1. CAG raps Meghalaya govt for failure to implement RTE
- The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has rapped the Meghalaya government for its inability to execute the Right To Education Act, 2009, bringing about underutilisation of assets of over Rs 900 crore, shortage of nearly 1700 teachers and appointment of over 70 per cent untrained staff.
Report highlights:
- Identifying the lack of basic infrastructure as one of the factors hindering universalization of elementary education
Key Facts: (No need to mug it up, just for understanding the core issue):
- Shortage of 1,748 teachers in primary schools
- 224 primary schools having only one teacher for 7,769 children enrolled.
- Untrained appointed teachers – 77 per cent of primary school teachers and 85 per cent of upper primary school.
- 68 schools – no science and maths teacher.
- Shortages of uniform grant and non-availability of free textbooks
- Annual plans were made without adopting participatory approach at the village/habitation level.
- Provision of reserving 25 per cent for children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups was not being implemented.
- Children with special needs and dropouts did not receive special care and attention
- Government has failed to contain the existing dropout rate of six per cent.
Way forwards:
- Enrolment of children and universalization of elementary education by covering all the eligible children should be ensured and the dropout rates be contained.
- Focus should be laid on training the untrained teachers and reducing the shortage of teachers in primary schools besides, providing infrastructure and basic facilities to schools and effective utilization of funds.
2. BHEL commissioned 800 MW Supercritical Thermal Power Plant in Karnataka
The Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on 30 March 2017 commissioned a 800 MW supercritical thermal power plant in Raichur District of Karnataka.
This is the second unit of the 2×800 MW Yeramarus Thermal Power Station, the first unit of which was successfully commissioned in early March 2017.
The plant which was commissioned on 15 March 2017 is also the BHEL’s first 800 MW Supercritical Thermal Power Plant.
About Yeramarus Thermal Power Station
- The power station is owned and operated by the Raichur Power Corporation Limited (RPCL), which is jointly owned by the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) and the BHEL.
- BHEL did complete design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection and commissioning of this state-of-the-art supercritical project on turnkey basis.
- It has supplied all the critical equipment like boiler, turbine and generators, electrical, key packages of balance of plant, and also carried out the associated civil works.
- The major equipment for the project has been manufactured by BHEL at its Haridwar, Trichy, Bhopal, Ranipet, Hyderabad, Jhansi, Thirumayam and Bengaluru plants.
- The construction of the plant was undertaken by the company’s Power Sector – Southern Region.
BHEL-KPCL Business Relations
- BHEL has supplied and executed 4,010 MW of coal based sets for KPCL and its joint ventures, which accounts for 95 per cent of the utility’s coal-based installed capacity.
- BHEL is also presently executing KPCL’s first gas-based combined cycle power project of 370 MW capacity involving a fuel-efficient advanced-class gas turbine at Yelahanka, Bengaluru.
About Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
- The company is the market leader in both the subcritical as well as the supercritical segments in the country.
- The company has secured orders for 48 supercritical Steam Generators (SG) and 41 supercritical Steam Turbine Generators (STG) – the highest in the country by any power equipment manufacturer. Of these, 12 SG and STG have already achieved capacity addition.
- BHEL’s contribution of nearly 60% of the total power generated in the country bears testimony to the superlative performance of BHEL’s equipment.
3. India may be hit by U.S. trade review
- US to review its trade ties with its trading partner, in the backdrop of country’s surmounting trade deficit.
- A “country-by-country, product-by-product” report will be prepared in 90 days that would form the basis of further measures that the administration would take to reduce the country’s trade deficit.
- The report to identify every form of trade abuse and every non-reciprocal practice.
- The review will be to assess whether a deficit is being caused by cheating, specific trade agreements, lax enforcement or World Trade Organization rules.
U.S. issues of concern with India:-
- Inadequate protection of intellectual property,
- State subsidies and tariff and non-tariff barriers.
- Ban on animal-tested cosmetics and restrictions on dairy products and alcohol
- Opaqueness in its non-tariff regulations
- Export subsidy programmes in several sectors .
Future focus:
- Trade in energy
- Trade in generic pharmacy and defense.
- Movement of service professionals in and out of U.S.
Key Fact:
- India is the ninth biggest trading partner of the U.S. and had a trade surplus of around $26 billion with the U.S in goods trade alone last year.
4. South Asia Sub regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) programme.
South Asia Sub regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) is facilitating trade guided by the SASEC Trade Facilitation Strategic Framework (2014–2018) in the sub-region through various projects.
The SASEC program:
The SASEC program was formed in 2001 in response to the request of the four countries of South Asia – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal – from ADB to assist in facilitating economic cooperation among them. These four countries comprise the South Asia Growth Quadrangle (SAGQ), formed in 1996, as a vehicle for accelerating sustainable economic development through regional cooperation. As a project-based partnership, the SASEC program has been helping realize regional prosperity by enhancing cross-border connectivity, facilitating faster and more efficient trade and promoting cross-border power trade. Maldives and Sri Lanka joined SASEC in 2014, further expanding opportunities for enhancing economic linkages in the sub-region.
South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program of Asian Development Bank (ADB) is expanding towards the East with Myanmar formally becoming the 7th member of SASEC in 2017.
The trade facilitation actions under SASEC are guided by the SASEC Trade Facilitation Strategic Framework (2014–2018), adopted by the SASEC members in March 2014
The Asian Development Bank is the secretariat and lead financier of the program, which to date has supported a total of 46 projects worth about $9.2 billion in transport, trade facilitation, energy, information and communications technology (ICT) and economic corridor development.
Key projects:
- The nine projects comprise of two rail projects inBangladesh worth $890 million, two economic corridor initiatives (a project and program loan) and a bridge project in India worth an aggregate of $1.2 billion, trade facilitation and airport projects in Bhutan worth $27 million and key SASEC road and energy projects in Nepal worth $302 million.
- All these projects are aligned with the SASEC OP’s thrusts of developing road and rail links aligned closely with trade routes toward the east, streamlining trade procedures, and improving energy infrastructure.
- These projects will receiveADB financing of $1.43 billion. These nine projects represent a significant increase compared to the previous 15 years, when the annual average value of projects approved was only about $500 million.
ADB assistance to India:
- Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been partnering with Indian Customs for sharing best practices and technical expertise with other countries under the SASEC umbrella.
- The through-transport arrangements being finalized among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) is an initiative that would help in seamless cross-border movement of vehicles/cargo among identified corridors bringing down transaction costs and delays and easing the border congestion.
- ADB is also supporting India to develop integrated solutions for enhancing their logistics efficiency, covering the infrastructure and connectivity needed, as well as a logistics facilitation model that would enable faster and more efficient vehicle/cargo movement.
- ADB has been following a consultative process in working with private sector stakeholders for raising awareness and building their capacity and to make sure their views are reflected in designing the national trade facilitation initiatives.
5. SpaceX successfully launched and then retrieved its first recycled rocket
- SpaceX successfully launched and then retrieved its first recycled rocket, a historic feat and the biggest leap yet in its bid to drive down costs and speed up flights.
- It was the first time SpaceX founder Elon Musk tried to fly a booster that soared before an orbital mission.
- He was at a loss for words after the Falcon 9 core landed on the bull’s-eye of the ocean platform following lift-off with a broadcasting satellite.
- Mr. Musk foresees dozens, if not hundreds of repeat flights, for a booster and rocket turnarounds of as little as 24 hours, perhaps by next year.
- Land, refuel and then back up again, with everything leading to one day putting humanity “out there among the stars.”
- This particular first stage landed on an ocean platform almost exactly a year ago after a space station launch for NASA.
- SpaceX refurbished and tested the 15-story booster, still sporting its nine original engines. It nailed another vertical landing at sea once it was finished boosting the satellite for the SES company of Luxembourg.
- SpaceX employees outside jammed Mission Control at the Hawthorne, California, company headquarters cheered loudly every step of the way and again when the satellite reached its proper orbit.
6. Industries grossly pollute Ganga
- A Recent report released by Central Pollution Control Board highlights:
- 30% of the so-called Grossly Polluting Industries (GPI), along the Ganga, is not complying with norms.
- The CPCB has identified a total of 764 major polluting industries along Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Bihar.
- Tanneries comprise the bulk of polluting industries and 80% of the polluting industries are located in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand
- What are Grossly Polluting Industries?GPIs are defined as industries that discharge more than 1,00,000 liters of waste water and/or hazardous chemicals.
