15 May 2023 – Current Affairs

Daily Current Capsules

15 May 2023

Infrastructure Development: Energy

Low-Cost Finance for New and Emerging Energy Technologies

 

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about the meeting highlights + about IREDA and IRENA)

What’s the NEWS

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) conducted an event ‘Low-Cost Finance for New and Emerging Energy Technologies’ on the side-lines of the 3^rd Energy Transition Working Group (ETWG) meeting.
• The event being in partnership with the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as knowledge partner.
• The session focused on the estimation of cost-effective financing for energy transition based on the future trajectory of emerging critical technologies – Hydrogen, Offshore Wind, Energy Storage and Carbon Capture Utilisation & Storage (CCUS).

Know! about IREDA

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is a Mini Ratna (Category – I) Government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• IREDA is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1987 engaged in promoting, developing and extending financial assistance for setting up projects relating to new and renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency/conservation.

Know! about IRENA

• The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is the lead intergovernmental agency for the global energy transformation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as the principal platform for international co-operation, a centre of excellence, and a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge on renewable energy.
• With 168 Members (167 States and the European Union) and 16 additional countries in the accession process and actively engaged, IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity.

Governance

Training Programme on Legislative Drafting

 

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about the training programme + about PRIDE and ICPS) + Mains ( GS II Governance)

What’s the NEWS

• Union Home Minister inaugurate a Training Programme on Legislative Drafting in New Delhi

Know! About the programme

• The Programme is being organized by the Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies (ICPS) in collaboration with Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) is aimed at creating an understanding of the principles and practices of legislative drafting among officers of Parliament, State Legislatures and various ministries, statutory bodies and other government departments.
• The Legislative drafting has a major impact on the interpretation of the policies and the regulations implemented for the welfare of the society and the state.
• Since legislative draftsmen are responsible for producing legislation which promotes democratic governance and gives effect to the rule of law, so it is necessary that they are imparted training from time to time to sharpen their skills.

Associated Organisations

Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies (ICPS)

• ICPS is a premier research institute.
• It is headed by the Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha who is ex-officio President of the Institute.
• The Institute was formally inaugurated on 10 December 1965 by the then President of India and Chief Patron of the Institute (late) Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in the Central Hall of Parliament House, New Delhi.
• The Institute was created with the objective of organising academic, research and training programmes in the fields of constitutional and parliamentary studies and thereby to serve as an amalgam of an advanced research center in the twin fields as well as a vehicle for popular dissemination of democratic values.
• Thus it provides a bridge between the statesmen, academicians, researchers and the others working in this field.

Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies((PRIDE, Erstwhile BPST)

• It was set up on the 1st of January 1976 as an integral part of the Lok Sabha Secretariat to provide parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and others with institutionalized opportunities for systematic training in the various disciplines of parliamentary institutions, processes and procedures.
• The PRIDE takes guidance and draws inspiration from the Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha.
• An eminent parliamentarian serves as the Honorary Adviser to the PRIDE.
• The Bureau functions under the overall control and supervision of the Secretary-General of Lok Sabha.
• The PRIDE has its office at the Sansadiya Gyanpeeth (Parliament Library Building) in New Delhi.

Government Initiatives

Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE)

 

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about C-PACE) + Mains ( GS II government initiative)

What’s the NEWS

• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) recently established the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-PACE) to centralize the process of striking off companies from the MCA Register.
• This move aims to facilitate ease of doing business and simplify the exit process for companies.
• It enables the quick, transparent and process-bound exit of companies.

Know! the benefits of C-PACE

• The establishment of the C-PACE will help to reduce the stress on the Registry along with keeping the registry clean besides availability of more meaningful data to the stakeholders.
• The C-PACE will also benefit the stakeholders by providing a hassle-free filing, timely and process-bound striking off their company’s names from the Register.
• The setting up of the C-PACE is part of the several measures taken by MCA in the recent past towards Ease of Doing Business and ease of exit for the Companies.
• The C-PACE institution, established under sub-section (1) of section 396, shall be in operation through the Registrar of Companies (RoC) for the purposes of exercising functional jurisdiction of processing and disposal of applications.

MCA registration

• MCA maintains a registry of company information which is filed by various companies and other stakeholders pursuant to various provisions contained in the Companies Act, 2013.

EXERCISE SAMUDRA SHAKTI – 23

 

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about exercise Samudra Shakti)

What’s the NEWS

• INS Kavaratti, indigenously designed & built ASW Corvette, arrived at Batam, Indonesia to participate in the 4th edition of India-Indonesia Bilateral exercise Samudra Shakti-23 from 14-19 May 23.
• Exercise Samudra Shakti is aimed at enhancing interoperability, jointness and mutual cooperation between both the navies.
• The Harbour phase will comprise Cross deck visits, professional Interactions, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, and sports fixtures.
• During the Sea Phase, weapon firing, Helicopter Operations, Anti-submarine warfare & air defence exercises and boarding operations are planned.
• Samudra Shakti -23 will showcase the high level of interoperability between the two navies and their shared commitment towards peace and stability in the region.

Governance

Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI)

 

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about DGQI + DMEO) + Mains ( GS II governance – transparency and accountability)

What’s the NEWS

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has achieved a remarkable feat, securing the second position among 66 ministries in the highly influential Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI) assessment for 2022-2023 Q3.

Know! about DGQI

• Conducted by the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog, the DGQI survey aims to measure the maturity level of administrative data systems and their use in decision-making of various Ministries and Departments on the implementation of Central Sector Schemes (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).
• It also identifies reforms to reach the frontier of seamless data exchange and its synergistic use within the ministry, while defining clear pathways to achieve these goals.
• The DGQI assessment encompasses six pivotal themes, including Data Generation, Data Quality, Use of Technology, Data Analysis, Use and Dissemination, Data Security and HR Capacity, and Case Studies.

Know! about DMEO

• DMEO was constituted in September 2015 by merging the erstwhile Program Evaluation Office (PEO) and the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO).
• It is an attached office under NITI Aayog, aimed at fulfilling the organisation’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mandate and building the M&E ecosystem in India.

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