Background When we hear the word textiles, we usually imagine cotton, silk, or fashionable clothes. But beyond these, there exists a special category called Technical Textiles. These are not made for beauty or comfort, but for function and performance — like bulletproof jackets, fireproof suits, airbags in cars, surgical masks, or high-altitude combat gear. Recognising…
Mission Purvodaya (a) Background The Eastern region of India—Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Northern Andhra Pradesh—has abundant iron ore and coal reserves. Yet, its steel potential has not been fully tapped.The Government, therefore, launched Mission Purvodaya to transform this region into an Integrated Steel Hub. (b) Aim (c) Importance of Eastern Region (d) Core…
Background and Purpose Steel is the backbone of industrial growth. But within steel, there is something called Specialty Steel—a higher-grade, value-added version of steel. 👉 The problem is: India imports a lot of specialty steel, leading to an annual foreign exchange outgo of around ₹30,000 crore. So, the government launched the PLI Scheme for Specialty…
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) 👉 Significance: Aimed at reducing rural-urban disparity in electricity access. Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) 👉 Significance: Reduced electricity bills, promoted energy efficiency, and contributed to climate goals. Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) 👉 Significance: Reduced energy bills of municipalities and improved urban lighting. ECO…
Background and Context India has achieved universal electrification—almost every household is connected to the grid. But the real problem now lies in the distribution sector (DISCOMs), which often face huge losses, poor efficiency, and financial unsustainability. High AT&C losses (Aggregate Technical and Commercial losses) and the gap between Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and Average…
Background and Context The energy sector is undergoing rapid change worldwide—shift towards renewables, green hydrogen, storage technologies, and carbon capture. For India, which has committed to achieve Net Zero by 2070, it is necessary to not only adopt but also indigenously develop these technologies. With this vision, the Government launched Mission on Advanced and High-Impact…
PAHAL (Pratyaksh Hanstantrit Labh / Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG) 👉 Significance: Transparency, direct benefit to poor families, and savings to government by plugging leakages. Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana 👉 Significance: Encourages renewable fuels, reduces oil imports, boosts farmers’ income, and supports India’s ethanol blending programme. Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme 👉 Significance: A win-win…
Background and Context For centuries in rural India, women used firewood, cow dung cakes, and kerosene for cooking. This not only exposed them and their children to indoor air pollution (causing respiratory and eye diseases) but also consumed time and effort in collecting firewood. To solve this, the government launched PMUY in 2016, aiming to…
Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects Development of Solar Cities Greening of Islands Green Energy Corridor (GEC) – Phase II Suryamitra Skill Development Programme National Bioenergy Programme (NBP) Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Offshore Wind Energy Projects (OWEP)
Background and Purpose India’s energy consumption is rising rapidly. In the last 20 years, it has doubled, and by 2030 it may rise by another 25%. Currently, 40% of India’s energy is imported, costing the nation more than $90 billion annually. At the same time, India has committed to Net Zero emissions by 2070. This…
