UPSC PIB NEWS

2021-05-30 08:31:59 National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage

Cabinet approved PLI scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage.

Background:

◆ ACCs are the new generation of advanced storage technologies that can store electric energy either as electrochemical or as chemical energy and convert it back to electric energy as and when required.

◆ Consumer electronics, electric vehicles, advanced electricity grids, solar rooftop, etc. which are major battery consuming sectors are expected to achieve robust growth in the coming years.

◆ It is expected that the dominant battery technologies will control some of the world’s largest growth sectors.

◆ While several companies have already started investing in battery packs, the capacities of these facilities are too small when compared to global averages.

◆ There still is negligible investment in manufacturing, along with value addition, of ACCs in India.

◆ All the demand of the ACCs is currently being met through imports in India.

◆ The scheme is expected to reduce import dependency.

About the National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage:

◆ It is basically a ₹18,100 crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for building Tesla-style giga factories to manufacture batteries.

◆ The plan is to set up 50 giga watt hour (GWh) manufacturing capacity for advance chemistry cell batteries by attracting investments totaling ₹45,000 crore.

◆ One GWh (1,000-megawatt hour) of battery capacity is sufficient to power 1 million homes for an hour and around 30,000 electric cars.

◆ The scheme, coming under the department of heavy industry, may boost India’s green energy credentials.

◆ It is among the PLI schemes worth ₹1.97 trillion announced by the government last year for 13 sectors. The goal is to create global manufacturing champions in the country and attract firms exploring a China-plus-one strategy for production.

◆ As part of the scheme, each selected ACC battery storage manufacturer would have to commit to set up an ACC manufacturing facility of minimum 5GWh capacity and ensure a minimum 60% domestic value addition at the project level within five years.

◆ The incentive will be paid out on the basis of sales, energy efficiency, battery life cycle, and localization levels.

◆ The beneficiary firms have to achieve a domestic value addition of at least 25% and make the mandatory investment of ₹225 crore /GWh within 2 years (at the mother unit level) and raise it to 60% domestic value addition within 5 years.

Significance:

◆ Such battery storages will cater not only to electric vehicles but also to the consumer electronics industry and electricity grids.

◆ This gains importance given India’s ambitious clean energy targets and the intermittent nature of electricity from clean energy sources such as solar and wind.

◆ In such a scenario, storage holds the key for providing on-demand electricity from wind and solar projects.



#GS3 #Energy


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2021-05-29 18:57:34 Join that mapping channel Open / Comment

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2021-05-29 17:46:41 BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting

First BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting amongst BRICS Countries.

The first BRICS Employment Working Group (EWG) Meeting was held in the virtual format in New Delhi.

India has assumed BRICS presidency this year.

Prime agenda for the discussions:

◆ Promoting Social Security Agreements amongst BRICS Nations

◆ Formalization of labour markets

◆ Participation of women in labour force

◆ Gig and platform workers – Role in labour market

◆ Apart from the member nations’ representatives, representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Social Security Agency (ISSA) also participated.

◆ On the issue of Social Security Agreement (SSA), the Member Nations resolved to enter into dialogue and discussion with each other and take it forward towards signing of the agreements.

What are Social Security Agreements (SSA)?

◆ SSA is a bilateral agreement between India and a foreign country designed to protect the interests of cross border workers.

◆ The agreement provides for avoidance of ‘double coverage’ and ensures equality of treatment to workers of both countries from a social security perspective.

◆ Generally benefits such as detachment, exportability of pension, totalisation of benefits and withdrawal of social security benefits are available under these SSAs.

◆ Under Detachment or elimination of dual contribution, employees moving on employment to any SSA country are exempt from making social security contributions in the host country for a specified period (specific to each SSA), provided they continue to make social security contributions in their home countries.

◆ Under the Exportability of Pension clause, the employees may choose to receive benefits of social security in their home country or any other country where they are currently residing (subject to the respective SSA) without any reduction of those benefits, i.e. benefits can be exported.

◆ Under the Totalization of Benefits clause, the period of service rendered by an employee in the host country is to be counted for checking the “eligibility” of social security payment in the home country and vice-versa.

◆ It may be noted that withdrawal of PF and pension benefits is allowed only once the employee attains the age of 58 years (for non-SSA countries) or depending upon the conditions stipulated in the respective SSA (if any).

◆ To protect the interest of International Workers, India has signed bilateral Social Security Agreements with 19 countries, out of which 16 are operational.

Need for SSAs:

◆ The globalisation of the economy and development of international trade and business has considerably increased the international movement of individuals across geographies.

◆ While cross-border issues arise in the areas of tax, immigration and social security, of late, social security issues too have been gaining importance as they relate to the retirement benefits of the individual venturing beyond borders for employment.

◆ Till 2008, foreign nationals exercising employment in India were not covered under the Provident Fund (PF) regulations, since PF contributions were not mandatory where the employees’ pay exceeded the wage ceiling.

◆ On the contrary, Indian nationals working abroad were required to contribute to the social security scheme of the respective country.

◆ However, these contributions were generally lost due to limited tenure overseas or in failing to fulfill the minimum qualifying period of contribution or residence.


#Mains


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2021-05-29 14:12:18 Lt. Nikita Kaul completed POP today. She make a promise to her martyed husband and now she fulfil it.

A true example. If you have true willpower then anything you'll surely achieved it.‌‌

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2021-05-29 10:30:01 Multiplex RT-PCR Kit

DST institute develops new multiplex RT-PCR kit.

Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), an Institute of National Importance under the Department of Science and Technology has developed the new multiplex RT-PCR kit.

Significance:

◆ The kit has a higher accuracy of detecting covid-19 across the various mutant strains of the coronavirus.

◆ Even though coronaviruses make far fewer errors than other RNA viruses, the mutations in S, R, and N genes often interfere with RT-PCR assay.

The new kit targets two SARS CoV2 genes: RdRp and ORFb-nsp14, and the human RNAse P gene as the internal control to help detect a range of mutant strains.

Various studies have shown that RdRp and ORF1b-nsp14 genes are more sensitive in detecting Covid-19. Hence, this kit can give more precise results.

The ORFb-nsp14 is one of the least mutated genes in Covid-19 and currently, there are no kits in the market with ORF-nsp14 as the target.

ICMR has validated this kit at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and found that it has 97.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity in covid-19 detection.


#GS3 #Health


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2021-05-29 01:27:01 Basava Jayanthi

PM wishes people on Basava Jayanthi.

Basava Jayanthi marks the birthday of Basavanna, a 12th-century poet-philosopher and the founding saint of the Lingayat tradition.

Basavanna believed in a society free of the caste system, with equal opportunity for all. He founded Anubhava Mantapa, an academy which included Lingayat mystics, saints, and philosophers.


#GS3 #Society


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2021-05-28 16:29:36 SAMVEDNA

Children impacted by Covid-19 Pandemic being provided Tele Counselling through SAMVEDNA.

What is SAMVEDNA?

◆ SAMVEDNA tele counselling service is for psychological support to children to address their stress, anxiety, fear and other issues during the coronavirus pandemic.

◆ The service is provided by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

Counselling through telephone is provided to children in three categories:

◆ Those who are in quarantine/isolation/covid care centres.

◆ Those whose parents or near ones have been tested positive for COVID.

◆ Those who have lost their parents to COVID.

The service was launched in September 2020 and is available in various regional languages.

The counsellors have been trained under an eminent professor of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and his team from NIMHANS.

SAMVEDNA is an acronym for ‘Sensitizing Action on Mental Health Vulnerability through Emotional Development and Necessary Acceptance’.

The toll free number 1800-121-2830 is available from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.


#GS2 #Policies

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2021-05-28 14:34:55 Geography Optional Students

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2021-05-28 12:50:51 IFS Subrata Bhattacharjee appointed as the new Ambassador to the Republic of Chile: Source ANI Open / Comment