15, April 2019 – Daily Updates on PIB 15/04/2019 – Posted in: Press Information Bureau – Tags: , , , , ,

4th Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific (RCAP) Congress 2019

(Vice President’s Secretariat)

 

WHAT

While addressing the 4th Resilient Cities Asia-Pacific (RCAP) Congress 2019 organized by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), Vice-President of India asked the town planner to make sustainable solutions such as harvesting solar energy, enhancing green cover and water conservation an essential part of town planning.

 

PRIORITY AREAS

  • Tree plantation
  • Solid Waste Management
  • Protection and rejuvenation of water bodies

 

HIGHLIGHTS

Vice President of India said to town planners/representative:

  • A massive migration from rural to urban areas has become a reality and facilities like education, entertainment, enhanced medical facilities and employment were the main drivers of such migration. For the improvement of such basic needs, state government and central government needs to come together.
  • Economic growth must take environmental protection into consideration, for that, dependency on fossil fuel must be reduced and new forms of energy sources such as solar must be explored.
  • Adopt multi-dimensional and innovative approaches to ensure low emissions oriented development.
  • Promote public transport in cities to reduce congestion and air pollution.
  • Green infrastructure was the need of the hour.
  • Urban solid waste is converted wealth by learning from the best practices followed globally.
  • Up-scaling climate mitigation measures to reduce climate-related risks in the future.
  • Asian cities must emphasize biodiversity and healthy, functioning ecosystems.

Source: PIB

 

 

Creation of One Post of Deputy C.A.G

(Cabinet)

 

WHAT

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to create one post of Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General (Coordination, Communication and Information System) in Pay Level-17 (by abolishing one STS level post) in the Office of the Comptroller & Auditor General of India.

The Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General shall oversee the coordination among State Audits, audit of telecommunication and to coordinate the various Information Systems (IS) initiatives within the Indian Audit & Accounts Department (IA&AD).

Expenditure on account of creation of this post will be Rs.21 Lakh (approx.).

 

Source: PIB

 

 

Phase 4 of GSLV

(Cabinet)

 

WHAT

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved ongoing GSLV continuation programme Phase-4 consisting of five GSLV flights during the period 2021-2024.

The GSLV Programme – Phase 4 will enable the launch of 2 tonne class of satellites for Geo-imaging, Navigation, Data Relay Communication and Space Sciences.

 

GEOSYNCHRONOUS SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE (GSLV)

  • GSLV is a satellite-launch vehicles (rockets) developed by ISRO.
  • The GSLV is designed mainly to deliver the communication-satellites to the highly elliptical (typically 250 x 36000 Km) Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). The satellite in GTO is further raised to its final destination, viz., Geo-synchronous Earth orbit (GEO) of about 36000 Km altitude (and zero deg inclination on equatorial plane) by firing its in-built on-board engines.
  • Due to their geo-synchronous nature, the satellites in these orbits appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky.

 

BENEFITS

The GSLV Continuation Programme – Phase 4 will meet the launch requirement of satellites for providing critical Satellite Navigation Services, Data Relay Communication for supporting the Indian Human spaceflight programme and the next interplanetary mission to Mars.

 

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY AND TARGETS

The GSLV Continuation Programme – Phase 4 will meet the demand for the launch of satellites at a frequency up to two launches per year, with maximal participation by the Indian industry. All the operational flights would be completed during the period 2021-24.

 

IMPACT

The operationalization of GSLV has made the country self-reliant in the launching capability of 2 tonne class of satellites for communication & meteorological satellites. The GSLV Continuation Programme will sustain & strengthen the capability and self-reliance in the launching of similar satellites for national requirements.

Source: PIB

 

 

MoU: India and Bolivia

(Cabinet)

 

WHAT

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bolivia on Cooperation in the field of Geology and Mineral Resources.

 

IMPACT

  • MoU will provide an institutional mechanism between India and Bolivia for cooperation in the field of Mineral Resources.
  • The MoU provides for exchange of information on resources, laws and policy, development strategies, encouragement of transfer of technologies between the two countries, promotion of value addition, which will enable taking up of activities like documentation and dissemination etc.

 

GEOLOGY

Geology is the study of the Earth, the materials of which it is made, the structure of those materials, and the processes acting upon them. It includes the study of organisms that have inhabited our planet.

 

MINERAL RESOURCES

(i) Metallic resources: Like Gold, Silver, Tin, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Iron, Nickel, Chromium and Alluminum.

(ii) Non-Metallic resources: Sand, Gypsum, Halite, Uranium, dimension stone.

 

SIGNIFICANCE

  • Mineral resources are amongst the most important natural resources that dictate the Industrial and economic development of a country because they provide raw materials to the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy.
  • Importance of minerals in our everyday life. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in our body and helps regulate muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels and blood pressure.
  • Minerals are essential for various functions in our bodies, such as growth and metabolism. This includes the development of teeth, bones, hair, skin and nerves, transmission of nerve impulses, production of hormones, contraction and relaxation of the heart and other muscles, and maintenance of normal heart rhythm.
  • The benefits of geology include how to protect our environment and supplies us with natural resources.
  • Geology helps assist us in avoiding geologic hazards and is based on the scientific method.
  • Geology helps us understand plate tectonics which is the theory of the crust and upper mantle of of the Earth being in constant motion, slipping on a partially molten layer called the asthenosphere and is largely accepted by the scientific community because of its great range of observed phenomena than any other theory.

Source: PIB

 

 

MoU: India and Cambodia

(Cabinet)

 

WHAT

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given ex post-facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Cambodia on Cooperation in the field of Communications.

 

IMPACT

The MoU will contribute in strengthening bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding between India and Cambodia in the field of communications.

 

Source: PIB

 

 

MoU: India and Bolivia

(Cabinet)

 

WHAT

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bolivia in the Field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy.

 

IMPACT

  • The MoU will provide a framework for cooperation, and will be mutually beneficial between the two countries for promotion of traditional systems of medicine and homoeopathy.
  • It will lead to promotion and propagation of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy in Bolivia, and will boost the importance of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) systems of Medicine in Bolivia.
  • The MoU will further facilitate exchange of experts for training for the practitioners and Scientists undertaking collaborative research, which will lead to new innovations in drug development and practice in Traditional Systems of Medicine.

 

Source: PIB

 

 

Agreement between India and Denmark

(Cabinet)

 

WHAT

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for a Cooperation Agreement between Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of India and Ministry for Energy, Utilities and Climate of the Kingdom of Denmark.

  • It seeks the strategic cooperation in the field of Renewable Energy with a focus on Offshore Wind Energy.

 

AREA OF COOPERATION WOULD INCLUDE

  • Technical capacity building for management of off­shore wind projects
  • Measures to develop and sustain a highly efficient wind industry, Onshore as well as offshore
  • Measures to ‘ensure high quality of wind turbines, components, and certification requirements
  • Forecasting and scheduling of off-shore wind

 

INDO-DANISH CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE WOULD WORK ON

  • Renewable energy resource assessments with focus on onshore and offshore wind
  • Hybridisation of wind, solar, hydro and storage technologies
  • Integration of renewable energy in high level of wind energy, Testing and R&D
  • Skill development / capacity building.

Source: PIB