Contents:
- LAWS AGAINST HUGE ELECTION EXPENDITURE
- MILAN 2020
- RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR
- PM – KUSUM
LAWS AGAINST HUGE ELECTION EXPENDITURE
Why in news?
- Expressing serious concern over rising money power eroding the credibility of the country’s democratic polity, Vice President of India and Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has called for effective laws of Parliament in quick time and simultaneous polls to check the menace.
- Shri Naidu noted that it is a reality that a millionaire has much better chances of becoming an MP or an MLA at the cost of the honest and more deserving low income Indians and referred to the assets of 475 members of the present Lok Sabha accounting for 88% of the 533 members whose declared assets were examined being in several crores
- The Vice President observed that short term benefits offered by the governments in the form of populist schemes for electoral advantage are at the cost of their ability to perform main functions besides adversely impacting the long term interests of the poor and the middle class
- Shri Naidu said; “Perhaps, time has come to consider a suitable legislation on the lines of FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act that puts a cap on Fiscal Deficit).
- Shri Venkaiah Naidu noted that “Time has come for the idea of simultaneous polls to be seriously considered for its many advantages including reducing the costs of holding polls and spending by political parties
MILAN 2020
Why in news?
- Feb 2016, the City of Destiny Visakhapatnam is gearing up to host another International Naval event ‘MILAN’ in March 2020
More about MILAN
- MILAN 2020 is a multilateral naval exercise aimed to enhance professional interaction between friendly foreign navies and learn from each other’s strengths and best practices in the maritime domain. The Exercise with the theme ‘Synergy Across the Seas’ would provide an excellent opportunity for Operational Commanders of friendly foreign navies to interact with each other in areas of mutual interest.
RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR
Why in news?
- As a part of Nationally Determined Contributions as per the Paris Accord on Climate Change, India has made a pledge that by 2030, 40% of our installed power generation capacity shall be from non-fossil fuel sources and also by 2030, reduce emission intensity of GDP by 33-35 % from 2005 level.
NDC under Paris agreement
- India decided in 2015 that 175 GW of renewable energy capacity will be installed by the year 2022. This includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from biomass and 5 GW from small hydro power
PM – KUSUM
- Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan was launched for grid-connected RE power plants (0.5 – 2 MW)/ Solar water pumps/ grid connected agriculture pumps
- Installation of 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground Mounted Grid Connected Renewable Energy Power Plants by farmers of 500 kW to 2 MW capacity within 5 km distance from sub-station primarily on barren/uncultivable land. The DISCOMs will purchase power at pre-fixed tariff
- PM KUSUM is being implemented by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy MNRE
