NITI Aayog India Innovation Index

What's the NEWS

• Karnataka has ranked first in the NITI Aayog's India Innovation Index (2021 report) for a third time in a row; the state has topped the list in both previous editions too.
• Index prepared by - NITI Aayog and Institute for Competitiveness
• The India Innovation Index ranks states and union territories on the basis of innovation capabilities.

• The first edition was released in October 2019 and second in January 2021.
• In the latest edition Telangana, Haryana and Maharashtra stood second, third and fourth in the list of top states.
• Manipur topped the 'North East and Hill States' section and Chandigarh won the 'Union Territory and City States' category.
• The report attributed Karnataka's high score to its peak performance in attracting FDI, or foreign direct investment, and a large number of venture capital deals.

NITI Aayog
UK-NITI Aayog collaborative initiatives on electric mobility

What's the NEWS

• During the visit of COP 26 President Rt Hon'ble Alok Sharma to India on 21-22 July 2022, NITI Aayog launched two significant initiatives - E-AMRIT (Accelerated e-Mobility Revolution for India's Transportation) mobile application to raise awareness on electric mobility and the Report on Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Reuse and Recycling Market in India.

• India is among 42 leaders to back and sign up to the UK's Glasgow Breakthroughs, launched at the COP26 climate summit.
• India is also a co-convener of the Glasgow Breakthrough on Road Transport, together with the UK and the US.
• The Breakthrough on Road Transport aims to make ZEVs - including 2&3-wheelers, cars, vans and Heavy-Duty Vehicles - the new normal by making them affordable, accessible and sustainable in all regions by 2030.
• To bolster this low carbon infrastructure, NITI Aayog has been collaborating with the UK Government in the areas of e-vehicles, charging infrastructure and battery storage.

• India is the fifth largest and fastest growing vehicle market in the world, providing massive potential for electric vehicle uptake.
• The shift to Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) is well underway and accelerating, creating 100,000s of new e-mobility jobs, driving down technology costs, ensuring the air we breathe is cleaner and reducing our reliance on imported fuels.

• The e-AMRIT app offers users key information like engagement tools that enable them to assess benefits of electric vehicles, determine savings and get all the information on developments in the Indian electric vehicle market and industry at their fingertips.

• The report on "Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Reuse and Recycling Market in India" supported by the UK's Green Growth Fund Technical Cooperation Facility, is aimed at promoting battery recycling of current and evolving battery technologies, and the battery supply chain as uptake of electric vehicles increase in India.

The Government has taken several steps to promote renewable energy, including wind energy, in the country. These include:

• Permitting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 100 percent under the automatic route,
• Waiver of Inter State Transmission System (ISTS) for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by 30th June 20 charges25,
• Declaration of trajectory for Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) up to the year 2022,
• Setting up of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Parks to provide land and transmission to RE developers on a plug and play basis,
• Laying of new transmission lines and creating new sub-station capacity for evacuation of renewable power,
• Setting up of Project Development Cell for attracting and facilitating investments,
• Standard Bidding Guidelines for tariff based competitive bidding process for procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar PV and Wind Projects.
• Government has issued orders that power shall be dispatched against Letter of Credit (LC) or advance payment to ensure timely payment by distribution licensees to RE generators.
• Conducting skill development programmes to create a pool of skilled manpower for implementation, operation and maintenance of RE projects.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is in the process of implementing the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) in a phased manner for wholesale and retail segments

• The introduction of CBDC was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23, by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and necessary amendments to the relevant section of the RBI Act, 1934 have been made with the passage of the Finance Bill 2022.
• The passage of the bill has enabled the RBI to conduct a pilot and subsequent issuance of CBDC.
• The RBI is also working on phased implementation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in both wholesale and retail segment.
• CBDC is a digital or virtual currency but it is not comparable with private virtual currencies or cryptocurrency that have mushroomed over the last decade.
• Private virtual currencies do not represent any person's debt or liabilities as there is no issuer.

REINTRODUCTION OF CHEETAHS
What's the NEWS

• India and Namibia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for reintroduction of cheetahs into the historical range in India.
• First batch of eight cheetahs comprising four male and as many female cheetahs are expected to arrive in India before Independence Day.
• The cheetahs will be released in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
• India plans to introduce 8-10 cheetahs every year with a total 50 from Namibia, South Africa and other African countries over the next five years.
• Under the MoU, both the countries will also collaborate in areas of climate change, environmental governance, environmental impact assessments, pollution and waste management.

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