Bilateral Relations/Economy
Finance Minister of India and Finance Minister of Bhutan jointly launch BHIM-UPI in Bhutan

Relevance IN - Prelims (all about about BHIM UPI ) + Mains ( GS II bilateral relations and GS III financial inclusion)
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister of Finance along with the Finance Minister of Bhutan jointly launched BHIM-UPI in Bhutan
  

• This launch fulfils the commitment made by the two countries during the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India's State visit to Bhutan in 2019.
• India and Bhutan have already enabled inter-operability in acceptance of Rupay cards in each other's countries in two phases - acceptance of Rupay cards issued in India at Bhutan based terminals in the first phase, and vice versa in the second phase.
• With today's launch of BHIM-UPI in Bhutan, the payment infrastructures of the two countries are seamlessly connected and will benefit a large number of tourists and businessmen from India who travel to Bhutan each year.
• This will enhance the ease of living and ease of travelling through cashless transactions at the touch of a button.
• Bhutan is the first country to adopt UPI standards for its QR deployment, and the first country in our immediate neighbourhood to accept mobile based payments through the BHIM App.

Know! the associated terminologies
Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM)

• It is a payment app that makes simple, easy and quick transactions using Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
• Person can make direct bank payments to anyone on UPI using their UPI ID or scanning their QR with the BHIM app.
• One can also request money through the app from a UPI ID.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

• It is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood.
• It also caters to the "Peer to Peer" collect request which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and convenience.
• It is an instant real-time payment system developed by National Payments Corporation of India facilitating inter-bank transactions.
• The interface is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India and works by instantly transferring funds between two bank accounts on a mobile platform.
• Unified Payments Interface is a real time payment system that allows sending or requesting money from one bank account to another.

Any UPI client app may be used and multiple bank accounts may be linked to single app. Money can be sent or requested with the following methods:

• Virtual Payment Address (VPA) or UPI ID: Send or request money from/to bank account mapped using VPA.
• Mobile number: Send or request money from/to the bank account mapped using mobile number.
• Account number & IFSC: Send money to the bank account.
• Aadhaar: Send money to the bank account mapped using Aadhaar number.
• QR code: Send money by QR code which has enclosed VPA, Account number and IFSC or Mobile number.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)

• It is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems under the ownership of Reserve Bank of India in India.
• Founded in December 2008, the NPCI is a not-for-profit organisation registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013, established by the Reserve Bank of India and Indian Banks' Association.
• The organisation is owned by a consortium of major banks, and has been promoted by the country's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India.
• Initially, there were ten promoter banks viz. State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Bank of India, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Citibank and HSBC.
• In 2016, the shareholding was diluted to include 13 additional public sector banks, 15 additional private sector banks, 1 additional foreign bank, 10 multi-state co-operative banks and 7 regional rural banks.

Education
Digital Education initiatives of the Ministry of Education
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about PM e-Vidya, National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR), Swayam) + Mains ( GS II education - government policies and interventions)
What's the NEWS

• Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan reviewed the Digital Education initiatives of the Ministry of Education including PM e-Vidya, National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR), Swayam, among others.

PM eVIDYA program.

• This program is announced for the top 100 universities of the country and for schools also.
• Under this program, online education courses will be allowed to start from May 30, 2020.
• Swayam Prabha DTH channel to support that student who does not have access to the internet.
• A program for multi-mode access to digital/online education will also be launched under the PM eVIDYA program.
• The government is set to launch 12 more channels.
• The PM eVidya program will also consist of ‘Diksha' involving e-content and QR coded energized book for all the classes and will be called ‘one nation, one digital platform'.
• A TV channel called ‘one class, one channel' will also be launched for class 1st to 12th.
• The government has also decided to do radio podcasts and special e-content for visually and hearing-impaired students.

Some Important Information Regarding PM eVIDYA Program

• The use of radio, community radio, and podcast for education is suggested by the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman
• A special type of e-content will be provided for visually and hearing-impaired students
• There will be a single dedicated channel per class from class 1st to 12^th which will be known as ‘one class, one channel'
• Diksha will be launched for States and union territories which will contain e-content and QR coded energized textbook for all grades it will be known as ‘one nation, one digital platform'
• Channel call Manodarpan will launch for mental health and emotional well-being student, teachers, and families
• A new national curriculum and pedagogical framework for school, early childhood, and teachers will be launched which is integrated with global and 21st-century skill requirements.
• National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission for ensuring that every child attains Learning levels and outcomes in grade 5 will be launched
• Swayam Prabha DTH channel will launch for all classes so that the student who does not have access to the internet can study
• The experts will do live interactive sessions from home through skype
• 200 new textbook will add o e-pathshala

National Digital Educational Architecture (NDEAR)

• Union Budget 2021-22 has laid a major emphasis on strengthening country's digital infrastructure for education by announcing setting up of a National Digital Educational Architecture (NDEAR) within the context of a Digital First Mindset where the Digital Architecture will not only support teaching and learning activities but also educational planning, governance administrative activities of the Centre and the States/ Union Territories.
• It will provide diverse education eco-system architecture for development of digital infrastructure, a federated but interoperable system that will ensure autonomy of all stakeholders, especially States and UTs.
• NDEAR is being envisioned to be a digital infrastructure for Education.
• NDEAR will be beneficial for both Centre and States in planning, administering and governing school education as well as to teachers, students and schools for having a seamless digital learning experience.
• The institutional structure, governance framework, technology, and data of NDEAR will benefit the entire student and teacher community.

About SWAYAM

• SWAYAM is a programme initiated by Government of India and designed to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz., access, equity and quality.
• The objective of this effort is to take the best teaching learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged.
• SWAYAM seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remained untouched by the digital revolution and have not been able to join the mainstream of the knowledge economy.
• This is done through a platform that facilitates hosting of all the courses, taught in classrooms from Class 9 till post-graduation to be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time.
• All the courses are interactive, prepared by the best teachers in the country and are available, free of cost to any learner.
• More than 1,000 specially chosen faculty and teachers from across the country have participated in preparing these courses.
• The courses hosted on SWAYAM are in 4 quadrants - (1) video lecture, (2) specially prepared reading material that can be downloaded/printed (3) self-assessment tests through tests and quizzes and (4) an online discussion forum for clearing the doubts.

In order to ensure that best quality content is produced and delivered, nine National Coordinators have been appointed. They are:

• AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) for self-paced and international courses
• NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning) for Engineering
• UGC (University Grants Commission) for non technical post-graduation education
• CEC (Consortium for Educational Communication) for under-graduate education
• NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) for school education
• NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) for school education
• IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) for out-of-school students
• IIMB (Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore) for management studies
• NITTTR (National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research) for Teacher Training programme

Defence
HAL set to deliver first batch of 3 Light Combat Helicopters to IAF

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Light Combat Helicopters (LCH)
What's the NEWS

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is gearing up to deliver the first batch of three Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) to the Indian Air Force (IAF) once acceptance tests are completed.
• These are part of the 15 Limited Series Production (LSP) helicopters approved for the Army and the IAF.
• The deal for the 15 LCH was expected to have been signed in the first quarter of 2021 but has been delayed due to the second wave of the pandemic.
• The IAF has put forward a requirement for 65 LCH and the Army for 114 helicopters.
• Of the 15 LSP helicopters, 10 are for the IAF and five for the Army.

Light Combat Helicopters (LCH)

• The LCH, the lightest attack helicopter in the world weighing 5.5 tonnes, has been designed and developed by the HAL to meet the specific and unique requirements of the Indian armed forces and can operate at heights of 12,000 feet.
• The light combat helicopter (LCH) was designed and built by Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL). It is an attack helicopter derived from the existing Dhruv helicopter.
• The LCH can be deployed in various roles, including tracking slow-moving aerial targets, insurgency, destroying enemy defences, search and rescue, anti-tank and scouting.
• A datalink system transmits mission data to mobile platforms and ground stations operating within the network.
• The LCH was developed to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army, who have ordered 62 and 114 units respectively. Its maiden flight took place in Bangalore in March 2010.
• The Indian Air Force will procure 64 LCHs as part of a $4bn contract signed with Hindustan Aeronautics in March 2011.
• The helicopters will be armed with Helina missile with an extended range of 7km, a missile warning system and anti-missile countermeasures.
• The LCH is effective as both an anti-infantry and anti-armour helicopter.

Present status of attack helicopters

• The Army Aviation operates smaller utility helicopters but does not have attack helicopters in its fleet and has for sometime pitched for attack helicopters of its own to operate with its strike Corps.
• The attack helicopter fleet is operated by the Air Force which provides close air support to the Army.
• The IAF operates the older Mi-25 and Mi-35 Russian attack helicopters which are in the process of being phased out and has inducted 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from the U.S.
• The Army will also start receiving the Apache attack helicopters from early 2023 onwards, six of which have been contracted under an estimated $800 mn deal from the U.S. in February 2020.
• Presently, the Army has 90 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and 75 Rudra, weaponised ALH, helicopters in service which are indigenously designed and developed by the HAL in addition to around 160 older Cheetah and Chetak utility helicopters which are in need of urgent replacement.

Infrastructure Development
NTPC to set up India's single largest solar park at Rann of Kutch

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the largest solar park + about green hydrogen mobility project + facts associated with the MoUs) + Mains ( GS III Infrastructure development - energy)
What's the NEWS

• NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd , a 100% subsidiary of NTPC, has received the go-ahead from Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to set up 4750 MW renewable energy park at Rann of Kutch in Khavada, Gujarat.
• This will be India's largest solar park to be built by the largest power producer of the country.

Know! more about the solar park and initiatives of NTPC

• NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC REL), has been given the go-ahead by MNRE under Mode 8 (Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park) of Solar Park Scheme.
• NTPC REL has plans to generate green hydrogen on a commercial scale from this park.
• NTPC Ltd, India's largest energy integrated company aims to build 60 GW Renewable Energy Capacity by 2032.
• NTPC has also commissioned India's largest Floating Solar of 10 MW (ac) on the reservoir of Simhadri Thermal Power Plant, Andhra Pradesh. An additional 15 MW (ac) would be commissioned by August 2021.
• Further, a 100 MW Floating Solar Project on the reservoir of Ramagundam Thermal Power Plant, Telangana is in the advanced stage of implementation.
• NTPC RE Ltd. has recently signed an MoU with UT, Ladakh and Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) for the generation of green hydrogen and deployment on FCEV buses.
• The signing of the MoU was also marked with the inauguration of NTPC's first solar installations in Leh in form of solar trees and a solar car port

Country's first Green Hydrogen Mobility Project

• NTPC , Maharatna PSU under Ministry of Power for signed a MoU with UT of Ladakh and LAHDC to setup the country's first Green Hydrogen Mobility project
• Leh is soon to become India 's first city to implement a green hydrogen based mobility project with zero emission.
• REL, a 100% subsidiary of NTPC, signed a MoU with Union Territory of Ladakh, today, to set up the country's first green Hydrogen Mobility project in the region.
• The signing of the MoU was also marked with the inauguration of NTPC's first solar installations in Leh in form of solar trees and a solar car port.
• NTPC has planned to ply 5 hydrogen buses, to start with, in the region and the company will be setting up a solar plant and a green hydrogen generation unit in Leh towards this end.
• This will put Leh as the first city in the country to implement a green hydrogen based mobility project. This would be zero emission mobility in true sense.
• NTPC has recently revised its target of achieving 60GW renewables capacity by 2032, almost doubling the earlier target. Recently, NTPC has commissioned India's largest floating solar project of 10MW at Vishakhapatnam.

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