15 May 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. India & EFTA Countries
2. Indian Naval Ships Visit to Sihanoukville, Cambodia
3. Mission LiFE
4. Birth of Tiger Cubs
5. Reforms in ALMM norms  for Solar Photovoltaic Modules

1. India & EFTA Countries

Syllabus – GS2, International Relations: Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

Prelims – European Free Trade Association (EFTA)

Context – India and EFTA countries take steps towards a new TEPA (Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement).

Details –

• Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal, in Brussels, discussed modalities of engagement for working towards a comprehensive Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with representatives of European Free Trade Association (EFTA) states – Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
• Under such pacts, two trading partners significantly reduce or eliminate customs duties on the maximum number of goods trading between them and also ease norms to promote trade in services and investments.
• Both sides emphasised the importance of building their discussions on principles of trust and respect for each other’s sensitivities to achieve a fair, equitable and balanced agreement. A TEPA between India and the four-nation bloc EFTA will help enhance two-way commerce, investment flows, job creation and economic growth.
• EFTA countries are not part of the European Union (EU). EFTA is an inter-governmental organisation for the promotion and intensification of free trade. It was founded as an alternative for states that did not wish to join the European Community.

2. Indian Naval Ships Visit to Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Syllabus – GS3, Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate. 

Prelims – Maritime Exercise between Indian Navy and the Cambodian Navy.

Context – Indian Naval ships visited Sihanoukville, Cambodia (11-14 May 2023)

Details –

• As a part of the Indian Navy’s deployment to ASEAN countries, Indian Naval Ships Delhi and Satpura visited Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
  • INS Delhi is India’s first indigenously built guided missile destroyer and INS Satpura is an indigenous multi-role stealth frigate.
• The port call demonstrated India’s cordial ties and rapidly growing cooperation between India and the Kingdom of Cambodia.
• The naval personnel from both countries engaged in a series of interactive sessions, cross-deck visits and friendly sports exchange with an aim to enhance interoperability and mutual understanding. Training sessions on HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) and firefighting were also conducted.

3. Mission LiFE

Syllabus – GS3, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Prelims – Mission LiFE, Meri LiFE App.

Context – The centre launched Meri LiFE App., inspired by the Mission LiFE.

Details –

• The Union Environment Minister, Shri Bupendra Yadav launched the ‘Meri LiFE’ App which aims to foster a nationwide movement for LiFE, demonstrating the power of citizens in saving the environment.
• The app is inspired by the Mission LiFE Initiative which aims to promote mindful utilisation instead of wasteful consumption. LiFE stands for ‘lifestyle for environment’.
  • Mission LIFE was launched by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 20th October 2022 at Kevadia, Gujarat and focuses on bringing behavioural changes in individuals through simple easy-to-do actions. 
• The Union Environment Ministry serves as the coordinating authority for implementing Mission LiFE at the national level. It has been mobilising various stakeholders, including central ministries, state governments, institutions, and private organisations, to align their activities with LiFE and raise awareness about sustainable practices. 
• A month-long mass mobilisation drive is being conducted to further promote LiFE and enhance nationwide advocacy. It will culminate in a grand celebration of World Environment Day on June 5. The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is ‘Solutions to Plastic Pollution’.
• The Ministry has developed two dedicated portals for LiFE, in order to create a structured reporting format that can track the progress being made on LiFE. 
  • The Mission LiFE Portal is open access and can be used to download the 100+ creatives, videos, and knowledge materials that have been developed by the ministry for the LiFE mission. 
  • The Meri LiFE Portal has been developed for ministries and institutions to upload event reports and capture the progress of the mass mobilisation drive.

4. Birth of Tiger Cubs

Syllabus – GS3, Conservation: Biodiversity 

Prelims – Tiger Conservation

Context – A Royal Bengal Tigress named Siddhi gave birth to five cubs – two alive and three stillborn.

Details –

• Siddhi gave birth to cubs at National Zoological Park, New Delhi. The last time a Royal Bengal tiger cub was born at the zoo was on January 16, 2005, making it nearly two decades since the animal was successfully bred.
• The Delhi Zoo has housed tigers since its inception on November 1, 1959. As part of the National Zoo Policy 1998, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) began a planned conservation breeding programme for 73 critically endangered wild animal species in 2010. The Delhi Zoo has been chosen for tiger conservation and breeding.

5. Reforms in ALMM norms for Solar Photovoltaic Modules

Syllabus – GS2, Government policies and interventions.

Prelims – Reforms in ALMM.

Context – MNRE announced major reforms in ALMM for solar photovoltaic modules.

Details –

• The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has revised the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) regulations to increase the participation of the private sector in the renewable energy manufacturing supply chain.
  • The ALMM lists eligible models and manufacturers of solar cells and modules complying with the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certification.
• The objective behind the review is to reduce compliance costs for solar PV manufacturers and bring down the cost and time for filing applications and enhance the ease of doing business.
• Key reforms include reducing the application fee for inclusion in the ALMM list by 80 per cent, bringing down the inspection fee in some cases by 70 per cent and an exemption from factory inspection for enlisting additional models in the ALMM which are similar to the ones already enlisted by the manufacturer.
• MNRE has also introduced an end-use category-wise minimum module efficiency threshold for enlistment in ALMM with utility or grid-scale power plants at 20 per cent, rooftop and solar pumping (19.50 per cent) and solar lighting (19 per cent).
• At present, the ALMM List consists of 91 module manufacturing facilities (all domestic) with an aggregate solar PV module manufacturing capacity of 22,389 MW per year.

Read the previous PIB articles here.

May 15th, 2023, PIB:- Download PDF Here