30-31-01-22 Daily-Jharkhand-JPSC Current Affairs

Villages located in remote and inaccessible areas of Jharkhand are now illuminating with the help of . These are the villages where electrification was not possible through a grid or conventional electrification methods. Ultimately, a total of 7740 UN-electrified households have been electrified with solar stand-alone systems and solar power Plants.

These villages were identified by Jharkhand BijliVitran Nigam Limited where electricity was still inaccessible. It was not feasible to electrify these villages through conventional methods due to inaccessible hills and forests. In such a situation, such villages have been electrified through solar energy.

The State Government aims to electrify every village & town across the state. Due to difficult demography, the conventional power supply was practically not feasible in many villages. In such a situation, the government believes that the RENEWABLE ENERGY project can prove to be a better option as per the local needs. Work is being done to electrify such villages or towns through mini-grid or solar stand-alone Home lighting systems. Under this scheme, the beneficiaries were provided with a solar power supply at a 100 per cent subsidy.

The electrification of such villages is being done through two means. The first is, through a solar stand-alone system. This system is being utilized for the villages with less than 50 houses or where the expansion of the village is in small clusters. Under this, a module of 200-250 watts is being installed in each house with four 9 watts led bulbs, one DC fan, a mobile charging point and a power socket for LED TV. Apart from the above, community buildings or schools are also being electrified through a solar stand-alone system. Also, for every 10 households, a solar street Light is being installed to illuminate streets.

Kerala has established the country’s first graphene innovation center. This is the first graphene research and development center to be founded.

Highlights:

The project would be funded with Rs 86.41 crores by the central government. The Kerala government will develop the center as Tata Steel is The industrial partner.

In addition, the state-run Digital University Kerala and the Centre for Materials for Electronics will collaborate on the initiative with the state and federal governments.

Graphene is the world’s most vital substance and the thinnest of materials. Graphene is a material with excellent electrical conductivity and chemical resilience.

It has a vast surface area, is translucent, and is Light in weight. Graphene can replace indium and lower the price of an Organic Light Emitting Diode.

The 61 Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) 2021 and 2022 were awarded digital certificates based on blockchain technology.

Highlights:

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur developed blockchain-based technology as part of the “National Blockchain Project” (IIT Kanpur).

Director of IIT Kanpur Abhay Karandikar said that this technology might be utilized to give all certificates and degrees in the future.

The beneficiaries’ digital certificates generated using blockchain technology will be saved in digital wallets on their mobile devices.

Certificates are unforgeable, globally verifiable, selectively disclosable, and sensitive to user content.

The National Security Council Secretariat funds the National Blockchain Project to create blockchain-based e-Governance solutions.

The project entails a three-month feasibility assessment to determine whether or not to deploy blockchain technology and research and validation plan and an incubation strategy.

The term “developing country” was recently coined by the . Several countries would be unable to tolerate this.

Highlights:

There are no formal definitions for “developed” or “developing” countries in the organization. However, other countries can contest the offer when a tag is provided.

Even though the WTO has not specified a definition, two-thirds of its members claim developing countries.

Because countries can classify themselves as developing, China has taken advantage of the opportunity. China is attempting to expand its global trade supremacy in this way.

A developing country has various advantages under the WTO. The S&DT provisions in WTO agreements give developing countries special privileges.

S&DT stands for Special and Differential Treatment. These clauses allow members to treat them with favor.

The Red Sanders (or Red Sandalwood) was recently reclassified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature () as ‘endangered’ on its Red List.

Highlights:

Pterocarpus santalinus is the scientific name for the Red Sanders species.

It is an endemic tree species to India, with a geographical range limited to the Eastern Ghats.

The species is only found in a small area of woodland in Andhra Pradesh.

In 2018, it was designated as a ‘near threatened’ species.

When a species was removed from the endangered list for the first time since 1997, it was a cause for celebration.

For the past three generations, the Red Sanders species has seen its Population drop by 50-80%.

As a result, it was once again placed in the Endangered category. Red Sanders are prized for their deep color and medicinal benefits.

On January 25, 2022, the (IMF) published its World Economic Outlook.

Highlights:

According to the analysis, global economic Growth will be half a Percentage point lower than previously projected.

The rate of growth will slow from 5.9% in 2021 to 4.4 percent in 2022. In 2023, it will drop even lower to 3.8 percent.

According to the IMF, the reduction in global growth predictions is mostly due to the IMF’s assessment of economic prospects in China and the United States.

In the United States, the removal of Joe Biden’s Build Back Better strategy from the baseline, early withdrawal of monetary support, and supply constraints resulted in a 1.2 percentage point downward revision for growth in 2022.

Disruptions connected to China’s zero-Tolerance Covid policy and persistent financial hardship among property developers resulted in a 0.8 percentage point negative revision.