Government reopens PLI scheme for white goods till October 12

White Goods:

• White goods refer to large consumer durables or major home appliances that were traditionally available only in white. Examples include washing machines, air conditioners, stoves, and refrigerators.
• Composition: These consumer durables are made of enamel-coated sheet steel.
• Indian White Goods Industry: The Indian appliance and consumer electronics (ACE) market reached INR 76,400 crore in 2019 and is projected to double to INR 1.48 lakh crore by 2025.

PLI Scheme For White Goods (Air Conditioners and LED Lights):

• Nodal Agency: Ministry of Commerce
• Tenure: 5 years, from FY 2021-22 to FY 2028-29
• Objective: To establish a comprehensive component ecosystem for the air conditioner and LED light industries in India, making the country an integral part of global supply chains
• Target Segments: High-value and/or low-value intermediaries for the production of ACs and LED lights.
• Incentives: The scheme will provide a 4-6% incentive on incremental turnover over the base year (2019-20) for goods sold in India and exported globally, available to eligible companies for a period of 5 years.

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways plans to expand its shore-to-ship power infrastructure.

Shore Power

• In shipping parlance, shore power refers to the power supply given to a boat, ship, or any maritime vessel when it’s docked at the port.
• Benefit: Shore power technology not only helps to minimise the climate impact of port operations, it also brings public health benefits by reducing the use of bunker fuels.
• It will not only save fuel, but also significantly reduce vessel emissions within the port area.
• Grid Requirements: Shore power has been used extensively for vessels with moderate power requirements—typically less than 50 to 100 KW. For larger vessels with higher power requirements — 100 KW up to 10 to 15 MW.

Initiatives Taken by Government to increase Shore Power

• Power Guidelines for Indian Ports: The Directorate-General of Shipping (DGS), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, issued ‘Standard Operating Procedures: Shore Electric Power Supply to Ships in Indian Ports’ in May 2018.
• The guidelines were “applicable for ships with power demand up to 150 KW” (small and medium-sized ships).
• The plan is to make it mandatory in a phased manner across all ports and for all vessels calling at those ports.
• New Guidelines: A set of interim guidelines for the safe operation of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) in ports covering the ship-shore interface requirements was issued by DGS in April 2024.
• Harit Sagar Initiative: Under the Ministry’s ‘Harit Sagar – Green Port Guidelines,’ the first phase, which covers switching port crafts (pilot boat, tugs, and so on) to electrical power or green power, was initiated in 2023.

Director General of shipping

• The Directorate General of Shipping, India, or DG Shipping, is an office of the Indian Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
• Administration: The Director General of Shipping has statutory powers under the Constitution’s Section 7 of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958.
• On the administrative side, he is assisted by Assistant Directors General of Shipping and Executive Officers. His technical help comes from his Nautical Advisor and nautical Surveyors.
• Objectives:

1. Issues which affect merchant shipping, administration of law and navigation
2. Implementing methods for ensuring the safety of life, property and ships at sea
3. Developing the Indian shipping sector
4. International conventions related to maritime
5. Availability of facilities for training naval officers and ratings
6. Seamen employment regulation and their welfare
7. Developing the sailing ship industry
8. Regulating ocean freight rates in overseas maritime trade

Recently Goa & Karnataka are  at loggerheads again over Kalasa-Banduri project as central body inspects Mahadayi river basin.

Kalasa-Banduri Project

• The project entails constructing dams and a canal system to divert water from Goa’s Mahadayi River to the Malaprabha River basin in Karnataka, which is a tributary of the Krishna River.
• Objective: To supply drinking water to the districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, and Gadag in Karnataka.
• Status: Although the project was initially proposed in the early 1980s, it has not progressed beyond the planning stage due to a dispute among Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.

Mahadayi River Water Dispute

• Origins: The Mahadayi River dispute began in the 1980s and intensified over time.
• Karnataka’s plans to build dams, canals, and barrages to divert Mahadayi water to the Malaprabha basin sparked the conflict, as the state claimed this would meet the water needs of Bagalkot, Gadag, Dharwad, and Belagavi districts.
• Establishment of Tribunal: To address the dispute, Goa sought the constitution of a water disputes tribunal in 2002 and moved the apex court in 2006. After persistent efforts, the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal was established on November 16, 2010.
• Goa’s Argument: Goa says diverting the Mahadayi River could harm its ecosystem, leading to saltwater damage to mangroves and upsetting the local ecological balance.
• Dispute: The dispute over Mahadayi water revolves around allocation. Karnataka argues for diverting surplus water to the Malaprabha basin for drinking, irrigation, agriculture, and power. Goa opposes, citing water scarcity and potential harm to agriculture if supply is reduced.
• Stand of Supreme court: The Supreme Court halted Karnataka’s construction of dams and canals on the Mahadayi River due to Goa’s concerns that Karnataka might store excess water in its reservoirs for irrigation in other regions of the state.

Mahadayi River

• Origins: Originating in the Western Ghats, the Mahadayi River starts from the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Khanapur taluk of Belgaum district, Karnataka.
• Type of River: Known as Mandovi in Goa, the Mahadayi River is a rain-fed river shared by Karnataka and Goa to meet their water requirements.
• Tributaries: Kalasa Nala, Banduri Nala, Surla Nala, Haltar Nala, Poti Nala, Mahadayi Nala, Pansheer Nala, Bail Nala, and Andher Nala.
• Towns: Belgaum and Panaji, inhabited by communities such as Kumri Marati, Goudas, and Konkanis.
• Waterfalls: Dudhsagar Falls and VajraPoha Falls.
• Type of Farming: Khazan farming is popular in the Mahadayi basin, where elevated farmland is protected by bundhs.
• This method supports waterlogged farming, particularly for paddy cultivation, and is managed by the community as an integrated agro-aqua ecosystem. The embankments or bundhs are crucial for controlling water salinity.
• Protected Areas: Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary & International Bird Area, Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park

Integrated Tribal Development Programme

• National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will launch an integrated tribal development programme in the Kulathupuzha grama panchayat on July 8 marking its first initiative in Kollam.
• It is a flagship programme of NABARD for sustainable tribal livelihoods.
• It is based on ‘wadi’ model of tribal development, which has evolved with the support of national and international development agencies.
• Projects under this programme are funded through Tribal Development Fund.
• The Objective of the Fund :

1. Create replicable models of integrated development of tribal families on participatory basis, through adoption of sustainable income generating activities based on potential of the area and the tribal needs;
2. Build and strengthen tribal institutions, which would enable the communities to be partners in policy formulation, execution of programs and improve social and economic status; and
3. Build and strengthen producers’ organizations

Key facts about NABARD

• It is a financial institution that was set up by the Indian government to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development in the country.
• It is the main regulatory body in the country’s rural banking system.

Formation:

• It was established in 1982 as a central regulating body for agriculture financing and the rural section.
• The government of India established NABARD under the outlines of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Act 1981.
• Objective: Promoting agriculture and rural development through participative financial and non-financial interventions, innovations, technology and institutional development for securing prosperity.
• Activities undertaken by NABARD for rural development include: Provision of refinance support, Improving rural infrastructure and Supervision of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and Cooperative Banks etc.

Recently, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister of India has approved India to sign the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.

Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement:

• The BBNJ Agreement, or the ‘High Seas Treaty’, is an international treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• It aims to address the growing concerns over the long-term protection of marine biodiversity in the high seas.
• It sets precise mechanisms for the sustainable use of marine biological diversity through international cooperation and coordination. Parties cannot claim or exercise sovereign rights over marine resources derived from the high seas and ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
• It follows an inclusive, integrated, ecosystem-centric approach based on the precautionary principle and promotes using traditional knowledge and the best available scientific knowledge.
• It helps minimise impacts on the marine environment through area-based management tools and establishes rules for conducting environmental impact assessments. It would also contribute to achieving several SDGs, particularly SDG14 (Life Below Water).
• The BBNJ Agreement will be the third implementation agreement under UNCLOS if and when it enters into force, alongside its sister implementation agreements: the 1994 Part XI Implementation Agreement (which addresses the exploration and extraction of mineral resources in the international seabed area) and the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement (which addresses the conservation and management of straddling and highly migratory fish stocks).
• The BBNJ Agreement was agreed upon in March 2023 and is open for signature for two years starting September 2023.
• It will be an international legally binding treaty after it enters force 120 days after the 60th ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

Project PARI

• The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, on the occasion of the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee Meeting, which is being held in New Delhi from 21st-31st July 2024, has initiated Project PARI (Public Art of India).

Project PARI:

• The Project PARI (Public Art of India) aims to stimulate dialogue, reflection, and inspiration, contributing to the dynamic cultural fabric of the nation.
• It provides a platform to uplift the aesthetic and cultural outlook of Delhi while adding grandeur to the rich historical legacy of our national capital.
• The representation of Art in public spaces is particularly significant as it showcases the nation''s rich and diverse cultural heritage.
• The proposed sculptures being created for Project PARI include wide-ranging ideas such as paying tributes to nature, ideas inspired by the Natyashastra, Gandhi ji, toys of India, hospitality, ancient knowledge, Naad or Primeval Soun, Harmony of life, Kalpataru – the divine tree, etc.
• Women artists have been an integral part of Project PARI and their participation in large numbers is a testimony of Bharat’s NARI SHAKTI.
• This initiative is being executed by the Lalit Kala Akademi, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture.