• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will launch “One Student One Tree Campaign 2023” and that UGC too has taken initiatives for creating awareness about Mission LiFE.
• The celebration of World Environment Day across the country envisages involvement of youth in spreading the message of LiFE, along with sensitizing school going children and others about LiFE.
• The mantra of Mission Life is ‘Lifestyle For Environment’ to make the fight against climate change democratic, in which everyone can contribute within their capacity.
• He also released guidelines and a curriculum framework for environmental education at the undergraduate level.
• The guidelines include areas such as climate change, pollution, waste management, and sustainable development.

• Jagdish Bakan, Wildlife Warden and District Forest Officer (DFO) of Ramanathapuram district, has won the 2023 Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Reserve Management from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
• He has been Selected for the award for his work in the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.
• The 2017 batch officer of the Indian Forest Service is currently the director of Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.

ABOUT THE AWARD

• The $12,000 award is given once every two years in memory of Dr Michel Batisse for outstanding achievement in management of biosphere reserves across the globe.
• The award was instituted in 2004 following a decision of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO.

• World Oceans Day is celebrated every year on 8 June to create awareness among people regarding the significance of oceans, and the importance of preserving and conserving oceanic resources.
• World Oceans Day is recognized annually to take actionable measures and initiatives regarding preservation of marine ecosystems, adoption of sustainable fishing practices, reducing pollution of oceans, and other major ocean related problems.
• The concept of celebrating ocean day on a global level was first proposed in 1992 by the Canadian government at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• The theme of World Oceans day 2023 is “Planet Ocean: The Tides are Changing.”

• West Tripura’s District Legal Services Authority has organized a Door-to-Door Legal Aid Campaign.

DISTRICT LEGAL SERVICE AUTHORITY (DLSA)

• DLSA is formed under Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free and legal aid and services to the weaker sections of this society to make sure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.
• Legal Services Authorities are statutory bodies that are formed or constituted in the various states of India by the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Justice P.N. Bhagwati formed DLSA under the Legal Aid Committee formed in 1971.
• Article 39-A of the Indian Constitution deals with the provision of providing free legal services to the citizens of India. The provision is applicable to the citizens if they are unable to bear the expenditure of the legal services. It also helps the defendant in a case by appointing a lawyer in order to act for him in legal aspects.
• Section 2(a) of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 states that the term ‘district authority’ means a District Legal Services Authority which is constituted under Section 9 of the Act. The DSLA is a statutory body organized at the district levels in order to provide effective monitoring of legal aid programmes and their composition. The provisions related to DLSA are dealt with under Section 9 and Section 10 of the Act.
• District Legal Services Authority is constituted in every District so that there must be proper implementation of Legal Aid Programmes and Schemes in the District.

• The Madhya Pradesh Government is set to launch Mukhyamantri Seekho-Kamao Yojana’ (CM Learn and Earn Scheme).

ABOUT LEARN AND EARN SCHEME

• The Scheme will be launched to teach employable skills to the youth.
• Under the scheme, unemployed youth will get a stipend of Rs 8,000 to 10,000 per month as financial assistance during the period of skill learning in various establishments.
• The government plans to offer training in around 703 different types of works across various sectors. These sectors include engineering, hotel management, tourism, travel, hospital services, ITI, software development, banking, insurance, accounting, chartered accountancy, financial services, industries, and MSME industry. The wide range of options allows the youth to choose fields aligned with their interests and aptitudes.
• It will also provide industry-oriented training to the trainees, proficiency in latest technology and processes, thereby enhancing their regular employability.

ELIGIBILITY

• The local residents of Madhya Pradesh, in the age group of 18 to 29 years, whose educational qualification is 12th or ITI or higher, will be eligible in the scheme. The selected youth will be called student trainees.
• Stipend
• The Trainees will receive a monthly stipend based on their educational qualifications. Those who have passed Class 12th will be given Rs 8000 per month, while ITI pass-outs will receive Rs 8,500 per month. Similarly, individuals with a diploma or higher degree will receive Rs 9,000 and Rs 10,000 per month, respectively.

• The government has launched a ‘Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research (MAHIR)’ with a view to leverage emerging technologies in the power sector and make the country a manufacturing hub.
• It aims to facilitate indigenous research, development and demonstration of the latest and emerging technologies in the power sector.
• The Mission will be funded by pooling financial resources of the Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Central Public Sector Enterprises under the two Ministries. Additional funding will be mobilized from Government of India’s budgetary resources.
• The mission is Planned for an initial period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

MISSION OBJECTIVES

• To identify emerging technologies and areas of future relevance for the Global Power Sector and take up indigenous end-to-end development of relevant technologies.
• To provide a common platform for Power Sector Stakeholders for collective brainstorming, synergetic technology development and devise pathways for smooth transfer of technology.
• To support pilot projects of indigenous technologies (developed especially by Indian Start-ups) and facilitate their commercialization.
• To leverage foreign alliances and partnerships to accelerate research & development of advanced technologies and to build competencies, capabilities and access to advanced technologies through bilateral or multilateral collaborations, thereby facilitating exchange of knowhow and Technology Transfer.
• To seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and to create vibrant & innovative ecosystem in the Power Sector of the country.

EIGHT AREAS ARE IDENTIFIED FOR RESEARCH:

• Alternatives to Lithium-Ion storage batteries
• Modifying electric cookers / pans to suit Indian cooking methods
• Green hydrogen for mobility (High Efficiency Fuel Cell)
• Carbon capture
• Geo-thermal energy
• Solid state refrigeration
• Nano technology for EV battery
• Indigenous CRGO technology

 STRUCTURE OF THE MISSION

• The Mission will have a two-tier structure – a Technical Scoping Committee and an Apex Committee.
• The Technical Scoping Committee, chaired by the Chairperson of Central Electricity Authority, will identify ongoing and emerging research areas globally, recommend potential technologies for development under the Mission, justify the techno-economic advantages, provide research outlines, and conduct periodic monitoring of approved research projects.
• The Apex Committee, chaired by the Union Minister for Power & New and Renewable Energy will deliberate on the technology and products to be developed and approve the research proposals. The Apex committee will look also into international collaborations.

• According to the Report released by Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, only 508 of the 766 districts (66%) in the nation have officially declared themselves free of manual scavenging.

MANUAL SCAVENGING

• The International Labour Organization describes 3 forms of manual scavenging in India.
  • Removal of human excrement from public streets and dry latrines (meaning simple pit latrines without a water seal, but not dry toilets in general),
  • Cleaning septic tanks,
  • Cleaning gutters and sewers.

PROVISIONS AGAINST MANUAL SCAVENGING IN INDIA

• India banned the practice under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR).
• The Act bans the use of any individual for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of or otherwise handling in any manner, human excreta till its disposal.
• In 2013, the definition of manual scavengers was also broadened to include people employed to clean septic tanks, ditches, or railway tracks.
• The Act recognizes manual scavenging as a dehumanizing practice and cites a need to correct the historical injustice and indignity suffered by the manual scavengers.

INITIATIVES

SELF-EMPLOYMENT SCHEME FOR REHABILITATION OF MANUAL SCAVENGERS (SRMS)

• The Self-Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS) was introduced in January, 2007, with the objective to rehabilitate the remaining manual scavengers and their dependents in alternative occupations by March, 2009. However, as this could not be done by the target date, the Scheme was extended up to March, 2010, with a provision for the coverage of spill-over of beneficiaries even thereafter, if required.
• According to the scheme for rehabilitation of manual scavengers, the 58,000 identified sewer workers have been given a one-time cash pay-out of ₹40,000 each. In addition, around 22,000 of them (less than half) have been connected to skills training programmes. Subsidies and loans are available to any of them wishing to set up their own business.
• The scheme for rehabilitation of manual scavengers has now been merged with the NAMASTE scheme for 100% mechanisation of sewer work.

NAMASTE SCHEME

• It was launched in 2022 as a Central Sector Scheme.
• The scheme is being undertaken jointly by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) and aims to eradicate unsafe sewer and septic tank cleaning practices.
• Union Budget 2023-2024 has allocated nearly Rs 100 crore for the National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) and the government is looking to enable 100% mechanical desludging of septic tanks and sewers in all cities and towns.
• The process of extending the Scheme to all the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the country has been initiated.
• NAMASTE aims to achieve the following outcomes:
• Zero fatalities in sanitation work in India
• All sanitation work is performed by skilled workers.
• No sanitation workers come in direct contact with human faecal matter.
• Sanitation workers are collectivized into SHGs and are empowered to run sanitation enterprises.
• All Sewer and Septic tank sanitation workers (SSWs) have access to alternative livelihoods.

• As tensions with the US over Tehran’s nuclear programme remain high, Iran has added a new weapon to its arsenal in the form of a hypersonic missile that can fly at 15 times the speed of sound.
• The Missile is named by the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ‘Fattah’ in Farsi, which means
• The Missile is the first-ever domestically-made hypersonic ballistic missile created by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran.
• The missile had a range of up to 1,400 kilometres (870 miles).
• The Speed of the missile is Mach 15.
• It can bypass the most advanced anti-ballistic missile systems.

HYPERSONIC MISSILES

• Hypersonic missiles are maneuverable, unlike the ballistic missiles that follows a set course or a ballistic trajectory.
• It moves at 5 times the speed of sound or greater and are manoeuvrable, making them difficult for defence systems and radars to target.
• Like traditional ballistic missiles, they can deliver nuclear weapons.

• The Indian Navy has successfully test-fired an indigenously developed heavyweight torpedo, “Varunastra” in Arabian Sea.

About

• Varunastra is a ship-launched anti-submarine torpedo and was designed and developed by the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory in Visakhapatnam under the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Features

• The Varunastra HWT is an electrically-powered torpedo capable of anti-submarine and anti-ship operations. It has a maximum strike range of 40 kilometers and can travel at speeds of more than 70 kilometers per hour at a maximum depth of 600 mts. The torpedo is equipped with an active-passive acoustic homing system and a low-drift inertial navigation system.
• It has acoustic homing with a wide look angle capable of tracking silent targets.
• Varunastra was inducted by Indian Navy in 2016 and can be fired from all Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships capable of firing heavy-weight torpedoes in an intense counter measures environment.

Significance

• The successful engagement of an underwater target by a Made-in-India heavy-weight torpedo is a significant milestone in the Indian Navy’s and DRDO’s quest for accurate delivery of ordnance on target in the underwater domain.
• It will replace the older torpedoes on all naval ships that can fire a heavyweight torpedo.

• Factors like high inflation, uncertain macroeconomic outlook and debt distress are keeping the world off-track for attaining United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goal 7 by 2030, according to a new UN report. SDG 7 is to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.”
• The Report is produced annually by five of the custodian agencies responsible for tracking global progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7). The custodians developing the report are the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

ECONOMIC FACTORS

• Even though there has been considerable improvement across the measures, the present rate is insufficient to meet any of the 2030 targets.
• Among the major economic factors delaying the realization of SDG7 globally are
  • The uncertain macroeconomic outlook,
  • High levels of inflation,
  • Currency fluctuations,
  • Debt distress in a growing number of countries,
  • Lack of financing,
  • Supply chain bottlenecks,
  • Tighter fiscal circumstances, and
  • Soaring prices for materials.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF REPORT

• The official dashboard of global, regional, and country progress on four important energy targets is included in the yearly SDG 7 tracking report:
  • 1: Ensuring universal access to electricity and clean cooking solutions,
  • 2: Substantially increasing the share of renewable energy,
  • 3: Doubling progress on energy efficiency,
  • A: Increasing international collaboration in support of clean and renewable energy.

ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY (7.1):

• The proportion of individuals who have access to electricity increased from 83% in 2010 to 91% in 2020, adding 3 billion more people to the worldwide total.
• 733 million fewer people lacked access in 2020 compared to 2 billion in 2010.
• The difficulty of reaching poorer and more rural unserved areas, as well as the unusual effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, may be to blame for the recent slowdown in electricity progress.
• By 2030, only 92% of the world will be electrified at the current rate of development.
• Meeting the 2030 target requires increasing the number of new connections to 100 million a year.

CLEAN COOKING (7.1):

• In 2020, 69% of the world’s population had access to clean cooking fuels and technologies, a gain of 3% from 2021.
• However, notably in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth outpaced a large portion of access improvements.
• Because of this, the overall number of individuals without access to clean cooking has stayed mostly unchanged for decades. Access improvements to populous, major Asian countries were the main cause of the surge.

RENEWABLES (7.2):

• Although the share of renewable capacity expansion surged to a record level in 2021, the favourable global and regional trajectories conceal the fact that the nations with the greatest access needs were those where new capacity additions lagged.
• Additionally, the cost of manufacturing and exporting solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, wind turbines, and biofuels has grown due to rising commodity, energy, and transportation prices as well as trade restrictions, which has added uncertainty for upcoming renewable energy projects.
• Renewable shares need to reach well over 30% of ‘total final energy consumption’ by 2030, up from 18% in 2019, to be on track for reaching net-zero energy emissions by 2050.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY (7.3):

• It aims to double the global rate of annual improvement in primary energy intensity—the amount of energy used per unit of wealth created—to 2.6% in 2010–30 versus 1990–2010.
• From 2010 to 2019, global annual improvements in energy intensity averaged around 9%, well below the target.
• The rate of energy efficiency needs to be higher—consistently over 4% for the rest of this decade—if the world is to reach net-zero emissions from the energy sector by

INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL FLOWS (7.A):

• International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy decreased for the second year in a row, falling to USD 10.9 billion in 2019, despite the immense needs for sustainable development in most countries and growing urgency of climate change.
• Overall, the level of financing remains below what is needed to reach SDG 7, particularly in the most vulnerable and least developed countries.