23 Feb 2024: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Sant Guru Ravidas
2. Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules
3. Gati Shakti Research Chair
4. Prelims Facts

1. Sant Guru Ravidas

Syllabus: GS-1, History

Prelims/Mains: Sant Guru Ravidas, Bhakti Movement

Context:

647th Birth Anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas.

Details:

• Guru Ravidas was an Indian mystic poet-saint who was part of the Bhakti tradition.

Read more about Sant Guru Ravidas in the linked article.

2. Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules

Syllabus: GS-2, Polity & Governance

Prelims/Mains: Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules

Context: 

The government amends the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules.

Details:

• The amendments further reduce the timeline for getting new electricity connections and simplify the process of setting up rooftop solar installations.
• They empower consumers living in multistoried flats to choose their connection type and ensure separate billing for common areas and backup generators in residential societies
• They also provide for check meters to be installed by distribution companies to verify electricity consumption in case of consumer complaints.
• Easier and Faster installation of Rooftop Solar Systems
  • The amendments facilitate faster installation and enhance the ease of setting up Rooftop Solar PV systems at the premises of prosumers.
  • Exemption has been given for the requirement of technical feasibility study, for systems up to a capacity of 10 kW. 
  • For systems of capacity higher than 10 kW, the timeline for completing the feasibility study has been reduced from twenty days to fifteen days. 
• Consumers can now obtain separate electricity connections for charging their Electric Vehicles (EVs).

3. Gati Shakti Research Chair

Syllabus: GS-3, Infrastructure

Prelims: Gati Shakti Research Chair

Context:

India’s first Gati Shakti Research Chair has been established at IIM Shillong.

Details:

• The Chair will spearhead high-quality academic research on multimodal logistics with a North-East focus: building knowledge on multimodal logistics development strategies and practice in the North-Eastern region, facilitating knowledge and innovation for logistical capacity building in the region. 
• The chair also aims to foster collaboration with global experts in creating and developing knowledge & expertise while strengthening the links between the multimodal logistics research and capacity-building activities with key stakeholders such as the logistics industry, government bodies, local authorities, and other partners and associations.
• The chair will also support the multimodal logistics research activities, capacity building and outputs to enable PM Gati Shakti Masterplan to power the East and North-East Region’s logistical capacity.

4. Prelims Facts

International Mother Language Day

• International Mother Language Day is celebrated on February 21 every year.
• The theme of the International Mother Language Day 2024 is “Multilingual education is a pillar of intergenerational learning”.

Read more about International Mother Language Day in the linked article.

Read previous PIB articles here.