Current Affair 1:

Solar STAR-C initiative

 

India is considering expanding its solar STAR-C initiative, operated by the International Solar Alliance, to several Pacific Island nations as part of its diplomatic outreach in the region.

STAR C is a stellar example of ISA’s capacity-building and institutional strengthening initiative in developing Member Countries.

What is a STAR Centre?

STAR Centres act as hubs of technology, knowledge, and expertise on solar energy and are a go-to place for a Member Country at the regional or country levels.

STAR Centre initiative caters to a Member Country’s capacity-building needs in one or a combination of ways:

1. Building capable solar workforces
2. Sensitising policymakers and financial institutions
3. Incubating enterprises, standardising products and services
4. Creating a knowledge repository on information related to solar energy
5. Acting as an interface between countries sharing solar energy development experiences, undertaking joint research, promoting development & demonstration, capacity building, and creating regional & global networks

 

Current Affair 2:

Panel of Vice-Chairmen

 

News:

Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 20 reconstituted the panel of vice-chairpersons of Parliament's Upper House with half of them being women.

As per Rajya Sabha rules, “The chairman shall, from time to time, nominate from amongst the members of the Council a panel of not more than six vice-chairmen, one of whom may preside over the Council in the absence of the chairman and the Deputy chairman when so requested by the chairman, or in his absence, by the deputy chairman.”

A vice-chairperson nominated under sub-rule (1) shall hold office until a new panel of vice-chairperson is nominated,” the rules say.

There is also a provision “Panel of Chairperson” in Lok Sabha:

Current Affair 3:

European Union’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR)

 

Read:

Current Affair 4:

Hygroelectricity

 

Hygroelectricity is proposed as a means to produce electric power from air by absorbing gaseous or vaporous water molecules, which are ubiquitous in the atmosphere.

 

 

It is a type of renewable energy that has the potential to be a major source of power in the future.

How it works?

1. The key to harvesting electricity from humid air lies in a tiny device comprising two electrodes and a thin layer of material filled with nanopores.
2. These nanopores, each less than 100 nanometers in diameter, allow water molecules from the air to pass through the device.
3. As these molecules move from an upper chamber to a lower chamber, they interact with the edges of the nanopores, leading to a buildup of electric charge imbalances between the chambers.
4. This process effectively transforms the device into a miniature battery, generating continuous electricity.
5. Just as clouds create electrical charges and give rise to lightning bolts during storms, this revolutionary device converts air humidity into usable electricity.
6. Advantage of Hygroelectricity: Unlike other renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, air humidity is continuously available, making it a sustainable reservoir of energy.

Challenges:

1. Currently, the fingernail-sized device can only produce electricity equivalent to a fraction of a volt.
2. Scaling up the technology to meet practical energy demands is a significant hurdle.

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