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India’s PM Gatishakti National Master Plan at the 2023 RCI Conference

Context
Recently, the 2023 Regional Cooperation and Integration (RCI) Conference was organised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at Tbilisi, Georgia where India showcased its PM Gatishakti National Master Plan.

About PM Gati Shakti

• It will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN etc.
• Economic Zones like textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, defence corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters, agri zones will be covered to improve connectivity & make Indian businesses more competitive.
• It will also leverage technology extensively including spatial planning tools with ISRO imagery
• developed by BiSAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics).    
• The multi-modal connectivity will provide integrated and seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services from one mode of transport to another.
• It will facilitate the last mile connectivity of infrastructure and also reduce travel time for people.
• PM GatiShakti will provide the public and business community information regarding the upcoming connectivity projects, other business hubs, industrial areas and surrounding environment.
• This will enable the investors to plan their businesses at suitable locations leading to enhanced synergies.
• It will create multiple employment opportunities and give a boost to the economy.
• It will improve the global competitiveness of local products by cutting down the logistics costs and improving the supply chains, and also ensure proper linkages for local industry & consumers.

PM GatiShakti is based on six pillars:

• Comprehensiveness: It will include all the existing and planned initiatives of various Ministries and Departments with one centralized portal. Each and every Department will now have visibility of each other’s activities providing critical data while planning & execution of projects in a comprehensive manner.
• Prioritization: Through this, different Departments will be able to prioritize their projects through cross–sectoral interactions.
• Optimization: The National Master Plan will assist different ministries in planning for projects after identification of critical gaps. For the transportation of the goods from one place to another, the plan will help in selecting the most optimum route in terms of time and cost.
• Synchronization: Individual Ministries and Departments often work in silos. There is lack of coordination in planning and implementation of the project resulting in delays. PM GatiShakti will help in synchronizing the activities of each department, as well as of different layers of governance, in a holistic manner by ensuring coordination of work between them.
• Analytical: The plan will provide the entire data at one place with GIS based spatial planning and analytical tools having 200+ layers, enabling better visibility to the executing agency.
• Dynamic: All Ministries and Departments will now be able to visualize, review and monitor the progress of cross-sectoral projects, through the GIS platform, as the satellite imagery will give on-ground progress periodically and progress of the projects will be updated on a regular basis on the portal. It will help in identifying the vital interventions for enhancing and updating the master plan.

About Asian Development Bank (ADB)

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966 to promote social and economic development in Asia.
• It is headquartered in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines.
• The ADB was modelled closely on the World Bank and an official United Nations Observer.
• Japan holds the largest proportion of shares in ADB followed by the USA, and it has a weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions (just like the World Bank).
• The bank admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE) and non-regional developed countries.
• ADB defines itself as a social development organization that is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
• ADB aids in reducing poverty through investments in the form of loans, grants and information sharing (in infrastructure, health care services, financial and public administration systems), helping nations prepare for the impact of climate change or better manage their natural resources, as well as other areas.

Biodegradable Nanocomposite Film with Enhanced Optical and Mechanical Properties

Context
Recently, researchers from the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, have successfully fabricated a biodegradable nanocomposite film with optical and mechanical properties.

Key Highlights of the Research

• Polymer Utilization: The research explores the use of polymers, widely used across industries for their adaptability.
• Advanced Applications Demand: Emerging applications such as flexible displays and organic LED tech require highly flexible and optically active polymers.
• Nanomaterial Integration: Researchers have integrated nanomaterials to achieve the desired properties in polymers.
• Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA): Among biodegradable polymers, PVA stands out for its film-forming capabilities and mechanical strength.
• Tailoring Properties: PVA’s optical and mechanical properties can be customized by incorporating suitable nanomaterials.
• Nanocomposite Creation: The research team developed a biodegradable PVA-CuO nanocomposite film using a simple solution casting method.
• Copper Salt Precursor: Copper salt was used as a precursor for in-situ formation of CuO nanoparticles under varying heat conditions.
• Enhanced Features: The nanocomposite film exhibited superior optical, mechanical, and antimicrobial properties compared to pure PVA films.
• Nanoparticle Confirmation: The presence of CuO nanoparticles in the polymer matrix was confirmed through spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.

Polymers

• Definition: Polymers are large molecules consisting of repeating monomer subunits.
• Versatility: They play a crucial role in various fields, including chemistry, materials science, and industry.
• Diverse Properties: Polymers exhibit a wide range of properties and find applications in everyday products like plastics, rubber, and fibers.
• Biodegradable Polymers: Some polymers are biodegradable, breaking down naturally into environmentally friendly substances over time.

Nanomaterials

• Nano Scale: Nanomaterials are engineered at the nanoscale, with at least one dimension measuring less than 100 nm.
• Distinct Properties: Their small size leads to significantly different properties compared to bulk materials.

Nanocomposite Film

• Composition: A nanocomposite film is a thin, layered material comprising a polymer matrix integrated with nanoparticles or nanomaterials.
• Purpose: These films are designed to combine the unique properties of nanomaterials with the advantages of the polymer matrix to achieve specific desired characteristics.