion and flagged off the run. The event aimed at creating awareness among people about the standards and quality was attended by around 200 BIS officials and youngsters.

About World Standards Day

• Every year on 14 October, the members of the International Electrotechnical Commission, International Organization for Standardization and International Telecommunication Union celebrate World Standards Day, as a means of paying tribute to the collaborative efforts of thousands of experts worldwide who develop the voluntary technical agreements that are published as International Standards.
• 14 October was specifically chosen to mark the date, in 1946, when delegates from 25 countries first gathered in London and decided to create an international organization focused on facilitating standardization. Even though ISO was formed one year later, it wasn’t until 1970 that the first World Standards Day was celebrated.
• Around the globe, various activities are chosen by national standards bodies and intergovernmental organizations to commemorate the date.

About BIS

• BIS is the National Standard Body working under the Ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution, Government of India.
• Its  objective is the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, product testing and quality certification of goods in the country.
• BIS has been providing traceable and tangible benefits to the national economy in several ways – providing safe reliable quality goods; minimizing health hazards to consumers; promoting exports, and imports substitute; controlling over the proliferation of varieties etc. through standardization, certification and testing.

Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)

Paper 3– Security

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a new dimension in India’s security, explain.

Why Should You Know?

Recently INS Arihant successfully launched a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

In details

• INS Arihant carried out a successful launch of a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) on October 14, 2022.
• The missile was tested to a predetermined range and impacted the target area in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy.
• All operational and technological parameters of the weapon system have been validated.
• The successful user training launch of the SLBM by INS Arihant is significant to prove crew competency and validate the SSBN programme, a key element of India’s nuclear deterrence capability.
• A robust, survivable and assured retaliatory capability is in keeping with India’s policy to have ‘Credible Minimum Deterrence‘ that underpins its ‘No First Use’ commitment.

What is SLBM

• The Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), sometimes called the ‘K’ family of missiles, have been indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The family is codenamed after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the centre figure in India’s missile and space programmes who also served as the 11th President of India.
• Because these missiles are to be launched from submarines, they are lighter, more compact and stealthier than their land-based counterparts, the Agni series of missiles which are medium and intercontinental range nuclear capable ballistic assets. The development of the K family missiles has been done in consonance with the ATV project.
• Part of the K family is the SLBM K-15, which is also called B-05 or Sagarika. It has a range of 750 km.
• INS Arihant can carry a dozen K-15 missiles on board. India has also developed and successfully tested K-4 missiles from the family, which have a range of 3,500 km.
• In January 2020, two successful tests of the K-4 missile were conducted from submerged platforms, off the coast of Andhra Pradesh within a span of six days. These tests were a key step towards ultimately deploying K-4s on the INS Arihant.
• It is also reported that more members of K-family — reportedly carrying the code names K-5 and K-6, with a range of 5,000 km and 6,000 km respectively — are under development.

About INS Arihant

• Launched in 2009 and Commissioned in 2016, INS Arihant is India’s first indigenous nuclear powered ballistic missile capable submarine built under the secretive Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project, which was initiated in the 1990s.
• INS Arihant and its class of submarines are classified as ‘SSBN’, which is the hull classification symbol for nuclear powered ballistic missile carrying submarines.
• While the Navy operates the vessel, the operations of the SLBMs from the SSBN are under the purview of India’s Strategic Forces Command, which is part of India’s Nuclear Command Authority.
• In November 2019, after INS Arihant completed its first deterrence patrol, the government announced the establishment of India’s “survivable nuclear triad” — the capability of launching nuclear strikes from land, air and sea platforms.
• This places India in the league of the few countries that can design, construct and operate Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarines (SSBN).”
• The second submarine in the Arihant class, SSBN Arighat, is reported to have been launched in 2017, and said to be undergoing sea trials at present. In December last year, UK-based magazine Jane’s Defence Weekly reported, citing satellite imagery sources, that India had launched its third Arihant-class submarine.
• In addition, India operates 15 conventional diesel electric submarines (classified as SSK), and some more are on the way.

“PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022”

Paper 3 – Agriculture

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: The objective of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is to initiate policy actions and implement public programs for an inclusive and productive agriculture sector. Describe.

Why Should You Know?

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 2-day Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022 at IARI, New Delhi on October 17, 2022.

In details

• Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate a two day event titled “PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022” on 17th October 2022 at Mela Ground, IARI Pusa, New Delhi and will encourage farmers and agriculture startups, researchers, policy makers, bankers and address other stakeholders.
• Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India will be present in this inaugural function and will address the farmers.
• This program is being organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.

Programs

The program includes the following functions.

12th installment of  PM-KISAN

• under the flagship scheme PM-KISAN of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare through Direct Benefit Transfer, on the first day of PM Kisan Samman Sammelan, 2022 at Pusa, IARI, New Delhi (17.10.2022) Will release the 12th installment of an amount of Rs. 16,000 crore to farmers.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), a flagship scheme of the Government of India which is the result of the continuous commitment of the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, with the objective of undertaking policy actions and public programs for an inclusive and productive agriculture sector. is to be implemented.
• This scheme was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 24.02.2019.

Inauguration of Agristartup Conclave and Exhibition

• Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Agri Startup Conclave and Exhibition.
• Around 300 startups will be showcasing their innovations related to systematic farming, post-harvest and value addition solutions, allied agriculture, waste to wealth, mechanization for small farmers, supply chain management and agri-logistics on the first day.
• Around 1500 start-ups will participate in this conference.
• The platform will facilitate startups to interact with farmers, FPOs, agri-experts and corporates etc.

PM-Kisan SamridhiKendras (PM-KSKs)

• Hon’ble Prime Minister, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India will inaugurate 600 PM-Kisan SamridhiKendras (PM-KSKs).
• At present there are about 2.7 lakh fertilizer retail outlets at village, sub-district/ sub-division/ taluka and district level in the country. They are retail shops of company managed, co-operative or private dealers. Retail fertilizer shops will be converted into one stop shops in a phased manner called Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendra.
• PMKSK will meet the needs of farmers in the country and agri inputs (fertilizers, seeds, equipment); Provide testing facilities for soil, seeds, fertilizers; Awareness generation among farmers; Provide information about various government schemes and ensure regular capacity building of retailers at block/district level sales centers.

BharatUrea Bag

• Hon’ble Prime Minister will also launch the biggest initiative in the fertilizer sector called One Nation One Fertilizer (ONOF).
• The Government of India is making it mandatory for fertilizer companies to market their goods under the brand name “Bharat” so as to standardize fertilizer brands across the country, regardless of which company manufactures it.
• It could be “Bharat Urea, Bharat DAP, Bharat MoP, and Bharat NPK. Development of a single brand ‘Bharat’ for all fertilizers will reduce the haphazard movement of fertilizers which is the reason for high freight subsidy.”
• Hon’ble Prime Minister during this event as part of PM Agri-Startup Conclave and Kisan Sammelan, 2022. India will launch urea bags.

Fertilizer International E-Magazine

• Indian Age is an international fertilizer e-magazine.
• It will provide information on domestic and international fertilizer scenario including recent progress, price trend analysis, availability and consumption along with success stories of farmers.
• Hon’ble Prime Minister will launch Indian Age at this event.

Kamikaze drones

Paper 3- Science and Tech

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: Explaining the changing role of drones in the defense sector, explain what are the challenges in this area and how they can be resolved.

Why Should You Know?

Recently kamikaze drones are in news, actuallyThree kamikaze drones struck the small town of Makariv, situated west of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, on October 14, 2022.Let’s know about these drones.

In details

• Ukraine’s capital region was struck by Iranian-made kamikaze drones early Thursday (October 14), Ukrainian officials said.
• The Deputy head of the presidential office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said “critical infrastructure facilities” in the area were hit, The Associated Press reported. The extent of damage was not elaborated on by officials.
• Three drones struck the small town of Makariv, situated west of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. These kamikaze drones are not new, and have also been supplied by the US to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.

What are Kamikaze drones?

• These are small unmanned aircraft packed with explosives that can be flown directly at a tank or a group of troops that are destroyed when it hits the target and explodes.
• The name comes from the World War 2 era’s feared Japanese kamikaze pilots, who conducted suicide attacks by intentionally crashing their explosive filled aircraft into enemy targets.
• The modern drone versions have the capability of surpassing traditional defences to strike their targets and are also cheaper than their larger counterparts.
• The small lethal drones are difficult to detect on radar, and through the use of facial recognition, can be programmed to hit targets without human intervention.

Which countries have such drones?

• Some countries have admitted to using such armed drones, while others have been accused of utilising them to carry out covert attacks.
• According to the US military, Iranian-backed militias have used small drones in 10 attacks on US bases in Iraq this year.
• Azerbaijan had used small Turkish-made drones against the Armenian military in the last few years, shifting the prolonged stalemate over a disputed enclave decisively in Azerbaijan’s favour.
• There have been also multiple occasions where Russia has used such suicide drones to launch attacks in Ukraine following their invasion. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels also used them to blow up Saudi oil facilities in 2019.
• Although the US Kamikaze might be the most advanced in this class of drones, Russia, China, Israel, Iran and Turkey all have some versions of it.
• The US kamikaze drones are cheaper than most other drones made in the country, and come in two sizes, according to AeroVironment, the manufacturer.
• The Switchblade 300 suicide drone weighs about five pounds (2.26 kilograms), can fly for up to 15 minutes at a time, and is designed to be carried in a backpack.
• The Switchblade 600, by comparison, weighs about 50 pounds, can fly for up to 40 minutes, and is known as a “loitering missile” that can hover around an area for some time and target armoured vehicles.

Global Hunger Index-2022

Paper 2 – Health

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: What is the reason that India’s position in the Global Hunger Index remains worrying even today, how do you think this status can be changed.

Why Should You Know?

Recently the Global Hunger Index (GHI)-2022 was released in which India ranked 107th.

In details

• India this year slipped to the 107th position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2022 from the 101st position in 2021.
• The GHI report termed the level of hunger in India as ‘serious. ‘India’s child wasting rate was recorded at 19.3 per cent, being the highest in the world.
• With a score of 28.2, India is now behind its neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal in the GHI Index of 121 nations, the GHI website, which tracks the hunger and malnutrition, said on Saturday.
• According to the GHI website, China, Turkey, Kuwait and 14 other nations share the top spot with the GHI score of less than five.

What is Global Hunger Index

• The Global Hunger Index measure and tracks hunger wordlwide and by region and country.
• Published by Concern Worldwide annually, the report has been jointly prepared by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation Welt Hunger Hilfe.
• The GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale reflecting the severity of hunger, where zero is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.
• The GHI index is based on four factors —
• Undernourishment (share of the population with insufficient caloric intake),
• child stunting (the share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic under-nutrition),
• child wasting (acute under-nutrition in children under age five with low weight for their height),
• child mortality (the mortality rate of children under the age of five).

India’s Performance-

• While India’s performance since 2014 has improved significantly on stunting and infant mortality, the wasting and undernourishment graphs have seen a small upward trend, the GHI data showed.
• Child wasting which is a strong predictor of mortality among children under five years of age also worsened from 15.1 per cent in 2012-16 to 19.3 per cent in 2017-21.
• India, however, noted improvement in two parameters of child stunting from 38.7 per cent in 2012-16 to 35.5 per cent in 2017-21 and child mortality from 4.6 per cent in 2014 to 3.3 per cent in 2020.
• “The example of India shows the importance of considering the subnational context when designing programs and policies to target child stunting. Researchers investigated the factors that contributed to a decline in stunting in four Indian states between 2006 and 2016: Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu,” the report said.
• The report warned that the situation is expected to deteriorate further as global crises overlap.
• “Possible solutions and the scale of investment required are known and quantified. Rather, the problem lies in policy implementation and the lack of political will in the world,” it said.

Eco-Sensitive Zones

Paper 3–Environment

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: The purpose of declaring an area as an ‘Eco-Sensitive Zone’ (ESZ) is to create a kind of ‘shock-absorber’ in the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities in these areas. explain.

Why Should You Know?

RecentlySupreme Court indicated it may consider taking up Kerala’s review of the Supreme Court’s judgment to have a one-km eco-sensitive zone ringing protected forests, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

In details

• The Supreme Court on October 14, 2022 indicated it may consider taking up Kerala’s review of the Supreme Court’s judgment to have a one-km eco-sensitive zone ringing protected forests, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries across the country along with a plea for clarification sought by the Centre.
• A Bench led by Justice B.R. Gavai said the court would wait for the Centre’s application to come up for hearing. It was responding to an oral mentioning made by advocate NisheRajenShonker, for Kerala, about the State’s review petition.
• The Centre has sought a clarification on certain paragraphs in the court’s verdict, including the fate of building activities pre-dating the judgment.
• The review by Kerala has argued that the judgment would lead to massive displacement of people living in the vicinity of forest areas.
• Even worse, the judgment would strip thousands of Scheduled Tribe families and forest dwellers of their vested rights under the law.
• “As on May 31, 2022, a total of 26,867 individual rights titles covering an extent of 35521.19 acres, 495 development rights covering an area of 181.33 acres and 183 community rights titles have been issued by the state under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act of 2006,” Kerala has submitted.
• The Act recognises the traditional forest dwellers’ rights and occupation of forest land since generations. The law also provides for development rights to forest dwellers like schools, anganwadis, fair price shops, drinking water supply, vocational training centres, etc.
• Kerala noted that its population density was twice that of the entire country as per the 2011 census.
• “Human habitations are there in the areas coming within one km of the protected areas,” the review petition said.
• Large number of small and medium townships with human habitations and attendant facilities had developed, decades ago, within the vicinity of the protected areas and within the proposed buffer zone of one km.
• Further, the judgment would affect the assignment of entire parcels of land by the state under the Kerala Land Assignment (Regularisation of Occupations of Forest Lands Prior to 01-1-1977) Special Rules of 1993.

Background

• In June, the apex court, in its judgment, referred to Environment Ministry guidelines highlighting that ESZs around national parks, forests and sanctuaries would function as a “shock absorber” for the protected areas. These zones would act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to those involving lesser protection.
• The apex court had noted how the nation’s national resources were ravaged for years together by mining and other activities.
• The judgment had observed that the government should not confine its role to that of a “facilitator” of economic activities for the “immediate upliftment of the fortunes of the State”.
• The court said the government had to act as a trustee for the benefit of the general public in relation to the natural resources so that sustainable development could be achieved in the long term.
• The judgment came in a petition instituted for the protection of forest lands in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.

What are Eco-Sensitive Zones?

• Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas in India notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
• The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
• They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.
• An ESZ could go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.
• Moreover, in the case where sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, are beyond 10 km width, these should be included in the ESZs.
• Further, even in the context of a particular Protected Area, the distribution of an area of ESZ and the extent of regulation may not be uniform all around and it could be of variable width and extent.

Activities

Prohibited

• Activities prohibited in an ESZ, such as commercial mining, saw millsindustries causing pollution (air, water, soil, noise etc), establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP), commercial use of wood.
• Tourism activities like hot-air balloons over the National Park, discharge of effluents or any solid waste or production of hazardous substances.

Permitted

• There are permitted activities like ongoing agricultural or horticultural practices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of renewable energy sources, adoption of green technology for all activities.

6th East Asia Summit Education Minister’s Meeting

Paper 2 –Education

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: The East Asia summit acts as a bridge between India and the Pacific region, if we need to fix this bridge, what do you understand by this statement, describe.

Why Should You Know?

Recently India participated at the 6th East Asia Summit Education Minister’s Meeting

In details –

• India participates at the 6th East Asia Summit Education Minister’s Meeting held on ocotber 14, 2022 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
• Ms. Neeta Prasad, Joint Secretary (International Cooperation) Ministry of Education virtually addressed the gathering and informed about the key initiatives of National Education Policy 2020 and India’s collaborative efforts in education and research with partner EAS countries.
• While addressing, she said that NEP 2020 encourages a holistic, flexible and multidisciplinary approach to education as envisioned by the Indian government  and it is based on foundational pillars of access, equality, quality, affordability and accountability and is aligned with SDG 2030 goals.
• She also mentioned the recently-launched PM SHRI scheme under which more than 14,500 schools will be developed across India with all components of NEP 2020 as exemplar schools.
• These schools will offer mentorship to other schools in their vicinity. She said that online, open and multi-modal learning has been promoted vigorously under our PM- eVidya and also mentioned various e-learning platforms like DIKSHA, SWAYAM MOOCS platform, Virtual Labs, e-PG Pathshala and National Digital Library, and many others.
• Smt Neeta Prasad underlined that NEP 2020 focuses on the internationalization of education and building collaborations with other countries. 
• She added that India greatly values educational cooperation with EAS countries. She also emphasised India’s commitment to working with EAS member countries.

About East Asia Summit

• The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a regional forum held annually by leaders of, initially, 16 countries in the East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian and Oceanian regions, based on the ASEAN Plus Six mechanism.
• The EAS has 18 members:The ten ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) along with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.
• Since its establishment, ASEAN has held the central role and leadership in the forum. EAS meetings are held after the annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings, and plays an important role in the regional architecture of Asia-Pacific.
• The first summit was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 14 December 2005.
• The EAS membership represents around 54% of the world’s population and accounts for 58% of global GDP.

Two new hydroelectric projectsin HP

Paper 3 – Energy Resources

From the point of view of mains examination

Question: Describing the immense potential of hydroelectric energy in India, review the recent steps taken by the government in this direction.

Why Should You Know?

Recently, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of two hydroelectric projects in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.

In details

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone of two hydroelectric projects and launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)-III in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh.
• The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of two hydroelectric projects, 48 ​​MW Chanju-III Hydro-Electric Project and 30 MW DeothalChanju Hydro-Electric Project.
• Both these projects will generate 270 million units of electricity annually and Himachal Pradesh is expected to generate an annual revenue of about Rs 110 crore from these projects.
• The Prime Minister also launched Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)-III in Himachal Pradesh to upgrade about 3125 km of roads in the state.
• Under this phase, over Rs 420 crore has been sanctioned by the central government for upgradation of 440 km of roads in 15 border and remote blocks of the state.

About Hydroelectricity

• Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power).
• Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world’s electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and also more than nuclear power.
• Hydropower can provide large amounts of low-carbon electricity on demand, making it a key element for creating secure and clean electricity supply systems.
• A hydroelectric power station that has a dam and reservoir is a flexible source, since the amount of electricity produced can be increased or decreased in seconds or minutes in response to varying electricity demand.
• Once a hydroelectric complex is constructed, it produces no direct waste, and almost always emits considerably less greenhouse gas than fossil fuel-powered energy plants. However, when constructed in lowland rainforest areas, where part of the forest is inundated, substantial amounts of greenhouse gases may be emitted.
• Construction of a hydroelectric complex can have significant environmental impact, principally in loss of arable land and population displacement.
• They also disrupt the natural ecology of the river involved, affecting habitats and ecosystems, and siltation and erosion patterns. While dams can ameliorate the risks of flooding, dam failure can be catastrophic.