PIB Summary- 21th July, 2022 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

NIIO Seminar Swavlamban

Why in News?
Recently, Prime Minister unveiled ‘SPRINT Challenges’ during Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’.

• ‘SPRINT (Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through iDEX, NIIO and TDAC) Challenges’ is aimed at giving a boost to the usage of indigenous technology in Indian Navy.

Importance of Self Reliance in Defense

• The defence sector was identified as an important area with many opportunities for self-reliance because it is one of the critical sectors of the Indian economy and also from the strategic point of view.
• It has the potential for tremendous growth because of the large, talented pool of skill sets in human resources and large-scale modernisation requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.
• The defence sector will strengthen the economy by generating employment opportunities and saving the exchequer by reducing the import burden.
• The size of the Defence Industry, including the Aerospace and Naval Shipbuilding Industry was estimated at Rs 85,000 Cr (2020-21).
• The ongoing Russia-Ukraine Conflict has too emerged the importance of self-reliance. A strong and well-equipped military renders a country immunity to any external and internal risk.
• With active participation of the private sector, MSMEs and start-ups, innovation in the defense sector is being promoted through several projects under the iDEX initiative and ‘Technology Development Fund’.
• Technology Development Fund (TDF) has been established to promote self-reliance in defence technology as a part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
• Indian Navy has developed necessary capabilities to not only safeguard India’s maritime interests, but also of its friendly countries in line with the vision of ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region’ (SAGAR).

About Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation

• Launched in 2020 by the Ministry of Defence to fulfil its requirements relating to technology.
• Naval Technology Acceleration Council (N-TAC) will bring together the twin aspects of innovation and indigenisation and provide apex level directives.
• The NIIO is a three-tiered organisation.
• Working group under the N-TAC will implement the projects.
• Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC) has been created for induction of emerging disruptive technology in an accelerated time frame.

Objective

• To foster innovation and indigenisation for self-reliance in defence in keeping with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• It will put in place dedicated structures for the end-users to interact with academia and industry.

Ken-Betwa Link Project

Why in News?
The Second Meeting of Steering Committee of Ken-Betwa Link Project (SC-KBLP) was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Secretary, DoWR, RD & GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti. 

Interlinking of Rivers

• In 1858, Arthur Cotton (British general and irrigation Engineer) came up with even more ambitious proposals such as connecting all major rivers of India, and interlinking of canals and rivers. He suggested drought-relief measures for Odisha.
• The National River Linking Project (NRLP) formally known as the National Perspective Plan, envisages the transfer of water from water ‘surplus’ basins where there is flooding, to water ‘deficit’ basins where there is drought/scarcity, through inter-basin water transfer projects.
• The interlinking of river project is a Civil Engineering project, which aims to connect Indian rivers through reservoirs and canals.
• The farmers will not have to depend on the monsoon for cultivation and also the excess or lack of water can be overcome during flood or drought.
• Since the 1980s, the interlinking project has been managed by India’s National Water Development Agency (NWDA) under the Ministry of Water Resources.
• It has been split into three parts as follows:
  • A northern Himalayan river interlink component.
  • A southern peninsular component.
  • An Intra-State river linking component.

As of now, six ILR projects have been under examination of the authorities

• Ken-Betwa,
• Damanganga- Pinjal,
• Par-Tapi-Narmada,
• Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga,
• Mahanadi-Godavari and
• Godavari-Cauvery (Grand Anicut)
• With regard to the peninsular rivers, the Centre has chosen to focus on the Godavari-Cauvery link.

What is the Ken-Betwa Link Project?

• The Ken-Betwa Link Project is the first project under the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers.
• KBRIL is a river-interlinking project that aims to transfer surplus water from the Ken river in Madhya Pradesh to Betwa in Uttar Pradesh to irrigate the drought-prone Bundelkhand region.
• Both Ken and Betwa are the tributaries of the Yamuna.
• The Ken-Betwa Link Canal will be 221 km long, including a 2-km long tunnel.

A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the project

• According to the statement, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) called Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority (KBLPA) will be set up to implement the project.
• In fact, the Centre has set in motion the process of creation of National Interlinking of Rivers Authority (NIRA), an independent autonomous body for planning, investigation, financing and implementation of the interlinking of river (ILR) projects in the country.
• The NIRA will have powers to set up SPV for individual link projects.

Which regions will benefit from the Ken-Betwa Link Project?

• The project lies in Bundelkhand, a drought-prone region, which spreads across 13 districts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, the project will be of immense benefit to the water-starved region, especially the districts of Panna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri and Raisen of Madhya Pradesh, and Banda, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur of Uttar Pradesh.
• “It will pave the way for more interlinking of river projects to ensure that scarcity of water does not become an inhibitor for development in the country,” the Ministry said in a statement.