Current Affair 1:

Over 90% districts in India now face arid conditions

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As many as 673 out of India’s 733 districts face arid conditions now, a sharp rise from 638 a week ago, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Overall, despite ‘normal’ rains, almost 90 per cent of the country remains drier than usual even as the kharif (summer) crop season is underway, the latest Aridity Anomaly Outlook Index released by IMD Pune, for September 2-8, 2021 said.

The index monitors agricultural drought, a situation when rainfall and soil moisture are inadequate to support healthy crop growth till maturity, causing crop stress. An anomaly from the normal value would thus signify water shortage in these districts that could directly impact agricultural activity.

The aridity index, released week-on-week, shows the dramatic increase in the aridity levels this monsoon season. As many as 673 districts experienced ‘mild’ to ‘severe’ arid conditions; only 32 were ‘non-arid’.

Current Affair 2:

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)

 

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was approved by the MHRD and launched by Honourable Minister of Human Resource Development on 29th September 2015.

 

This framework outlines a methodology to rank institutions across the country. The methodology draws from the overall recommendations broad understanding arrived at by a Core Committee set up by MHRD, to identify the broad parameters for ranking various universities and institutions.

The parameters broadly cover “Teaching, Learning and Resources,” “Research and Professional Practices,” “Graduation Outcomes,” “Outreach and Inclusivity,” and “Perception”.

TOP 10 RANKING:

Does it ranks only Engineering universities? NO.

Current Affair 3:

13TH BRICS Summit hosted by India.

 

We will see some basic about BRICS grouping then we will proceed to news.

The acronym BRIC was first used in 2001 by Goldman Sachs in their Global Economics Paper, "The World Needs Better Economic BRICs" on the basis of econometric analyses projecting that the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China would individually and collectively occupy far greater economic space and would be amongst the world’s largest economies in the next 50 years or so.

As a formal grouping, BRIC started after the meeting of the Leaders of Russia, India and China in St. Petersburg on the margins of G8 Outreach Summit in 2006. The grouping was formalized during the 1st meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the margins of UNGA in New York in 2006. The 1st BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on 16 June 2009.

It was agreed to expand BRIC into BRICS with the inclusion of South Africa at the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York in September 2010. Accordingly, South Africa attended the 3rd BRICS Summit in Sanya, China on 14 April 2011.

What is contribution of BRICS?

BRICS brings together five major emerging economies, comprising 41.6% of the world population, having 20% of the world GDP and 17% share in the world trade.

In recent BRICS Summit (13th), hosted by India,

India had outlined four priority areas for its Chairship. These are Reform of the:

• Multilateral System.
• Counter Terrorism.
• Using Digital and Technological Tools for achieving SDGs.
• Enhancing People to People exchanges.

Current Affair 4:

Offshore wind project status in India

 

Offshore wind is seen as a response to India’s growing power demand, competition over land availability, and a system balancing technology.

1. In 2015, the Indian government introduced the National Offshore Wind Energy Policy and the EU-funded First Offshore Wind Project of India or FOWPI 2016-2019, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. The draft Offshore Wind Energy Lease Rules were made available for comment in 2019.
2. Gujarat invited an expression of interest (EOI) for India's first offshore wind project of 1 GW in 2018, which attracted nearly 35 major companies. The EOI has not moved forward due to the high CAPEX and lack of government support.
3. In 2019, India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) applied for €800 million in viability gap funding to help support the construction of India's first 1 GW offshore wind project in Gujarat.

TO DATE, INDIA HAS NOT BEGUN ANY OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS. 

Benefits of offshore winds:

The benefits of offshore wind parks are numerous.

1. It is proven that offshore wind turbines are more efficient compared to onshore ones.
2. Wind speed over water bodies is high and is consistent in direction. As a result, offshore wind farms generate more electricity per installed capacity.
3. Also, fewer offshore turbines are required to produce the same capacity of energy as compared to onshore ones.
4. As the offshore wind is stronger during the daytime, it ensures a more consistent and efficient electricity generation when consumer demand is at its highest. In contrast, wind power on land performs better at night when power consumption is lower.
5. A wind turbine's capacity utilisation factor (CUF) is equal to the average output power divided by the maximum power capabilities. In addition to wind availability, the size of the generator and the turbine's swept area will determine its productivity.
6. Offshore wind farms have a higher CUF than onshore wind farms. Therefore, offshore wind power allows for longer operating hours.

Challenges of offshore wind energy

Offshore wind assets also present a set of challenges that have prevented them from taking off in India. Understanding the technical, regulatory and operational challenges is crucial. These include:

1. Local substructure manufacturers, installations vessels and trained workers are lacking in India.
2. Offshore wind turbines require stronger structures and foundations than onshore wind farms. This can cause higher installation costs.
3. Consequently, offshore wind tariffs in India are expected to range between Rs 7-9 per unit, compared to Rs 2.8-2.9 per unit for onshore wind.
4. The action of waves and even high winds, particularly during storms or hurricanes, can damage wind turbines. Eventually, offshore wind farms require maintenance that is more costly and difficult to perform.
5. Many Indian ministries and departments are likely to grant clearances for offshore wind power projects. The process could be slowed by this factor, resulting in delays as well as cost overruns.

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