National
NTPC commissions India’s first Air cooled condenser in Jharkhand
⇒ NTPC has commissioned India’s first Air cooled condenser installed Super Critical plant to demonstrate its Commitment towards water conservation through reduce, reuse and recycle.
Key Points:
- NTPC, the country’s largest integrated energy utility, has started commercial operation of 1st Unit of 660 MW at North Karanpura (3*660 MW), in Jharkhand on 01st March 2023.
- This project has been envisaged with Air Cooled Condenser (ACC) which has almost 1/3rd water footprint as compared to a conventional Water Cooled Condenser (WCC). This would result in water saving of around 30.5 mcm annually thus fulfilling the needs of around 1.5 million people in the region annually.
- The North Karanpura plant will have a total capacity of 1980 MW, 3 Units of 660 MW each.
- This plant is based on one of the Most efficient Supercritical Technology and being a pit head plant (10 Km from coal source) will supply economical power to the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha.
Other Points:
- NTPC will further imbibe the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) for water conservation and management while carrying out its core business activity of power generation. NTPC Ltd, is a signatory to the prestigious UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate.
- NTPC is currently meeting 24% of country’s demand through coal, gas, hydro, solar and wind plants.
India's Longest Green Field Six-Lane Extra-doses Cable Bridge
⇒ Kachchi Dargah Bidupur- Vaishali Six Lane Bridge will be India’s longest Extra-doses Cable Bridge.
The Green Field Six-Lane Extra-doses Cable Bridge over Gange will connect Kachchi Dargah in District Patna on NH-30 to Bidupur and Vaishali district on NH-103.
Key Points:
- The construction of this 9.76 km long bridge was started in the year 2017 by the Government of Bihar. The length of the approach road on both sides of this bridge is 13 km.
- This bridge being built on river Ganga is being constructed with the joint venture of Bihar Construction Department and L&T Company.
- About Rs 5000 crore is being spent on its construction. 67 pies have been made in it.
- The structure of the bridge is being hung on 15.2 mm cables procured from South Korea.
- The distance between the two pillars is about 120 metres. Due to this, there will be no problem for the ships coming and going in the river Ganga.
- With the completion of this bridge, vehicles coming from South Bihar and neighboring Jharkhand will not have to come to Patna city to go to North Bihar, this will reduce the pressure of vehicles in the city.
- A platform is also being constructed on top of this bridge to see the dolphins of river Ganga. A highway museum is also being constructed in the bridge. PhD and MTech students will be able to come for studies in this museum.
International
Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to India
⇒ The Notes were exchanged between Mr. Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and Mr. Suzuki Hiroshi, Ambassador of Japan to India on 29 March 2023 in new Delhi.
These notes were exchanged for the given projects:
- Patna Metro Rail Construction Project (I) of JPY 98.612 billion (Rs 5,509 crore approx.),
- Project for Forest and Biodiversity Conservation for Climate Change Response in West Bengal of JPY 9.308 billion (Rs 520 crore approx.), and
- Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project (II) of JPY 18.894 billion (Rs 1,055.53 crore approx.).
Key Points:
- Patna Metro Rail Construction Project aims to cope with the increase of traffic demand in Patna by constructing the new metro corridor 1 & 2, thereby contributing to improvement of the urban environment and development of the economy as well as mitigation of climate change.
- Project for Forest and Biodiversity Conservation for Climate Change Response in West Bengal aims to mitigate and adapt to climate change, conserve and restore ecosystems by ecosystem-based climate change measures, biodiversity conservation and restoration, livelihood improvement activities and institutional strengthening, thereby contributing to sustainable socio-economic development in State.
- Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project aims to improve livelihoods of farmers as well as promote gender mainstreaming in agriculture and irrigation sector in the State, by improving water use efficiency and agriculture productivity, through improvement of existing irrigation facilities and agriculture support services based on participation of both male and female farmers, thereby contributing to socio-economic development in the State. This is tranche-II loan for the project.
India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral development cooperation since 1958. This further consolidates and strengthens the Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan.
‘Jarracharra: Dry Season Wind’ exhibition
⇒ The Ministry of Textile in Collaboration with the Australian High Commission, New Delhi hosted a textile art exhibition at the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy from 01-17 March, 2023.
- The textile art exhibition was held in the spirit of India bringing nations together for G20 2023 and bringing the G20 closer to the public.
About textile art exhibition:
- The exhibition ‘Jarracharra: Dry Season Wind’ showcased a robust collection of Aboriginal women’s textile art from the Bábbarra Women’s Centre (BWC), one of the most remote art centres in the world, found in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia.
- This exhibition featured women depicting ancient narratives using contemporary mediums.
- The title, Jarracharra, represents a metaphor for how the Bábbarra Women’s Centre brings different Aboriginal cultures and stories together, just as Jarracharra winds have brought Aboriginal people together for ceremony, dance, and ritual for tens of thousands of years.
Important Day
International Women’s Day 2023
⇒ International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on 8 March.
It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
Theme:
The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 (IWD 2023) was “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.
- The United Nations Observance of IWD, under the theme recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education.
History:
- International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labor movements at the turn of the twentieth century across North America and Europe. The first National Woman’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28 1909, which the Socialist Party of America dedicated in honor of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York where women protested against harsh working conditions.
- The UN celebrated its first official International Women’s Day on 8 March during International Women’s Year in 1975.
- Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace to be observed on any day of the year by Member States, in accordance with their historical and national traditions.
National Women’s Day:
Every year 13 February is recognized as National Women’s Day in India.
- National Women’s Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu.
- A national leader, a freedom fighter, and a poet, Sarojini Naidu was born on 13 February 1879. She was known as the ‘Nightingale of India’ or ‘Bharat Kokila’.