• The next round of talks between India and the European Union (EU) on a proposed free trade agreement, which aims at boosting trade and investments between the two regions, is scheduled to start from the end of this month, an official said.
• India and the EU on June 17 this year formally resumed negotiations on the proposed agreement, after a gap of over eight years.
• “The EU delegation will be here on November 28 for the third round of talks for India-EU Trade and Investment Agreement, including the Geographical Indications (GI),” the official said.
• The second round of negotiations were held in Brussels.
• India’s bilateral trade with the EU rose by 43.5 per cent to USD 116.36 billion in 2021-22.
• At present, the EU is India’s second largest trading partner after the US, and the second largest destination for Indian exports.
• According to the commerce ministry, the trade agreement with the EU would help India in further expanding and diversifying its exports of goods and services, including securing the value chains.
• Both sides are aiming for the trade negotiations to be broad-based, balanced, and comprehensive, based on the principles of fairness and reciprocity.
• A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.

• Astra, a rocket startup based in the US that went public last year, has fired 16 per cent of its staff as part of a wider strategy to increase the shrinking financial runway and decrease expenses.
• According to TechCrunch, the company mentioned that in order to expand its core businesses — namely, launch and spacecraft engines, it would reduce near-term investments in space services.
• With 237 committed orders for its spacecraft engines from companies like Maxar, OneWeb, and Astroscale, which represents an increase of 130 per cent from the previous quarter, Astra reported that this latter segment in particular has become a growing source of revenue.
• Astra is also developing Launch System 2, which includes a new rocket, software suite, and ground system, to replace the lightweight Rocket 3 vehicle, which experienced a number of launch failures this year.
• The company expects to conduct initial flight tests in late 2023, according to the report.
• The layoffs shine an unflattering light on Astra’s quick growth: CEO Chris Kemp told investors during a call that the company tripled in size in just a year, growing to more than 400 people.
• However, the company concluded the quarter with $151 million in cash.
• It reported a net loss of $199.1 million and $2.8 million in revenue from its spacecraft engines. Astra expects payroll savings from the layoffs to be realized in the first quarter of next year, said the report.

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs has planned nationwide celebrations to mark Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on 15th of November.
• The Union Government has declared 15th November as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas to commemorate the contributions of tribal communities in the nation’s history and culture. It will inspire the coming generations for preservation of cultural heritage and national pride.
• 15th November is the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda who is revered as Bhagwan by tribal communities across the country. Birsa Munda was an iconic freedom fighter, social reformer and revered tribal leader of the country.
• President Droupadi Murmu will garland the statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda at his birthplace at Ulihatu village.
• The State Tribal Research Institutes are also organizing various events.
• Tribal Freedom Fighters:
• Birsa Munda: 
  • He was born on 15^thNovember 1875. He belonged to the Munda tribe.
  • He spearheaded an Indian tribal religious Millenarian movement during British rule in the late 19^thcentury across the tribal belt of modern-day Jharkhand and Bihar.
• Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh: 
  • He is considered the Pride of Sonakhan in Chhattisgarh, he looted trader’s grain stock and distributed them amongst the poor after the 1856 famine.
  • The sacrifice of Veer Narayan Singh made him a tribal leader and he became the first martyr from Chhattisgarh in the independence struggle of 1857.
• Shri Alluri Seetha Ram Raju: 
  • He was born on 4^thJuly, 1897 in a village called Mogallu near Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh.
  • Alluri is best remembered for leading the Rampa Rebellion against the British in which he organised the tribal people of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts to revolt against the foreigners.
  • He was inspired by the revolutionaries of Bengal to fight against the British government.
• Rani Gaidinliu:  
  • She was a Naga spiritual and political leader who led a revolt against British rule in India. At the age of 13, she joined the Heraka religious movement of her cousin Haipou Jadonang.
  • For her, the Naga people’s journey to freedom was part of India’s wider movement for freedom. She also spread the message of Gandhi ji in Manipur region.
• Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu: 
  • On 30^thJune 1855, two years before the Great Revolt of 1857, two Santhal brothers Sidhu and Kanhu Murmu organised 10,000 Santhals and proclaimed a rebellion against the British.
  • The tribals took an oath to drive away from the British from their homeland. The Murmu brothers’ sisters Phulo and Jhano also played an active part in the rebellion.

• The seventh edition of the bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the French Air and Space Force (FASF), ‘Exercise Garuda-VII’ concluded at Air Force Station, Jodhpur.
• In a statement, the Defence Ministry said, that Exercise Garuda-VII provided the two Air Forces with the opportunity for professional interaction and sharing of operational knowledge and experience.
• With meticulous planning and execution of various phases of the exercise, personnel of the IAF and the FASF were exposed to realistic air combat simulations and the associated Combat Support Operations.
• This enabled the participating contingents to engage in wide-ranging interactions, providing valuable insight into each other’s best practices.
• The exercise also provided a platform for cultural exchange between the Air Force personnel of both countries.

• Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar inaugurated the International Lavi Fair at Rampur Bushahr in Shimla district.
• He said the four-day fair was not only a commercial festival, but also a symbol of cultural richness of Himachal Pradesh. He said every effort should be made to preserve cultural heritage and restore the old glory of traditional fairs and festivals.
• He lauded the efforts of the organisers for making sincere efforts to carry forward the rich traditions of the Lavi fair. “The woollens, dry fruits and other traditional crafts and products exhibited in the market are unique.
• The fair provides a good opportunity for their promotion and sale and benefits the traditional craftsmen and farmers.
• He also inaugurated the ‘Kinnauri market’ and exhibition put up by various organisations.
• Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of the International Lavi Fair Organising Committee, Aditya Negi, spoke about various activities to be held during the fair. A cultural programme was also presented on the occasion.

• In Himachal Pradesh, Tashigang is the world’s highest polling station situated at 15256 feet.
• The residents of Tashigang will vote for the first time in assembly election tomorrow. Tashigang, the world’s highest polling station, was set up in 2019 and voters have exercised their franchise once in the Lok Sabha and second in the Lok Sabha by-elections but this time voters will vote in the assembly elections for the first time.
• Earlier this year, in the Mandi Lok Sabha by-election, this polling station witnessed 100 percent voting.
• Tashigang village has 52 registered voters, including 30 men and 22 women.
• This remote village is located in Lahaul-Spiti district which falls under the Mandi parliamentary seat.
• Earlier, Hikkim had the status of being the highest polling station.

• Model Economic Township (MET City), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries (RIL) said it was developing a world-class greenfield smart city near Gurugram, Haryana. In this industrial township, manufacturer of medical devices Nihon Kohden will build its largest facility of India.
• MET City is a Japanese Industrial Township (JIT) and houses four leading Japanese companies in its integrated industrial township. Nihon Kohden, one of the four Japanese companies and manufacturers of medical devices, said it recently did a ground-breaking ceremony on their plot at MET City.
• This facility of Nihon Kohden will be their largest manufacturing facility in India, and it will further enhance the position of MET City as a leading location for setting up companies in Haryana and North India, according to a statement from MET City. Panasonic, Denso, and T-Suzuki are other Japanese companies in MET City.
• S V Goyal, chief executive officer, and whole-time director, MET City, said, “We are very happy to have the facility of Nihon Kohden starting construction at MET City. With 400+ industrial customers, walk-to-work masterplan, and world-class infrastructure, MET City today is one of the fastest growing Greenfield Smart City in North India.”
• “The plug-n-play infrastructure of MET City is an added advantage for any company coming to us for their requirement.
• ‘Plug and play’ concept normally refers to ready facilities in terms of building, power-water-sewage connectivity, road connectivity, beside other basic things including clearances in hand required to start the industry.

• According to a study, India saved $4.2 billion in fuel costs through solar energy generation and avoided an additional 19.4 million tonne (mt) of coal in the first half of the year.
• The report also said the contribution of solar generation in seven Asian countries – China, India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand – avoided fossil fuel costs of approximately $34 billion from January to June 2022.
• The report compiled by energy think tank Ember said India had been facing the high price of coal and this is one of the main factors in the ongoing power crises. However, the country managed to save $4.2 billion in fuel costs in the reviewed period and also avoided the use for an additional 19.4 mt that could have further stressed the strained domestic energy supply.
• The report said as many countries continue to revise their energy development plans, the volatility in commodity markets and the record-breaking fuel costs affecting the price of electricity everywhere must serve as a warning against continued fossil fuel dependence. This needs to be translated into more ambitious solar deployments, capitalising on the massive solar potential in the region, the think tank said in the report.
• Solar on the grid is already contributing meaningfully to meeting electricity demand, the report said. Assuming solar replaced the most expensive fossil-based electricity (i.e. either coal, gas, or oil), the think tank said its analysis found that the contribution of solar generation in seven Asian countries – China, India, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand – avoided fossil fuel costs of approximately $34 billion from January to June 2022.
• The majority of these estimated savings were in China, where solar met 5 per cent of the total electricity demand and avoided approximately $21 billion in fossil fuels imports from January to June 2022, the report said.
• Japan saw the second biggest contribution with $5.6 billion in avoided fuel costs thanks to solar power generation alone, which reached record levels for the country in May this year, the think tank said in the report.
• Vietnam’s solar power avoided $1.7 billion in potential fossil fuel costs, it said, adding that notably, Vietnam’s solar generation was close to zero Terawatt-hour (TWh) in 2018. In 2022, solar accounted for 11 per cent (14 TWh) of electricity demand from January to June, the report said.
• In Thailand and the Philippines, where the growth in solar has been slower, the avoided fuel cost is still notable, the think tank said in a report. While solar only accounted for 2 per cent of Thailand’s electricity in the first six months of 2022, an estimated $209 million of potential fossil fuel costs were avoided. Similarly, the report said the Philippines avoided $78 million in fuel costs, despite solar accounting for only 1.7 per cent of generation.
• In South Korea, solar had a 5% generation share in the first half of the year, avoiding potential fossil fuel use costing $1.5 billion.
• In many geographies, the think tank says solar power offers the cheapest electricity in history. In the wake of soaring fossil fuel prices, the importance of diversified and domestic renewable energy has only become clearer. The report said the cost of continued reliance on expensive fossil fuels is evident in the supply crunches and increasing electricity prices that many countries are seeing today.

• The climate change discourse took a new turn on Wednesday with small island nations demanding that countries like India and China, which are perceived to be highly polluting nations, should contribute to a climate fund. This, according to reports they said, would help countries rebuild after climate change-driven disasters.
• The suggestion came from Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne at the UN COP27 summit underway in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh. This is the first time that India and China have been clubbed together as major emitters by small island nations.
• Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the summit, Browne said the two countries (India and China) are liable to pay for a climate compensation fund irrespective of the fact that both are emerging economies. He was representing the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS) negotiating bloc.
• There was consensus among the delegates at the conference to take up the issue of loss and damage as the formal agenda for the first time in the history of international climate negotiations, said further.
• Reports from the summit quoted Browne as saying: “We all know that the People’s Republic of China, India they’re major polluters, and the polluter must pay.”
• “I don’t think that there’s any free pass for any country and I don’t say this with any acrimony.”
• In climate talks parlance, the phrase “loss and damage” refers to costs already being incurred from climate-fuelled weather extremes or impacts, like rising sea levels.

About:

• It will be developed by the US along with the Bezos Earth Fund and the Rockefeller Foundation and receive inputs from public and private sectors.
• It is a new carbon offset plan that will allow companies to fund clean energy projects in developing countries and gain carbon credits that they can then use to meet their own climate goals, at least partly.
• According to U.S.A, the concept is to put the carbon market to work, deploy capital otherwise undeployable, and speed up the transition from dirty to clean power, for two purposes- to retire unabated coal fired power and accelerate renewables.
• The ETA is expected to deliver deeper and earlier emissions reductions, help developing countries achieve and strengthen their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, and help them advance broader sustainable development goals, including expanded energy access.
• The ETA is expected to operate through 2030, possibly extending to 2035.