PIB Summary- 9th June, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research (MAHIR)

Why in News?
Recently, the Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy have jointly launched a National Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research.

About MAHIR

• The Mission for Accelerating the Indigenization of Emerging Technologies in the Power Sector (MAHIR) aims to identify and develop emerging technologies in the power sector for deployment within and outside India.
• MAHIR will be funded through the pooling of financial resources from the Ministry of Power, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, and the Central Public Sector Enterprises under these ministries.
• Additional funding will be mobilized from the Government of India’s budgetary resources.
• The mission is planned for an initial period of five years, starting from 2023-24 to 2027-28.

Structure of the Mission
The Mission will have a two-tier structure to facilitate its operations:

• Technical Scoping Committee: Chaired by the Chairperson of the Central Electricity Authority, this committee will identify ongoing and emerging research areas globally and recommend potential technologies for development under MAHIR.
• Apex Committee: Chaired by the Union Minister for Power & New and Renewable Energy, this committee will deliberate on the technologies and products to be developed and approve research proposals.

Areas Identified for Research
MAHIR will focus on various research areas within the power sector, including but not limited to:

• Alternatives to Lithium-Ion storage batteries.
• Modifying electric cookers/pans to suit Indian cooking methods.
• Green hydrogen for mobility (High-Efficiency Fuel Cell).
• Carbon capture.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission

Why in News?
For the first time in the history of independent India, the turnover of Khadi and Village Industries Commission products has crossed Rs.1.34 lakh crores figure.

About Khadi Village Industries Commission

• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body of the Indian Constitution.
• It comes under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
• It was established by Khadi and Village Industries Act, 1956. It has been amended twice, in 1965 and 2006.

Objectives of KVIC
The broad objectives of the Khadi Village and Industries Commission encompassing self-reliance and sustainability are:

• To boost employment in the country.
• To promote the promotion and sale of Khadi articles
• To cater to the self-reliance doctrine of the country by empowering underprivileged and rural sections of the society.

Functions of KVIC
The following are the functions of Khadi Village and Industries Commission: 

• It plans, promotes, organizes, and implements programmes for the development of Khadi and Village Industries (KVI).
• It coordinates with multiple agencies that are engaged in rural development for several initiatives w.r.t khadi and village industries in rural areas.
• It maintains a reserve of raw materials that can be further promoted in the supply-chain.
• It aids in creating common service facilities that help in processing of raw materials.
• It aids the marketing of KVI products through artisans and other avenues.
• It creates linkages with multiple marketing agencies for the promotion and sale of KVI products.
• It encourages and promotes research and development in the KVI sector.
• It brings solutions to the problems associated with the KVI products by promoting research study and enhancing competitive capacity.
• It also helps in providing financial assistance to the individuals and institutions related to the khadi and village industries.
• It enforces guidelines to comply with the product standards to eliminate the production of ingenuine products.
• It is empowered to bring projects, programmes, schemes in relation to khadi and village industries’ development.

Maiden India-France-UAE Maritime Partnership Exercise

Why in News?
The first edition of the India, France, and UAE Maritime Partnership Exercise began on June 7, 2023, in the Gulf of Oman.

Details

• Participating in the exercise are INS Tarkash (Indian Navy), French Ship Surcouf (French Navy), French Rafale aircraft, and UAE Navy Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
• The two-day exercise will involve a range of naval operations, including Surface Warfare, Missile engagements on surface targets, Helicopter Cross Deck Landing Operations, Advanced Air Defence Exercise, and Boarding operations.
• The exercise will also facilitate the exchange of personnel for the sharing of best practices.
• The primary objective of the maiden exercise is to strengthen trilateral cooperation between the three navies and develop strategies to address traditional and non-traditional threats in the maritime environment.
• Additionally, the exercise aims to enhance collaboration in ensuring the safety of mercantile trade and freedom of navigation in the region’s high seas.