2nd May, 2023 Current Affairs

Sakshi Education

NATIONAL
NTPC-NPCIL Agreement on Joint Development of Nuclear Power Plants

India is a developing country with a growing demand for energy. To meet this increasing demand for electricity, the country is turning towards nuclear power. In this regard, the state-run company NTPC has signed a supplementary joint venture agreement with NPCIL for the development of nuclear power projects in India.
The goal of the joint venture between NTPC and NPCIL is to collaborate and cooperate in the field of development of nuclear power projects.
The joint venture company will initially develop Pressurized Heavy-Water Reactor (PHWR) projects.
Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project 2×700 MW and Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project 4×700 MW are the two PHWR projects identified as a part of fleet mode nuclear projects.
It is projected that India will have a nuclear capacity of 22,480 MW by the year 2031.
The current total installed power generation capacity of NTPC is 71.644 GW. By 2030, It aims to operationalize 3.5 GW of capacity from the two nuclear power plants currently being built.
As of 14 March 2023, the current installed nuclear power capacity in India is 6.78 GW.
The Indian government has set a target capacity of nuclear power generation of 20 GW by 2030. This is part of the step to achieve the net-zero emission target year of 2070.
In line with the net zero target, five new sites have been accorded ‘in-principle’ approval for locating nuclear power plants in the future.
In fleet mode, ten PHWRs with a capacity of 700 MW, which are of indigenous origin, will be established.

India's coal production makes new record for highest production during April 2023.

India’s coal production has made a new record for highest production during the month of April 2023 achieving over 73 million tonnes of coal with a growth of over eight per cent as compared to last year.
The Coal Ministry said, Coal India Limited has reported production of over 57 million tonnes in April as compared to around 53 million tonnes in April 2022.
The Ministry said, the total coal despatch has registered a growth of over 11 per cent from over 71 million tonnes in April 2022 to over 80 million tonnes in April 2023. This is mainly due to the initiatives taken by Ministry to augment rail connectivity infrastructure for all major mines under PM Gati Shakti to ensure faster evacuation.
With an objective to enhance coal availability, the Ministry of Coal has offered 103 coal and lignite blocks for auction under the 7th round of auction and 29 agreements have been signed for mines that were auctioned in the 6th round of auction.

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INTERNATIONAL
Iran reiterates commitment to expand bilateral economic & trade relations with India

President of Iran Ebrahim Raeisi met with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval in Tehran on May 1. He reiterated his commitment to expanding bilateral economic and trade relations between Iran and India. Mr. Raeisi added that regional and international organizations like Shanghai and BRICS can play a more effective role given their significant power and resources.
President Raeisi noted that strengthening bilateral cooperation between Iran and India could have a constructive impact on resolving regional issues, including the Afghanistan issue. Earlier in the day, Mr. Doval held talks with Iranian officials, including Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Australian High Commission in India announces its Government Grant for Project in Kargil

For the first time in the history of Ladakh the Australian High Commission in India has announced its Government Grant for a Project in Kargil. This was announced during a Special Meeting at Srinagar chaired by the Australian high commissioner to India, Barry O'Farrell.
The project "Return to Roots" aims to integrate traditional knowledge with the current school science curriculum in alignment with the goals of the National Education Policy which includes increasing scientific engagement among school children of the tribal background.

India to hand-over fast Patrol Vessel ship & landing Craft to Maldives

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh reached Maldives on his maiden visit yesterday, May 1. He was received by Maldives’ Defence Minister Mariya Didi and other officials from Maldives National Defence forces.
AIR correspondent reports, the Raksha Mantri’s visit will be an important landmark in building the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries. He is scheduled to meet President Ibrahim Solih.
Discussions covered exchanging views on multiple subjects including further boosting the defence partnership between India & Maldives. Mr. Singh also met Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid and applauded the role of the foreign affairs ministry in the rapid growth of the India-Maldives partnership.
Raksha Mantri hailed development cooperation as an important pillar of the partnership & conveyed India’s continued commitment to support developmental initiatives.

ECONOMY
Growth in Asia-Pacific region largely led by India & China projected to increase to 4.6 %, says IMF.

The International Monetary Fund has said the growth in the dynamic Asia-Pacific region largely led by India and China is projected to increase to 4.6 per cent this year from that of 3.8 per cent recorded in 2022.
The Washington-based fund said the region would contribute around 70 per cent of global growth. Asia and Pacific will be the most dynamic of the world's major regions in 2023, predominantly driven by the buoyant outlook for China and India," the IMF report said, adding that the two largest emerging market economies of the region are expected to contribute around half of global growth this year, with the rest of Asia and Pacific contributing an additional fifth.
Asia's dynamism will be driven primarily by the recovery in China and resilient growth in India, while growth in the rest of Asia is expected to bottom out in 2023, in line with other regions," it added.
IMF said 2023 looks to be a challenging year for the global economy, with global growth decelerating as the effects of monetary policy tightening and Russia's war in Ukraine continue to weigh on economic activity. Also, persistent inflationary pressures, and recent financial sector problems in the US and Europe, inject additional uncertainty into an "already complex economic landscape", it said.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
StarBerry Sense Payload launched by ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched a low-cost star sensor called StarBerrySense on board its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-55 rocket on April 22, 2023. Developed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), StarBerrySense’s primary objective is to image the field of view, identify stars, and calculate the spacecraft’s pointing direction.
The StarBerrySense sensor calculates the pointing direction by identifying the stars in its field of view. The sensor captures images of the stars and uses them to determine the spacecraft’s attitude and orientation. This information is crucial for controlling the spacecraft’s movement and keeping it on the right path.
The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) is a platform for carrying out scientific experiments in space. It provides a stable platform for scientific instruments and payloads, including StarBerrySense. POEM’s primary purpose is to enable scientific experiments that require a stable and controlled environment in space.

DRDO & Indian Navy conducts successful maiden test trial of Air Droppable Container -150 ADC in Goa

Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy conducted the successful maiden test trial of ‘Air Droppable Container -150 (ADC) from IL 38SD aircraft off the coast of Goa.
The Ministry of Defence said that ADC-150’ is an indigenously designed and developed Air Droppable Container with 150 kg payload capacity.
The trial was conducted to enhance the naval operational logistics capabilities by providing quick response to meet the requirement of critical engineering stores to ships, which are deployed more than 2,000 kms from the coast.
It reduces the requirement for ships to come close to the coast to collect spares and stores. Three DRDO laboratories, Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam; Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru have been involved in the development of ADC-150 container.

PERSONS
Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan AVSM, VM

The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) has a new Commander-in-Chief, Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan, who has replaced Lt Gen Ajai Singh. With this appointment, Air Marshal Balakrishnan has become the 17th Commander-in-Chief of the ANC.
Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan was commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 1986 and was part of the fighter stream. He has over 3200 flying hours on various variants of MIG-21 and Kiran aircraft. He has held various command, staff and instructional appointments, including as the first Commanding Officer of an AWACS Squadron. Prior to assuming the position of Commander-in-Chief of the ANC, Air Marshal Saju Balakrishnan served as the Senior Air Staff Officer at the IAF Training Command located in Bengaluru. He has been awarded the AtiVishisht Seva Medal for his distinguished service.

Published date : 02 May 2023 06:37PM