UTTAR PRADESH

Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED) has claimed that Uttar Pradesh has a great potential of solar rooftop power in six cities and it can generate 3 lakh jobs in the state.

CEED releasing its report “Uttar Pradesh: Uncovering Solar Rooftop Potential in Urban Cities” here on Friday claimed that by using just only 11 per cent of the built up area in six major cities could generate 11.4 Gigawatt or 11.400 MW of power. The report, while exploring the rooftop solar potential of six major cities – Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Meerut, Allahabad and Gorakhpur, suggests that the installation of solar rooftop up to its potential in these cities can generate 3 lakh jobs in the state.

UP government has already set up an ambitious target of generating 10,700 MW of solar power by the end of 2022. The target set for solar rooftop systems is 4,300 MW. CEED’s report reveals that about one-third of this target can be achieved by merely exploiting the potential of these six major cities. It also charts a sustainable and viable roadmap to make the cities of UP powered through solar energy.

Among these cities, Lucknow (3187 MW) has the maximum potential, followed by Kanpur (3010 MW) and Agra (1986 MW), whereas Gorakhpur (833 MW) has the lowest solar rooftop potential. The potential of the other two cities studied in the report – Allahabad and Meerut – are 1577 MW and 900 MW respectively.

However, due to the existing grid curtailment factor as per State net-metering guidelines and the power demand, 1674 MW can be immediately installed in these cities before year 2025. Out of these six cities, Lucknow can accommodate 725 MW, while Kanpur and Agra can accommodate 250 MW and 144 MW respectively. Allahabad can shelter 140 MW while Meerut and Gorakhpur can house 335 MW and 80 MW of solar rooftop power.

Recently, the UP Government made solar rooftop mandatory for all Government buildings and asked its departments to explore the uses of solar energy for catering their energy requirements.

INTERNATIONAL

· Studies found alternate cereals can save water

According to the analysis of U.S. based Earth Institute, Columbia University and Indian School of Business, if alternative cerealssuch as maize, sorghum, and millet are used instead of rice and wheat, the demand for irrigation water can be reduced by 33%. It could also improve nutrient availability to consumers.
India is mandated to provide 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month at subsidized prices of Rs.3/2/1 per kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
The researchers said that this alternative cereal production can help distribute nutrient production across the country and reduce the impact of a single local climate shock to national grain production.

The United Nations’ (UN) International Day of Cooperatives is observed on the first Saturday of July each year.

Some of the day’s goals are to increase awareness on cooperatives, as well as strengthen and extend partnerships between the international cooperative movement and other supporting organizations including governments.

The theme for the 2018 International Day of Cooperatives (IDC) is “Sustainable consumption and production”.

Nepal and India have decided to jointly promote historically and culturally important tourism circuits like the Ramayana and Buddhist Circuit and adventure tourism.

India will also extend all possible cooperation in the domain of human resource development in tourism.

During a joint meeting of the Nepalese and Indian officials, both the sides also decided to establish an industry-led Indo-Nepal Tourism Forum with the support of the two governments.

· India to develop ‘World’s emptiest airport’ in Sri Lanka

India would operate Sri Lanka’s loss-making Mattala Rajapaksa International Airportin Hambantota, called the ‘world’s emptiest airport’ due to a lack of flights.
This comes in the backdrop of China developing the Hambantota seaport project in Sri Lanka.
The airport, which was named after former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, was built with the capacity to handle one million passengers a year, was officially opened in March 2013.

NATIONAL

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) declared 438 sq.km. of the area around the Mudumalai Tiger Reservein the Nilgiris as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ). This is to prohibit construction and commercial mining activities and restrict hotels and resorts near the reserve.
The reserve, comprising the wildlife sanctuary and the national park, extending over an area of 321 sq.km, was declared a tiger habitat in 2007. Besides the tiger habitat, 367 sq. km. is the buffer area for a total of 688 sq. km. reserve area. The reserve is a critical part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve spread over 5,500 sq. km.

The Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar has said that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has started its work and will be conducting various entrance examinations for higher educational Institutions from next academic sessions onwards.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, he said that the NTA will bring qualitative difference in the examination process by its focus on research and scientific test design using services of Experts, Researchers, Statisticians, Psychometricians, Test Item Writers and Education Specialists.

The new system will be student friendly, fair , transparent and flexible, the Minister added.