Important Daily Facts of the Day

MoU signed for skilling of rural youth and empowering women (GS Paper 3, Economy)

Why in news?

• In a historic step to make Lakhpati Didis (Women with annual earnings of Rs. 1 lakh and more) from the Self Help Groups (SHGs), the Ministry of Rural Development signed an Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Ayush to collaborate in developing skilled personnel by imparting training to rural poor youth and women’s for Ayush healthcare system under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).

 

Key Highlights:

• Through this MoU it is expected to create synergy and convergence between both ministries, and enable fulfilment of larger goal of community development and poverty alleviation in rural areas.
• The collaboration will also ensure the training of 22000 rural poor youth under NSQF compliant courses namely Panchakarma Technician, Panchkarma Assistant, Ayurvedic Masseur, Kshara Karma Technician, Cupping Therapy Assistant etc., under DDU-GKY and their placement in 1st phase.
• To facilitate this, Ministry of Rural Development will ensure funding i.e., Central Government and State Government on the basis of the criteria given for the DDU-GKY for training as per the DDU-GKY Norms and ensure monitoring of the program outcome as per DDU-GKY Guidelines.
• Both Ministries of Rural Development and Ministry of AYUSH will also form a Joint Working Group in which officers of both the ministries will participate and will identify such other subjects on which work can be done under the whole of Government Approach and take the program forward.
• They will ensure that a nodal agency responsible is deputed for implementing these trainings to Rural Poor Youth under NSQF compliant courses and ensure their assessment, certification and placement and reporting of the same on DDU-GKY Kaushal Bharat Portal along with proof of placements.

 

DDU-GKY:

• Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is one of the flagship poverty alleviation programs which was launched on 25th September 2014 under National Rural Livelihoods Mission, Ministry of Rural Development which is aimed at skilling the poorest of the poor youth between the ages of 15 and 35 years from Rural India.
• It is critical for the country to develop itself as the skill hub of the nation as well as the world.  As a part of the Skill India campaign, it plays an instrumental role in supporting the social and economic programs of the government like the Make in India, Digital India, Smart Cities and Start-Up India, Stand-Up India campaigns to position India as the globally preferred manufacturing hub, while dovetailing its efforts to significantly contribute in other flagship programs of the nation. 
• A total of 13.88 lakh candidates have been trained and 8.24 lakh candidates have been placed under DDU-GKY so far.

 

Defence acquisition proposals valued at ₹70,500 cr. cleared

(GS Paper 3, Defence)

Why in news?

• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister recently accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals estimated at ₹70,500 crore.
• Some of the projects are long-gestation projects involving indigenous design and development including the development of marine diesel engine.

Key Highlights:

• The AoN has been accorded for capital acquisitions under ‘Buy Indian-IDDM’ (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured).
• Out of the total proposals, Indian Navy proposals constitute more than ₹56,000 crore, which largely includes indigenous BrahMos cruise missiles, Shakti Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, Utility Helicopters-Maritime among others.
• Other proposals include a Long-Range Stand-Off Weapon (LRSOW) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to be designed and developed indigenously and integrated on SU-30 MKI fighters and the indigenous 155mm/52-Calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) along with High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) and Gun Towing Vehicles (GTVs) for the Army.

 

What’s next?

• Accordance of AoN for medium-speed marine diesel engine is a significant step as, for the first time, India is venturing into the development and manufacturing of such engines indigenously to achieve self-reliance.
• An AoN is the beginning of the long winding procurement process.

 

NIOT to set up green, self-powered desalination plant in Lakshadweep

(GS Paper 3, Environment)

 

Why in news?

• Stepping up from its ongoing initiative of providing potable water on six islands of Lakshadweep using low temperature thermal desalination (LTTD) technology, the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) is working at making this process free of emissions.

 

How current desalination plants work?

• Currently, the desalination plants, each of which provides at least 1,00,000 litres of potable water every day, are powered by diesel generator sets; there being no other source of power on the islands.
• The LTTD exploits the difference in temperature (nearly 15 degrees Celsius) in ocean water at the surface and at depths of about 600 feet. This cold water condenses water at the surface, which is warmer but whose pressure has been lowered using vacuum pumps.
• Such depressurised water can evaporate even at ambient temperatures, this resulting vapour when condensed is free of salts and contaminants and fit to consume.
• However, the need for diesel power to reduce the water pressure means that the process is not fossil-fuel free and also consumes diesel, a precious commodity on the islands that has to be shipped from the mainland, critical for powering the electric grid.

 

Ocean thermal energy:

• The NIOT, an institute under the aegis of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), has worked for years on harnessing energy from the ocean. However, ocean thermal technology, while plausible for islands, was unlikely to be useful for supplying power onshore.
• For such plants to work, a large gradient (difference in temperature between the surface and the ocean depths) is required. In Lakshadweep, these depths can be achieved fairly easily unlike, say, off the coast of Chennai.
• While demonstration plants were funded by the MoES, the existing desalination plants were funded by the Lakshadweep administration.

 

Way Forward:

• Currently, there are five desalination plants in operation on the Lakshadweep islands. Four more were expected to be functioning in the coming months.
• The proposed self-sustaining plant, the 10th plant is expected to be ready later in 2023.