After RoDTEP, govt likely to extend export-boosting textile scheme

Rebate of State and Central Levies and Taxes (RoSCTL) Scheme

• It aims to reimburse all embedded State and Central taxes/levies for exports of manufactured goods and garments.
• The RoSCTL scheme was notified by the Ministry of Textiles in 2019. However, the scheme shall be implemented by the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
• This scheme has been introduced as a replacement for the previous Rebate of State Levies (RoSL) Scheme, which provided only rebates of state taxes.
• RoSCTL intends to compensate the State and Central Taxes and Levies in addition to the Duty Drawback Scheme on the export of apparel/ garments, and made-ups manufactured in India by way of a rebate.
• Importer-Exporter Codes (IECs) are necessary in order to apply for the RoSCTL programme.
• The rebate under the RoSCTL Scheme shall be given to the exporter in the form of duty credit scrips, which will be maintained in the electronic duty credit ledger. The scrips shall be issued electronically on the Customs automated system.
• The duty credit scrips shall be used for payment of customs duties leviable under the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975. It cannot be utilized towards the payment of any other taxes, like IGST, Compensation Cess etc., upon the import of goods.
• The duty credit available in an e-scrip shall be transferred at a time for the entire amount in the said e-scrip to another person, and the transfer of the duty credit in part shall not be permitted.
• The value of the goods for calculation of duty credit to be allowed under the Scheme shall be the declared export Free on Board (FOB) value of the said goods or up to 1.5 times the market price of the said goods, whichever is less.
• All exporters of garments/Apparel and made-ups manufactured in India are eligible to take benefit under this scheme, except entities/ IECs under the Denied Entity List of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

Free on Board (FOB) value

• Free on board, also called Freight on Board, is a term used toindicate who is liable for goods damaged or destroyed during shipping.
• FOB origin means the buyer is at risk and takes ownership of goods once the seller ships the product.
• FOB destinationmeans the seller retains the risk of loss until the goods reach the buyer.

''Unique'' Cosmic Light Show to Fill Skies Across the Globe This Weekend

Taurid meteor shower

• The Taurid meteors are debris from the periodic Comet 2P/Encke, which has the shortest known orbital period for a comet (it takes only 3.3 years to make one complete trip around the sun).
• These showers are named after the constellation Taurus.
• It is unique in that it comprises two distinct streams (i.e., Southern and Northern Taurids), both of which have spread over time due to the gravitational influence of Jupiter.
• It can be seen with the naked eye and is best viewed at around midnight.
• These are modest, offering fewer than 10 shooting stars per hour on peak nights.
• However, November is one of the better months for shooting stars because there are many sporadic meteors

Meteoroid, Meteor and Meteorite

• A meteoroid is an object in space that ranges in size from dust grains to small asteroids.
• When meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere (or that of another planet, like Mars) at high speed and burn up, the fireballs, or “shooting stars” are called meteors.
• When a meteoroid survivesa trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground, it’s called a

Significance of Meteors

• It helps in understanding early conditions and processes in the solar system’s history.
• These include the age and composition of different planetary building blocks, the temperatures achieved at the surfaces and interiors of asteroids, and the degree to which materials were shocked by impacts in the past.

The New Fuel that May Replace Diesel in Indian Railways’ Locomotives, Save Rs 2,280 Crore

Methanol Diesel-15 Fuel

• It is a special fuel developed by the Indian Railways’ Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL).
• It is a cost-effective blended fuel containing 15% methanol, 71% mineral diesel, and 14% indigenously developed additives by IOCL.

Benefits of MD-15

• It offers superior performance, combustion, and emission characteristics compared to regular mineral diesel fuel.
• It has the potential to reduce diesel consumption by 15% and result in substantial annual savings.
• It significantly decreases harmful pollutant emissions, contributing to a cleaner and greener environment.
• The NOx emissions were significantly lower, thus reducing the harmful pollutants which cause smog and pollution.

Methanol

• It is also called methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, or wood spirit.
• It is the simplest of a long series of organic compounds called alcohols, consisting of a methyl group (CH3) linked with a hydroxy group (OH).
• It completely mixes with water.
• Production
• This fuel is generally produced by steam-reforming natural gas to create synthesis gas.
• Feeding this synthesis gas into a reactor with a catalyst produces methanol and water vapour.
• Application: Used to make chemicals, to remove water from automotive and aviation fuels, as a solvent for paints and plastics and as an ingredient in a wide variety of products.

National Efficient Cooking Programme launched, to promote

National Efficient Cooking Programme

• It is a subset of the Clean Cooking Scheme.
• It focuses on Non-Solar/Electricity-based Induction Cookstoves, aligning with the Go- electric initiative by the Ministry of Power.
• This programme introduces induction-based cookstoves.
• Target: To deploy 20 Lakh Induction cook-stoves across India.
• EESL seeks to reduce the environmental impact of cooking methods, ensuring cleaner air and improved health for citizens.
• EESL has also partnered with Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) for the large-scale deployment of induction cooktops.
• The deployment is expected to accelerate the acceptance and large-scale adoption of modern electric cooking devices in Indian kitchens.
• Benefit: It offers a cost advantage of 25-30% over traditional cooking methods, promising both energy savings and cost-effective cooking solutions.

Energy Efficiency Services Limited

• It is promoted by the Ministry of Power, Government of India, as a Joint Venture of four reputed public-sector undertakings NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation Limited, REC Limited and POWERGRID Corporation of India Limited.
• It is registered under the Companies Act, 1956 on 10th December 2009.
• It was formed to create and sustain market access to energy efficient technologies, particularly in public facilities like municipalities, buildings, agriculture, industry etc. and to implement several schemes of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power and Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India.
• It is also leading the market-related activities of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).

TEDBF Prototype will be ready in 4-5 years

Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF)

• It is a canard delta-wing, twin-engine, carrier-based, multirole combat aircraft currently under development for the Indian Navy.
• The TEDBF is being indigenously designed and developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• It is intended for carrier-based operations and is expected to replace the ageing MiG-29K fighters on the INS Vikramaditya and the upcoming INS Vikrant aircraft carriers.
• Key Features:
• The TEDBF''s twin engines will enable shorter take-offs from the Indian Navy’s Short Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) aircraft carriers.
• It will have a maximum take-off weight of between 24 and 26
• The TEDBF fighters will be able to reach Mach 1.6 speeds.
• Designed specifically for carrier-based operations, the TEDBF will feature foldable wings for more compact storage, enhancing the flexibility of carrier operations.
• It will be equipped with various homegrown Indian weapon systems and avionics.
• It is intended to perform various missions, including air supremacy, air interdiction, anti-access/area denial (A2/AD), anti-ship warfare (ASW), and electronic warfare (EW) missions.

Canard on an aeroplane

• A canard is a fuselage-mounted, horizontal surface that is located forward of the main wing to provide longitudinal stability and control.
• Depending upon the installation, it may be a fixed, moveable, or variable geometry surface and may or may not incorporate control surfaces.

Delta Wing

• A delta wing is a type of wing design characterised by a triangular or delta-shaped planform.
• In this design, the wing has a straight leading edge and a swept-back trailing edge, forming a shape reminiscent of the Greek letter "delta" (Δ).
• Advantages:
• The delta wing offers advantages in structural integrity and both high-speed and low-speed flight.
• Because of the wing’s large surface area compared to its span, it can be built stronger and stiffer and also has a greater internal volume for fuel storage.
• Delta wing aircraft do not require a horizontal tail.
• Disadvantage: Higher viscous drag due to the large wing area.

Adaptation Gap Report 2023 - UN Environment Programme

Adaptation Gap Report

• It has been published annually by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since
• The aim of the reports is to inform national and international efforts to advance adaptation.
• It provides an update on the global status and progress of the adaptation process across three elements: planning, financing, and implementation.
• It complements the Emissions Gap Report series and explores the implications of failing to close the emissions gap.
• It is co-produced by the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC) and the World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP).

Key findings of the report

• It is estimated that adaptation costs will increase significantly by 2050 for most sectors, especially under high-warming scenarios.
• The adaptation finance needs are 10-18 times as high as the current international public adaptation fund flows.
• The world countries must urgently cut greenhouse gas emissions and increase adaptation efforts to protect vulnerable populations.
• In 2021, funding from developed countries to developing countries for adaptation projects was 15% lower than in previous years.
• It identifies seven ways to bridge the adaptation gap, which include an increase in international finance flows and greater domestic mobilisation of resources.
• Also, it calls for a reform of the global financial architecture to ensure greater and easier access to finance for climate-related purposes from multilateral agencies such as the World Bank or the IMF.

Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project sparks slugfest in poll-bound Telangana

Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation project

• Location: KLIP is a multipurpose irrigation project on the Godavari River, e., at Kaleshwaram village in Telangana.
• The Pranhita-Godavari River confluence is the location of KLIP.
• The Wardha, Painganga, and Wainganga rivers, which together make up the seventh-largest drainage basin on the subcontinent, come together at the confluence of the Pranahita River.
• It is claimed to be the world’s largest multi-stage and multi-purpose lift irrigation project.
• It was previously known as the Pranahita-Chevella Lift Irrigation Project.
• A key feature of the KLIP is a series of underground and surface water pumping stations, which are said to be the world’s largest such structures.
• Stretching over 300 km, the lift irrigation system raises large volumes of water from river or reservoir sources to be redistributed in channels and/or further reservoirs before pumping to the next stations.
• The project is aimed at supplying water to 45 lakh acres in Telangana.
• Started in 2016, the project will utilise around 283 TMC of water from the river Godavari and provide irrigation and drinking water to 13 districts of Telangana.

ECI designed in-house software for complete Candidate and election management through ''ENCORE''

ENCORE software

• This ENCORE software stands for Enabling Communications On Real-Time Environment.
• This provides a seamless facility for Returning Officers to process candidate nominations, affidavits, Voter turnout, counting, results, and data management.
• The ENCORE counting application is an end-to-end application for returning officers to digitize the votes polled, tabulate the round-wise data and then take out various statutory reports of counting.
• Another application called the ENCORE Scrutiny Application allows Returning Officers to do scrutiny of the nominations filed by the candidates online.
• After verification of the nomination the status is marked as Accepted, Rejected or Withdrawn helping the Returning Officer to prepare the final list of contesting candidates and assign the symbols.

Election Commission of India

• It is a permanent constitutional bodyresponsible for organising free and fair elections in India.
• The Constitution grants the ECI the power of direction, superintendence, and control of elections to Parliament, state legislatures, the office of president of India, and the office of vice-president of India.
• Functions
• Determining the Electoral Constituencies’ territorial areas throughout the country.
• Preparing and periodically revising electoral rollsand registering all eligible voters.
• Notifying the schedules and dates of elections and scrutinising nomination papers.
• Granting recognition to the various political partiesand allocating them election symbols.
• The Commission also has advisory jurisdiction in the matter of post-election disqualification of sitting members of Parliament and State Legislatures.
• Composition: The commission consists of a Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs).
• Under Article 324 (2), the President appoints the CEC and other ECs.
• The President makes the appointment on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers, headed by the Prime Minister.
• The Constitution does not prescribe any qualifications, academic or otherwise, for appointment to these offices.
• The tenure of office and the conditions of service of all the commissioners is determined by the President.
• The tenure of commissioners is 6 years or up to the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
• The CEC and the two other ECs have the same powers and emoluments, including salaries, which are the same as those of a Supreme Court judge.
• In 2023, the Supreme Court mandated that, until the Parliament provides by law, the Election Commissioners shall be appointed on the recommendation of a Selection Committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. In response to this, the Government of India has introduced the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. It provides that the CEC and ECs will be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of a Selection Committee. The Selection Committee will consist of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and Leader of Opposition/leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha. The Bill is still pending in the Rajya Sabha.

Project Kusha: India''s long-range air defence

Project Kusha

• ''Project Kusha'' is set to provide the Indian Air Force (IAF) with a long-range air defence system, with deployment targeted for 2028-29.
• The ambitious indigenous project will be developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at an estimated budget of Rs 21,700 crore.
• Drawing parallels with Israel''s renowned Iron Dome system, ''Project Kusha'' is expected to not only match but potentially surpass the capabilities of its Israeli counterpart.
• It aims to detect and destroy various hostile targets, including cruise missiles, stealth fighter jets, and drones at extended ranges.
• Key Features:
• The long-range surface-to-air defence system (LR-SAM) incorporates advanced long-range surveillance and fire control radars, which empower the IAF to effectively monitor airspace and fend off enemy threats.
• Interceptor missiles, with ranges of 150 km, 200 km, and 350 km, provide the ability to detect and strike hostile targets at different distances.
• It will also be effective in providing strategic and tactical cover.
• The system reportedly has a single-shot kill chance of at least 80%**and over 90% when two missiles are fired after each other.
• The firing units of ''Project Kusha'' can seamlessly integrate with the IAF''s air command and control system, facilitating coordination with a wide range of military radars.

Iron Dome

• It is Israel’s air missile defense systemthat can defend against short-range rockets, intercepting them in the air above the state.
• It is capable of successfully handling multiple rockets at a time.
• Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries, the system became operational in March 2011.
• Features:
• The Iron Dome functions by detecting, analysing, and intercepting varieties of targets such as mortars, rockets, and artillery.
• It is powered by missile-defense batteries.
• It has all-weather capabilitiesand is able to function night or day.
• It is able to launch a variety of interceptor missiles.
• It is designed to shoot down missiles with a range of about 40 miles or less.
• It must be reloaded continuously to intercept incoming missiles.