1. SBI UNVEILS NATION FIRST TRANSIT CARD
TAG: GS 3: ECONOMY
THE CONTEXT: State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced ‘Nation First Transit Card’ to facilitate seamless and convenient customer commuting experience.
EXPLANATION:
- It will ensure easy digital ticketing fare payments in metro, buses, water ferries and parking, through a single card.
- Individuals can use this RuPay NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) Prepaid Card for making retail and e-commerce payments
- It is powered by RuPay and National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) technology and is set to revolutionise commuting experience and is aligned with the nation vision of “One Nation One Card.
One Nation One Card
- The idea of NCMC was floated by the Nandan Nilekani committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India.
- The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is an automatic fare collection system.
- NCMC was launched in India with the tagline of ‘One Nation One Card’ on 4 March 2019.
- This service enables passengers from any part of the country to use their NCMC-compliant RuPay debit card for seamless travel.
- The same card can also be used for shopping, banking transactions, among others, across the country.
Benefits
- This will help in higher digital payments penetration, savings on closed loop card lifecycle management cost and reduced operating cost.
- The rich data insights may be used by operators for business intelligence leading to efficient operation.
- NCMC Ecosystem will further help government in digitization of low value payments and reduced cost for the entire ecosystem.
2. ADOPT A HERITAGE 2.0
TAG: GS 1: ART AND CULTURE
THE CONTEXT: Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) launched a revamped version of the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ programme along with an Indian Heritage app and an e-permission portal.
EXPLANATION:
- ‘Adopt a Heritage 2.0’, is the upgraded version of ‘Adopt a Heritage’ programme. The programme encourages corporate stakeholders to utilise their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to enhance facilities at historically-important monuments.
- The Indian Heritage app provides a comprehensive guide to monuments under ASI’s ambit. It lists historical structures along with pictures, public facilities available on site and geo-tagged locations.
- The e-permission portal has been designed to simplify and speed up the process for acquiring approvals for photography, filming, and developmental initiatives concerning heritage monuments, with the goal of expediting the permission-granting process.
- The Adopt a Heritage 2.0 has incorporated a host of changes for the partner agencies, clear guidelines for semi-commercial activities and detailed scope of work and amenities required for monuments was proposed in the earlier version.
- 1,000 additional monuments have also been added to the list for adoption.
- Earlier, the corporate partners’ proposed visions and expression of interest would go through two levels of scrutiny via three committees. Corporate partners were also encouraged to adopt smaller monuments or “low visibility sites” along with the monuments they adopted.
- In the updated programme, more freedom has been given to companies such as the option to either adopt a monument in whole and develop its tourism infrastructure, or provide a particular amenity such as drinking water facility or cleaning services for one or several sites.
- Earlier, there were a lot of restrictions as well on what they could construct on the site and the timings for their work, all of that has been looked into in the new programme.
- According to ASI officials, permissible activities have been now clearly stated as per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958.
Adopt a Heritage
- It was initially launched in 2017 under the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the ASI which invited corporate stakeholders to adopt from over 3,000 protected monuments spread across the country,
- Only 0.72% of CSR funds go into heritage conservation, and the Adopt a Heritage programme hopes to raise that number further.
- This project is envisioned to fulfill the objective of the Government of India to provide an enhanced tourism experience to all travelers.
- It aims at ensuring quality & inclusive provision of amenities and facilities across heritage, natural, & tourist sites through active participation of private and public sector organizations and individuals.
- These organizations would be known as “Monument Mitras” for their collaboration initiative.
- The project plans to entrust development, upgradation and maintenance of amenities and facilities at the heritage, natural & tourist sites to the Monument Mitras, coupled with innovation and technology interventions.
- The project began with 93 ASI monuments and has extended to heritage, natural and tourist sites across India.
- These sites are classified into various categories based on visibility and footfall. The ‘Monument Mitras’ would take up the sites of varied visibility and footfall as a package, based on their viability.
3. SALEM SAGO
TAG: GS 1: ART AND CULTURE
THE CONTEXT: The Salem Starch and Sago Manufacturers Service Industrial Cooperative Society Ltd (popularly called as SAGOSERVE) received Geographical indication tag or GI tag for Salem sago recently.
EXPLANATION:
- Sago is derived from raw tapiocas and is in the form of small hard globules or pearls and is pearl white in colour.
- Tapioca is a major horticulture crop cultivated on nearly 3 lakh hectares in Tamil Nadu, producing 60 lakhs tonnes of the crop.
- Sago was produced first in Salem district, which is the main centre for sago production in the country, on a cottage scale basis.
- Sago is manufactured from the wet starch powder crushed from tapioca roots. Around 30-35% of starch content is said to be found in the Indian Tapioca root.
- The wet starch powder is used for producing sago and the dry powder has been used as a raw material for industrial purposes.
- Sago has low calorific value (310 kcal/100g) and its size generally ranges from 2 to 4.5 mm. One kg tapioca sago can be produced from 5kg of tapioca tubers.
- Currently over 80% of sago in India is produced in the Salem region and a majority of this is marketed through Sagoserve, while the rest are through direct sales.
- Sago is used in various industries, including food, paper, construction, textile, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, mining, and alcohol, among others.
Note: For more information on GI tag, refer to DNA of 2nd August, 2023.
SOURCE: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/watch-salem-sago-gets-gi-tag/article67280886.ece
4. ONE SUN, ONE WORLD, ONE GRID(OSOWOG)
TAG: GS 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; GS 3: ENVIRONMENT
THE CONTEXT: Recently, Conference on Transnational Grid Interconnections for One Sun, One World, One Grid held in New Delhi.
EXPLANATION:
- The conference was organized by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a ‘Maharatna’ company under Ministry of Power, Govt. of India.
- India has already established cross border interconnections with its neighbours and that strengthening of various cross border links is under process.
- Also, following the theme of G20 “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” i.e. One-Earth, One-Family and One-Future, India under its G20 presidency highlighted the importance of transnational grid Interconnections in enhancing energy security.
- It will foster economic growth, and facilitate universal energy access for all, in affordable, reliable and sustainable manner which will accelerate integration of Renewable Energy towards energy transition, with enhanced resiliency.
About OSOWOG Initiative
- The idea for the One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) initiative was put forth by the Prime Minister of India at the first assembly of the International Solar Alliance in October 2018. The initiative aims at connecting energy supply across borders.
Vision behind the Initiative
- The vision behind the OSOWOG initiative is the mantra that “the sun never sets”.
- The rationale behind the sun never sets is that every hour, half the planet is bathed in sunshine, harnessing energy from sun would facilitate generation of clean energy which would be enough to meet the needs of everyone on the earth.
- However, this requires transnational exchange of electricity through grid interconnections. These efforts need to be synergized and supplemented by establishing an inter-connected global electricity grid through transnational interconnections.
- The OSOWOG initiative aims to connect different regional grids through a common grid that will be used to transfer renewable energy power and, thus, realize the potential of solar energy.
Launch of Green Grid Initiative-OSOWOG:
- The Green Greed Initiative-OSOWOG was jointly launched by Prime Minister of India and then, Prime Minister of United Kingdom during the ‘Accelerating Innovation and Clean Technology Deployment’ event at the World Leaders Summit held on 2 November 2021 during COP26.
Benefits
- It will make round-the-clock renewable energy much cheaper. It will also reduce the necessity for reserves. It will bring down the cost of electricity for the general population and will help in energy transition.
- This will unite the world and ensure energy access to the millions of people who do not have access. Globally, energy transition and energy security, driven by renewable capacity addition are the thrust areas towards sustainability.
SOURCE: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1955243
5. ZERO DRAFT OF GLOBAL TREATY TO END PLASTIC POLLUTION
TAG: GS 3: ENVIRONMENT
THE CONTEXT: The intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) released a zero draft of global treaty to end plastic pollution.
EXPLANATION:
- It reflects the objective and mandate of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) resolution 5/14.
- The resolution (5/14) of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) refer to convene an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC)to develop “the instrument,” which is to be based on a comprehensive approach that addresses the full life cycle of plastic, including its production, design and disposal.
- The text of the draft is prepared by the INC Chair, is guided by the views expressed at the INC’s first and second sessions.
- INC- 1 was held in Uruguay’s Punta Del Este. It ended in December 2022. The session implicitly endorsed the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)’s position that plastic pollution is rooted in the material’s lifecycle.
- INC- 2 was held in June 2023 in Paris.
- INC- 3 which is to be held in Nairobi from November 13-19, 2023.
The text is divided into four parts:
- Part I covers the objectives of the instrument and leaves substitutes, as requested at the second session of the committee for elements that members may wish to include.
- Part II are broadly structured around the life cycle of plastics and plastic products with the aim of addressing plastic pollution. It aim to collectively promote the sustainable production and consumption of plastics through product design and environmentally sound waste management and circular economy approaches. This is consistent with paragraph 3(b) of the UNEA resolution 5/14.
- Part III and Part IV outline different options of measures aimed at collectively addressing the implementation of the instrument. This is consistent with paragraphs 3(c) through (p) of UNEA resolution 5/14.
India’s Efforts In Tackling Plastic Waste
- The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016: It clearly mentions that urban local bodies (ULBs) should ban less than 50 micron thick plastic bags and not allow the usage of recycled plastics for packing food, beverage or any other eatables. It introduced the concept Extended Producer Responsibility to manage plastics in India.
- Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022: It banned the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic less than seventy-five microns. The Central Pollution Control Board, along with state pollution bodies, will monitor the ban, identify violations, and impose penalties already prescribed under the Environmental Protection Act.
