11.07.23 Daily [Andhra Pradesh] APPSC Current Affairs

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has appealed toAndhra Pradeshenergy department to actively participate and provide support for the recently introduced carbon credit trading scheme.

Established under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, this scheme will facilitate the trading of carbon credits. It will incentivise and reward the entities that reduce, remove, or avoid greenhouse gas emissions. Its implementation, which came into force on June 28, upon publication in the official gazette, underscores the urgent need to combat climate change. This recognises the pivotal role of market-based mechanisms in achieving emission reduction targets.

The carbon credit trading scheme assigns a value, known as a carbon credit, to each ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) reduced or avoided. These credits can be bought, sold, and traded within the Indian carbon market framework.

The BEE DG has appealed to proactive states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Chandigarh, Haryana, Maharashtra,Punjabetc. to play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the scheme. Recognising such active participation would foster industrialisation, create employment opportunities, and accelerate economic development, said Bakre.

The nationalsteering committee headed by the secretary of the ministry of power for the Indian carbon market. This committee comprises representatives from various government ministries, emissions and climate change experts, and members of the energy sector. It will oversee and govern the functioning of the carbon market.

The DG BEE reviewed on the future course of action of the carbon credit trading scheme with BEE deputy director general Ashok Kumar, BEE secretary Milind Deora, and others.

The BEE urged all stakeholders, including government bodies, industry players, environmental organisations, and individuals, to actively participate in and wholeheartedly support the successful implementation of the scheme.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah will inaugurate a day-long mega conclave Strengthening PACS through FPOs in New Delhi on July 14, 2023. The conclave is aimed at discussing ways to strengthen Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).

The conclave will witness participation of experts from the sector as well as members from the FPOs across the country. The mega conclave is being organized by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Cooperation.

With an important initiative of the Ministry of Cooperation Ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has recently allocated additional blocks to NCDC to form and promote 1100 FPOs in Cooperative Sector through strengthening of PACS under the scheme to bolster the cooperative sector and provide comprehensive support to small and marginal farmers.

Under the FPOs Scheme, financial assistance of Rs.33 lakh is provided to each FPO. Further, financial assistance of Rs. 25 lakh per FPO is given to the Cluster Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) for promoting and handholding the FPOs.

The Government has been pushing for integration of the PACS in the FPO scheme to enable the farmers to expand their business range of activities such as supply of production inputs; agricultural equipments like cultivator, tiller, harvester, etc. and processing and value addition, including cleaning, assaying, sorting, grading, packing, storage, transportation, etc.

The PACS have a huge member base of around 13 crore farmers who are primarily engaged in short-term credit and distribution of seeds, fertilizers, etc. Presently, more than 86% of farmers in the country are small and marginal.

The NCDC is a statutory organisation under Ministry of Cooperation with the mandate to plan, promote, and finance cooperatives for increasing production and productivity and instituting post-harvest facilities.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday passed a budget of Rs 134 crore — an increase of nearly 50 crore from last year — for 2023-24 during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Bengaluru.

The AIFF budget for 2022-23 was Rs 87 crore, which its general secretaryShaji Prabhakaranhad termed “meagre” for a big country like India.

The AGM also approved the appointment of a statutory auditor to audit the accounts of the federation and the financial statements and audit reports of 2022-23.

A radical change in the parameters adopted by the department of school education & literacy, Unionministry of educationhas seen a sharp fall in scores of all states in the latest Performance Grading Index (PGI). None of the 28 states and eight Union territories have been able to finish in the top five levels Daksh, Utkarsh, Ati-Uttam, Uttam and Pracheshta-1.

Only two small states,PunjabandHaryanahave managed to get the 6th level, Pracheshta-2, with scores between 641-700. UP, along with 11 others, is among Akankshi-2 states (score band 461-520) in the PGI analysis released last week for 2021-22. In 2020-21, seven states were in level II with scores between 901-950, while none of the states could qualify for the level 1 (951-1000). UP, along with 11 other states, was in level III (score band 851-900). Likewise, last years top performing states KeralaandMaharashtra are among the second best performing states/UTs in the 2021-22 grading. Both these states plunged to Prachesta-3 (581-640 score).

Due to the drastic change in parameters, the scores of PGI 2020-21 can’t be compared with those of 2021-22, stated the PGI report. Starting in 2017-18, it was felt that many parameters of the PGI had lost relevance. Therefore, the PGI structure for 2021-22 was revised and renamed PGI 2.0.

The new PGI structure covers 73 indicators, focused more on qualitative assessment besides including digital initiatives and teacher education. It reduces the weightage given to the Governance Processes.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan introduced a new condition for approving Swedens membership in NATO, calling on European countries to open the way for Turkiye to join the European Union.

The surprise announcement by Erdogan before departing to a NATO summit in Lithuanias capital added new uncertainty to Swedens bid to become the alliances 32nd member, which Turkiye initially blocked saying Sweden was too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers security threats.

It was the first time that Erdogan linked his countrys ambition to join the EU with Swedens efforts to become a NATO member.

Turkiye is a candidate to join the EU, but democratic backsliding during Erdogans presidency, disputes with EU-member Cyprus and other issues have held up the countrys progress toward admission in the 27-nation bloc.