TAMILNADU

New solar policy in the works in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu will soon have a new solar policy with the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA), the state nodal agency for renewable energy, putting out the draft of the Tamilnadu Solar Energy Policy, 2018 for comments from various stakeholders.
It envisages various incentives for energy generation and aims to promote manufacture of solar energy components, including solar cells, inverters, mounting structures and batteries in the State.

According to the draft policy, solar energy will be a major contributor to a sustainable energy future in Tamil Nadu and will be the mainstream energy source in the State by 2022.

Tamil Nadu would have an installed generation capacity of 8,884 MW by 2022. Of this target, 40% will be met by consumer scale solar energy generators, the policy said.

The policy will be applicable to projects, programmes and installations relating to both solar photovoltaic energy (solar PV) and solar thermal energy. Once finalised, the policy shall remain valid for the next five years, unless superseded or modified by another policy.

The draft policy also mandates some definite goals like all public buildings will be mandated to meet 30% of their energy requirements from solar energy by 2022.

Street lights and water supply are mandated to meet 30% of their energy requirements from solar energy by 2022.

According to the policy, all government departments shall replace 10% of their existing vehicle fleet with solar- powered electric vehicles by 2022.

INTERNATIONAL

· India and Morocco signed the revised Air Services Agreement

The agreement will enable the airlines of each side to enter into code sharewith airlines of other party.
It will also provide greater freedom in mounting direct flights.
The revised Agreement is the outcome of three meetings of delegation from two countries who had worked towards liberalization of marketsbetween the two countries and updating of the existing Air Services Agreement.

· In a first, Japanese robots land on moving asteroid

A pair of robot rovers have landed on an asteroid and begun a survey, Japan’s space agency said, as it conducts a mission aiming to shed light on the origins of the solar system.

The rover mission marks the world’s first moving, robotic observation of an asteroid surface, according to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Gk bit – Asteroid, Aeteor, Meteorite and Meteoroids

An asteroid is a rocky object in space that’s smaller than a planet — they’re sometimes called minor planets or planetoids.

A meteor is an asteroid or other object that burns and vaporizes upon entry into the Earth’s atmosphere; meteors are commonly known as “shooting stars.”

If a meteor survives the plunge through the atmosphere and lands on the surface, it’s known as a meteorite.

Meteoroids is a general term describing small particles of comets or asteroids that are in orbit around the sun.

NATIONAL

Lucknow Metro First From India To Get International Award

The Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation (LMRC) has become the first ever metro rail corporation from India to bag the International ‘Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents’ (RoSPA) Award.

LMRC has been given the Silver Award for its Phase 1A (North-South Corridor) in the Project/Infrastructure category for the year 2018.

Cyclone-30 becomes operational in Kolkata, to boost cancer diagnosis

India’s biggest cyclotron facility named Cyclone-30that will produce radioisotopes vital for diagnosis and treatment of cancer became operational at the Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC) in
Cyclone-30 will become the first and only facility in the country to produce Germanium 68 isotopes, which is used in the diagnosis of breast cancer.
At present, many radioisotopes are imported while some are produced in nuclear research reactors such as the Apsara at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), and remaining in cyclotrons facilities run by large private hospitals.

· India looks to procure Spike missiles

A deal to procure the Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel through the government-to-government route has been brought before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) for approval.

The deal is for 170 launchers, 4,500 missiles and 15 simulators.

Spike is a third-generation, fire-and-forget, man-portable missile manufactured by Israel’s Rafael.

In all, nearly 40,000 missiles are required to equip the Army’s 382 infantry battalions and 44 mechanised regiments.

· Article 370: J&K’s special status challenged

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the continued existence of Article 370, which gives a temporary autonomous status to the State of Jammu and Kashmir and restricts the power of Parliament to make laws for the State.

The petition especially challenges a particular proviso in Article 370 which mandates that the President should first get the permission of the ‘Constituent Assembly of the State of Jammu and Kashmir’ before declaring the Article null and void.

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