World’s First Asian King Vulture Center
Uttar Pradesh has started building the world’s first center for protecting and raising the Asian king vulture, also called the red-headed vulture, in Maharajganj.
Objective to to improve the population of Asian king vultures, which has been listed as critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list since 2007.
The centre is named Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre, where 24×7 monitoring of the vultures is being done.
Asian king vultures (also called red-headed vulture) are critically endangered due to a loss of their habitats and the excessive use of diclofenac.
This is one of the 9 species of Vulture which are found in India.
Vultures are monogamous, which means they only lay one egg a year and stay with the same partner their whole lives.
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Compressed Biogas Production
Uttar Pradesh is a big player in India’s renewable energy market, especially when it comes to making compressed biogas (CBG).
Western Uttar Pradesh, including towns like Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, and Saharanpur, is a key area for making CBG.
Biogas is a renewable energy source that’s produced when organic matter breaks down in the absence of oxygen. This process is called anaerobic digestion.
Biogas is also known as renewable natural gas (RNG) or biomethane. It’s made up of mostly methane (CH) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
BioCNG is a clean fuel, as it helps in controlling air pollution. It emits less carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter than gasoline or diesel.
BioCNG is used as a clean and renewable fuel for transportation, particularly in compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles.
It contributes to carbon neutrality by recycling organic waste and preventing the release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.
The combustion of Bio-Compressed Natural Gas produces fewer pollutants than conventional fossil fuels, contributing to improved air quality.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing the Waste to Energy (WTE) Programme under the umbrella of the National Bioenergy Programme.
This Programme, inter alia, supports the setting up of plants for the generation of Bio-Compressed Natural Gas from urban, industrial, and agricultural waste by providing central financial assistance (CFA).
GOBAR-DHAN
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) launched the GOBAR-DHAN scheme in 2018.
Gobardhan is an integral part of Swachh Bharat Mission Phase II under Solid Waste Management.
Hooch Incident
In June 2024, 34 people have died, and around 100 others have been hospitalised after consuming hooch or spurious liquor in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district.
Hooch is a commonly used term for poor-quality alcohol, derived from Hoochinoo, a native Alaskan tribe that was known to produce very strong liquor.
Ethanol is the type of alcohol commonly found in alcoholic beverages.
Liquor is differentiated by its alcohol content. It ranges from 5% in beer to 40% in distilled spirits such as vodka and whiskey.
Inside the body, ethanol is metabolised in the liver and the stomach by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzymes to acetaldehyde.
Spurious Liquor
Alcohol becomes spurious due to the contamination by methyl alcohol or methanol to increase its alcohol content.
Ammonium nitrate is also a major contaminant.
Methanol, chemically represented as CH3OH
Methanol is classified under Schedule I of the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989 in India.
Methanol is primarily produced industrially by combining carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of copper and zinc oxide catalysts, typically at pressures of 50-100 atm and temperatures around 250°C
It is widely used as a solvent, antifreeze, and in various industrial processes due to its chemical properties.
Methanol in the body is broken down into toxic byproducts, primarily formic acid. This acid disrupts the body’s delicate pH balance in the blood, leading to a condition called metabolic acidosis (production of excessive acid that cannot be flushed out by kidneys).
Methanol can damage the optic nerve and retina, causing methanol-induced optic neuropathy.
Methanol can cause cerebral edema (fluid buildup in the brain) and hemorrhage (bleeding).
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e-Rupee
The Reserve Bank announces the launch of the first pilot for retail digital Rupee (e₹-R) also called Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
The e-Rupee was launched on December 1, 2022
It is a digital equivalent of the traditional rupee and designed to function as legal tender for all types of financial transactions.
CBDCs are categorized into two main types:
Retail CBDCs: It is meant to be used by the people, like cash.
Wholesale CBDCs: It is used by banks to settle transactions between banks and for other large-scale financial activities.
AI Fire Detection System
The Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra has recently added a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that is meant to find forest fires.
A cutting-edge PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera is placed on a tower on one of the reserve’s highest hills, about 540 meters above sea level, close to the village of Kirringisarra.
The AI platform, which has been named “Pantera,” uses high-resolution camera feeds and satellite data to send real-time fire reports three minutes after a fire is found.
Pantera has infrared technology that works around the clock that can tell the difference between smoke and clouds
The system takes in more information about the weather, including temperature, rainfall, and wind speed.
Pantera helps track the real-time locations of important resources about fire locations by adding GPS systems to forest trucks and water tanks. This makes response operations more efficient.
Rooftop Solar Programme
⦿ As of March 2024, India’s total installed rooftop solar (RTS) capacity stood at 11.87 gigawatts (GW), with a notable increase of 2.99 GW in installed capacity during 2023-2024.
⦿ The cenral government introduced the Rooftop Solar Programme in 2014 to promote rooftop solar installation.
⦿ The original target was 40 GW installed capacity (out of 100 GW by 2030) by 2022 but the goal was not met by 2022, the deadline was extended to 2026.
⦿ To promote grid-connected solar rooftop systems on residential buildings.
⦿ This program was launched as part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in 2010, the Initial target was 20 GW of solar energy by 2022 then the revised target was 100 GW by 2022
⦿ SUPRABHA (Sustainable Partnership for RTS Acceleration in Bharat)
⦿ SRISTI (Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar Transfiguration of India).
⦿ By the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and executed through state nodal agencies and power distribution companies.
⦿ Top performers States: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan.
⦿ It empowers consumers to become ‘prosumers’ (producers and consumers) and reduces reliance on fossil fuels and energy imports.
⦿ It aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 7) and supports India’s commitment to renewable energy and climate action.
⦿ India’s total installed rooftop solar capacity is reported to be approximately 11.87 GW, with Gujarat leading the table followed by Maharashtra, as of March 2024.
⦿ Modhera, India’s first solar-powered village, is in Gujarat and has 1,300 RTS systems of 1 kW each.
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana
⦿ The PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana is a scheme aimed at providing Roof top solar systems in 1 crore households.
⦿ Participating households can receive 300 units of electricity free every month.
⦿ The scheme targets residential consumers with systems up to 3 kW capacity, covering a majority of households in India.
⦿ The scheme is financed with a central allocation of Rs 75,021 crore, primarily distributed as direct subsidies to consumers.
⦿ Other Government Initiatives to Harness Solar Energy are
■ FDI in Renewable Energy: Permitting up to 100% FDI under the automatic route for renewable energy projects.
■One Sun, One World, One Grid
■Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA)
■Green Energy Corridor (GEC)
■National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) and Smart Meter National Programme
■International Solar Alliance (ISA)
■National Solar Mission
■Solar Park Scheme
■Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM)
ABHYAS
⦿ ABHYAS is a High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) that was made by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) in Bengaluru, India, for the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
⦿ Make fake enemy planes so that defense systems can practice
⦿ The ABHYAS design lets it fly itself with the help of an autopilot device created at ADE
⦿ ABHYAS has a laptop-based Ground Control System that makes it easier to connect the aircraft, do pre-flight checks, and give the pilots control during the flight.
India’s Green Energy
⦿ The World Bank has agreed to lend India $1.5 billion to help it move toward a low-carbon energy future.
⦿ To create green hydrogen and electrolyzers and make it easier for the country to use renewable energy.
⦿ It focuses on getting more private sector money into the energy industry
History of Green Energy
⦿ Fossil fuels account for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and approximately 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions.
⦿ For a better future, green energy is the key solution through which India’s net zero emission target by 2070.
⦿ Green energy is a term for energy that comes from renewable sources. Green energy is often referred to as clean, sustainable, or renewable energy.
⦿ The production of green energy does not release toxic greenhouse gases
⦿ Some important green energy sources include power produced by solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, low-impact hydroelectricity, and certain eligible biomass sources.
⦿ India’s energy use and emissions are less than half the world average.
⦿ In 2019 India announced that it would take up its installed capacity of renewable energy to 450 GW by 2030.
⦿ Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) scheme is another initiative of the Government of India with respect to enhancing the manufacturing sector for the production of raw materials for renewable energy.
⦿ PM- KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri-Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) aims to provide financial and water security to farmers through harnessing solar energy capacities of 25,750 MW by 2022.
⦿ Other Initiatives Shaping India’s Energy Transition?
■ Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA)
■ Green Energy Corridor (GEC)
■ National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) and Smart Meter National Programme
■ Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME)
■ International Solar Alliance (ISA)
⦿ Circular economy solutions linked with green energy should become a core feature of India’s future economy.
⦿ Rethink and restore confidence in public transport, including the procurement of more buses, the adoption of e-buses, bus corridors and bus rapid transit systems with digitization of public transport.