UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

In a significant milestone towards completion of the 2,000 Mega Watt Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project located in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and being executed by  NHPC Limited , the construction of dam till the top level of Elevation Level (EL) 210 M has been completed in all blocks on June 29, 2023. [Elevation level here means height with respect to mean sea level.]  NHPC has informed that more than 90% of the total work of the project has already been completed. The construction of all major components, including Dam, Power House and Hydromechanical Works is fast progressing towards completion. The remaining work of radial gates will be completed after the monsoon season and electricity generation is expected to begin by the end of Financial Year 2023-24. On completion, the Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project will generate approximately 7,500 million kilowatt-hours of power annually, in a 90%-dependable year. NHPC Limited commenced construction work of Subansiri Lowe...

Finance Minister proposed   a  Green Credit Programme,  to be notified under the Environment (Protection) Act.   for encouraging  behavioural change  by  incentivizing environmentally sustainable and responsive actions by companies, individuals and local bodies.  “This will help mobilize additional resources for such activities” in the  Union Budget 2023-24. ( PIB ) The Environment Ministry released a draft notification on proposed ‘Green Credit Scheme’   Objectives of the Green Credit Programme – (1) The main objectives of the Green Credit Programme (herein after referred as ‘Programme’) are as follows: -  a. Create a market based mechanism for providing incentives in the form of Green Credits to individuals, Farmer Producer Organisations, cooperatives, forestry enterprises, sustainable agriculture enterprises, Urban and Rural Local Bodies, private sectors, industries and organisations for environment positive actions;  b. Cr...

Conference seeks to establish Green Hydrogen Ecosystem and Catalyse Attainment of Global Goals for Decarbonization through Green Hydrogen ICGH 2023 will enable us to Learn Best Practices from Experts to help Attain Production Targets under National Green Hydrogen Mission: Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy The Government of India is organizing an International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023) during 5 th  – 7 th  July 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, to  bring together the global scientific and industrial community to discuss recent advances and emerging technologies in the entire green hydrogen value chain. The conference will enable the sector stakeholders to explore the evolving green hydrogen landscape and innovation-driven solutions in the sector. The conference is being organized by  the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy , in partnership with  the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas ,  Council of Scientific and Industrial ...

India was being mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General on Children and armed conflict since 2010 along with other countries of Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Lake Chad basin, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Philippines for alleged recruitment and use of boys by armed groups in Jammu and Kashmir; detainment of boys by Indian security forces in J&K for their alleged association with armed groups, or on national security grounds; children  killed and maimed by Indian security forces, including by the use of pellets; unidentified perpetrators, crossfire between armed groups and unidentified perpetrators, and crossfire and shelling across the line of control. The Government of India had been consistently engaged in efforts to exclude our country’s name from this ignoble list. The ongoing engagement of the Government of India with the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) sped up after an inter-ministerial meeting was held in November 2021 with Shri Indevar Pandey, the Sec...

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the introduction of the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023 in the Parliament.  The approved Bill will pave the way to  establish NRF that will seed, grow and promote Research and Development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories. The bill, after approval in the Parliament, will establish NRF, an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country as per recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), at a total estimated cost of Rs. 50,000 crore during five years (2023-28). The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will be the administrative Department of NRF which will be governed by a Governing Board consisting of eminent researchers and professionals across disciplines. Since the scope of the NRF is wide-ranging – impacti...

  The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today has given its approval for ratification of the Headquarters Agreement (HQA) between Government of India (Gol) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) signed on 22nd August, 2022. The CDRI was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India during the United Nations Climate Action Summit on the 23’d September, 2019, at New York. It is a major global initiative launched by the Government of India and is seen as India's attempts to obtain a global leadership role in climate change and disaster resilience matters. On the 28* August, 2019, the Cabinet had approved the setting up of CDRI along with its supporting Secretariat in New Delhi and also gave the approval for Government of India financial support of Rs. 480 crore to CDRI over a period of 5 years from 2019-20 to 2023-24. Subsequently, on the 29th June, 2022, the Cabinet had approved recognition of CDRI as an International Organization ...

With this,  USA becomes second country in the world, after Singapore, to allow sale of lab grown meat.  Upside Foods and Good  Meat  are the companies which got approval from USDA to their lab grown meat in USA. <<< About Lab grown Meat

The  G20  is set to adopt a framework to define  start-ups  on the basis of five components namely legal entity type, age, size, scalability and innovation, at the Startup20 summit meeting in Gurgaon on July 3-4.  Current Definition of Startup: Your company must meet the following criteria to be considered eligible for DPIIT startup recognition. 1. Company Age Period of existence and operations should not be exceeding 10 years from the Date of Incorporation 2. Company Type Incorporated as a Private Limited Company, a Registered Partnership Firm or a Limited Liability Partnership 3. Annual Turnover Should have an annual turnover not exceeding Rs. 100 crore for any of the financial years since its Incorporation 4. Original Entity Entity should not have been formed by splitting up or reconstructing an already existing business 5. Innovative & Scalable Should work towards development or improvement of a product, process or service and/or have scalable business m...

  During a ceremony at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington on Wednesday, June 21, India became the 27th country to sign the Artemis Accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony for the agency and Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s ambassador to the United States, signed on behalf of India. The Artemis Accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Along with this, both India & USA agreed to launch joint Mission to International Space Station ( ISS ). About Artemis Accords: The Artemis Accord was signed on October 13, 2020 by eight Founder Nations, - Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, UAE, UK and the United States. Its members include the traditional US allies like Japan, France, New Zealand, UK, Canada, South Korea, Australia and Spain while African nations like Rwanda, Nigeria etc are the new partners. Out of 22 Euro...

Relevance: Wildlife Crime Control Bureau seizes fake elephant pearls, 369 star tortoises The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is a threatened tortoise species native to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka where it inhabits dry areas and scrub forest. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2016, as the population is thought to comprise more than 10,000 individuals, but with a declining trend. It is threatened by habitat loss and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. It was upgraded to CITES Appendix I in 2019 by full consensus among all member states, giving it the highest level of international protection from commercial trade. Conservation group TRAFFIC found 6,040 were seized globally that were intended to be sold in the pet trade. About Indian Star Tortoise

Relevance:  Customs Air Intelligence Unit seizes 6,850 live red-eared sliders at Tiruchi airport - The Hindu The   red-eared slider   or   red-eared terrapin   ( Trachemys scripta elegans ) is a subspecies of the   pond slider   ( Trachemys scripta ), a semiaquatic   turtle   belonging to the   family   Emydidae . It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States, is also popular as a pet across the rest of the world, and is the most   invasive   turtle.   It is the most commonly traded turtle in the world. The red-eared slider is native from the Midwestern United States to northern Mexico, but has become established in other places because of pet releases, and has become invasive in many areas where it outcompetes native species. The red-eared slider is included in the list of the world's 100 most invasive species. It is an  is an attractive animal because of its tiny size and colou...

Relevance:  Joha rice -- the Nutraceutical of choice in diabetes management - PIB ‘Joha’ is a special class of Sali rice (Winter rice) of Assam in cultivation over centuries and characterized by aromatic endosperm. A large number of traditional Joha varieties have been cultivated by the farmers since time immemorial. Joha varieties are mostly short or medium grained and have very low yield potential. However, this class of aromatic rice differs from Basmati rice in growth habit, areas of adaptation, Physicochemical properties of grains and grain shape and cooked grain elongation pattern. More About Joha Rice

The six trade disputes that will be terminated are as follows. Three of them have been filed by India namely Certain Measures Relating to Solar Cells and Solar Modules (DS456); Export Related Measures (DS541) and Additional Duties on Certain Products from the United States (DS585). While the other three disputes that have been filed by the US are Countervailing Measures on Certain Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Flat Products from India (DS436); Certain Measures Relating to the Renewable Energy Sector (DS510); and Certain Measures on Steel and Aluminium Products (DS547). As a part of the agreement, the US has agreed to grant market access to steel and aluminium products under the exclusion process of Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act 1962. India has agreed to remove the additional duty, i.e., retaliatory tariffs on certain products. However, the prevailing basic import duty on these products applicable to all imports will continue. This market access will restore opportunities for Indian ...

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has simplified and liberalized the policy for export of Drones/UAVs meant for civilian end uses from India. This decision has been taken in line with the emphasis laid in India's Foreign Trade Policy 2023 on facilitating the export of high tech items which includes the promotion of exports of Drones/Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) manufactured in India for civilian end uses and taking into consideration India's international obligations on non-proliferation. All kind/type of drones/UAVs were earlier controlled/restricted for export under the category 5B of the SCOMET (Special Chemicals Organisms Material Equipments and Technology) list under Appendix 3 of Schedule 2 of the ITCHS classification of Import and Export Items. This list deals with the category of items that are subject to specific regulations due to their potential dual-use nature—meaning they can have both civilian and military appli...

MoU envisages co-operation with USAID/India on clean energy and energy efficiency solutions The effort is to reduce carbon footprint of Indian Railways in order to achieve Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission Indian Railways (IR) is proactively working towards the achievement of Net Zero Carbon Emission by 2030. IR has strategized multipronged approach. As part of its commitment to reduce carbon footprints, Indian Railways is taking several initiatives. In line with this, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Indian Railways, Government of India and United States Agency for International Development/India (USAID/India) on 14 th  June, 2023 for collaboration on Renewable energy and Energy Efficiency. The MoU was signed by Shri Naveen Gulati, Member (Traction and Rolling Stock), Railway Board, Indian Railways and Ms. Isabel Coleman, Deputy Administrator, USAID, in the presence of Sh. Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman & CEO, Railway Board. USAID is an agency of the U.S. Gov...

Power Tariff to be 20% less during Solar Hours, 10%-20% Higher during Peak Hours; Consumers to benefit from effective utilization of ToD provision Time of Day Tariff A Win-Win: Enables Consumers to Reduce Electricity Bills, Helps Power System to Use Resources More Efficiently: Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R. K. Singh Mechanism to ensure better grid integration of Renewable Energy sources and faster energy transition for India: Union Power and NRE Minister R. K. Singh The Government of India has introduced two changes to the prevailing power tariff system, through an amendment to the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020. The changes are: introduction of Time of Day (ToD) Tariff, and rationalization of smart metering provisions. Introduction of Time of Day (ToD) Tariff Rather than being charged for electricity at the same rate at all times of the day, the price you pay for electricity will vary according to the time of day.  Under the ToD Tariff system...

Police Reforms in India Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve Integrated Simulator Complex ‘Dhruv’ inagurated UNDP partners with DAY-NULM towards empowering women entrepreneurs “Black Cocaine” worth Rs 32 crore seized at Ahmedabad International Airport

“Police” being a State subject in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, it is the State Governments/UT Administrations, which have to implement the various police measures. In This regard role of Centre is just advisory in pursuing states for Police Reforms. to  Committees / Commission on Police Reforms: National Police Commission (1978-82): The major recommendations of the NPC to amend the Code of Criminal procedure 1973 and the Bill to this effect was passed in the Rajya Sabha on 4.5.2005 and in Lok Sabha on 9.5.2005 respectively. Ribero Committee: It was constituted on the directions of the Supreme Court of India in the case of Prakash Singh vs Union of India and others pertaining to implementation of the recommendations of the National Police Commission. The Rebeiro Committee endorsed the recommendations of the NPC with certain modifications. Padmanabhaiah Committee on Police Reforms: Government had set up a Committee in January, 2000 under the Chair...

Relevance:  Plea to prohibit sand mining near Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve - The Hindu Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve   is India's 51st   tiger reserve   and 5th tiger reserve of   Tamil Nadu .   It was formed by combining   Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary   and   Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary . On 8 February 2021, the   Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change   gave notification of this new tiger reserve.   On 6 April 2021, the   Government of Tamil Nadu   and forest department approved the creation of a new tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu   and on 11 April 2021 a new tiger reserve was formed. Tiger reserve area : 1016.57 km 2 Tiger reserve area : 1016.57 km 2 Core area : 641. 86 km 2 Buffer area :  374.70 km 2 It is mainly formed for connecting adjacent wild life sanctuaries such as Periyar sanctuary, Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary,...

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Integrated Simulator Complex (ISC) ‘Dhruv’ at Southern Naval Command, Kochi on June 21, 2023. The ISC ‘Dhruv’ hosts modern state-of-the-art indigenously-built simulators which will significantly enhance practical training in the Indian Navy. These simulators are envisaged to give real-time experience on navigation, fleet operations and Naval tactics. These simulators will also be utilised for training of personnel from friendly countries. Amongst the many simulators envisaged in the complex, the Raksha Mantri visited Multi-Station Handling Simulator (MSSHS), Air Direction and Helicopter Control
Simulator (ADHCS) and Astronavigation Dome. The Ship Handling Simulators produced by ARI Pvt Ltd, New Delhi have been exported to 18 countries. The Astronavigation Dome developed by Infovision Technologies Pvt Ltd is the first-of-its-kind in the Indian Navy. The ADHCS - developed by Institute for Systems Studies and Analysis, a DRDO laboratory...

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) entered into a collaborative partnership aimed at empowering women to make well-informed career choices in the field of entrepreneurship. The partnership will provide support for women looking to start and expanding their own enterprises, particularly in sectors such as care economy, digital economy, electric mobility, waste management, food packaging and more. Focused on fostering entrepreneurship development and accelerating enterprise growth, the three-year project, extendable beyond 2025, will cover eight cities in the initial phase. Leveraging its experience in linking over 2,00,000 women to better employment opportunities, UNDP will offer national-level capacity building support to DAY-NULM. This support will focus on knowledge generation and management, such as compiling compendiums of best practices related to urban poverty, to enhance the implementat...

Busting a unique modus operandi, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) have foiled the attempt to smuggle 3.22 kgs of “Black Cocaine”, a designer drug, into India at SVPI Airport, Ahmedabad earlier today. Intelligence gathered revealed that a Brazilian national, who was travelling from Sau Paulo Airport to Ahmedabad international Airport, will attempt to smuggle Cocaine into India.  The DRI officials intercepted the said Brazilian national at Ahmedabad international Airport. The said passenger was travelling on tourist visa. Extensive Examination of the passenger, trolley and cabin bags was carried out and did not reveal any concealment. However, the DRI officials observed that the base area and walls of the said two bags had an unusually thick rubbery material which was very brittle in nature and was turning granular on applying pressure. The material was examined by a team of Forensic Science lab officers with specialized field-testing kit which showed presen...

Rabat Declaration adopted to improve refugee and migrant health Global Congress opens to counter harmful marketing of formula milk The United Nations formally adopted a high seas treaty June 19 - World Sickle Cell Day Omicron-specific mRNA-based Booster vaccine developed using the indigenous platform technology NHPC participates in Annual Meeting of International Commission on Large Dams, Gothenburg, Sweden Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) PaLM by Google AI

Ministers and government representatives adopted a groundbreaking political declaration, the   Rabat Declaration , to strengthen the global commitment to improve the health of refugees and migrants. The Rabat Declaration was adopted during the high-level segment of the Third Global Consultation on the Health of Refugees and Migrants that took place on 13–15 June 2023 (1). The event, co-hosted by   the Kingdom of Morocco, the World Health Organization (WHO), IOM, the UN Migration Agency, and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, was attended by government representatives from 50 United Nations Member States and observers as well as representatives from humanitarian organizations, civil society and refugee and migrant communities and UN agencies.  Rabat Declaration committed to: accelerate efforts to improve the health of refugees, migrants and their host communities; address the root causes that negatively influence their health; and work towards including heal...