REC receives SCOPE Excellence Award for Digitalization (GS Paper 3, Economy)
Why in news?
- REC Limited, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power and a leading NBFC, has been honored with the Scope Excellence Award in the category of Special Institutional Category (Digitalization).
- The award acknowledges REC Limited's unwavering commitment to the digitalization of its workplace and the promotion of best practices in establishing a paperless office.
SCOPE:
- SCOPE was established in 1973 as an apex body of Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs), and is dedicated to promoting competitiveness and excellence within the PSE sector.
- The SCOPE Excellence Award recognizes and commemorates exemplary performances of Public Sector Enterprises.
About REC Limited:
- REC is a 'Maharatna' CPSE under the Ministry of Power, and is registered with RBI as Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), and Infrastructure Financing Company (IFC).
- REC finances the entire Power-Infrastructure sector comprising Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Renewable Energy and new technologies like Electric Vehicles, Battery Storage, Pumped Storage projects, Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia projects.
- More recently, REC has also diversified into the Non-Power Infrastructure sector comprising Roads & Expressways, Metro Rail, Airports, IT Communication, Social and Commercial Infrastructure (Educational Institution, Hospitals), Ports and Electro-Mechanical (E&M) works in respect of various other sectors like Steel and Refinery. REC Ltd. provides loans of various maturities to State, Central and Private Companies for creation of infrastructure assets in the country.
- REC Ltd. continues to play a key strategic role in the flagship schemes of the Government for the power sector and has been nodal agency for Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGAYA), Deen Dayal Upadhaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), National Electricity Fund (NEF) Scheme which resulted in strengthening of last mile distribution system, 100% village electrification and household electrification in the country.
- REC has also been made the nodal agency for certain States and Union Territories for the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). The loan book of REC stands at Rs 4.74 Lakh Crore and Net Worth at Rs. 63,117 crores on 30 September, 2023.
New amendments in wildlife trade rules enable issuing licences for certain Schedule II species
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- The central government has excluded some species from the process of issuing licences for their wildlife trade in the revised rules that have come after four decades.
Details:
- In a government notification, Wild Life (Protection) Licensing (Additional Matters for Consideration) Rules, 2024, the government offered fresh guidelines for granting licences to stakeholders involved in snake venom, captive animals, trophy animals and stuffed animals.
- The revised notification came into effect on January 16, the first revision since 1983.
- The rules from 1983 prohibited issuing licences to trade in a wild animal categorised under Schedule I or Part II of Schedule II under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The licences were granted in exceptional cases with previous approval of the central government.
Key Highlights:
- With new guidelines in effect, the government has stated that, “No such licences shall be granted if it relates to any wild animals specified in the Schedule I to the Act, except with previous consultation of the central government.”
- In additional matters to consider granting of licences, the authorised officers must consider the capacity of the applicant to handle the business concerned in terms of facilities, equipment and feasibility of premises for the business.
- The official has to note the source and manner in which the supplies would be obtained by the business involved, including the number of licences already issued in the concerned area.
- It further seeks considering the implications on hunting or trade of wild animals concerned in case of granting of the licence.
Earlier amendment:
- On earlier occasion in 2022, the central government in amendment of Wildlife Protection Act merged four schedules of wild animals in two reducing the six schedules to four.
- As per the revised amendments Schedule I includes animals requiring utmost protection while Schedule II has species needing comparatively lower protection.
- Plant species have been listed under Schedule II while Schedule IV is dedicated to species to be protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
- Under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, some of the animals listed under Schedule II include birds such as sparrows, bulbul, ducks, geese, owls, kites, eagles, falcons prinias, reptiles such as snakes, turtles, mammals such as deer, hare, rats, langur, and amphibians like geckos and frogs are listed.
- According to the World Wildlife Report 2020 about 6,000 species of flora and fauna were seized globally from 1999-2018.
