15 Feb 2022: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. “New Frontiers” Program on Renewable Energy
2. World Sustainable Development Summit
3. SEED Programme
4. PM Gati Shakti

1. “New Frontiers” Program on Renewable Energy

Syllabus: GS III, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation

Prelims: Renewable Energy targets, COP 26

Mains: The road to a sustainable future with renewable energy

Context: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will conduct a program on renewable energy titled “New Frontiers” that will involve students and think tanks. This will be organised as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Highlights of the Program:

• A physical event will be held by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy focusing on the topic, “India’s Leadership in Energy Transition”. 
• The discussions are likely to surround the matters related to:
  • Women in Renewable Energy – Call for Action
  • Role of International Solar Alliance in Energy Transition
  • Role of Clean Technology Start-ups and Climate Entrepreneurs
• The major objective is to adopt a roadmap to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 by switching to renewable energy. 
• It will also address the targets mentioned by India at the COP 26 and ways to achieve them heading towards sustainability.

2. World Sustainable Development Summit

Syllabus: GS III, Conservation

Prelims: Sustainable Development Goals, TERI

Mains: Efforts made to build resilience to transform the world into a sustainable and equitable one. 

Context: The Prime Minister of India will virtually address the inaugural ceremony of the World Sustainable Development Summit which is an annual flagship event of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

Image source: www.teriin.org

About the Summit:

• The summit will continue for three days involving heads of various intergovernmental organizations, Ministers/Envoys representing more than a dozen countries and delegates from over 120 countries along with the Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations. 
• It will attend to the areas of climate change, sustainable production, energy transitions, global commons and resource security. 
• The summit will provide a single platform with interventions from various stakeholders to further strengthen the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

3. SEED Programme

Syllabus: GS II, Welfare schemes for vulnerable section of the population

Prelims: Features of SEED programme

Mains: Government initiatives for the economic empowerment of the Denotified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic communities. 

Context: In order to create welfare for the Denotified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic (DNTs) communities, the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) was launched. 

Background of SEED:

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment decided to set up a National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes in 2014 for a span of three years. 
• The National Commission was established under the chairmanship of Shri Bhiku Ramji Idate.
• The report of the commission inclusive of the lists of DNTs was submitted in 2017.
• Based on the recommendations of the commission, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had established the Development and Welfare Board for DNTs in 2019. 
• Under the directives of the development board, several welfare programmes have been formulated such as the SEED initiative.

About SEED:

• The scheme has been introduced for families having an income of Rs. 2.50 lakh or less per annum.
• The families that are not benefited from the similar scheme of Central and State Governments will be covered under this scheme.
• The scheme will be implemented through a portal which is created by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Followed by the registration of the beneficiaries to the portal, the applicants will be provided with a unique identification number which will be used as the permanent registration number enabling them to apply for one or more components of the scheme. 
• A permanent database will be created in the portal for enrollment of applicants to the components of the scheme. 

Transfer of Funds:

• The beneficiaries will receive the funds for the welfare schemes under SEED directly in their accounts. 
• The Ministry of Rural Development, National Rural Livelihood Mission and the National Health Authority are the implementing agencies.

4. PM Gati Shakti

Syllabus: GS III, Infrastructure: Roads

Prelims: Gati Shakti National Master Plan

Mains: Improvements made in the multi-modal connectivity and last-mile connectivity across the country made under PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

Context: The PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan exhibited considerable progress in the development of connectivity across the country under the aegis of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

About the Gati Shakti Master Plan:

• Gati Shakti is a digital platform that brings together 16 ministries that include railways and roadways.
• It intends to establish integrated planning and effective implementation of the projects for industry clusters and economic nodes.
• The scheme will provide impetus to several Greenfield expressways, Multi-Modal Logistics Parks as components of the Bharatmala Pariyojana and other connectivity schemes of the ministry. 
• Approval for the development of this scheme had been given by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. 
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is taking several initiatives to achieve the objectives of smooth connectivity across the country and stepping towards a $5 trillion economy by 2025. 

Image source: www.businesstoday.in

Important Projects under Gati Shakti:

• Delhi-Mumbai Expressway 
• Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway
• Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway
• Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway
• Zojila tunnel 
• Roads to connect Krishnapatnam Port (Andhra Pradesh)
• A major bridge over Middle Strait Creek 
• Bridge over Ganga bridge at Phaphamau
• Bridge over the Brahmaputra between Dhubri and Phulbari

Read more about PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan in the linked article.

Read previous PIB here.

February 15th, 2022, PIB:- Download PDF Here