PIB 12th May 2021

NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY DAY

Focus: GS III- Science and Technology

Why in News?

India observes its National Technology Day on 11th May every year.

DETAILS:

• The theme for National Technology Day 2021 has not been declared yet. 
• The Technology Development Board (TDB) selects a theme for each year’s event and the theme for National Technology Day 2020, was ‘Rebooting the Economy through Science, Technology and Research Translations titled RESTART’.
• National Technology Day is observed in a large scale event held in Delhi, with the President of India as its Chief Guest.
• Awards are conferred to scientists and technologists by the President of India. The event has the attendance of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Earth Sciences, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Bio-Technology, and other scientific departments.

Background:

• The day which was first observed on 11 May, 1999, aims to commemorate the scientific and technological achievements of Indian scientists, engineers. The day was named by the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• Every year, the Technology Development Board of India (a statutory body under the Ministry of Science and Technology) celebrates the day by awarding individuals with National Award for their contribution to science and technology in India.

Significance:

• It is the day India successfully tested nuclear bombs in Pokhran on May 11, 1998.
• India successfully test-fired its Shakti-1 nuclear missile in operation called Pokhran-II, also codenamed as Operation Shakti.
• The nuclear missile was tested at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. This was the second test which was conducted after Pokhran-I codenamed Operation Smiling Buddha, in May 1974.
• On the same day, India performed a successful test firing of the Trishul Missile (surface to air short range missile) and had test flown the first indigenous aircraft – ‘Hansa – 3’.

INDIAN RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY Ltd (IREDA)

Focus: GS II- Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

Why in News?

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. IREDA has been conferred with “Green Urja Award” for being the Leading Public Institution in Financing Institution for Renewable Energy this year by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

About Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA)

• The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) was established on 11th March, 1987 as a Public limited Government Company under the Companies Act, 1956 and it promotes, develops and extends financial assistance for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency/Conservation Projects.
• The IREDA’s Motto is “Energy for Ever.”

• The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) is a Non-Banking Financial Institution under the administrative control of this Ministry for providing term loans for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
• It offers a credit enhancement guarantee scheme to support the issuance of bonds by wind and solar energy project developers. 
• By providing unconditional and irrevocable partial credit guarantees, IREDA aims to enhance the credit rating of bonds for renewable energy projects, thereby improving their marketability and liquidity, and attracting lower-cost and longer-term funding for project developers. 
• The amount raised by credit enhanced bonds shall only serve to repay existing debt partially or fully.
• IREDA’s long-term objective is to contribute to the development of a bond market for renewable energy projects in India.

NATIONAL BAMBOO MISSION

Focus: GS III- Agriculture

Why in news?

National Bamboo Mission has launched an MIS (Management Information Systems) based reporting platform for agarbatti stick production to collate the locations of stick making units, availability of raw material, functioning of the units, production capacity, marketing, etc.

•  With the help of this module, the linkages with the industry will be synergised better to enable seamlessly procurement from production units and information gaps can be plugged. 

National Bamboo Mission

Nodal: Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC) under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

• It is a centrally Sponsored scheme, to harness the potential of the bamboo crop.

The National Bamboo Mission was implemented with the following objectives:

• Enhance the yields with improved and new varieties.
• In the potential areas, increase the coverage area for bamboo.
• Promotion and marketing of bamboo and handicrafts made of bamboo.
• Establish coordination and cooperation among stakeholders for the development of the bamboo sector.
• Promote, develop, and disseminate technologies through a perfect blend of modern scientific knowledge and traditional wisdom.
• Generate employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled labourers, especially unemployed youths.

Restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM):

• The restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was launched in 2018-19 for holistic development of the bamboo sector through a cluster-based approach in a hub (industry) and spoke model to harness the opportunities by providing backward and forward linkages among the stakeholders – linking farmers to markets.
• There is a huge potential to place Indian bamboo products in the domestic as well as global markets with the latest technologies, modern processing and by generating awareness on compliance requirements for destination countries.
• The Mission is streamlining its interventions to enhance domestic industrial activities as well as augmenting the farmer’s income with support from technical agencies and facilitative steps.
• Direct subsidy of 50% is given to farmers at Rs 1.00 lakh per ha, 100% to Government agencies and also to entrepreneurs for setting up various product development units, etc.
• The Mission is presently being executed by 21 States, including all the 9 States of NER through the respective State Bamboo Missions.
•  NBM is also advising States to make available quality planting material to the farmers out to carry out plantations of commercially required species, set up common facility centres and other post-harvest units in complete sync with the requirement of existing and sunrise industries for a win-win situation for farmers and Indian bamboo industry.