PIB Summary- 24th March, 2022 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Government e Marketplace (GeM)

Why in NEWS?

PM appreciates Government e Marketplace (GeM) for achieving order value of Rs 1 Lakh Crore in a single year.
About 57% of these orders were from MSMEs which is helping them grow.

About Government E-Marketplace

• Launched in 2016 under Ministry of Commerce and Indsutry
• a one-stop National Public Procurement Portal
• facilitates procurement of  Goods & Services required by various Central and State Government Departments/Organizations/Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
• mandatory for Ministries and CPSEs to procure goods and services available on GeM.
• provides the tools of e-bidding and reverse e-auction.

Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage

Why in NEWS?

Allotment made for 50 GWh of battery capacity to 4 successful bidders for incentive under (PLI) Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage

• The manufacturing facility to be set up within a period of two years; Incentive to be disbursed on sale of batteries manufactured in India with emphasis on greater domestic value addition
• The program is designed in such a manner that it is technology agnostic.
• Direct investment of around ₹ 45,000 crore in ACC Battery storage manufacturing projects.
• Net savings of Indian ₹  2,00,000 crore to ₹ 2,50,000 crore on account of oil import bill reduction during the period of this Programme due to EV adoption.
• Incentive structure to encourage industry to promote fresh investments in indigenous supply chain/ deep localization for battery manufacturing in the country.
• PLI scheme for Automobile and auto components (₹ 25,938 crore) and PLI for ACC (₹ 18,100 crore) alongwith FAME Scheme (₹ 10,000 crore) to enable India to leapfrog to environmentally cleaner, sustainable, advanced and more efficient Electric Vehicles (EV)based system.
• Major boost to Modi’s Make in India and AtmaNirbhar Bharat.

Plastic Recycling And Waste Management

Why in NEWS?

The Ministry of MSME under International Cooperation Scheme organized International Mega-Summit on Plastic Recycling and Waste Management at New Delhi.

• Brought together distinguished National and International Speakers from the industry and academia to deliberate upon challenges and opportunities in the plastics recycling sector.
• Scope for adding to the GDP of the country and creating new jobs as well as upgrading recycling technologies, equipment and creative financing for this emerging segment.
• As part of the Iconic Week Celebrations under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav(AKAM), Ministry of MSME is conducting ‘Sambhav’- National Level Awareness Program (NLAP) from 28.02.2022 to 31.03.2022 in various colleges across the country through its more than 100 field offices.
• Also organizing more than 250 ‘Nukkad Natak’ in 46 Aspirational Districts covering nine states under a Special Drive called ‘Svavlamban’.

PACER Scheme

Why in NEWS?

Polar Science and Cryosphere Research (PACER) scheme comprising the Antarctic program, Indian Arctic program, Southern Ocean program and Cryosphere and Climate program is implemented successfully through National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Major achievements of the PACER scheme in the recent three years are as follows: 

• Executed 39th& 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. 41st Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica is ongoing.
• Ten sediment cores were collected from lakes to reconstruct the past climate associated with the ice-sheet dynamics. Various glaciological and geophysical measurements were carried out in coastal Dronning Maud Land (cDML) to understand the modern snow accumulation patterns around the ice rises and the remote contribution to the glaciochemical processes.
• In addition, field-based studies were conducted in the lakes of Larsemann hills, East Antarctica for understanding of biogeochemical process in supraglacial environments.
• Clear-air atmospheric observatories containing automatic weather stations, a suite of sensors to measure aerosol and greenhouse gas concentrations has been established at Maitri and Bharati stations.
• Analysis of ice cores were carried out to understand dissolved organic carbon pathways and long-term climate variability over Antarctica.
• Twenty-three research projects related to glaciology, marine science, polar biology, and atmospheric science were successfully carried out during 2019-20 Arctic Expedition.
• IndARC mooring system along with Hydrophone system was successfully retrieved and deployed in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard.
• Coastal cruises were undertaken in the Arctic Svalbard archipelago to carry out biogeochemical and microbial research in the glacio-marine system.
• Modelling initiatives were started for various applications using Arctic Regional Ocean Model, Arctic regional atmospheric model with Chemistry module, and Global sea-ice simulations.
• Glaciological field campaigns were carried out in six benchmark glaciers in Chandra basin of Lahaul-Spiti region of Western Himalaya.
• Winter snow accumulation over the glaciers was recorded using snow pits and snow corer. Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey were conducted. Snow, ice, meltwater, water and cryoconite samples were collected from various glaciers and lakes. Two new Automatic Weather Station (AWS) systems were installed at Baralacha La, a high elevation site in the arid Spiti region to strengthen infrastructure across the Chandra basin.
• The 11th Indian Southern Ocean Expedition was executed successfully. Various atmospheric, geological, oceanographic and biological measurements were conducted in the Prydz Bay as well as across various fronts of the Southern Ocean. Sediment cores were collected from 13 locations and Argo floats were deployed to measure the different ocean parameters.
• The Polar Science and Cryosphere (PACER) scheme has been approved for continuation during 2021-2026.