INDIAN RAILWAY SOLARISES MORE THAN 960 STATIONS
Focus: GS-III Environment and Ecology Why in news? Indian Railways has solarised more than 960 stations till August 2020. Details In order to achieve its objective of becoming 100% self-sustainable for all its power needs and also to contribute to national solar power goals – Indian Railways has solarised more than 960 stations and orders […]
CSIR-CMERI DEVELOPS WORLD’S LARGEST SOLAR TREE
Focus: GS-III Environment and Ecology, Science and Technology Why in news? CSIR-CMERI has developed the World’s Largest Solar Tree with the annual capacity to generate 12,000-14,000 units of Clean and Green Power. Details The Solar Tree has been designed in a manner to ensure maximum exposure of each Solar PV Panel to Sunlight and also […]
LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPPING IN UTTARAKHAND
Focus: GS-I Geography, GS-III Disaster Management Introduction Like most hill townships, Mussoorie, the popular hill station in Uttarakhand, has witnessed several landslides, probably resulting from an increased spate of developmental activities. The increased disaster hazard has led scientists to map the landslide susceptibility of Mussoorie and surrounding areas, showing that 15 percent of the region […]
JAPAN’S COMMITS RS 3,500 CRORE FOR HEALTHCARE IN INDIA
Focus: GS-II International Relations Why in news? The Govt. of Japan has committed Official Development Assistance loan of an amount of JPY50 billion (approx. Rs. 3,500 crore) for the COVID-19 Crisis Emergency Response Support. This programme loan aims to support India’s efforts in fighting COVID-19 and to prepare the health system to manage future epidemics […]
NATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PRICING AUTHORITY (NPPA)
Focus: GS-III Industry and Infrastructure Why in news? On the foundation day of National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority (NPPA) Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers congratulated NPPA for working tirelessly to ensure availability of life-saving drugs at reasonable prices consistently. National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) is a government regulatory agency […]
NATIONAL SPORTS AND ADVENTURE AWARDS, 2020
Focus: GS-II Governance Why in news? In a first ever virtual presentation of awards, the President of India gave away the National Sports and Adventure Awards, 2020. The Sports Minister announced the enhancement of the prize money in four of the seven categories of the National Sports and Adventure Awards. A twelve-member committee evaluates the […]
17TH ASEAN-INDIA ECONOMIC MINISTERS’ CONSULTATIONS
Focus: GS-II International Relations Why in news? Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry & Railways co-chaired the 17th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultations held virtually on 2020. Details The meeting was attended by the Trade Ministers of all the 10 ASEAN countries. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to take collective actions in mitigating the economic impact […]
BORROW FROM RBI TO BRIDGE GST GAP
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy Why in news? The Centre acknowledged that States are likely to face a GST revenue gap of Rs. 3 lakh crore this year, as the economy may contract due to COVID-19. Details At the GST Council meeting, the Centre distinguished between the shortfall due to GST implementation itself — claiming that […]
CRUDE OIL PURCHASES FROM CHINESE FIRMS HALTED
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy Why in news? Indian state refiners have stopped buying crude oil from China-linked companies, three sources said, after New Delhi’s recent regulation aimed at restricting imports from countries that it shares a border with. Details Since the new order was issued, state refiners have been inserting a clause in their import […]
SOLAR TARIFF IN INDIA UNLIKELY TO COMPETE WITH GULF
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy Why in news? The per unit cost of solar power in India, considered among the cheapest in the world, is unlikely to cost less than what it is in Gulf countries, according to an analysis by an energy think tank. This is primarily due to the lower cost of finance in […]