15 Feb 2024: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. National Coal Index
2. 'Sangam: Digital Twin' Initiative
3. Digital India Future SKILLS Summit
4. Nokhra Solar Project

1. National Coal Index

Syllabus: GS-3, Economy

Prelims: National Coal Index

Context:

National Coal Index shows a decline of 4.75% in December 2023.

National Coal Index:

• The National Coal Index is at 155.44 points compared to December 2022, when it was at 163.19 points. 
• This notable decrease indicates sufficient availability of coal in the market to meet the growing demands.
• The National Coal Index (NCI) is a price index that combines coal prices from all sales channels, viz. Notified Prices, Auction Prices, and Import Prices. It considers prices of coking and non-coking coal of various grades transacted in the regulated (power and fertilizer) and non-regulated sectors.
• Established with the base year as FY 2017-18, NCI serves as a reliable indicator of market dynamics, providing valuable insights into price fluctuations.
• The peak of NCI was observed in June 2022 when the index reached 238.83 points, but subsequent months have experienced a decline, indicative of the abundant availability of coal in the Indian market.
• The country’s coal production surged by 10.74 % in Dec 2023 helping ensure a stable supply for various sectors reliant on coal, significantly contributing to the overall energy security of the nation.

Significance: 

• The downward trajectory of the NCI implies a more equitable market, harmonizing supply and demand dynamics. 
• With sufficient coal availability, the nation can not only address burgeoning demands but also underpin its long-term energy requisites, thereby fortifying a more resilient and sustainable coal industry and fostering a prosperous future for the nation.

2. ‘Sangam: Digital Twin’ Initiative

Syllabus: GS-3, Science & Technology

Prelims: ‘Sangam: Digital Twin’ initiative

Context:

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) unveiled the ‘Sangam: Digital Twin’ initiative.

What is ‘Sangam: Digital Twin’?

• Sangam: Digital Twin is a Proof of Concept distributed in two stages to be conducted in one of the major cities of India. 
• The first stage is exploratory for clarity of horizon and creative exploration to unleash potential.  
• The second stage is for practical demonstration of specific use cases generating a future blueprint that may serve as a roadmap to scale and replicate successful strategies in future infrastructure projects through collaboration.
• DoT has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from industry pioneers, startups, MSMEs, academia, innovators and forward-thinkers in this regard.

About Digital Twin Technology:

• Digital Twin technology offers a solution by creating virtual replicas of physical assets, allowing for real-time monitoring, simulation and analysis for experimental iterations and feedback loops to adapt to the changes to achieve the best outcomes.
• Basically, a digital twin is a virtual model of a physical object.
• It is a digital model of an intended or actual real-world physical product, system, or process that serves as the effectively indistinguishable digital counterpart of it for practical purposes, such as simulation, integration, testing, monitoring, and maintenance.

3. Digital India Future SKILLS Summit

Syllabus: GS-2, Govt programs

Prelims: Digital India Future SKILLS Summit

Mains: Digital India and related challenges 

Context:

First-ever Digital India Future SKILLS Summit inaugurated in Guwahati.

Details:

• The Digital India Future Skills Summit was hosted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) through the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT).
• The event saw the coming together of esteemed dignitaries, industry leaders, academia, policymakers and technology enthusiasts to deliberate on strategies for ‘Catalyzing future-ready talent for India & the world’.
• ‘Future skills’ relate to upcoming and emerging technologies such as semiconductors, Al, Electronics, HPC and cybersecurity, among others.
• Globally around 100 million jobs will be created in AI which is a huge opportunity for India.
• Future Skills Summit is a great opportunity for Indians to upskill in these areas and be future-ready.
• The summit facilitated more than 30 strategic collaborations between NIELIT and leading industry players and academia such as Intel, HCL, Microsoft, Kyndryl, IIM Raipur, IIITM Gwalior, Wipro, etc. 
• These collaborations aim to bridge the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that educational programs are tailored to meet industry standards and demands.

4. Nokhra Solar Project

Syllabus: GS-3, Energy

Prelims: Nokhra Solar Project

Mains: Solar power in India

Context:

Prime Minister to dedicate 300 MW Nokhra Solar Project of NTPC Green Energy Ltd to the nation.

Nokhra Solar Project:

• Spread over 1,550 acres in the Bikaner district of Rajasthan, the project is being executed under the CPSU Scheme (Phase-II) with an investment of Rs. 1,803 crores to ensure green power to the state of Telangana.
• With the generation of 730 million units per year, this project will not only light up over 1.3 lakh households, but it will also help restrict 6 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions every year. 
• Going forward, the project is expected to restrict CO2 emissions to the tune of 15 million tonnes in 25 years.
• Over 13 lakh solar PV modules have been installed in this project under the Make in India programme.

Read previous PIB articles here.