State PCS

• 13 Apr 2024

Storm Damages World's Biggest Floating Solar Plant

Why in News?

The biggest floating solar plant in the world located at Omkareshwar Dam, Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh has sustained severe damage due to a storm.

Key Points

• Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation (NHDC) has initiated an assessment of the harm but remains positive that the plant will resume power generation shortly.
  • The Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation Limited (NHDC Limited) is a joint venture between the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC Limited).
• The floating structure, constructed on the backwaters of Omkareshwar Dam, was all set for deployment when it was battered by strong 50 kmph winds during a summer storm recently.
• The Omkareshwar Dam backwaters will house plants with capacities of 100 megawatts in Kelwa Khurd, 88 megawatts in Indawadi and 90 megawatts in Ekhand village.

The Omkareshwar Dam

• It is a gravity dam on the Narmada River just upstream of Mandhata in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh.
• It is named after the Omkareshwar temple located just downstream.
• The dam was constructed between 2003 and 2007 with the purpose of providing water for irrigation of 132,500 ha (327,000 acres).
• An associated hydroelectric power station located at the base of the dam has an installed capacity of 520 MW.

New Curriculum for Fourth Year UG Students

Why in News?

With the upcoming session, the Department of Higher Education (DHE) in Madhya Pradesh has formulated a new curriculum for undergraduate students who are starting their fourth year under the National Education Policy 2020.

Key Points

• Madhya Pradesh has become one of the primary states in India in carrying out the National Education Policy.
  • More than 450,000 students in undergraduate professional courses in the state can apply for admission in the fourth year if they have a CGPA of 7.5 or above.
• According to the new curriculum developed by the DHE, students can specialize in different subjects through research projects.
• The switch to four-year programs is anticipated to be advantageous for students who plan to study further on international soil, as it matches the entry criteria for specific graduate courses abroad.

National Education Policy 2020

• The National Education Policy 2020 seeks to tackle the evolving development needs of India.
  • It calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the education system, including its regulations and management, to establish a modern system that aligns with 21st-century educational goals, including Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), while respecting India's cultural heritage and values.
• It replaces the thirty-four year old National Policy on Education, 1986, modified in 1992 (NPE 1986/92).

World Homeopathy Day

Why in News?

Recently, Deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Brajesh Pathak inaugurated the World Homeopathy Day (10th April) celebrations at the Homeo Shakti 2024 event in Gomtinagar.

Key Points

• The occasion commemorated the 269^th birth anniversary of Samuel Hahnemann, who is widely recognized as the father of homeopathy.
• Shyam Das Pabhu, priest from ISKCON temple Lucknow, stressed the importance of mental health alongside physical well-being, urging balance between spiritual and physical care to combat stress and anxiety.
• The theme for World Homeopathy Day 2024 is “Homeoparivar: One Health, One Family.”

Homeopathy

• The word ‘Homeopathy’ is derived from two Greek words, Homois meaning similar and pathos meaning suffering.
• It simply means treating diseases with remedies, prescribed in minute doses, which are capable of producing symptoms similar to the disease when taken by healthy people.
• It is based on the natural law of healing- "Similia Similibus Curantur” which means "likes are cured by likes”.
• It was given a scientific basis by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann ( 1755-1843) in the early 19^th century.

NGT Seeks Reply on Aravali Land Occupation

Why in News?

National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to Faridabad municipal corporation on allegations of illegally cutting 180 trees in the Aravallis and encroaching on forest department land to expand a waste processing plant.

Key Points

• A committee appointed by the tribunal to investigate the allegations has submitted its report. The report highlights the violations committed by the corporation.
• The dispute surrounds a 50-acre land parcel in Pratapgarh village. Although the civic body owns 47 acres of this land, the remaining is still with the forest and health departments.
• The NGT panel recommended that:
  • The municipal body must take permission from Haryana pollution board before starting operations at the site.
  • They must also set up a leachate treatment plant and create a green area in the vicinity that will act as a buffer zone between the Aravallis and the waste processing unit.

National Green Tribunal (NGT)

• It is a specialised body set up under the National Green Tribunal Act (2010) for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
• With the establishment of the NGT, India became the third country in the world to set up a specialised environmental tribunal, only after Australia and New Zealand, and the first developing country to do so.
• NGT is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing the same.
• The NGT has five places of sittings, New Delhi is the Principal place of sitting and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai are the other four.