GS PAPER II NEWS
Inauguration of hydroelectric projects in Himachal Pradesh
Why in News
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- Prime Minister inaugurated and laid foundation stones of hydroelectric projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore.
Key point
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- Some of the hydroelectric projects are Luhri Phase 1 Hydroelectric Project and Dhaulasiddh Hydro Electric Project.
- The Prime Minister said that ensuring ‘ease of living’ for the people of the country is one of the major priorities and the power sector plays a huge role in this. The hydropower projects launched today reflect India’s commitment to eco-friendly development.
Background of the Luhri Stage- I HEP (210 MW) and Dhaulasidh HEP (66 MW) projects:
Luhri Stage– I HEP (210 MW)
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- Capacity: 210 MW
- River : Satluj
- Location: Near Nirath Village, Distt. Shimla and Kullu (HP).
- Total Project Cost: Rs 1810.56 Crore
- Tariff: Rs 4.06/kWh
Salient Features:
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- Dam-toe-power house with dam height 80 m.
- Surface Power house with four units (2×80 MW=160 MW + 2×25 MW=50 MW).
Electricity Generation:
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- 758 MU
- Peaking Capacity – 3:40 hours
Status:
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- Scheduled Commissioning: January 2026
- Realignment of NH-05 is in progress.
- Diversion Tunnel, Dam, Power House excavation & Tail Race Channel works are under progress.
- Expenditure incurred: Rs 553 Crore (30.55% of total cost) as on 21.12.21.
Benefits to the State:
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- Employment generation: 20 lakh mandays
- Free power value: Rs 1047 Crore during initial project life of 40 years.
- 100 units of electricity per month for 10 years to each Project Affected Families.
- Development of roads, bridges, healthcare and other local infrastructure.
Benefits to the Nation:
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- Addition of 758 MU of renewable energy to the grid.
- Important role in balancing the grid over intermittent nature of Solar & Wind power.
- Reduction in CO2 emissions by 6.1 lakh tons annually.
Dhaulasidh HEP (66 MW)
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- Capacity : 66 MW
- River : Beas
Location: Dhaulasidh, Distt. Hamirpur (HP)
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- Total Project Cost: Rs 687.97 Crore
- Tariff: Rs 4.46/kWh
Salient Features:
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- Dam-toe-power house with dam height 70 m.
- Surface Power house with two units of 33 MW each.
Electricity Generation:
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- 304 MU
- Peaking Capacity – 4:30 hours
- Status:
- Scheduled Commissioning: Nov 2025
- Works of Diversion Tunnel, Dam and Power House are in progress.
- Expenditure incurred: Rs. 195 Crore (28.34 % of total cost) as on 21.12.21.
Benefits to the State:
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- Employment generation: 8 lakh mandays.
- Free power value: Rs 461 Crore during initial project life of 40 years.
- 100 units of electricity per month for 10 years to each Project Affected Families.
- Development of roads, bridges, healthcare and other local infrastructure.
Benefits to the Nation:
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- Addition of 304 MU of renewable energy to the grid.
- Important role in balancing the grid over intermittent nature of Solar & Wind power.
- Reduction in CO2 emissions
GS PAPER II
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
Why in News
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- On 28 December 2021, on the increase in the cases of Kovid-19 in Delhi, said that a yellow alert has been issued in Delhi under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
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Key point
- According to the Yellow Alert, restrictions will now be implemented in the state. He said that the cases of Kovid-19 are mild and there has been no increase in the use of oxygen or ventilator despite the increase in the cases of infection.
- If the infection rate is 0.5 percent for two consecutive days or more than 1500 during a period of seven consecutive days or if the average 500 oxygen beds in hospitals are filled for seven days, then a yellow alert appears. There are more than 160 cases of Omicron in Delhi.
- With this, only 50 percent people will be allowed to sit in the metro. At the same time, it has been decided to close all educational centers including schools, colleges, coaching centers.
- Not more than 20 people will be allowed to attend events like weddings and funerals. Shops of non-essential goods will open according to the rule of odd-even. All such restrictions have been implemented in Delhi.
- Night curfew in Delhi will be applicable from 10 pm to 5 am and there will be no weekend curfew.
- Non-essential shops and malls will open under odd-even. Timings will be from 10 am to 8 pm.
- Construction work will continue and industry will remain open and only 50 percent people will be allowed in restaurants, Delhi Metro and bars.
- Banquet halls, auditoriums will remain closed and salons and beauty parlors will remain open.
- Spas, gyms, yoga centers and entertainment parks will be closed and people will be able to travel on only half the seats in the Delhi Metro. Standing travel will not be allowed.
- Only 50 percent passengers will travel in buses going to other states. In auto, e-rickshaw, taxi and cycle rickshaw, only two passengers will be allowed to sit.
- Permission will be given to work in private offices only from 9 am to 5 pm. Schools, colleges, educational institutions and coaching centers will be closed.
GS PAPER III
‘Musculus masseter pars coronidia’
Why in News
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- Scientists from the University of Basel, Switzerland have recently discovered a new part of the human jaw muscles.
Key point
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- Scientists have described this structure of the masseter muscle as an additional third layer and proposed to name it ‘musculus masseter pars coronidia’.
- Scientists have discovered such a part of the body. Which was never mentioned before?
- This part is found inside a deep layer of the masseter muscle of the jaw. The masseter muscle can be felt under the ear.
- The masseter muscle itself raises the lower part of the jaw and plays an important role in chewing food. The Modern Anatomy text book mentions two layers of the masseter. It has a deep and a superficial layer.
- This organ is located at the end of our lower jaw. With its help our jaw moves.
- This is the deep layer of muscle present inside the masseter. It helps in moving the lower jaw up and down while chewing.
- The discovery has been published in the online edition of the science journal Annals of Anatomy.
Background
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- The team began its study to find hidden parts of the jaw muscles written in historical texts.
- To do this, they preserved 12 human bodies in formaldehyde.
- When scientists studied the head of the body, they found shocking results. He saw a different part of the body away from the place mentioned in the ancient texts.
- Scientists also did CT scans of 16 fresh dead bodies during this research and compared them with MRI scans of a living human.
- During this he saw the third layer in the jaw muscles. Scientists told that this deep layer runs through the zygomatic process. This process makes the soft bones of the cheeks solid.
- GS PAPER III
5G Services
Why in News
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- The Department of Telecom has recently said that in the new year 2022, 5G services will be first launched in major cities.
Key point
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- The Department of Telecommunications announced on 27 December 2021 that 5G service will be started in many metro cities including Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Pune by early 2022.
- Indigenous 5G trial project under the Department of Telecommunications has reached the final stage. The trial is expected to be completed by 31 December 2021.
- Telecom operators including Airtel, Jio and Vodafone Idea have set up 5G test beds in Gurugram, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Pune and Gandhinagar.
5G trial project in final stages
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- The DoT funded 5G trial project has reached its final stage. Eight agencies have been deployed for its implementation.
- These include IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research and Center for Excellence in Wireless Technology which has been in operation for 36 months.
- Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the telecom sector grew by nearly 150 per cent to Rs 1,55,353 crore between 2014 and 2021, from Rs 62,386 crore between 2002 and 2014.
- It has been said by the Department of Telecom that the project costing about Rs 224 crore is expected to be completed by December 31, 2021. This will pave the way for testing of 5G user equipment and network equipment in the country.
Benefit
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- After the arrival of 5G, the Indian economy will get stronger. E-commerce, health centres, shopkeepers, schools, colleges and even farmers will be able to take full advantage of this.
- The way everyone’s dependence on the Internet has increased during the Corona period. In view of that, after the arrival of 5G, it will help in making the life of every person better and simpler.
- 5G technology will open new avenues for healthcare, virtual reality, cloud gaming. After the implementation of 5G in the whole country, the world of mobile telephony will change.
GS PAPER III
Kanpur Metro Rail Project
Why in News
- Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the completed section of Kanpur Metro Rail Project.
Key point
- Metro train will run between 9 stations from IIT Kanpur to Motijheel in the first phase.
- From 29 December 2021, 6 pairs of metro trains will speed up this route in Kanpur.
- Initially trains will be available at every station at an interval of 10 minutes. However, after this, as the number of metro trains increases, its time will decrease.
- Kanpur Metro Rail Project
- Inauguration of complete section of Kanpur Metro Rail Project is another big step in this direction.
- It is a complete 9 km long stretch from IIT Kanpur to Moti Jheel.
- The entire length of the metro rail project in Kanpur is 32 km. The project is being built at a cost of over Rs 11,000 crore.
Bina-Panki pipeline inaugurated
- The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Bina-Panki multiproduct pipeline project.
- The 356 km long project has a capacity of about 3.45 million metric tonnes per annum.
- This project spanning from Bina Refinery in Madhya Pradesh to Panki in Kanpur has been built at a cost of over Rs 1500 crore.
- It will help in transportation of petroleum products from Bina refinery in the region.
- The Central Government has approved the Kanpur Metro project on 28 February 2019 with an estimated cost of over Rs 11,000 crore and a time frame of five years.