Prelim Bits 19-01-2023 | UPSC Daily Current Affairs

Bharat Pravah

The Union Minister of for Shipping, Waterways and Ports launched an initiative 'Bharat Pravah - India along its Shores'.

• The Ministry for Shipping, Waterways and Ports is organising Bharat Pravah in collaboration with the Institute for Governance, Policies and Politics, a think-tank.
• The initiative aims to highlight the importance of rivers-ports-shipping in the everyday life of the common man through literature, dialogue and communication.
• The initiative plans to organise a series of regional, national and international events (dialogues/conferences) throughout the year around 8 themes.
• Intellectuals, influencers and practitioners of the society are invited to debate, discuss and exchange dialogues on policies, perspectives and problems of the shipping sector.
• These events would yield a set of new literature on the significance of the ports/riverways/shipping in everyday life.

India – Ports and riverways India has 7500+ km coastline. There are 10 major ports and minor ports in India. Inland waterways in India stretch as far as 14,200+ km.

References

1. Economic Times - Sonowal launches Bharat Pravah
2. PTI - Sonowal launches 'Bharat Pravah' initiative
3. Bharat Pravah

Etalin Hydropower Project

The Etalin hydroelectric power project in Arunachal Pradesh has been scrapped in its present form and the Forest Advisory Committee asks Arunachal Pradesh to review it.

• The Etalin Hydroelectric Project (EHEP) is a joint venture of the Jindal Power Limited and the Hydropower Development Corporation of Arunachal Pradesh Limited.
• The 3,097-megawatt Etalin hydroelectric project will be one of the biggest hydropower projects in India in terms of installed capacity.
• The project envisaged in 2008, is a combination of two run-of-the-river schemes and involves the construction of concrete gravity dams on the Tangon and Dri rivers.
• The project will require the diversion of 1,165.66 hectares of forest land and the felling of more than 280,000 trees in the area.
• It ran into several controversies over concerns of ecological damage, forest invasion and tribal displacement.

• Concerns - The region is a very important habitat for many Schedule I endangered species, including a genetically distinct population of tigers, 75 species of other mammals and over 300 species of birds.
• Dibang Valley forms part of the Eastern Himalaya Global Biodiversity Hotspot, one of the 36 such global biodiversity hotspots across the world.
• The Idu Mishmi, an animist tribe in the Dibang valley, will be directly affected.
• Issue - The Etalin hydroelectric project has been rejected in its present form by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) in the face of overwhelming opposition to its construction.
• The FAC also suggested the formation of a high-level empowered committee to look into various concerns raised by large representations against the project.

References

1. The Hindu - FAC asks Arunachal Pradesh to review EHEP
2. Down To Earth - Plan for Etalin hydel in Arunachal junked
3. Hindustan Times - EHEP scrapped in current form

Annual Status of Education Report 2022

The 17^th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022 was released by the NGO Pratham after 4 years.

• Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is a household survey conducted for children in the age group of 3 to 16 years to record their schooling status and assess their basic reading and arithmetic skills.
• The 17^th ASER covered across 616 rural districts and covers 6.9 lakh children in the age group of 3 to 6 years.
• The report is being brought out after four years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• It records the impact of school closures in 2020 and 2021, as well as the return to school of children in 2022.

ASER 2022 report highlights

• The Government schools saw a sharp rise in enrolment for the first time in 16 years.
• The basic literacy levels of children, especially the reading ability as compared to numeracy skills has worsened much more sharply and dropping to pre-2012 levels.
• The percentage of girls who were out of school (11-14 years age group) declined to 2% from 4.1%.
• The proportion of girls (15-16 years age group) not enrolled in school decreased to 7.9% in 2022 from 13.5% in 2018.

References

1. The Hindu - Report flags widening learning gaps
2. Indian Express - ASER 2022: Big dip in learning post-COVID

European Green Deal

EU unveils green industrial plan to counter US and Chinese competition at Davos, the annual gala of World economic Forum.

• A Green Deal Industrial Plan is a plan to make Europe the home of clean tech and industrial innovation on the road to net zero.
• It is also planning for EU funding, to avoid a fragmenting effect on the single market and to support the clean tech transition across the whole Union.
• The aim will be to focus investment on strategic projects along the entire supply chain, especially to simplify and fast-track permitting for new clean tech production sites.
• EU Green Deal Industrial Plan will be covering 4 key pillars:

• The new Net Zero Industry Act will be put forward to achieve regulatory environment and the new Act will identify clear goals for European cleantech by 2030.
• The US Factor - The USA introduced a bumper package of green subsidies with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
• The IRA comprises $369bn in federal tax breaks and incentives for the development or adoption of clean technology with US content.
• The EU is concerned that European companies will move to the United States, which has a $369 billion scheme to subsidise green production.

References

1. EU Observer - EU unveils green industrial plan
2. WEF - Davos 2023: The President of the European Commission
3. European Commission - Special Address at World Economic Forum

Voice of Global South Summit

India launched the virtual conference of the first ever Voice of Global South Summit.

Global South refers to the developing and the less-developed countries of the world.

• The ‘Voice of Global South Summit’ under the theme ‘Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose’ was held virtually for 2 days.
• The summit will be an opportunity for non-G20 countries to share their ideas and expectations with the G20.
• It envisages bringing together countries of the Global South to share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform.
• The inputs from the summit will be channelled into the deliberations of the G20.
• A total of 125 nations took part in the digital conference.
• The conference comprised a total of 10 sessions.
• Besides the two Leaders’ sessions, eight Ministerial-level thematic sessions were also held.
• Prime Minister Modi also announced five new initiatives by India in the summit
  1. Arogya Maitri (Wellness Friendship)
  2. Global South Center of Excellence
  3. Global South Science and Technology Initiative
  4. Global South Young Diplomats Forum
  5. Global South Scholarships

References

1. PIB - Voice of Global South Summit
2. Hindustan Times - Voice of Global South Summit