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GS-2

Memorandum of Understanding between Department of Space / Indian Space Research Organization and Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research on cooperation in the area of outer space 

(Topic: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements Involving India and/or affecting India’s Interests)

MoU between: Department of Space / Indian Space Research Organization (DOS/ISRO) and Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR)

Cooperation in: Exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes

MoU Enable:

Pursuing potential interest areas (in both cooperative + commercial mode), namely-

• Use of data from Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites by KISR for initiating a few research and application projects,
• Training,
• Building and
• Launching of remote sensing and communication satellites on commercial terms

Help in-

• Setting up of a Joint Working Group–
• Members from ISRO and KISR
• Use- It will further work out the plan of action including the time-frame and the means of implementing this MoU
• Cooperation with KISR through this MoU will lead to developing a joint activity in the field of application of space technology for the benefit of humanity
• All sections and regions of the country will get benefited through this MoU
• It provides impetus to explore newer research activities and application possibilities in the field of-
• Remote sensing of the earth
• Satellite communication
• Satellite navigation
• Space science and exploration of outer space

Memorandum of Understanding between India and United Kingdom in the field of Public Administration and Governance Reforms

(Topic: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements Involving India and/or affecting India’s Interests)

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between: India and United Kingdom

Cooperation in: Public Administration and Governance Reforms

Covers Area of-

• Sharing good governance practices in public administration,
• User led service design,
• Reducing bureaucracy in service delivery,
• Government Process Re-engineering,
• Building and developing staff capability,
• Public Grievance Redress Mechanism,
• Local Government Reforms,
• Reforms towards strengthening of social security,
• Collaboration in strategies for promotion of ethics in Government,
• Collaboration between Government and Industry on staff management,
• Mechanisms for public engagement,
• Crisis and Disaster Management and Digital transformation of Government

First Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting under MoU is scheduled to be held later this month in London

Help in-

• Understanding the system of customer oriented public service delivery in UK with reference to rapidly changing environments in the area of public service management
• Enable in replicating, adapting and innovating some of the best practices and processes in the Indian Public Service Delivery System, leading to improved public service delivery in India

Importance-

• It aims to further Government’s efforts at-
  • Revamping of Public Administration system,
  • Public Grievance Redress Mechanism,
  • Ushering in e-Governance,
  • Digital India, etc.,
• Support the goal of ‘Minimum Government with Maximum Governance’ through e-Governance based Citizen Centric End-to-End On-line Services
• Provision of Citizen-Centric Online Services is the foundation of an efficient public administration system and leads to transparency and accountability in the governance and fosters equitable growth
• As part of Government’s efforts in seeking International collaboration for initiatives in Good Governance and Administrative reforms, DARPG has so far entered into bilateral MoU with China, Malaysia, Singapore and with Brazil and South Africa (trilateral)
• Recent MoU with United Kingdom is a step in that direction(as UK also ranks high in the UN E-Government Survey )

Cabinet approves policy on Promotion of City Compost

(Topic: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and issues arising out of their Design and Implementation)

Aim– To promote the use of city compost by bringing better coordination among various government department and agencies

About Policy-       

• Provision made for Market development assistance of Rs. 1500 per tonne of city compost for scaling up production and consumption of the product
• Eco-Mark standard will be specified for City Compost would ensure that environment friendly quality product reaches the farmers
• Fertilizer companies and marketing entities will also co-market City Compost with chemical fertilizers through their dealers’ network
• Companies will also adopt villages for promoting the use of compost
• Government Departments and Public Sector undertakings will also use City Compost for their horticulture and related uses
• Marketing and promotion of city compost is proposed to be done through the existing fertilizer companies
• In due course, compost manufacturers and other marketing entities recognized by the concerned State Government may also be included for the purpose with the approval of Department of Fertilisers
• Market development assistance shall be routed through the entity which is marketing it

Benefits-

• Market development assistance would lower MRP of city compost for farmers
• Compost from city garbage would not only provide carbon and primary/secondary nutrients to soil but also help in keeping the city clean
• Composting can reduce the volume of waste to landfill/dumpsite by converting the waste into useful by-products
• Prevents production of harmful greenhouse gases (especially methane) and toxic material that pollutes groundwater apart from polluting the environment
• City Waste composting would also generate employment in urban areas

Government Efforts-

• IEC campaigns by– Concerned Ministry/Department
• Campaigns done for –To educate farmers on the benefits of city compost and will take steps to increase setting up of compost plants across all States
• Agricultural Extension Machineries including KVKs of ICAR will also make special efforts in this regard
• D/o Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare will assign targets to– Agriculture Universities and KVKs (as it will take up field demonstration activities using City compost)
• Joint mechanism set up by– Department of Fertilizers+ Ministry of Urban Development +Department of Agriculture
• Joint Mechanism set up for– To monitor + facilitate availability of adequate quantity of City Compost at terms mutually agreeable between compost manufacturers and Fertilizer Marketing companies and will also be authorised to resolve any co-ordination related issue that may arise

Election Commission of India Celebrating 6^th  National Voters’ Day

(Topic: Election Commission, its awareness programme and other initiatives)

Occasion- Celebrating 6^th National Voters’ Day (NVD) across the country (25^th January)

Theme-‘Inclusive and Qualitative Participation’

Highlights of NVD-

• Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Nasim Zaidi released the book titled- ‘Belief in the Ballot’
• Chief Guest will give away Awards for Best Electoral Practices to-
• Chief Electoral Officers,
• District Electoral Officers,
• Officers involved in election management
• SPs
• Awards also given to- Media Houses and Civil Society Organisations for best campaign in Voters’ Education and Awareness
• Awards introduced to- Recognise the contribution of Government department/ Agencies to the efforts of ECI for enhancing electoral participation
• Six newly eligible electors would be given their EPICs by President of India
• National Voters’ Day celebrations organised in- All polling station locations across the country and State level function organised by the Chief Electoral Officers of the State concerned
• After the completion of the NVD National function, the Commission will inaugurate the construction of India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM),Delhi

Election Commission of India will be presenting a Tableau with the theme ‘Inclusive and Qualitative Participation’ at the Republic Day parade on 26^th January at Rajpath, New Delhi

Objective-

• National Voters’ Day is to spread awareness among voters regarding effective participation in the electoral process
• To increase enrolment of voters, especially of the newly eligible ones
• Commemorate 25^thJanuary, the foundation day of the Commission, which came into being on this day in 1950

‘SEEMA DARSHAN’ – An initiative by the Ministry of Human Resource Development

(Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/ Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources) 

Initiative by- Ministry of Human Resource Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home affairs

Highlights-

• School children to visit the border areas of our country and present before our soldiers and troops an array of performances showcasing the tradition and culture of our country through traditional songs and dances
• Child artists would demonstrate to the jawans how they are preserving and taking forward the cultural legacy of that country for which the armed forces are constantly on the vigil and also protecting and guarding its borders
• As part of this initiative, students of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti will be participating in a programme, in which 30 students each would be visiting Akhnoor and Attari Borders

Aim-                          

• To provide the students with a first-hand experience of the prevailing security environment in the border areas
• Programme will not only inspire children but also boost the morale of our soldiers on this Republic Day
• To foster patriotism and nationalism among the students and to provide an opportunity for the children to experience the border environment

Modifications in the Gold Monetisation Scheme

(Topic: Government Policies and schemes)

Changes made in the scheme-

• Premature redemption under-
• Medium Term Deposit- Allowed to be withdrawn after 3 years after 5 years
• Long Term Deposits- Allowed to be withdrawn after 5 years

             Help – Subject to a reduction in the interest payable

• Fees to be paid to Banks for their services like-
• Gold purity testing charges,
• Refining,
• Storage and transportation charges etc. on Medium and Long Term Gold Deposits

Help- Banks would be getting a 2.5 % commission for the scheme which will include the charges payable to the Collection and Purity Testing Centres/Refiners

• Gold depositors- Can give their gold directly to the refiner rather than only through the Collection and Purity Testing Centres (CPTCs)

Help-Encourage the bulk depositors including Institutions to participate in the scheme

• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)- Modified the licensing condition for refiners already having National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation from the existing three years refining experience to one year refining experience

Help- Likely to increase the number of licensed refiners

• BIS has published an Expression of Interest (EOI) on its website inviting applications from the more than 13,000 licensed jewellers to act as a CPTC in the scheme, provided they have tie up with BIS’s licensed refiners

Help- Increase more licensed jewellers with website

• The quantity of gold collected under the scheme will be expressed up to three decimals of a gram

Help- Give the consumer better value for the gold deposited

• Gold to be deposited with the CPTCs/Refineries can be of any purity. The CPTC/Refiner will test the gold and determine its purity which will be basis on which the deposit certificate will be issued
• Banks are free to hedge their positions in the case of short-term deposits
• Issues like the method of interest calculation and mechanism for taking loans against GMS deposits have also been clarified

Awareness Steps-

• To increase awareness among depositors, Government had continued the Media campaign in AIR and FM radio
• Print media and Mobile SMS campaign is also being undertaken.
• Government lso launched the dedicated website www.finmin.nic.in/swarnabharat and toll free number 18001800000, which provide all the information of the schemes

Ministry of Human Resource Development to Launch Books for Children under Veergatha Series

(Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/ Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources)

   Aim-

To introduce the great acts of bravery of the Param Veer Chakra awardees to instil a sense of inspiration and patriotism in children at an early age (Param Veer Chakra (PVC) is the highest gallantry award)

• Union Minister of Defence (Shri Manohar Parrikar) will release a set of first five illustrated books for children, under Veergatha Series in English and Hindi
• New series of illustrated books for children, under Veergatha Series is being launched by the National Book Trust, India, (an apex body of the Ministry of Human Resource Development), as part of the Republic Day celebrations
• Five books being released on the occasion illustrate the saga of bravery of Param Veer Chakra awardees including-
• Major Somnath Sharma (1947 war),
• Major Shaitan Singh (1962 war),
• CQMH Abdul Hamid (1965 war),
• Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal (1971 war)
• Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey (1999 Kargil war).
• Books have been developed with the support of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Human Resource Development

‘Nai Manzil’ Scheme Launched in Jammu and Kashmir

(Topic: Government Policies and Schemes and its Implementation)

‘Nai Manzil’ scheme launched for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir

Scheme Implementation-

• Scheme was launched for girls in Srinagar in three institutions
• Institutions are Skill Development Centre-
• University of Kashmir and
• Two Madarsas (Madarsa Shahi-i-Hamdan in Pampore and Madarsa Imam Sadique in Shadi pur ,Bandipora.
• Under the scheme girls from minority communities will be imparted three month skill development training in seven identified sectors relevant to the region
• Include training in-
• Saffron processing,
• Food processing,
• Embroidery,
• Computers IT (both software and hardware),
• Tourism/hospitality,
• Electronics and plumbing
• Scheme has already been introduced at Patna and Motihari in Bihar and Bhandup in Mumbai and will be introduced in other Madarsas too in phased manner

About Nai Manzil Scheme-

• It is an integrated Education and Livelihood Initiative for the Minority Communities
• It aims to benefit the minority youths who are school-dropouts or educated in the community education institutions like Madrasas, by providing them an integral input of formal education (up till Class VIII or X) and skill training along with certification
• Enable them to seek better employment in the organised sector and equipping them with better lives
• Scheme covers the entire country

India Signs Financing Agreement with World Bank for US$ 250 Million for Jhelum and Tawi Flood Recovery Project

(Topic: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s Interest)

Agreement Signed between- Government of India and the World Bank

Financing Agreement with World Bank (IDA) for assistance of US$ 250 million for Jhelum and Tawi Flood Recovery Project

Aim-

• To support the recovery and increase disaster resilience in Project Areas
• Increase the capacity of the Project Implementing Entity to respond promptly and effectively to an eligible crisis or emergency.
• It focus on restoring critical infrastructure using international best practice on resilient infrastructure
• Primary beneficiaries would be the communities in the districts of Jammu & Kashmir that were affected by loss of public service infrastructure that will be restored and improved under the project
• By strengthening disaster risk management systems and institutions, the project will benefit the entire affected region

Important Components of Project-

• Reconstruction and strengthening of critical infrastructure
• Reconstruction of roads and bridges
• Restoration of urban flood management infrastructure
• Restoration and strengthening of livelihoods
• Strengthening disaster risk management capacity
• Contingency Emergency Response
• Implementation Support.

It is a loan for an implementation period of 5 years. Government of Jammu & Kashmir is the implementing agency

Mauritius to exclusively offer Biofarming Technology to India 

(Topic: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises)

• First Joint Committee Meeting between India and Mauritius for the cooperation in MSME sector was held successfully on 21^stJanuary 2016
• Areas of cooperation were identified are inline with the MoU signed between the two countries on 13^thDecember 2015
• Areas of cooperation –
  • Capacity building through training of trainers,
  • Surveys on potential areas,
  • Managerial and technical skills,
  • Marketing,
  • Exhibitions & trade fairs exchange of business missions,
  • Setting up of business incubators,
  • Easy access to finance,
  • Clusters initiative, etc.

• Agreed to formulate an action plan in the area of coir, khadi and handicraft sectors in addition to the above areas
• Government of Mauritius has exclusively offered to India for transfer of biofarming technology and also exchange of cooperation in the health sector

GS-3

PSLV-C31 Successfully Launches India’s Fifth Navigation Satellite IRNSS-1E 

(Topic: Science and Technology- Developments and their application and effects in everyday life)

Launched By– ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C31

Launched From– Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota(January 20, 2016)

IRNSS-1E-

• It is 5^th satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) and is the 32^nd consecutively successful mission of PSLV and the eleventh in its ‘XL’ configuration
• IRNSS-1E is the 5^th of the 7 satellites constituting the space segment of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System
• First four satellites of the constellation, successfully launched by PSLV were IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C and ID
• IRNSS-1E Satellite was injected to an elliptical orbit of 282.4 km X 20,655.3 km inclined at an angle of 19.21 degree to the equator (very close to the intended orbit)
• ISRO’s Master Control Facility (at Hassan, Karnataka) took over the control of the satellite
• IRNSS-1E carries two types of payloads-

    Navigation Payloads:

• Transmit navigation service signals to the users
• Operates in L5- band and S-band
• Highly accurate Rubidium atomic clock is part of the navigation payload of the satellite

                   Ranging Payloads:

• It consists of C-band transponder which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite
• Carries Corner Cube Retro Reflectors for laser ranging

IRNSS-

• An independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland
• Provide two types of services-
• Standard Positioning Services (SPS) – provided to all users
• Restricted Services (RS), provided to authorised users
• A number of ground stations (established in 18 locations across the country)responsible for-
• Generation and transmission of navigation parameters
• Satellite ranging and monitoring, etc

Upcoming Launches-

• Two satellites of this constellation, namely, IRNSS-1F and IG, are scheduled to be launched by PSLV, thereby completing the entire IRNSS constellation

Minister for Railways Inaugurated India’s first High Speed Public Wi – Fi Service at Mumbai Central station 

(Topic: Infrastructure- Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways)

Inaugurated by- Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Minister of Railways, Govt of India

Initiative by- Indian Railways with the help of RailTel Corporation in collaboration with Google

Wi – Fi service Inaugurated at- In a function of Mumbai Central Railway station (on Friday, 22^nd January, 2016)

Step taken towards- Ambitious project of Digital India

Mumbai Central station has gained the distinguished status of being the first ever station in India to have high – speed internet facility for its thousands of passengers who travel everyday by trains

Aim-

• To offer users the best Internet experience, Railwire Wi – Fi will be available to any user who has a working mobile connection on a Smartphone
• This is all a part of Western Railways continuing endeavours to provide more and better comforts to its esteemed passengers

Cabinet approves setting up of over 5,000 MW of Grid-connected Solar PV Power Projects 

(Topic: Infrastructure- Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc)

Approved By- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs

Aim- Setting up over 5,000 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects on build, own and operate basis

Work to be implemented by- Solar Power Developers (SPDs) with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under Batch-lV of Phase-ll of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM)

Help in-

• Creating additional 5000 MW capacity of Grid-connected solar PV power generation projects in four trenches of each 1,250 MW capacity during four financial years (2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19)
• Creating employment generation of about 30,000 people in rural and urban areas
• Reduction of about 8.525 Million T of CO₂emissions into environment every year

Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects- 

• Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme implemented for- Setting up over 5000 MW capacity of grid connected solar power projects by solar power developers on build, own and operate basis through open and transparent competitive bidding to provide solar power
• Overall effort is to continuously reduce- Government financial support for grid connected solar power as the prices of solar power comes down
• Scheme implemented by- SECI as per MNRE Guidelines
• SECI shall prepare necessary bidding documents for inviting the proposals for setting up of projects on a competitive bidding through e-bidding
• SECI will enter into Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the selected developers and the Power Sale Agreement (PSA) with the buying entities
• Requisite funds for provision of the VGF support will be made available to MNRE from the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF), operated by Ministry of Finance
• Out of 5,000 MW, some capacity in each tranche, will be developed with mandatory condition of solar PV cells and Modules made in India. This will be called the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) category and remaining will be in open category
• SECI will purchase the power from the selected Solar PV plants at the pre-determined tariff and sell the power to willing State Utilities/ Discoms under 25 years Power Sale Agreements (PSAs), at the applicable tariff
• The State Governments shall appoint a State Level Agencyfor providing necessary support to facilitate the required approvals and sanctions in a time bound manner to achieve commissioning of the projects within thescheduled timeline

Important features-

• Project Locations: Setting up Solar Parks being developed under a separate MNRE Scheme and also at other locations(which could be selected by the bidders on their own)
• Commissioning Period: 13 months from the date of signing of PPAs
• MNRE Provide: 100% VGF to SECI to  disburse  to Solar Power Developers (SPDs) immediately after commissioning, subject to availability of funds
• Competitive bidding: To bring savings in the VGF amount of Rs.5,050 crore (total capacity will be increased from 5,000 MW)
• Bidders free to avail: Fiscal incentives like –
• Accelerated Depreciation (AD)
• Concessional customs and Excise duties
• Tax holidays, etc. available for such projects

              However, no bidders will be allowed to claim both AD and VGF

‘Bharat parv’ being organized at Red fort, Delhi from 26th to 29th january 2016

(Topic: Tourism, Awareness Programme and other Government Initiatives)

Organized by- Government of India at the Red Fort, Delhi from 26th to 29th January 2016, as part of the Republic Day Celebrations

Aim-

• To generate a patriotic mood,
• Promote the rich cultural diversity of the country
• To ensure wider participation of the general public

Highlights of Events-

• Ministry of Tourism designated as the Nodal Ministry for the event
• Display of Republic Day Parade tableaux
• Performances by the Armed Forces Bands (static and moving),
• Food Festival,
• Crafts Mela and Cultural Performances from different regions of the country
• Event to the public and entry is free. However, identity proof is to be carried

4^th India-Africa Hydrocarbons Conference ends; paves the way for strengthening India Africa relations 

(Topic: Petroleum and Natural Gas) 

Highlights of Conference-

• The 4th India -Africa Hydrocarbons Conference was organized in New Delhi on January 21-22, 2016
• 21 African countries participated in the event
• Delegates of 9 African countries- Mauritius, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, South Sudan, Tunisia, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea and Liberia were headed by the respective Ministers.
• Senior officials led the delegations from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, Libya, Cote d’Ivory, Gabon & Sierra Leone
• India’s engagement with African countries in the petroleum sector has been on an upswing in the past few years
• India imports crude oil nearly 16% from Africa now, with the majority coming from Nigeria and Angola
• Besides, Indian public and private sector companies have interests in oil and gas fields across Africa, including Sudan, South Sudan, Mozambique, Gabon and other countries
• Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, held bilateral meetings with their counterparts from nine African countries as well as with the delegations from the other visiting countries
• Outcome of bilateral meetings, agreed to provide- facilitating framework, wherever required, for public and private sector companies of India and the African countries to undertake oil and gas projects
• ONGC Videsh Limited signed an MoU with Equatorial Guinea for co¬operation in pursuing E&P activities

Aim-

• To give a renewed thrust to India’s engagement with African nations in the hydrocarbon space, and carried forward the vision of a multidimensional, comprehensive India-Africa partnership
• The two day conference also afforded an opportunity for India to showcase its accomplishments and techno-commercial capabilities spanning across upstream, midstream and downstream sectors as also India’s unique value proposition for the rapid development of the African hydrocarbon industry

India Submits First Biennial Update Report to UNFCCC 

(Topic: Environment and Forest, Conservation, Environment Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment)

India submitted its first Biennial Update Report (BUR) to UNFCCC, towards– Fulfilment of the reporting obligation under the Convention

As per the provisions of the Convention– Countries need to periodically provide information in the form of their National Communication

Biennial Update Report (BUR)-

• BUR is to provide an update to the latest National Communication submitted by the country to the UNFCCC
• BURs are subjected to an international process known as International Consultation and Analysis (ICA)
• It is a process that includes international scrutiny of BUR in a manner that is – non-intrusive + non-punitive +respectful of national sovereignty
• All BURs are subjected to ICA process
• India had submitted its first national communication in 2004 and second national communication in 2012
• The UNFCCC in its sixteenth session of conference of Parties (COP) had decided that the developing countries will submit updates to their national communication on biennial basis in the form of ‘Biennial Update Report’
• BUR contains national GHG inventory of India for the year 2010, prepared in accordance with the guidelines of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• Inventory covers six greenhouse gases-
• Carbon dioxide (CO2),
• Methane (CH4),
• Nitrous Oxide (N2O),
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
• Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and
• Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6)
• Inventory covers 5 categories –
• Energy,
• Industrial processes and product use (IPPU),
• Agriculture, waste and Land-use, Land-use, Change and Forestry (LULUCF)
• According to BUR, India emitted 2,136.84 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases in 2010 and Energy sector was the prime contributor to emissions with 71% of total emissions in 2010
• Energy sector includes –
• Electricity production,
• Fuel combustion in industries,
• Transport and fugitive emissions
• Other emitters includes-
• Industrial processes and product use contributed- 8% of emission
• Agriculture and waste sectors contributed-18% and 3% of emission respectively to the national GHG inventory
• Carbon sink action of forests and croplands contributed-12% of emissions

 India and World Scenario-

• India’s per capita GHG emission in 2010 was 1.56 tCO2 equivalent, which is less than 1/3^rd of the world’s per capita emissions and far below than many developed and developing countries
• China, world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases is yet to submit its BUR
• Brazil has submitted its BUR, but has given only provisional inventory
• Developed countries are required to submit a report known as the Biennial Report (BR), which is to be submitted every alternate year and is subjected to International Analysis and Review (IAR)
• Paris Agreement calls for developing country Parties to submit their first biennial update reports as soon as possible and India has submitted its first BUR
• A reduction of emission intensity of GDP by about 12% between 2005 and 2010 has been achieved against our voluntary pledge to reduce the emission intensity of its GDP by 20–25 per cent by 2020, compared with the 2005 level

Climate-friendly measures initiated through eight National Missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change such as-

• Integrated Power Development Scheme,
• Renewable Purchase Obligations,
• Enhancement of cess on coal,
• Perform Achieve
• Trade Scheme
• National Program for LED based lighting

Process Functioning-

• BUR has different sections elaborating various aspects on climate change in the country, such as-
• Institutional arrangements to implement the reporting process,
• National circumstances in which country is responding to climate change,
• National greenhouse gas inventory for 2010;
• Initiatives of the government to tackle the problem of climate change along with domestic arrangements to measure, report and verify these programs
• Section on finance, technology and capacity-building needs and support received has also been provided
• BUR has been prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under its NATCOM project funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF) through UNDP
• Several studies were carried out by 17 national-level institutions, including-
• CSIR laboratories (CIMFR, CRRI, IIP, NEERI and NPL),
• ICAR institutes (CRIDA, IARI, NDRI),
• Organizations of the MoEFCC (FSI and ICFRE),
• Premier educational institutions (IIM Ahmedabad and IISc),
• Non-governmental research organizations (TERI and IRADe) and other institutions (CII, EESL and NRSC)
• BUR has also undergone multitier review process and has been approved by the Union Cabinet.

MSDE and DoT sign an MoU to develop and implement National Action Plan for Skill Development in Telecom Sector 

MoU Signed between– Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) with Department of Telecommunication (DoT) in line with Prime Minister’s vision to make India the skill capital of the world

Aim-

• To develop and implement National Action Plan for Skill Development in Telecom Sector, utilizing PSUs under DOT with a common objective of fulfilling skilled manpower requirement of the telecom sector and at the same time providing quality opportunities for employment / entrepreneurship
• To make concerted joint efforts towards skill development by facilitating mobilization of financial support for various activities under the National Ecosystem for Development of Telecom Skills by suggesting PSUs under DOT to utilize at least 20 percent of their CSR funds for skilling purposes
• To make coordinated efforts to utilize old telephone exchanges which are no longer in use or exchanges which have ceased to occupy major space in telecom sector,   for skill development initiatives and upgrade the same on need basis
• Develop ‘National Institute for Policy Research Innovation and Training (NTIPRT)’ for training and skill up gradation in Telecom Sector by leveraging the infrastructure and facilities and upgrade the same on need basis.  This will primarily be used to train the trainers and assessors

Ministers launched-

• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY)
• Rupay ATM Cum Debit card from Bank of India which would be issued to the students with 1 Lac Rupee PA Insurance Cover
• BOI has its own “Online Portal” for opening the accounts of students in PMKVY Scheme. The Training partners are required to get themselves registered for this process with the bank.
• Flagged of the Skill Vans.

Use- Skill vans would travel to different parts of the country and provide skill development trainings to the youth. These vans would be equipped with facilities to provide skill development on the spot

Shri Narendra Modi Flags Off Mahamana Express Through Remote Control from Varanasi Cantt. to New Delhi with Model Rake 

(Topic: Infrastructure- Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc)

Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi, flagged off- Mahamana Express( Varanasi-New Delhi Superfast Special Train) with Model Rake through remote control (22.01.2016) at a ceremony held at Diesel Locomotive Works, Varanasi

Objective- 

• To bring about enhanced comfort to all classes of coaches, both air-conditioned as well as non-air-conditioned coaches,progressively, the Indian Railways had planned for a Model Rake Project

Model Rake–

• It is a developed refurbished and re-adapted version of seven types of coaches which have been servicing for the past 10-12 years on Indian Railways
• In the design and development of this Model Rake, the Indian Railways had factored in the varied needs of each category of coach to bring in suitable interiors

Features of the Model Rake include:

• Modular Panels without visible screws and minimum maintenance hatches  inside passenger area for better safety and aesthetics
• Use of superior material for panels in terms of toxicity index and fire retardation
• Ergonomically designed Ladders for climbing up to upper berths provided in all sleeper coaches
• Aesthetically appealing toilet modules provided with enhanced passenger amenities – big mirror, platform washbasin, controlled discharged water tap, odour control system, exhaust fan, LED lights, dustbin inside the toilet to name a few
• Shifting of electrical junction points from passenger area to non-passenger area in a centralized distribution board for enhanced safety
• Use of e-beam cables and polyamide conduits for enhanced electrical and fire safety
• Use of LED Lighting to enhance illumination & service durability while minimizing power consumption
• Enhanced scale of light fittings including berth reading lights in GSCN(Sleeper) Coaches and embarking light in all classes of coaches
• The scale of mobile/ laptop charging points have been increased in all classes of coaches
• LED based berth indicators cum night light for reserved coaches provided to assist passengers boarding train in night
• Provision of fire extinguisher in all coaches
• Provision of electrically operated chimney in Pantry Car
• Stainless steel panelling in Luggage Compartment
• Basic fare of Varanasi-New Delhi Mahamana Express (Tri-weekly) shall be 15% higher than the normal Mail/Express basic fares except fares for second class (unreserved) which will only be superfast Mail/Express fare of regular train services instead of 15% higher than normal Mail/Express basic fares