15 Jan 2022: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. 74th Army Day
2. Mandate for vehicles of M1 Category
3. Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage
4. Stone idol of goat head Yogini

1. 74th Army Day

Syllabus: GS III, Security, Various Security Forces and agencies and their mandates 

Prelims: Army day

Mains: Challenges of the national security of India

Context: The Indian Army celebrated the 74th Army Day to commemorate its gallant journey that reflects their unfettered dedication to serve the nation. 

About Army Day:

• Every year, the 15th day of January is celebrated as Army Day to offer remembrance to General KM Cariappa who took over command from General Bucher, the last British commander-in-chief, in 1949. 
• This year (2022) the theme for Army Day was “ In Stride with the Future”.
• The challenges pertaining to national security have been addressed with an emphasis on expanding the usage of technology to deal with adverse situations.
• Therefore, the Indian Army is planning to incorporate innovative solutions by means of Artificial Intelligence, 5G, Robotics and Quantum Technology. 

Read about Security forces and Agencies in India in the linked article

2. Mandate for vehicles of M1 Category

Syllabus: GS III, Infrastructure, Roads

Prelims: M1 Category vehicles

Mains: Initiatives of the government to ensure road safety

Context: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has released a mandate for vehicles of M1 category, manufactured after 1st of October 2022, to be fitted with two side torso airbags and two side tube airbags.

Vehicles of M1 category: 

• This category includes motor vehicles that carry passengers.
• These vehicles have not more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat.
• The Ministry mandated the driver airbag for M1 category vehicles manufactured on and after 1st July, 2019 to ensure the safety of the driver. 
• The inclusion of a front airbag for the person in the front seat other than the driver has been made compulsory with effect from the 1st of January 2022. 

Importance of the mandate:

• The new rules will enhance the safety of the passengers and prevent the harmful implications of road accidents.
• The new norms for road safety will be a welcoming step to reduce the fatalities of road accidents. 

Read more about Road Safety in the linked article

3. Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage

Syllabus: GS III, Science and Technology – developments and their applications in everyday life

Prelims: About the Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage

Context: The government has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage.

Aim of the Programme: 

• This programme aims at achieving the manufacturing capacity of 50 GW (GigaWatt) hour that would enhance India’s manufacturing potential boosting the vision of self-reliance. 
• The government is all set to emphasise more on greater domestic value addition at same time ensure that the levelized cost of battery manufacturing in India is globally competitive.

Significance: 

• This PLI scheme for advanced chemistry cell batteries along with the automotive sector will enable India to leapfrog to environmentally cleaner, advanced and more efficient electric vehicles based systems. 
• It will also promote fresh industry investments in indigenous supply chain for battery manufacturing in the country. 
• Under this programme, the beneficiary firm will be free to choose suitable advanced technology and the corresponding plant machinery, raw materials and other intermediate goods for setting up cell manufacturing facilities to cater to any application. 

Also read about Lithium Ion Batteries by visiting the given link

4. Stone idol of goat head Yogini

Syllabus: GS I, Indian Culture, salient aspects of architecture

Prelims: Goat-headed Yogini sculpture

Context: A 10th century stone-headed Yogini idol had been returned to the state of Uttar Pradesh. 

Background:

• The Yogini idol was illegally removed from a temple in Banda, Uttar Pradesh in 1980. 
• The recovery of the idol was announced by the High Commission of India in London.

About the idol:

• The sculpture of a goat-headed Yogini idol belonged to a group of stone deities in sandstone and was installed in Lokhari temple. 
• The Yogini cult and temples were studied by an Indian scholar at the National Museum in New Delhi and observed that this art form had surfaced in the art market in London in 1988. 
• The India Pride project Singapore and Art Recovery International, London assisted the High Commission in the identification and requisite documentation of the statue. 
• The statue has been handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India. 

Read previous PIB here.

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