National
PM lays foundation stone and dedicates to nation multiple development projects in Shirdi
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth about Rs 7500 crores in sectors like health, rail, road, oil and gas in Shirdi, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra on 26 October 2023.
Multiple development projects:
» Inaugurated by the Prime Minister, the new Darshan Queue complex at Shirdi is a state-of-the-art modern mega building envisaged to provide comfortable waiting areas for the devotees.
- It is equipped with several waiting halls with a cumulative seating capacity of more than ten thousand devotees.
- It provides air-conditioned public amenities like cloakrooms, toilets, booking counters, prasad counters, information center etc.
- The foundation stone of this new Darshan Queue Complex was laid by the Prime Minister in October 2018.
» The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the left bank (85km) canal network of the Nilwande Dam.
- It will benefit 182 villages from 7 Tehsils (6 in Ahmednagar district and 1 from Nashik district) by facilitating pipe distribution networks of water.
- The idea of Nilwande Dam was first conceived in 1970.
- It is being developed at a cost of about Rs 5177 crores.
» The Prime Minister launched the ‘Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana’.
- The Yojna will benefit more than 86 lakh beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana in Maharashtra by providing an additional amount of Rs 6000 per year to them.
» The Prime Minister also inaugurated and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects including Ayush Hospital at Ahmednagar Civil Hospital; Electrification of Kurduwadi-Latur Road railway section (186 Km); 3rd & 4th railway line connecting Jalgaon to Bhusaval (24.46 km); four laning of Sangli to Borgaon section of NH-166 (Package-I); and additional facilities at Manmad Terminal of Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
» He laid the foundation stone of the Maternal & Child Health Wing at Ahmednagar Civil Hospital.
» Shri Modi also distributed Ayushman cards and Svamitva cards to beneficiaries.
Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon 2023
⇒ The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India in collaboration with IIT (BHU), launched Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon 2023 on 26 October 2023.
The launch event was attended by law Institutes, Higher Educational Institutes, experts from national and International Academia, students, various companies and e-commerce platforms in both physical and online mode.
- DPBH-2023 a pioneering initiative, has successfully mobilized a nationwide campaign against dark patterns. The objective of the initiative was to provide protection to consumers from all types of unfair trade practices.
- The DPBH-2023 saw participation from across the country, with over 150 colleges joining the initiative.
The deliverables of the Hackathon were to design & prototype innovative app or software-based solutions such as-
- Browser extensions,
- Plugins,
- Add-ons,
- Mobile applications etc. that can detect the use, type and scale of dark patterns for e-Commerce platforms.
While preparing the deliverable the participants focused on key areas such as-
Pattern detection accuracy, User-Friendly Extension, Pattern Versioning, Generative AI, Repository Management, Data Collection with Privacy Protection, Crowd sourced Pattern Identification, Cross-Browser Compatibility, and Artificial Intelligence for Detection and Performance Optimization.
The participants were evaluated on following few of the many criteria-
Innovation, Demonstration of the solution as a turn-key solution, User Interface & User Experience, Accuracy & Reliability, Adherence to Functionalities & Features, Privacy & Compliance etc.
The Hackathon was divided into following four stages/rounds:
- Round 1- Registration of participant Teams and Host Institutes
- Round 2- Intra Institute DPBH 2023
- Round 3- Inter Institute DPBH 2023, and
- Round 4- Distribution of awards and prizes on World Consumer Rights Day
» The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India organised the Inter-college competition Round 3 Grand Finale of Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon (DPBH-2023) at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) BHU.
- From the competitive pool, 172+ teams were shortlisted to advance to the Grand Finale or Round 3, which was organized at IIT (BHU), Varanasi on 17 February 2024.
» On the Occasion of World Consumer Rights Day, 2024, the Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal felicitated the winners of Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon 2023.
The winners rewarded with a Certificate of Achievement and the Prize money in the following order-
1st prize of INR 10 lacs, 2nd prize of INR 5 lacs, 3rd prize of INR 3 lacs, 4th prize of INR 2 lacs and 5th price of INR 1 lac respectively.
World Consumer Rights Day 2024:
» World Consumer Rights Day 2024 was celebrated on 15 March with the theme of “Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers”.
International
India hosts the 6th Session of the International Solar Alliance Assembly
⇒ The 6th Assembly of the International Solar Alliance was held from October 30 – November 2, 2023.
- It was presided over by the Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, Shri R. K. Singh in his capacity as the President of the ISA Assembly.
- Ministers from 20 countries and delegates from across 116 Member and Signatory countries participated in the Assembly.
- The ISA was launched jointly by India and France after COP21 in Paris.
The Sixth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was hosted at Bharat Mandapam, in New Delhi on October 31, 2023.
The Sixth Assembly of the ISA deliberated on ISA initiatives that impact energy access, energy security and energy transitions, with a focus on:
- Universalisation of energy access through solar mini-grids
- Mobilising Finance for accelerated solar deployment
- Diversifying supply chains and manufacturing for solar
» ISA-funded Projects bring solar energy to Malawi Parliament and projects in Fiji, Seychelles and Kiribati.
» Four projects set up with ISA’s assistance were inaugurated by the Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister at the ISA Assembly on 31 October.
These projects are:
- Solarisation of the parliament building of the Republic of Malawi
- Solarisation of two rural health care centres in the Republic of Fiji, with an 8-kW solar PV system and 20-kWh battery storage capacity for each health centre
- Installation of 1 solar powered cold storage of capacity 5 MT for the benefit of agricultural stakeholders at La Digue Island, Republic of Seychelles
- Solarisation of the Nawai Junior Secondary school (JSS) in the Republic of Kiribati, with a 7 kW Solar PV rooftop system paired with a 24-kWh BSS
High-level Conference on New Technologies for Clean Energy Transition:
The Union Minister Shri R K Singh addressed the inaugural session of the one-day High-level Conference on New Technologies for Clean Energy Transition organized on the sidelines of the 6th Session of the ISA Assembly in New Delhi on November 1, 2023.
Organized by:
The conference was organized jointly by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, the Government of India, the Asian Development Bank, and the International Solar Energy Society.
Focus:
The conference focused on various issues concerning climate change and solar energy deployment.
The overarching goal of the High-level Conference on New Technologies for Clean Energy Transition was to translate dialogue into action.
- The Conference was attended by the Ministerial delegations of the ISA Member Countries, policymakers, experts, and industry leaders.
- By fostering collaboration, sparking innovation, and sharing knowledge, the Conference aimed to drive real-world change and make significant strides toward achieving global climate goals. The focus was to make solar energy the energy of choice, reducing carbon emissions, expanding energy access, and bolstering economic growth in the process.
World Solar Reports 2023:
Global Solar Reports on Technology, Investments & Markets – second edition; and ISA ADB NEDO Report – “A Roadmap for Developing and Scaling the Green Hydrogen Ecosystem” were also released at the session.
ISA’s three flagship reports provide updates on Solar Technology, Solar Market and Solar Investments.
» World Solar Technology Report 2023 focuses on solar photovoltaics (solar PV), highlighting the remarkable advancements in crystalline silicon technology.
- Solar PV has experienced exceptional growth, expected to capture 56.4% of total renewable energy share by 2050.
- Crystalline silicon technology dominates the market with a 98% share; in particular, monocrystalline and emerging technologies like organic PV and perovskite PV hold promise for the future.
» World Solar Investment Report 2023 highlights the surge in global solar investments in 2022, exceeding $300 billion (a 36% increase from 2021).
- Asia Pacific, Europe and North America led the way, with China, Germany, and the USA as top investment destinations.
- To ensure a robust solar future, the report argues that we must invest in grid infrastructure and storage, diversify supply chains, and prioritize emerging markets for inclusive energy transition.
» World Solar Market Report 2023 offers a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the solar market, from its European origins to its current leadership in the Asia-Pacific region, registering a remarkable 37% compound annual growth rate, significant market expansion in 2022 and changing regional dynamics in solar adoption.
ISA Assembly:
- The ISA Assembly is the apex decision-making body of ISA, in which each Member Country is represented.
- This body makes decisions concerning the implementation of the ISA’s Framework Agreement and coordinated actions to be taken to achieve its objectives.
- The Assembly meets annually at the ministerial level at the ISA’s seat.
- It assesses the aggregate effect of the programmes and other activities in terms of deployment of solar energy, performance, reliability, cost and scale of finance.
- 109 countries are signatories to the ISA Framework Agreement, of which 90 countries have submitted the necessary instruments of ratification to become full members of the ISA.
- The Republic of India holds the office of the President of the ISA Assembly, with the Government of the French Republic as the co-president.
About International Solar Alliance:
- The International Solar Alliance is an international organisation with 109 member countries.
- It works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide and promote solar power as a sustainable way to transition to a carbon-neutral future.
- ISA’s mission is to unlock US$ 1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of the technology and its financing.
- It promotes the use of solar energy in the Agriculture, Health, Transport and Power Generation sectors. ISA member countries are driving change by enacting policies and regulations, sharing best practices, agreeing on common standards, and mobilising investments.
- ISA was formed at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris in 2015.