National News

Indian Army launches E-SeHAT Tele-Consultancy for Veterans

The Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) has launched the Electronic Services e-Health Assistance and Tele-consultation (E-SeHAT) module.
The E-SeHAT Tele-consultancy would enable ECHS beneficiaries in obtaining online Tele-consultation for medical treatment from their homes without visiting the ECHS Polyclinic.
The module aims to provide health care services through safe and structured video based clinical consultations.
The pilot project has been launched today at 12 ECHS Polyclinics including remote locations of Baramulla, Imphal, Churachandpur, Dimapur and Aizawal.
The 12 ECHS Polyclinics tele-consulted remotely located ECHS beneficiary ex-servicemen before its pan India Roll Out planned in November 2024.
The E-SeHAT initiative aligns with the Digital India vision of the Government of India aimed at promoting digital inclusivity and efficiency in public services. This pioneering effort will transform healthcare delivery for veterans, ensuring timely and quality medical attention from the comfort of their homes.

Education Minister launches NATS 2.0 and Disburses Rs. 100 Crore Stipends

Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan has launched the National Apprenticeship and Training Scheme (NATS) 2.0 Portal in New Delhi.
As part of this initiative, Rs 100 crore in stipends has been disbursed to young graduates and diploma holders through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
These apprentices are receiving on-the-job training across various sectors, including IT/ITes, manufacturing, and automobile industries.
The launch of the NATS 2.0 portal represents a significant step toward democratising apprenticeship opportunities, bridging skill gaps, and fulfilling the aspirations of youth, ultimately preparing them for future careers.
The portal aims to facilitate a large number of beneficiaries to register and apply for apprenticeships while allowing establishments and industries to manage vacancies and contracts efficiently.

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists in New Delhi

India will host the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists at the Pusa Institute New Delhi from 2 to 7 August 2024.

After a gap of 66 years, India will be hosting this prestigious Conference again, which it hosted in 1958.

Theme 2024 – Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems

The International Conference on Agricultural Economics is held every three years. The 2021 conference was held in a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists is being organized by the International Association of Agricultural Economists in collaboration with the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, the International Food Policy Research Institute, the Agricultural Economics Research Association (India), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research.

Around 1,000 people, mainly agricultural economists from the world’s leading universities and agricultural institutions from 75 countries, are expected to attend the conference. Around 45 per cent of the delegates are women.

About International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE)

The credit for setting up the ICAE is given to Leonard Elmhirst of England, who organized the first International Conference of Agricultural Economists in Devon, England, in 1929.
ICAE brings together the leading Agricultural economists and scholars to discuss issues related to world agriculture.
India hosted the 10th International Conference of Agricultural Economists held in Mysore in India in 1958.

India elected as Vice-Chair of the Supply Chain Council of IPEF

India has been elected as the Vice-Chair of one of the three supply chain bodies set up under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Agreement relating to Supply Chain Resilience.
India and 13 other IPEF partners have established three bodies under the IPEF’s agreement on supply chain resilience. The pact came into force in February 2024.
The inaugural virtual meetings of the Supply Chain Council [SCC], Crisis Response Network [CRN], and Labor Rights Advisory Board [LRAB] marked a step forward for cooperation among partner countries for strengthening supply chain resilience in the region.

India Vice Chair of Supply Chain Council –

The 14 member countries of the IPEF elected a Chair and Vice Chair of these three supply chain bodies. The Chair and Vice Chair will serve a two-year term.
Supply Chain Council: Chair-USA, Vice-Chair – India.
Crisis Response Network: Chair- South Korea, Vice-Chair – Japan.
Labor Rights Advisory Board: Chair- USA, Vice-Chair –

About Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)

IPEF is a USA led initiative which was launched by the American President Joe Biden on 23 May 2022 in Tokyo, Japan.
The IPEF aims to promote economic interaction and cooperation among partner countries, advancing growth, economic stability, and regional prosperity.
The 14 Member countries of IPEF are India, Japan, Australia, Brunei, Fiji, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the USA.

International news

India, China hold 30th round of border talks; both agree to uphold peace, tranquillity

India and China on Wed- nesday held the 30th meet- ing of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India- China Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi dur- ing which the discussion was "in-depth, constructive and forward-looking", and both sides agreed to maintain the momentum through established diplo- matic and military chan- nels, the Ministry of Exter- nal Affairs (MEA) said.The talks come amid in- dications that the two countries are making ef- forts to resolve the stand- off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
"Further to discussions between the two Foreign Ministers in their recent meetings at Astana [in Ka- zakhstan) and Vientiane [in Laos], the two sides re- viewed the current situa- tion along the LAC with a view to finding an early re- solution of the outstanding issues. Restoration of peace and tranquillity, and respect for the LAC are an essential basis for restora- tion of normalcy in bilater- al relations," the MEA said in a statement. The 29th WMCC meeting was held on March 24 in Beijing.Economic restrictions Both sides agreed on the need to jointly uphold peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas in accordance with bilateral agreements and protocols reached bet- ween the two govern- ments, the statement added.This also comes amid speculation that the go- vernment is considering relaxing some of its eco- nomic restrictions on Chi- nese companies following the recommendations of the latest Economic Sur- vey, which called for more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from China.

Defence news

IAF's largest multilateral exercise to begin this month

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is all set to host its largest multilateral exercise, Ta- rang Shakti, in two phases in August and September. Eighteen countries, 10 of them with air assets, will join the exercise, which will see a total of 150 air- craft, both foreign and IAF, soar into the skies over Su- lur and Jodhpur. The exer- cise will be a landmark event and has no particu- lar nation or theme "in mind", Air Marshal A.P. Singh, Vice-Chief of the Air Staff, said on Wednesday."Invitations have been extended to 51 countries. Ten countries will be parti- cipating with assets and 18 as observers with one more country likely to join," Air Marshal Singh said while briefing the me- dia. "The aim is to foster in- teroperability and share best practices and also to showcase indigenous de- fence industry."Besides the observer countries, Germany, France, Spain, and the U.K. are scheduled to take part in Phase-1, while Phase-2 will see participation of Australia, Bangladesh, Greece, Singapore, the Un- ited Arab Emirates and the U.S.Given the diverse parti cipation and to cater to the requirements of friendly foreign countries, the IAF has decided to do it in two phases, the Vice-Chief explained. Several countries which are taking part in the multilateral exercise Pitch Black in Australia will join the exercise on their return leg.Each phase of the exer- cise will see participation of 70-80 air assets. Phase-1 will be held from August 6- 14 at Sulur in Tamil Nadu, and see participation of 32 foreign aircraft, Exercise Director Air Vice-Marshal Rajat Mohan said. Similar- ly, Phase-2, to be held from September 1-14 at Jodhpur, will see participation of 27 fighters, two refuelling air- craft, two airborne early warning aircraft, and four C-130 Special Forces air- craft from foreign coun- tries, Phase-2 Director Air Commodore S.K. Taliyan said. The IAF will field over 40 aircraft each in both the phases. The Indian Navy will participate in Phase-1 with its MiG-29K carrier borne fighters.

Appointment

Santosh Kumar Gangwar sworn in as Jharkhand Governor

Former Union Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar was sworn in as the 12th Governor of Jharkhand.
Gangwar succeeded C.P. Radhakrishnan, who was appointed as the Governor of Maharashtra.
Acting Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court Sujit Narayan Prasad administered the oath of office to Mr. Gangwar.

About Jharkhand

Capital – Ranchi
Chief Minister – Hemant Soren (replace Champai Soren)
Governor – Santosh Kumar Gangwar (replace C.P. Radhakrishnan)

Sanjay Shukla appointed as MD of National Housing Bank

Sanjay Shukla has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) of National Housing Bank (NHB).
Before joining NHB, Shukla was the founding managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Centrum Housing Finance Limited (CHFL) from October 2016.
A seasoned chartered accountant with over three decades of experience in housing and retail asset finance, Shukla has a distinguished history of leading and transforming financial institutions.
He began his career in 1991 as an officer at LIC Housing Finance Limited, the National Housing Bank (NHB).

About National Housing Bank (NHB)

NHB is the apex regulatory body for overall regulation and licensing of housing finance companies in India.
Founded – 9 July 1988
Headquarters – New Delhi
Jurisdiction – Ministry of Finance
MD – Sanjay Shukla

Government appoints 2 new members in CBDT

The Union government has appointed two new members in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the administrative body for the Income Tax Department.
Ramesh Narain Parbat and Prabodh Seth belong to the 1989 batch of the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).
Parbat is posted as the director general of I-T investigations in Lucknow, While Seth is posted as the chief commissioner of I-T (international taxation) in Delhi.
The CBDT is headed by a chairperson and can have six members who are in the rank of special secretary.
Apart from CBDT Chairman Ravi Agrawal, the other serving members in the Board are Pragya Sahay Saksena, H B S Gill, Pravin Kumar and Sanjay Kumar.

Mridu Pawan Das appointed as next High Commissioner of India to Rwanda

The government of India has appointed Mridu Pawan Das as the next High Commissioner of India to Republic of Rwanda.
He presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.

About Rwanda

Capital – Kigali
Currency- Rwandan Franc
Official languages- Kinyarwanda, French, English, Swahili
Prime minister- Édouard Ngirente

Recent Appointment in Foreign

Mridu Pawan Das appointed as next High Commissioner of India to Rwanda
Vinay Mohan Kwatra appointed as next Indian ambassador to US
Vijay Khanduja appointed as India’s next High Commissioner to Cameroon
Bramha Kumar appointed as India’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe
Sita Ram Meena appointed as India’s Ambassador to Niger
Abhay Thakur appointed as India’s Envoy to Myanmar
Soumendu Bagchi appointed as India’s Ambassador to Iraq

Preeti Sudan appointed Chairperson of UPSC

Former Union Health Se- cretary Preeti Sudan was appointed Chairperson of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) after Manoj Soni resigned from the post earlier this month, according to an official or- der. She would take the oath of office on Thursday.Ms. Sudan, currently a member of the UPSC, will take charge on Thursday and will have a tenure till April 29, 2025 or till further orders. She will turn 65 in April next year.Ms. Sudan is only the second woman to head the UPSC since R.M. Bathew served as the chairperson from 1992 to 1996."The President has ap- proved the appointment of Preeti Sudan, Member, UPSC for performing the duties of Chairman, UPSC with effect from August 1, 2024," a July 29 letter said.The Hindu reported on July 19 that Mr. Soni re- signed for "personal rea- sons," almost five years before his tenure ends in 2029.

Awards

DMRC wins Global Water Tech Award for environmental initiatives

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has received the ‘Global Water Tech Award 2024’ in the ‘organisation’ category for its initiatives in environmental conservation.
Global Energy and Environment Foundation (GEEF) presented the honour, recognising DMRC’s efforts in water conservation and efficient utilisation of water resources across Delhi.
Its key initiatives include rainwater harvesting pits, sewage treatment plants, and the use of treated effluent for construction, horticulture, and dust suppression at various sites.
During its first phase of construction, DMRC rejuvenated the dry Sarpakar Lake in the ridge area using “dewatered water” obtained from one of its construction site near Delhi University.

Sports

Hamilton wins thrilling Belgian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton has won the Belgian Grand Prix after teammate George Russell, who had originally come home in first, was disqualified following the race for an underweight car.
With McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finishing third. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez ended the day down in P7, having been overtaken by Sainz in the latter stages amid continuing pressure around the Mexican’s place in the team.
Fernando Alonso took eighth for Aston Martin with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and RB’s Daniel Ricciardo rounding out the top-10.

Recent 2024 F1 Grand Prix Winner

Hungarian Grand Prix – McLaren’s Oscar Piastri (Australia)
British Grand Prix – Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton (UK)
Austrian Grand Prix – Mercedes’s George Russell (UK)
Spanish Grand Prix – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
Canadian Grand Prix – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
Monaco Grand Prix – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (Monacco)
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
Miami Grand Prix – McLaren’s Lando Norris (British)
Chinese Grand Prix – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
Japanese Grand Prix – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
Australian Grand Prix – Ferrari’s Carlos Saina (Spain)
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)
Bahrain Grand Prix – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Netherlands)

BFI sets up National Basketball Academy in Collaboration with CAA

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has set up the National basketball academy in collaboration with Corvuss American Academy in Mumbai.
For a start, the Academy will run with 30 boys and 30 girls from the school. There will be a nationwide hunt for talent to select 30 boys and 30 girls for the academy.
These players will be under the guidance of a competent foreign coach. The partner institution will provide a comprehensive academic program, nutritional support, sports counselling, training and access to world class facilities for the trainees.
The players in the academy will be free to represent their States in the State and national championships.

Swapnil Kusale earns third bronze medal for India in shooting

Swapnil Kusale clinched his first Olympic bronze and third medal for India in the 50m rifle 3 positions event in the Summer Olympics games being held in Paris.
Liu Yukun from China bagged the gold with 463.6 points, while Serhiy Kulish of Ukraine won the silver medal scoring 461.3.
Kusale scored an aggregate of 451.4 in six rounds. He had finished seventh in the qualification.
The last time a 50m rifle shooter made it to the Olympic finals was in 2012 London when Joydeep Karmakar finished fourth in 50m rifle prone event, a discipline which has been discontinued at the Olympics.

Important day

1 August – World Lung Cancer Day

World Lung Cancer Day is observed every year on August 1.
Objective – To raise awareness about the disease and the unhealthy lifestyle habits that we must change to stay safe.
Theme 2024 – Close the care gap: Everyone deserves access to cancer care
In 2012, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) decided that every year, August 1 will be observed as World Lung Cancer Day.

1 August – World Wide Web Day

World Wide Web Day is observed every year on 1 August.
It aims to commemorate the creation of the World Wide Web (WWW) and how it changed the landscape of connectivity among humans.
This day honours the groundbreaking invention by Tim Berners-Lee, an English scientist who invented WWW in 1989 while working at European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).
Tim Berners-Lee invented the WWW in 1989 while working at CERN. His vision was to combine computers, data networks and hypertext into a global information system that was powerful yet easy to use.
Berners-Lee wrote the first proposal for the WWW in March 1989, followed by a second proposal a year later. Collaborating with Belgian systems engineer Robert Cailliau, who finalized the proposal in November 1990.
By the end of the year, the scientist developed the first Web server and browser at CERN. The world’s first website, info.cern.ch, went live on August 6, 1991. It was a simple page explaining the WWW project and provided instructions on how to use it.

Tamil Nadu’s own Stonehenge

An ancient observatory is found at the State’s first astro-archaeological site in Ellanthankarai, Sivagangai.
The huge burial site dating back to the megalithic period.
This is the first astro-archaeological site in Tamil Nadu that reveals a clear observatory ground.
This would then lead to a highly learned group called Tamil Arivargal who resided in the region.
The earliest mention of these people is in the Tholkaappiyam.
These people were well versed in astronomy.
They would disseminate what they learnt to others and this form of learning was called Ainthiram, is also found in The Tholkaappiyam.

UK - India New Technology Security Initiative

India and the UK launched a Technology Security Initiative aimed at ensuring telecommunications security.
It also makes way to collaboration in key areas such as critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and health technology.
The initiative builds on the cooperation agenda set out in the roadmap 2030 and will bring into sharper focus collaboration in critical and emerging technologies.
Besides this, India has the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) with the US and the Trade and Technology Council with the European Union.

IAEA – UNOSSC Initiatives

The IAEA and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) will launch a new series of joint activities to enhance collaboration.
An agreement was signed during the recent UN High Level Political Forum in New York between the both.
Through the agreement, the IAEA will participate in new UNOSSC programmes, including its ‘Data to Policy Network’ and ‘Solutions Lab’ over the next year.
The agreement will link the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) more closely with an international community of South-South practitioners.

First Climate Change Law - South Africa

The South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law a broad climate change act.
It will set caps for large emitters and require every town and city to publish an adaptation plan.
It aims to enable South Africa to meet its emissions reduction commitments under the Paris climate agreement.
South Africa is the world's most carbon-intensive major economy and among the top 15 greenhouse gas emitters.

Water Traces in Moon Soil

Chinese lunar probe found traces of water in samples of the Moon's soil.
The Chang'e-5 rover completed its mission in 2020, returning to Earth with rock and soil samples from the Moon.
The lunar samples "revealed the presence of trace water".
In 2020, water on the Moon was already confirmed by a NASA infrared detector.

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

The Great Red Spot, the single largest, is the longest-lived storm in the entire Solar System
The great eyeball of Jupiter is revolving to gaze balefully out upon the cosmos.
The Great Red Spot has significantly diminished since the first definite records of its existence in 1831.
In the late 19th century, the Great Red Spot spanned a whopping 39,000 Km across.
Now, it's just over a third of that width at 14,000 Km.
Earth's 12,742-kilometer diameter could still fit inside.
A massive anticyclone currently a little bit larger than Earth, with winds that howl around in an anticlockwise direction at up to 680 Km (425 miles) per hour.

Last Universal Common Ancestor

Researchers are tracing the origins of life on Earth back to a single ancestor that emerged approximately 4.2 billion years ago.
Scientists have pinpointed the emergence of the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) by analysing the genomes of present-day organisms.
Earth itself is approximately 4.5 billion years old, indicating life originated when the planet was still in its infancy.
The emergence of oxygen occurred relatively late in the planet's evolutionary timeline, possibly as recent as 3 billion years ago.
Evidence in the form of microbial fossils dates back 3.48 billion years.
LUCA was a complex organism, not too different from modern prokaryotes.
But it possessed an early immune system, showing that even by 4.2 billion years ago.

1. Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill introduced in Lok Sabha.

On 31 July, the Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu introduced the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak 2024 in the Lok Sabha, which will replace the Aircraft Act of 1934.
In 1934, the Aircraft Act was established and has undergone several amendments over the years.
Amendments were incorporated into the Act in a piecemeal manner.
The Civil Aviation Minister said that this has created confusion in the Act and to remove this confusion, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak has been brought.
The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak gives the Central Government the authority to enact laws that govern design, manufacture, maintenance, possession, use, operation, sale, export or import of any aircraft or class of aircraft and for securing the safety of aircraft operations.
The Bill aims to empower the Government to make rules for the investigation of any air accident or incident.
The proposed law will move the Radio Telephone Operator Restricted (RTR) certificate and licence testing process from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to the DGCA.
The process will be simplified for pilots as they will be able to obtain all their certificates from a single authority.

2. With $120 million in new funding from WestBridge, Rapido became a unicorn.

Rapido has become a unicorn after raising approximately $120 million (₹1,000 crores) in its most recent Series E investment round from its existing investor WestBridge Capital.
This is because Rapido can expand its auto and cab services to new cities across India.
Unicorn means a privately owned startup valued at more than $1 billion and Rapido competes strongly with players like Ola, Uber and Namma Traveller.
Now, Rapido wants to use the fresh funding to develop its tech stack and expand into new markets, which were previously dominated by Ola and Uber.
In 2015, Rapido was founded by Arvind Sanka, Pawan Guntupalli and Rishikesh SR.
Rapido is the third company to become a unicorn this year, after Perfeos and Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal's Krutrim AI.
In 2023, there were only two new unicorns—Zepto and InCred Wealth.

5. The Women Entrepreneurship Program has been introduced by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

The purpose of this program is to address the unique challenges that women face while launching and expanding their own businesses.
Along with providing financial grants, the program would partner with Britannia Industries Limited and showcase their goods and services on the Skill India Digital Hub.
This program seeks to address the obstacles that women face while starting their own business by providing essential training, knowledge, and networking opportunities.
The program has been started with the launch of self-learning basic entrepreneurship courses available on the Skill India Digital Hub in different languages.
Participants will get a co-branded certificate from NSDC, Britannia Industries, and National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) upon completion of these courses.
The goal of this program is to empower about 25 lakh Indian women.
The program will conclude with a grand finale in which a distinguished panel will hear the business ideas of the top 50 contestants.
Ten of the top competitors will get cash incentives from Britannia Industries, each worth ten lakh rupees.

6. World Breastfeeding Week: 1 to 7 August

Every year, World Breastfeeding Week is observed in more than 120 countries from the 1st to the 7th of August.
It is celebrated to promote the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and the baby.
The theme of World Breastfeeding Week 2024 is " Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all".
World Breastfeeding Week was started in 1992. World Breastfeeding Week honours the Innocenti Declaration. This declaration was signed in August 1990.
In 2018, a resolution of the World Health Assembly endorsed World Breastfeeding Week as an important breastfeeding promotion strategy.
Breast milk contains colostrum. Colostrum protects the newborn and children from sickness. It imparts them with immunity. It reduces breast and ovarian cancer risks in mothers.
Breastfeeding also serves as a baby’s first vaccination. It protects them from many common childhood ailments.

7. The 30 th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was organised in New Delhi on 31 st July 2024.

● In the meeting, Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) of the Ministry of External Affairs, Gourangalal Das.

● Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry, Hong Liang led the Chinese delegation.

● The current situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was reviewed by the two side with a view to finding an early resolution of the outstanding issues.

● The 29th WMCC meeting was organised on 27 March 2024 in Beijing.

● India and China hold Corps Commander level and the WMCC talks under efforts to resolve the stand-off along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

● The 21st round of Corps Commander talks were held in February.

infrastructure and energy news

In 3 years, power cuts in India will rise, says report

India's rising electricity needs will likely be accom- panied by increasing even- ing power cuts by 2027 be- cause of insufficient renewable energy-powered back-up, says a re- search report from the In- dia Energy and Climate Centre, University of Cali- fornia (Berkley).This scenario is likely even if all the planned coal plants and thermal power assets were to be fully func tional by that year.India has an installed electric capacity of 446 GW, with 211 GW coming in from coal, 195 GW from re- newable energy sources, and the rest from gas and nuclear energy.However not all of this capacity is available all the time. Therefore, a heat- wave that lasts all day and whose impact can linger through the night will elicit high electricity demand even at night from air con- ditioners. Unlike in the day when spikes in demand can be met by solar energy, this is not possible at night. On May 30, peak power demand touched 250 GW at 3 p.m. and estimates are that it hovered around 225 GW at night, suggesting that this demand cannot be met by coal, India's most reliable power (or firm power) source, on its own. The way out, said the researchers associated with the study, would be to have more utility-scale solar plants alongside battery storage, which can store the solar energy made dur- in g t h e d a y. M o r e o v e r s ola r pla n t s a n d b a t t e rie s c a n b e d e plo y e d m u c h f a s t e r t h a n c o al a n d h y d r o p o w e r pla n t s.

Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 1st August 2024