Relevance IN - Prelims (about the ‘Global Goalkeeper' Award + about SDG) + Mains ( GS III environment conservation)
What's the NEWS

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi received the ‘Global Goalkeeper' Award by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
• The award ceremony took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York.
• At the same event, Payal Jangid, a 16-year-old activist from Rajasthan, was presented with the Changemaker award for her work against child marriage.

• The Goalkeeper awards felicitate changemakers around the world for their contributions toward meeting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which the UN General Assembly set in 2015 for the year 2030.
• The awards are presented at the annual Goalkeepers function; the first such event took place in 2017.

• The website of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals describes the SDGs as "the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all".
• There are 17 such Goals, which were adopted by the UN in 2015, and which came into force on January 1, 2016 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• The Goals are universally applicable, and serve as a roadmap for countries to track their progress on complex issues such as poverty, inequality, and climate change.

• No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Reducing Inequality, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life On Land, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, Partnerships for the Goals.

• Since 2017, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been publishing an annual report card called ‘Goalkeepers' that tracks global progress towards the SDGs.
• According to the Foundation's website, the report aims to accelerate this progress by "using powerful stories, data, and partnerships to highlight progress achieved, hold governments accountable and bring together a new generation of leaders to address the world's major challenges".
• There are five categories of awards at the Goalkeepers event: Progress Award (age 16-30), Changemaker Award (age 16-30), Campaign Award (age 16-30), Goalkeepers Voice Award (any age), and the Global Goalkeeper Award (any age).
• In the past, speakers at the Goalkeepers event have included the likes of former US President Barack Obama, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, and Nobel Prize winners Malala Yousafzai and Nadia Murad.

• The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions recently Launched the new version of Centralised Public Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) in Department of Posts

• The new version of CPGRAMS will lead to reduction in grievance disposal time and improved quality of grievance redressal.
• Till now top-down approach towards grievance redressal was followed and now with the new version of CPGRAMS, the complainant has been empowered. This will also save the processing time by about 7-10 days
• The CPGRAMS 7.0 version is proposed to be replicated in the rest of the Central ministries in the coming months
• Currently the DARPG handles about 16 lakh grievances every year of which 95% are being disposed off satisfactorily.
• Under new version, there will be almost no manual intervention with mapping of 1.5 lakh post offices.
• The Government has taken a major step for systemic improvement in the Centralized Public Grievances Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS).
• The new upgraded version CPGRAMS 7.0 provides for greivances filed on CPGRAMS to be directly sent to field level grievance officers by providing user IDs to all field level functionaries.
• The Department of Posts is one of the largest recipients of Public Grievances in India. It is expected that the CPGRAMS 7.0 will cut processing time by 50 percent in the Department of Posts.
• Public Grievances are more of a feedback system to the Government to understand the root causes of the problems and the Department has conducted a study by QCI to analyse the root cause of grievances in various ministries/departments.
• The DARPG launched the CPGRAMS for receiving, redressing and monitoring of grievances from the public.
• The CPGRAMS provides the facility to lodge a grievance online from any geographical location. It enables the citizen to track online the grievance being followed up with Departments concerned and also enables DARPG to monitor the grievance.

• Government of India has instituted the highest civilian award in the field of contribution to the unity and integrity of India, in the name of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• A notification instituting the Sardar Patel National Unity Award was issued by Ministry of Home Affairs on 20^th September, 2019.
• The Award seeks to recognize notable and inspiring contributions to promote the cause of national unity and integrity and to reinforce the value of a strong and united India.
• The award will be announced on the occasion of the National Unity Day, i.e. the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel on 31^st October.

• The Award shall be conferred by the President by a Sanad under his hand and seal and presented by him in a presentation ceremony along with the Padma award presentation ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhawan.
• An Award Committee would be constituted by the Prime Minister, which would include the Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Secretary to the President, Home Secretary as Members and three-four eminent persons selected by the Prime Minister.
• The Award would consist of a medal and a citation. No monetary grant or cash award would be attached to this Award. Not more than three Awards would be given in a year. It would not be conferred posthumously except in very rare and highly deserving cases.
• The Nominations would be invited every year. The applications would need to be filed online on the website specifically designed by Ministry of Home Affairs. All citizens, without distinction of religion, race caste, gender, place of birth, age or occupation, and any institution/organization would be eligible for the Award.
• Any Indian national or institution or organization based in India would be able to nominate an individual for consideration for this Award. Individuals may also nominate themselves. State Governments, UT Administrations and Ministries of Government of India may also send nominations.

• Government of India has reconstituted the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) for a period of two years with effect from 26^th September 2019.
• Dr. Bibek Debroy and Shri Ratan P. Watal will continue to be the Chairman and Member Secretary respectively of the reconstituted EAC-PM.
• Apart from these two Full-Time Members, the EAC-PM will have two Part-Time Members.While Dr. Ashima Goel continues to be one of the Part-Time Members, Dr. Sajjid Chinoy has been made as another Part-time Member.

• Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (PMEAC) is a non-constitutional, non-permanent and independent body constituted to give economic advice to the Government of India, specifically the Prime Minister.
• The council serves to highlight key economic issues facing the country to the government of India from a neutral viewpoint.
• It advises the Prime Minister on economic issues like inflation, microfinance, and industrial output.

Relevance IN - Prelims (about the 'Gandhi Solar Park' at the Headquarters of the United Nations )
What's the NEWS

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 50 kilowatt 'Gandhi Solar Park' at the Headquarters of the United Nations here, on the second leg of his visit to the United States.

• World leaders including Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President of South Korea Moon-Jae-in were also present at the occasion in New York.
• The leaders also launched a United Nations (UN) postage stamp of Mahatma Gandhi, at the programme 'Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the Contemporary World' at the UN headquarters.
• The event was hosted to celebrate the 150^th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, which will underline the continuing relevance of Gandhian thoughts and values in today's world.
• Several Heads of State and Government along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will grace the occasion to pay our collective tribute to Gandhiji and underscore the significance of his message.
• Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to inaugurate a Gandhi Peace Garden at the State University of New York Campus at Old Westbury in Long Island where 150 trees have been planted in honour of Gandhi's 150^th birth anniversary.

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the fuel cell system) + Mains ( GS III Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
What's the NEWS

• The President of India, Shri Ram NathKovind, unveiled the first Indigenous High Temperature Fuel Cell System developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in partnership with Indian industries under India's flagship program named "New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI)" on the occasion of CSIR Foundation Day .
  
• A unique example of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) among CSIR's three Laboratories [CSIR-NCL, Pune; CSIR-NPL, New Delhi & CSIR-CECRI, Karaikudi (Chennai Center)] and two Indian industries; M/s Thermax Limited, Pune and M/s Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai exemplified exploiting materials of science developments at CSIR laboratories into practice by Industry.

Know! the fuel cell system and the benefits of using it

• The 5.0 kW fuel cell system generates power in a green manner using methanol / bio-methane, with heat and water as bi-products for further use; amounting to greater than 70% efficiency, which otherwise may not be possible by other energy sources.
• The Fuel Cells developed are based on High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) Technology.
• The development is most suitable for distributed stationary power applications like; for small offices, commercial units, data centers etc.; where highly reliable power is essential with simultaneous requirement for air-conditioning.
• This system will also meet the requirement of efficient, clean and reliable backup power generator for telecom towers, remote locations and strategic applications as well. This development would replace Diesel Generating (DG) sets and help reduce India's dependence on crude oil.
• The developed technology is world class and the development has placed India in the league of developed nations which are in possession of such a knowledgebase.
• CSIR has an impressive portfolio of global patents on these developments. In the field of clean energy, Fuel Cell distributed power generation systems are emerging as promising alternative to grid power.
• The Fuel Cells fit well in India's mission of replacing diesel with green and alternate fuels. The development of fuel cell technology is indigenous and carries immense national importance in terms of non-grid energy security.

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