1. HAYABUSA-2 PROBE
How did the Earth, believed to have been covered in bubbling oceans of magma billions of years ago, transform into the ‘blue planet’ and become covered in water?
About:
- In an article published in the journal Nature Astronomy on August 15, scientists from Japan suggest that water and organic materials might have been brought to our planet from the outer edges of the solar system.
- The scientists made the hypothesis after analysing samples from the asteroid Ryugu, collected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa-2 probe, which had brought 5.4 grams of rocks and dust from the asteroid to Earth in December 2020.
- The Hayabusa-2 mission was launched in December 2014 when the spacecraft was sent on a six-year voyage to study the asteroid Ryugu.
Source : Indian Express
2. DEVELOPED COUNTRY
In his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Indians to embrace the “Panch Pran” — five vows — by 2047 when the country celebrates 100 years of independence. The first vow, he said, is for India to become a developed country in the next 25 years.
About:
- NTPC is steadily lowering its carbon footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the installation of renewable energy projects in its existing stations as well as putting up green field RE projects.
- The Company has planned 262 MW floating solar on over 1300 acres of its reservoir area by installing over 9,50,000 PV modules at its various stations out of which 242 Mega Watt has been commissioned.
- This includes the country’s largest floating solar of 100 MW at Ramagundam in Telangana, 92 MW at Kayamkulam in Kerala, and 25 MW each at Simhadri, Andhra Pradesh, and Kawas in Gujarat.
Source : PIB
3. KAWAS SOLAR PV PROJECT
NTPC Limited, India’s largest integrated energy company achieved 69454 MW of group installed and commercial capacity with the commissioning of 56 MW Kawas Solar PV Project at NTPC Kawas, Gujarat on 15.08.2022.
About:
- NTPC is steadily lowering its carbon footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through the installation of renewable energy projects in its existing stations as well as putting up green field RE projects.
- The Company has planned 262 MW floating solar on over 1300 acres of its reservoir area by installing over 9,50,000 PV modules at its various stations out of which 242 Mega Watt has been commissioned.
- This includes the country’s largest floating solar of 100 MW at Ramagundam in Telangana, 92 MW at Kayamkulam in Kerala, and 25 MW each at Simhadri, Andhra Pradesh, and Kawas in Gujarat.
Source : PIB
4. DELHI-DEHRADUN EXPRESSWAY PROJECT
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways informed through a series of tweets that the last 20km stretch passes through eco-sensitive zone of Raja Ji National Park where Asia’s longest elevated wildlife corridor (12km) is being constructed that includes 340m Daat Kali tunnel.
About:
- He said sustainable development is the motto of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Government.
- The Minister said the tunnel intends to protect the surrounding wildlife. Once completed, the expressway would reduce travel time between Dehradun-Delhi from 6 hrs to 2.30 hours & Delhi-Haridwar from 5 hours to 2 hours.
Source : PIB
5. NATIONAL ACTION FOR MECHANISED SANITATION ECOSYSTEM (NAMASTE)
Namaste is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) as a joint initiative of the MoSJE and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
NAMASTE aims to achieve the following outcomes:
- Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India
- All sanitation work is performed by skilled workers
- No sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter
- Sanitation workers are collectivized into SHGs and are empowered to run sanitation enterprises
- All Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers (SSWs) have access to alternative livelihoods
- Strengthened supervisory and monitoring systems at national, state and ULB levels to ensure enforcement and monitoring of safe sanitation work
- Increased awareness amongst sanitation services seekers (individuals and institutions) to seek services from registered and skilled sanitation workers
Source : PIB
6. COAL SECTOR
Union Minister of Coal and Mines said that in the near future more than 107 coal blocks will be made available for auction by the Ministry of Coal.
About:
- He was addressing a function in which the Ministry of Coal has executed agreements with the successful bidders for 16 coal mines under sale of coal of 13th tranche, 14th tranche and second attempt of 12th tranche.
- The Minister said that during the last four months Coal India Ltd has set new record by producing around 207 million ton coal. Ministry of coal is targeting production of 900 million ton this financial year and the target of CIL comes to 700 million ton.
Source : PIB
7. INTEREST SUBVENTION ON SHORT TERM AGRICULTURE LOANS
The Union Cabinet has approved to restore Interest Subvention on short term agriculture loans to 1.5% for all financial institutions.
About:
- Thus, Interest Subvention of 1.5% will be provided to lending institutions (Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Bank, Small Finance Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Cooperative Banks and Computerized PACS directly ceded with commercial banks) for the financial year 2022-23 to 2024-25 for lending short term agri-loans upto Rs 3 lakh to the farmers.
- This increase in Interest Subvention support requires additional budgetary provisions of Rs 34,856 crore for the period of 2022-23 to 2024-25 under the scheme.
- Increase in Interest Subvention will ensure sustainability of credit flow in the agriculture sector as well as ensure financial health and viability of the lending institutions especially Regional Rural Banks & Cooperative Banks, ensuring adequate agriculture credit in rural economy.
Source : PIB
8. INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM (ITF)
Union Cabinet has approved signing of Contract between the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), India and France to support the International Transport Forum (ITF) activities on the Indian Transport Sector.
About:
- The Contract was signed on 6th July, 2022.
- The activities to be carried out under this Contract will lead to:
- New scientific results;
- New policy insights;
- Capacity building through increase scientific interaction; and
- Identification of technology options for decarbonization of transport sector in India.
Source : PIB
9. EMERGENCY CREDIT LINE GUARANTEE SCHEME (ECLGS)
The Union Cabinet has approved the enhancement in the limit of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) by Rs 50,000 crore from Rs. 4.5 Lakh crore to Rs. 5 Lakh crore, with the additional amount being earmarked exclusively for enterprises in hospitality and related sectors.
About:
- ECLGS is a continuing scheme. The additional amount of Rs. 50,000 crore would be made applicable to enterprises in hospitality and related sectors till validity of the scheme which is 31.3.2023.
- ECLGS is an already operational scheme and on account of the disruptions caused by the COVID 19 pandemic on hospitality and related sectors, Government has specifically earmarked an amount of Rs. 50,000 crore for enterprises in these sectors.
- The enhancement is expected to provide much needed relief to enterprises in these sectors by incentivizing lending institutions to provide additional credit of up to Rs. 50,000 crore at low cost, thereby enabling these business enterprises to meet their operational liabilities and continue their businesses.
- Loans of about Rs. 3.67 Lakh crore have been sanctioned under ECLGS till 5.8.2022.
Source : PIB
10. TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE DIGITAL LIBRARY (TKDL)
The Cabinet has approved the “Widening access of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) database to users, besides patent offices”.
About:
- The opening up of the TKDL is also envisaged to inculcate thought and knowledge leadership through Bharatiya Gnana Parampara, under the New Education Policy 2020.
- The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) is a prior art database of Indian traditional knowledge established in 2001, jointly by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H, now Ministry of AYUSH).
- The TKDL is a first of its kind globally and has been serving as an exemplary model to other nations. The TKDL currently contains information from existing literature related to ISM such as Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Yoga.
- The information is documented in a digitized format in five international languages which are English, German, French, Japanese and Spanish.
Source : PIB