National
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav & Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat Food Festival in New Delhi
⇒ Ministry of Tourism in association with the different State Governments/UTs organized the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav & Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat Food Festival in the capital from 18th – 20th August 2023.
- The food festival was organised in State Sadans/Bhawans of the participating States in New Delhi.
Aim:
The aim of the festival was to celebrate the rich culinary diversity of India. The event showcased state-specific cuisines and promote awareness of the unique offerings within each region, while fostering a sense of togetherness.
Participation:
The Food Festival was held with the enthusiastic participation of 23 States and UTs.
Some of the participating States and UTs include Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Assam, Mizoram, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Punjab, Meghalaya, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Nagaland etc.
Key Points:
- A few of the States were also organized a handicraft exhibition in tandem with the Food Festival in the premises of the respective State Bhawan.
- The event also promoted the concept of Dekho Apna Desh, which has been one of the successful programs of the Ministry for encouraging the citizens of the country to explore hidden treasures of their own country.
- The Food Festival was not only a celebration of India’s rich culture and heritage but also to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and to promote the spirit of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat. The collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Tourism, State Governments, and various stakeholders ensured the success of this enriching experience.
Kuwi and Desia Books
⇒ Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, and Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt Nirmala Sitharaman launched Kuwi and Desia books at Bhubaneswar in August 2023.
- The event also witnessed the special cover release on behalf of the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, Government of India.
- This marks a collaborative effort with Central University of Odisha, Koraput, Department of Posts, and NCERT.
Highlights:
- While addressing the gathering at the launch ceremony, Shri Pradhan mentioned that there are over 62 tribes covering 23% of total population of Odisha. So, it becomes necessary to teach students with help of pictures, stories and songs based on their local nature and culture to improve their speaking skill, learning outcome and cognitive development.
- In this regard, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), for the first time, in collaboration with Central University of Odisha, has prepared two invaluable books: the “Kuwi Primer” and “Desia Primer”, for those children, who are speaking Kuwi and Desia tribal languages in the undivided Koraput district of Odisha.
- He said that these two primers will not only shape a strong educational foundation of those children but also preserve and foster the cultural, linguistic heritage and identity of tribal community of Odisha.
Foundation stone for extension of Power Grid’s sub-station at Lakhisarai, Bihar
⇒ The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy Shri R K Singh laid the foundation stone for extension of POWERGRID’s 400/132 kV Lakhisarai Sub-station, at Lakhisarai, Bihar on 18th August 2023.
Built by:
This sub-station has been built by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
As part of the project, 220 kV GIS will be constructed in existing sub-station premises along with installation of 2 transformers of 500 MVA capacity.
Other Points:
- The extension of the substation at Lakhisarai will lead to improved power availability in Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Munger and Jamui districts and will also ease supply of power to meet future energy demand.
- The installation of state-of-the-art GIS technology of 220 kV voltage level in Lakhisarai sub-station will further strengthen the connectivity of the region to the national grid.
- The provision of uninterrupted power supply will also lead to industrial and commercial development of the region.
660 MW unit of NTPC’s Barh Super Thermal Power Project in Bihar
⇒ The Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy Shri R K Singh dedicated to the nation a 660 MW Unit of NTPC’s Barh Super Thermal Power Project at Barh in Bihar on August 18, 2023.
- The 660 MW unit inaugurated was Unit #2 of Stage I of the project. The commissioning of this unit is another milestone in the government’s endeavour to provide reliable and affordable power to the nation.
Intracity Hydrogen Buses to start Operation in Leh on Trial Basis
⇒ Towards achieving Carbon-Neutral Ladakh, NTPC is setting up Hydrogen Fuelling Station, Solar Plant and providing five Fuel Cell buses for operation on intracity routes of Leh.
» The first hydrogen bus reached Leh on 17th August, 2023 as part of a 3-month-long process of field trials, roadworthiness tests and other statutory procedures.
- This will be India’s first ever deployment of hydrogen buses on public roads.
Key points:
- The first-of-its-kind Green Hydrogen Mobility Project at 11,562 ft is co-located with dedicated Solar plant of 1.7 MW for providing renewable power.
- A unique feature of this project is that the fuel cell buses are designed for operation in sub-zero temperatures in rarefied atmosphere, which is typical for high altitude locations.
Background:
- NTPC is committed to achieve 60 GW of Renewable Energy capacity by 2032 and be a major player in Green Hydrogen Technology and Energy Storage domain.
- The company is taking up several initiatives towards decarbonization such as Hydrogen blending, Carbon Capture, EV buses and Smart NTPC Townships.