MXene-coated devices can guide microwaves in space and lighten the payload.

• Researchers reported on the potential of using MXene coatings that can guide microwaves in space and lighten satellite payloads.
• MXenes, first discovered in 2011, are ceramics that comprise one of the largest families of two-dimensional (2D) materials.
• Unlike most 2D ceramics, MXenes have inherently good conductivity and excellent volumetric capacitance because they are molecular sheets made from the carbides and nitrides of transition metals like titanium.
• They are made from a bulk crystal called MAX.
• Among various types of MXenes, titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) is the most widely used.
• Some potential applications of MXenes include energy storage (such as lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors) due to their high conductivity and large surface area, electromagnetic interference shielding, catalysis, sensors, and water purification, among others.

What are Transition Metals?

• A transition metal is any of various chemical elements that have valence electrons—i.e., electrons that can participate in the formation of chemical bonds—in two shells instead of only one.
• They occupy the middle portions of the long periods of the periodic table of elements between the groups on the left-hand side and the groups on the right.
• Compared to other metals, transition metals have high melting points and densities, and they (and their compounds) can act as catalysts.
• They are good conductors of heat and electricity.
• Many transition metals are technologically important, including titanium, iron, nickel, and copper.
• The most abundant transition metal in Earth''s solid crust is iron.

Ajanta & Ellora now part of the Swadesh Darshan scheme

• The Ministry of Tourism included the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora caves in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar in its Swadesh Darshan Scheme II.
• Ajanta and Ellora caves, considered to be one of the finest examples of ancient rock-cut caves, are located in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) in Maharashtra.
• The Ajanta and Ellora cave complex is adorned with beautiful sculptures, paintings, and frescoes and includes Buddhist monasteries and Hindu and Jain temples.
• The Ajanta caves are 29 in number and were built between the 2nd century BC and the 6th century AD, whereas the Ellora caves are more spread out and 34 in number and date to the period between the 6th and 11th Centuries AD.
• Ajanta Caves are mostly Buddhist sites and were used as a retreat by Buddhist monks.
• The caves consisted of cells for meditation, assembly halls for discussions, and stupas for rituals.
• Ellora has a better mix of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist structures.
• The caves are adorned with sculptures that reflect the spiritual beliefs of the time.
• The sculptures range from depictions of deities, celestial beings, and mythological scenes to portraits of royalty and everyday life.
• The Kailash Temple in Ellora is an architectural marvel. It is one of the largest monolithic structures in the world.
• The structure is carved vertically from a single rock.

Key Facts about the Swadesh Darshan Scheme

• It was launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations in the country.
• It is a 100% centrally funded
• Under the scheme, the Ministry of Tourism provides financial assistance to State governments, Union Territory Administrations, or Central Agencies to develop tourism infrastructure in the country.
• Operation & Maintenance (O&M) of the projects sanctioned under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme is the responsibility of the respective State Government/UT Administration.

Swadesh Darshan 2.0:

• The Ministry of Tourism has revamped its Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) for the development of sustainable and responsible tourist destinations, covering tourism and allied infrastructure, tourism services, human capital development, destination management, and promotion, backed by policy and institutional reforms.
• The objective of the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme envisages an increase in private-sector investment in tourism and hospitality.
• It may help in increasing Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in the field of tourism and the operation and maintenance of the assets created under the scheme.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurates World Sustainable Development Summit in Delhi.

• The Vice-President inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi
• The World Sustainable Development (WSDS) Summit is the annual flagship event of the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
• Instituted in 2001, the Summit series has a legacy of over two decades of making ‘sustainable development’ a globally shared goal.
• It is the only independently convened international summit on sustainable development and environment, based in the Global South.
• WSDS strives to provide long-term solutions for the benefit of global communities by assembling the world’s most enlightened leaders and thinkers on a single platform.
• WSDS 2024 is the 23rd edition of the summit.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.
• WSDS 2024 will take place on the theme ‘Leadership for the Sustainable Development and Climate Justice’.

Key Facts about The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI):

• TERI is a leading think tank dedicated to conducting research for the sustainable development of India and the Global South.
• It is an independent, multi-dimensional organisation, with capabilities in research, policy, consultancy, and implementation.

History:

• TERI was established in 1974 as an information centre on energy issues.
• Research activities, initiated towards the end of 1982, were rooted in TERI’s firm conviction that efficient utilisation of energy and sustainable use of natural resources would propel the process of development.

Its work across sectors is focused on:

• Promoting efficient use of resources
• Increasing access to and uptake of sustainable inputs and practices
• Reducing the impact on the environment and climate

No delay in disbursal of sops under PLI scheme for white goods: DPIIT

• An official statement said that applications of certain companies for claiming incentives under the Production-linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for white goods (Air Conditioners and LED Lights) are under examination and there is no delay in disbursement.
• PLI scheme for White Goods is designed to create a complete component ecosystem for the Air Conditioners and LED Lights industry in India and make India an integral part of the global supply chains.
• The scheme was notified by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in 2021.
• The scheme will be implemented as a pan-India scheme and is not specific to any location, area or segment of population.
• Objectives: It proposes a financial incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in the White Goods manufacturing value chain.
• Its prime objectives include removing sectoral disabilities, creating economies of scale, enhancing exports, and creating a robust component ecosystem and employment generation.
• Incentives: The scheme will extend an incentive of 4-6% on incremental turnover over the base year (2019-20) of goods sold in India and exported to global markets, to eligible companies for a period of 5 years.

Eligibility:

• Applicant can be any company that should be incorporated in India under the provisions of the Company Act, 2013.
• Eligibility shall be subject to the achievement of thresholds of net incremental sales of Eligible Products for the respective financial year over the base year and cumulative incremental investment in the preceding financial year.
• Any entity availing benefits under any other PLI Scheme of Govt. of India will not be eligible under this scheme for the same products.

Natural gas flare samples collected by aircraft reveal high variation in nitrogen oxide emission estimates

• Natural gas flare samples collected by aircraft in the USA regions revealed high variation in nitrogen oxide emission estimates.
• Gas flaring is the burning of the natural gas associated with oil extraction.
• Flaring persists to this day because it is a relatively safe, though wasteful and polluting, method of disposing of the associated gas that comes from oil production.
• Utilising associated gas often requires economically viable markets for companies to make the investments necessary to capture, transport, process, and sell the gas.
• Firms usually resort to flaring when they lack adequate infrastructure or financial incentives to bring the gas to market, or when it needs to be released for safety reasons to manage changes in pressure during crude oil extraction.
• Most flared gas, primarily associated gas, is very similar to the natural gas used worldwide for power generation, as feedstock for the manufacture of chemicals, distributed to homes, etc.
• However, it may require processing to remove contaminants before it can be used.
• Associated gas can also be used on-site for generating electricity, compressed or liquefied for transportation as compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquified natural gas (LNG) respectively, or converted into liquid form (e.g., synthetic oil, diesel, methanol, DME) by using gas-to-liquid (GTL) technologies.

Impacts on the environment:

• The flare''s combustion converts hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide and water, which lessens the climate impact and reduces the safety concerns of the natural gas on site but also produces nitrogen oxides, or NOx.
• NOx—which includes the highly reactive gases nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide—directly and indirectly impacts air quality.
• How to reduce gas flaring? Oil producers can either re-inject associated gas or use it for productive purposes.

What is associated gas?

• It is a by-product of oil extraction and is often considered a waste product if there is not an easily accessible gas market. However, associated gas can be used in several productive ways, including to generate electricity.
• Its composition can vary widely at different locations, from almost pure methane with some ethane to gas that also contains heavier hydrocarbons like propane and butane.