Daily Current Affairs 10 January 2020

Current Affairs of Today Are 

1) The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB): The annual Crime in India Report 2018

• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) published the annual Crime in India Report 2018 on Wednesday. It was published with provisional data, as five States West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Sikkim did not send clarifications sought by the NCRB despite repeated reminders
• According to the report, 3,78,277 cases of crime against women were reported, up from 3,59,849 in 2017. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 59,445 cases, followed by Maharashtra (35,497) and West Bengal (30,394). The conviction rate in rape­related cases stood at 27.2% even though the rate of filing charge sheets was 85.3% in such cases. Cruelty by husband or his relatives (31.9%) followed by an assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty (27.6%) constituted the major share of crimes against women

Accidental Death and Suicides in India 2018 report

• The NCRB also released the Accidental Death and Suicides in India 2018 report, which said that 10,349 people working in the farm sector ended their lives in 2018, accounting for 7.7 % of the total number of suicides in the country. The total number of people who committed suicide in 2018 was 1,34,516, an increase of 3.6% from 2017 when 1,29,887 cases were reported. The highest number of suicide victims were daily wagers 26,589, comprising 22.4% of such deaths. 
• The majority of the suicides were reported in Maharashtra (17,972) followed by Tamil Nadu (13,896), West Bengal (13,255), Madhya Pradesh (11,775) and Karnataka (11,561). “West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Goa, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry reported zero suicides by farmers/cultivators as well as agricultural laborers,”

Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes related Acts

The incidents registered under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes related Acts saw a decline from 6729 incidents reported in 2017 to 4816 in 2018. A total of 29,017 cases of murder were registered in 2018, showing an increase of 1.3% over 2017 (28,653 cases).

Political Murders

West Bengal reported the maximum number of political murders in 2018, says a report by the NCRB. The number of murders due to “political reason” in the State stood at 12, followed by nine in Bihar and seven in Maharashtra. In all, 54 political murders were reported in the country in 2018. In 2017, the number of such cases stood at 98. However, the data does not align with an advisory sent by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the West Bengal government last year.  In a June 15 advisory, the MHA had said political violence had claimed 96 lives and that the “unabated violence” was a matter of deep concern. The NCRB said the clarifications on data were pending from West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Sikkim, and the data might be treated as provisional.

2) The Forest Advisory Committee ‘Green Credit Scheme’

• The Forest Advisory Committee, an apex body tasked with adjudicating requests by the industry to raze forest land for commercial ends, has approved a scheme that could allow “forests” to be traded as a commodity. If implemented, it allows the Forest Department to outsource one of its responsibilities of reforesting to non­government agencies
• In the current system, the industry needs to make good the loss of forest by finding appropriate non­forest land equal to that which would be razed. It also must pay the State Forest Department the current economic equivalent called Net Present Value of the forest land. It’s then the department’s responsibility to grow appropriate vegetation that, over time, would grow into forests.
• Industries have often complained that they find it hard to acquire appropriate non-­forest land, which has to be contiguous to an existing forest. Nearly ₹50,000 crores had been collected by the Centre over decades, but the funds were lying unspent because States were not spending the money on regrowing forests. The Supreme Court intervened, a new law came about with rules for how this fund was to be administered. About ₹47,000 crores had been disbursed to States until August, but it has barely led to any rejuvenation of forests.
• The proposed ‘Green Credit Scheme’ allows agencies they could be private companies, village forest communities to identify land and begin growing plantations. After three years, they would be eligible to be considered as compensatory forest land if they met the Department’s criteria.

3) Top Risks 2020

• India has been ranked the fifth highest “geopolitical risk” in 2020, according to a list of 10 global risks in the year ahead, compiled by the Eurasia Group, a leading global political risk management consultancy. It said that in its second term, the Narendra Modi­led NDA government’s “social” policies were affecting India’s economic agenda and foreign policy image.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spent much of his second term promoting controversial social policies at the expense of an economic agenda. The impacts will be felt in 2020, with intensified communal and sectarian instability, as well as foreign policy and economic setbacks,” said the report entitled “Top Risks 2020”, co­authored by Ian Bremmer and Cliff Kupchan of the Eurasia Group, pointing to the widening fiscal deficit, low GST collections, and the latest six­year low in GDP growth. 
• What makes the Eurasia Group listing significant is that this is the first time in many years that India has been mentioned for social and political developments.  Mr. Bremmer, who is the founder and president of the Eurasia Group, has also in the past been a major supporter of reforms under the Modi government, and praised him in several articles and television appearances since 2014. In June 2019, Mr. Bremmer wrote for Time magazine that Mr. Modi was “India’s best bet for economic reform”.
• According to the report, amongst the risks for India in 2020 are “sectarian conflict”, anti­CAA protests, and possible violence in Kashmir, which it describes as a “powder keg” after the dilution of Article 370.

4) 1023 Fast Track Special Courts will be set up for Speedy disposal of Rape and POCSO Act Cases

• Incidents of rape and gang rape of minor girls below the age of twelve years and similar heinous crimes against women have shaken the conscience of the entire nation. Therefore, the offenses of rape and gang rape of women and children require effective deterrence through fast and time-bound completion of the trial relating to sexual offenses. To bring out more stringent provisions and expeditious trial and disposal of such cases, the Union of India enacted the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018.
• They have taken up work of setting up of Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) as a part of the National Mission for Safety of Women (NMSW). Accordingly, the Central Government has started a scheme for setting up of 1023 FTSCs across the country based on the pendency of subject cases obtained from various High Courts (1,66,882 numbers as on 31.03.2018) for time-bound trial and disposal of pending cases related to rape and POCSO Act.  Further, in pursuance to the direction of Supreme Court of India in Suo Moto Writ Petition (Criminal) No.01/2019 dated 25.07.2019, out of 1023 FTSCs, 389 Courts have been proposed to be set up exclusively for POCSO Act related cases in Districts where pendency of such cases is more than 100. The Scheme was circulated to all concerned State Governments/ Union Territories Administrations in September 2019. Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Law and Justice has written and appealed to all the Chief Ministers of States for opening these courts and for effective implementation of the Scheme which will act as a strong deterrence against such crimes.   
• Out of total 31 States and UTs, so far, 24 have joined this scheme (Andhara Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, NCT of Delhi, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, UT of Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh) for setting up of 792 numbers of FTSCs/ including 354 exclusive POCSO courts. Efforts are constantly being made to obtain consent/willingness of remaining States/UTs.
• 216 numbers of POCSO courts have already been operationalized in 12 States under the scheme.

5) MILAN 2020

After successfully hosting the International Fleet Review (IFR) in Feb 2016, the City of Destiny Visakhapatnam is gearing up to host another International Naval event ‘MILAN’ in March 2020. 

About MILAN

MILAN 2020 is a multilateral naval exercise aimed to enhance professional interaction between friendly foreign navies and learn from each other’s strengths and best practices in the maritime domain. The Exercise with the theme ‘Synergy Across the Seas’ would provide an excellent opportunity for Operational Commanders of friendly foreign navies to interact with each other in areas of mutual interest. Of the 41 navies invited, confirmations from over 30 navies have been received towards their participation in MILAN 2020.

6) Indian Railways to source about 1000 MW Solar Power by 2021-22

• Indian Railways has planned to source about 1000 Mega Watt (MW) Solar Power and about 200 MW of wind power progressively by 2021-22 across Zonal Railways & Production Units. Of this, 500 Mega Watt (MW) solar plants are to be installed on the rooftop of Railway buildings which will be used to meet non-traction loads at Railway Stations, etc. About 500 MW land-based solar plants will be used to meet both traction & non-traction requirements.
• South Central Railway is one of the zones actively implementing several measures aimed at energy conservation by harnessing renewable energy. One of the significant actions taken in this direction has been the installation of solar panels at stations, service buildings, LC gates, etc across the zone. Taking this step to the next level, for the first time all the stations in a particular section of the South Central Railway have been provided with solar panels at one stretch to tap the natural energy. This will not only help in meeting the power needs of all the stations in the section but also save expenditure for the Railways.
• To make use of solar power, 37 kWp off Grid Roof Top Solar plants along with 250/125 Wp solar panels have been installed in each station.  Also, Inverters and 12V 150 AH Battery banks are installed at all these stations. The total connected load on solar plants is on an average of 30 kWp. In total, 152 solar panels have been installed at these stations. With an average exposure of 8 sunny hours per day, 148 KWh energy units can be generated throughout the year resulting in an energy generation of 54,020 units. Anticipated savings in terms of revenue is around Rs 5 lakh per annum. Significantly, it also helps in reducing carbon footprint to the tune of 49 metric tonnes per annum thus contributing towards greener environs.
• 16 stations have already been declared Green Railway stations across Indian Railways, which are meeting energy needs completely either through solar or wind power. These stations are Roha, Pen, Apta in Central Railway, Niamatpur halt, Kanhaipur halt, Teka Bigha halt, Mai halt, Garsanda halt, Niyazipur halt, Dhamaraghat in East Central Railway, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Shimla in Northern Railway, Unhel, Khanderi, Bajud, Ambli Road, Sadanapura & Sachin in Western Railway – are 100% Green Powered stations.

7) Amma Vodi scheme

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy urged beneficiaries of the Amma Vodi scheme to make a contribution of ₹1,000 from their total benefit of ₹15,000 towards the maintenance of schools in their areas. It would also bring a sense of responsibility among them
• The beneficiaries can question the officials about the functioning of toilets and the deployment of watchmen. Amma Vodi is a revolt against outdated syllabus and it will also bring about a phenomenal change in the mid­day meal scheme
• Amma Vodi benefits 42.12 lakh mothers and guardians, covering a total of 81.72 lakh students. All eligible families should submit their applications before February 9 and they could seek the assistance of village volunteers and village secretariat staff. 
• The Chief Minister made it clear that 75% of attendance would be made mandatory to avail of the benefit.
• The government’s commitment to reach out to poor students through two more schemes Jagan Anna Vidya Deevena and Jagan Anna Vasathi Deevena. All government schools would be developed in line with the Naadu­Nedu concept.
• English medium would be introduced from the next academic year in all government schools from classes 1 to 6. 

8) Renewable Energy Sector Makes rapid Strides in 2019

As a part of Nationally Determined Contributions as per the Paris Accord on Climate Change, India has made a pledge that by 2030, 40% of our installed power generation capacity shall be from non-fossil fuel sources and also by 2030, reduce emission intensity of GDP by 33-35 % from 2005 level. Economic growth, increasing prosperity, a growing rate of urbanization and rising per capita energy consumption has increased the energy demand of the country.

Keeping in view the above and our commitment to a healthy planet with the less carbon-intensive economy, we decided in 2015 that 175 GW of renewable energy capacity will be installed by the year 2022. This includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from biomass and 5 GW from small hydropower. The substantial higher capacity target will ensure greater energy security, improved energy access, and enhanced employment opportunities. With the accomplishment of these ambitious targets, India will become one of the largest Green Energy producers in the world, even surpassing several developed countries.

MAJOR INITIATIVES UNDERTAKEN DURING THE YEAR 2019

• Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM)
• In a major initiative towards making Annadata also a Urjadata PM-KUSUM scheme was approved on 8th March 2019 and implementation guidelines were issued on 22.7.2019. The state-wise allocation of capacities for the first year was made on 13.8.2019. The scheme covers grid-connected RE power plants (0.5 – 2 MW)/ Solar water pumps/ grid-connected agriculture pumps and has the following three components:
• Component A: Installation of 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground Mounted Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Power Plants by farmers of 500 kW to 2 MW capacity within 5 km distance from sub-station primarily on barren/uncultivable land. The DISCOMs will purchase power at a pre-fixed tariff for which they will get PBI of Rs. 0.40 per unit up to Rs. 33 lakh per MW in five years.
• Component B: Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps for which Government of India will provide financial support up to 30% of the cost of solar pump and States to also provide at least 30% of the cost of solar pump, balance cost to be shared by the beneficiary farmer. (For NE and hilly States/UTs the Central support would be up to 50% of the cost of a solar pump)
• Component C: Solarisation of 10 Lakh existing Grid-connected Agriculture Pumps for which the Government of India will provide financial support up to 30% of the cost of solarisation and States to also provide at least 30% of the cost of solarisation, balance cost to be shared by the beneficiary farmer. (For NE and hilly States/UTs the Central support would be up to 50% of the cost of solarisation)
• Targets: Setting up of 25,750 MW additional solar capacity by 2022.
• Implementing framework: Scheme will be implemented by agencies designated by States for the three components in the respective states as per implementation guidelines issued by MNRE. Centralized tendering envisaged for Component-B. Centralized tendering for 1.75 lakh solar pumps Component-B completed by EESL (Energy Efficiency Services Ltd.) and States started implementations of Component-B. For Component-A and C, the States have to initiate the process as per Guidelines.
• Development of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks (UMREPPs)
• This Ministry has undertaken a scheme to develop Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks (UMREPPs) under the existing Solar Park Scheme. The objective of the UMREPP is to provide land upfront to the project developer and facilitate transmission infrastructure for developing Renewable Energy (RE) based UMPPs with solar/wind/hybrid and also with storage systems if required.
• The implementing agency of the UMREPPs may be a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in form of a Joint Venture Company (JVC) to be set up between Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) and any State Public Sector Undertakings (SPSU) or State Utility or Agency of the State Government or a SPV fully owned by any CPSU or a SPV fully owned by any State PSU / State Utility / Agency of the State Government.
• NTPC, SECI, NHPC, THDC, NEEPCO, SJVNL, DVC, NLC and PFC have proposed to set up UMREPPs of around 42,000 MW in various states.
•  Grid-Connected Rooftop Solar (RTS) Programme
•  Phase II of the Grid connected rooftop solar program was approved with a target for achieving a cumulative capacity of 40,000 MW from Rooftop Solar (RTS) Projects by the year 2022 in February 2019. In the Phase-II Programme, Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for the residential sector has been restructured. Important features of the Phase-II of RTS are as under: -
• Power Distributing companies (DISCOMs) will be the implementing agencies
• Subsidy/CFA will be available for the residential sector only
• CFA under residential category will be provided for 4000 MW capacity and the same will be provided based on benchmark cost or tender cost, whichever is lower.
• For RTS systems up to 3 kW, CFA is 40%; for capacity above 3 kW and up to 10 kW, CFA is 40% for first 3 kW and 20% for balance quantity; for capacity above 10 kW, CFA is 40% for first 3 kW and 20% for next 7 kW. No subsidy beyond 10 kW capacity.
• For Group Housing Societies/Residential Welfare Associations (GHS/RWA), CFA will be limited to 20% for RTS plants for supply of power to common facilities; however, the capacity eligible for CFA for GHS/RWA will be limited to 10 kW per house with maximum total capacity up to 500 kWp.
• Residential Consumers/Group Housing Societies/Residential Welfare Associations have to pay the only balance amount after deducting the CFA to the impaneled vendor for installation of the RTS project
• For availing the benefit of CFA, indigenously manufactured PV Modules and Cells are to be used.
• Performance-based incentives will be provided to DISCOMs based on RTS capacity achieved in a financial year (i.e. 1st April to 31st March every year till the duration of the scheme) over and above the base capacity i.e. cumulative capacity achieved at the end of the previous financial year.
• Wind-Solar Hybrid
• The main objective of the National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy is to provide a framework for the promotion of large grid-connected wind-solar PV hybrid systems for optimal and efficient utilization of wind and solar resources, transmission infrastructure and land. The wind-solar PV hybrid systems will help in reducing the variability in renewable power generation and achieving better grid stability. The policy also aims to encourage new technologies, methods, and way-outs involving the combined operation of wind and solar PV plants. So far, SECI has awarded 1440 MW capacity of wind-solar hybrid projects after e- reverse auction. Also, Hero Future Energies has commissioned wind-solar hybrid project by adding 28.8 MW of solar project to an existing 50 MW wind project (Total 78.8 MW hybrid project) in Raichur district, Karnataka.
•  Offshore Wind Power in India
• The National Offshore wind energy policy was notified in October 2015 to develop the offshore wind energy in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) along the Indian coastline of 7600 km. eight zones are identified each in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu having cumulative offshore wind energy potential of 70 GW. Expression of Interest for the first 1 GW offshore wind project was floated in April 2018. More than 35 participants from in-country onshore wind developers/manufacturers, as well as international offshore wind developers, had participated. The inputs received from the participants have been duly considered in designing the bid documents.