Environment/Infrastructure Development
Shoonya Campaign

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Shoonya Campaign) + Mains ( GS III infrastructure development - energy + environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• NITI Aayog, with RMI and RMI India's support, launched Shoonya-an initiative to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles by working with consumers and industry.

Know! all about Shoonya Campaign

• The campaign aims to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the urban deliveries segment and create consumer awareness about the benefits of zero-pollution delivery.
• Industry stakeholders such as e-commerce companies, fleet aggregators, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and logistics companies have been scaling up their efforts towards final-mile delivery electrification.
• As part of the campaign, a corporate branding and certification programme is being launched to recognise and promote industry's efforts towards transitioning to EVs for final-mile deliveries.
• An online tracking platform will share the campaign's impact through data such as vehicle kilometers electrified, carbon savings, criteria pollutant savings and other benefits from clean delivery vehicles.
• The campaign will promote awareness about health, environmental and economic benefits of electric vehicles through the Shoonya campaign

Urban freight vehicles and EVs

• It account for 10 percent of freight transportation-related CO2 emissions in India, and these emissions are expected to grow by 114 percent by 2030.
• EVs emit no tailpipe emissions, which can contribute immensely to an improved air quality.
• Even when accounting for their manufacture, they emit 15-40 percent less CO2 compared to their internal combustion engine counterparts and have lower operational cost.
• The central and the state governments have introduced policies to provide upfront incentives for EVs, which will lower the capital cost by a high margin.

Science and Technology
High-quality transparent ceramics developed for the first time in India

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Transparent ceramics + colloidal processing)
What's the NEWS

• Indian researchers(ARCI) have developed transparent ceramics, reaching theoretical transparency through a technique called colloidal processing followed by simultaneous application of temperature and pressure, for the first time in India.
• The material can be used for thermal imaging applications, especially in harsh service conditions and personal protection systems such as, helmets, face shields, and goggles.

Transparent ceramics

• It is a new class of advanced materials with unique transparency and excellent mechanical properties.
• These materials can be designed not only for transparent to visible light but also for ultraviolet (UV), Infrared (IR), and Radiofrequency (RF), giving opportunity for diverse applications.

International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI)

• Established in the year 1997
• It is an Autonomous Research and Development Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India with main campus at Hyderabad and with operations in Chennai and Gurgaon.
• The activities are pursued through 11 Research Centres, with main focus on development of nationally unique technologies and application oriented programmes.
• ARCI is also open to collaborate with Indian and foreign laboratories, universities and industries for successful achievement of its goals.

ARCI's mandate is

• Development of High Performance Materials and Processes for Niche Markets
• Demonstration of Technologies at Prototype / pilot scale
• Transfer of Technology to Indian Industry

Government Schemes
Community Enterprise Fund (CEF)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about CEF + about SVEP)
What's the NEWS

• As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ministry of Rural Development provided Community Enterprise Fund (CEF) loan worth Rs. 8.60 Cr to 2614 SHG entrepreneurs in a week.
• The loans were given for starting their micro-enterprises in their villages across 19 States under the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme.
• Prior to providing this Community Enterprise Fund (CEF) loan, SHG entrepreneurs were given initial training on entrepreneurship and detailed business plan of their proposed business

Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP)

• The Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) is a sub - scheme under NRLM to promote enterprises in rural areas.
• SVEP aims to set-up an eco-system for enterprise development in a block.
• This consists of a cadre of Community Resource Persons-Enterprise Promotion (CRP-EP) who will provide business support services to entrepreneurs.
• The scheme encompasses identifying business ideas, preparation of business plans, accessing loans and other supports like marketing, maintaining accounts & taking business decisions.
• Further, the eco-system also includes training and capacity building of entrepreneurs, seed capital for starting enterprises, marketing support for products and services etc.
• Besides, the Block Resource Centre (BRC), the single point solution for enterprise promotion is also developed as part of the eco-system.

Prelims Factoids
Discovery of New Species of Hybodont Shark

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Hybodont sharks )
What's the NEWS

• In a rare discovery, teeth of new species of hybodont shark of Jurassic age have been reported for the first time from Jaisalmer

Hybodont sharks

• Hybodont sharks have been reported for the first time from the Jurassic rocks (approximately, between 160 and 168 million-years-old) of the Jaisalmer region of Rajasthan.
• Hybodonts, an extinct group of sharks, was a dominant group of fishes in both marine and fluvial environments during the Triassic and early Jurassic time.
• However, hybodont sharks started to decline in marine environments from the Middle Jurassic onwards until they formed a relatively minor component of open-marine shark assemblages.
• Hybodonts finally became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous time 65 million years ago.
• Significantly, the newly discovered crushing teeth from Jaisalmer represent a new species named by the research team as Strophodusjaisalmerensis.
• The genus Strophodus has been identified for the first time from the Indian subcontinent and is only the third such record from Asia, the other two being from Japan and Thailand.
• The new species has recently been included in the Shark references.com, an international platform operating in association with International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Species Survival Commission (SSC), and Germany.

The Geological Survey of India (GSI)

• It was set up in 1851 primarily to find coal deposits for the Railways.
• GSI is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines
• Over the years, GSI has not only grown into a repository of geo-science information required in various fields in the country but has also attained the status of a geo-scientific organisation of international repute.
• Its main functions relate to creating and updating of national geoscientific information and mineral resource assessment.
• These objectives are achieved through ground surveys, air-borne and marine surveys, mineral prospecting and investigations, multi-disciplinary geoscientific, geo-technical, geo-environmental and natural hazards studies, glaciology, seism tectonic study, and carrying out fundamental research.

Infrastructure Development
NITI Aayog to Launch Report on ‘Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India'

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India -highlights)
What's the NEWS

• NITI Aayog will launch a report on ‘Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India'
• NITI Aayog had constituted an Advisory Committee on ‘Reforms in Urban Planning Education in India' in October 2020.
• The Committee has concluded its mandate with this report.

Know! about report highlights

• The report comprises a set of recommendations on various aspects of urban planning-such as interventions for planning healthy cities, optimum utilization of urban land, ramping up human-resource capacities, strengthening urban governance, building local leadership, enhancing the role of private sector, and advancing the urban planning education system.

Government Initiatives
Youth Co:Lab India 2021

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Youth Co:Lab India 2021) + Mains ( GS II Education + government policies and interventions + GS III Environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• Youth Co:Lab India 2021 is inviting applications from young innovators and entrepreneurs between the age of 18 to 29 years in the focus areas of Circular Economy, Sustainable Transportation, Sustainable Tourism and Sustainable Food Tech.
• Youth Co:Lab positions young people front and center in order to solve the region's most pressing challenges.

Know! all about Youth Co:Lab

• Co-created in 2017 by United Nations Development Programme and Citi Foundation
• It aims to establish a common agenda for countries in the Asia-Pacific region to empower and invest in youth, so that they can accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, social innovation and entrepreneurship.
• It is being implemented in 25 countries and territories across Asia Pacific.
• In India, Youth Co:Lab has been launched by UNDP, in collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog in 2019.
• Since then, three editions of Youth Co:Lab, including youth social innovation challenges, supporting enterprises, and youth focused dialogues have been jointly implemented.
• Cognizant of the imminent climate crisis and its adverse effects, UNDP and Atal Innovation Mission have come together through Youth Co:Lab to call on young innovators with disruptive and scalable solutions to take up the mantle of driving climate action.

National Springboard Programme

• Through Youth Co:Lab, UNDP and AIM have joined hands to identify, encourage and support such youth innovators working to combat the climate crisis in India.
• From the applications, the best 40 teams based on innovation in idea, business viability, sustainability and scalability will be selected to participate in the three-month National Springboard Programme, implemented in partnership with the Climate Collective and Kerala Startup Mission.
• The teams will be provided with mentorship, training and networking support.
• The initiative will also bring in key stakeholders on climate and youth entrepreneurship to support young startups in the form of a multi stakeholder alliance and the National Innovation Challenge and Dialogue.
• The National Innovation Challenge will select the best 2 teams to represent India at the Regional Springboard Programme as well as the Youth Co:Lab Regional Summit 2022.

AIM

• Atal Innovation Mission is a flagship initiative set up by the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
• Its objective is to create a facilitating environment for the transformation of ideas into innovative and impactful solutions at schools, universities, research institutions, MSME and industry levels across the country.

UNDP India

• UNDP works across 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty while protecting the planet.
• It helps countries develop strong policies, skills, partnerships, and institutions so they can sustain their progress.
• UNDP has worked in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development, from systems strengthening to inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods, as well as sustainable energy, environment, and resilience.
• UNDP's programmes continue to integrate a global vision for catalytic change with India's national priorities.
• With over 30 projects on the ground in almost every state, today, it works to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by transforming traditional models to do development differently.

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