Government Extends PM-KUSUM Scheme till March 2026
Government Extends PM-KUSUM Scheme
till March 2026
Why In News
The government has
extended PM-KUSUM scheme till March 2026 as its implementation was
significantly affected due to the pandemic.
Key Points
The government has
extended PM-KUSUM scheme till March 2026 as its implementation was
significantly affected due to the pandemic. Launched in 2019, Pradhan Mantri
Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) aimed at adding solar
capacity of 30,800 MW by 2022 with total central financial support of Rs 34,422
crore, including service charges to the implementing agencies.
“The pace of implementation of PM-KUSUM was
significantly affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry of New &
Renewable Energy (MNRE) has also conducted a third party evaluation of the
scheme and based on the recommendations, the scheme has been extended till
31.3.2026,” R K Singh, Minister for New and Renewable Energy said in a written
reply to the Lok Sabha.
Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja
Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme for farmers for
installation of solar pumps and grid connected solar and other renewablepower
plants in the country.
The scheme aims
to add solar and other renewable capacity of 30,800 MW by 2022 with total
central financial support of Rs. 34,422 Croreincluding service charges to the
implementing agencies.
The Scheme
consists of three components:
Component
A: 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground Mounted Grid Connected Renewable
Power Plants of individual plant size up to 2 MW.
Component
B:Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps of
individual pump capacity up to 7.5 HP.
Component C:
Solarisation of 10 Lakh Grid-connected Agriculture Pumps of individual pump
capacity up to 7.5 HP.
MeitY ban loan apps including non-Chinese apps like PayU’s LazyPay, Kissht
MeitY ban loan apps including
non-Chinese apps like PayU’s LazyPay, Kissht
Why In News
MeitY ban on loan
apps: The Indian government issued urgent and emergency orders to restrict 138
betting and gambling applications and 94 loan-providing apps.
Key Points
The Indian government
issued urgent and emergency orders to restrict 138 betting and gambling
applications and 94 loan-providing apps. Players including PayU’s LazyPay,
Kissht, and numerous more loan apps were impacted by the prohibition.
A number of
well-known fintechs may have their operations suspended as a result of the
Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology (MeitY) including them
on a list of digital lenders whose websites and applications are to be blocked
in India.
PayU’s LazyPay and
Kissht, which is backed by Vertex Growth and Brunei Investment, are among the
lenders that are impacted by this most recent government directive concerning
digital lending apps in India.
Recently, MeitY
blacklisted 94 loan applications and 138 betting apps that had ties to China
and were suspected of participating in money laundering. It is still unknown
whether online lenders like Kissht and LazyPay are included on the same list.
On February 7,
representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and Information &
Technology (MeitY), the Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment (FACE),
and the founders and CEOs of numerous digital lending companies will meet to
discuss their positions and ask for restrictions to be lifted.
Online lending
platforms have recently been under scrutiny from the government, law
enforcement, and internet service providers like Google, which hosts apps on
its Play Store.
Impacted Apps
These include, among
others, the buy-now-pay-later service LazyPay from financial giant PayU.
LazyPay was previously removed from the Google Play Store in January 2021 due
to RBI regulations being broken. The Ministry of Home Affairs, which acts based
on a variety of sources of intelligence, including local police cyber cell
divisions, usually provides advice to the IT ministry before issuing a ban
order to internet service providers and telecom firms.
Bhupender Yadav Launched ‘Save Wetlands Campaign’ For Wetland Conservation
Bhupender Yadav Launched ‘Save
Wetlands Campaign’ For Wetland Conservation
Why In News
Union Minister for
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav launched the ‘Save Wetlands
Campaign’ in the presence of the Chief Minister of Goa.
Key Points
Union Minister for
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav launched the ‘Save
Wetlands Campaign’ in the presence of the Chief Minister of Goa. This campaign
is structured on a “whole of society” approach to wetlands conservation,
enabling affirmative actions for wetlands conservation at all levels of society
and involving all strata of society.
This campaign over
the next year will include sensitizing people to the value of wetlands,
increasing the coverage of wetland mitras, and building citizen partnerships
for wetlands conservation.
Two publications were
also released during the occasion, ‘India’s 75 Amrit Dharohar- India’s Ramsar
Sites Factbook’ and ‘Managing Climate Risks in Wetlands – A Practitioner’s
Guide.
The factbook is a
one-stop resource of information on the 75 Ramsar Sites, including their
values, threats they face, and management arrangements.
The practitioner’s
Guide on Climate Risk Assessment provides step-wise guidance on assessing the
site-level climate risks and integration of adaptation and mitigation responses
into the wetland management plan.
Bhupendra Yadav
interacted with wetlands managers of states and heard their experiences about
achievements and challenges. He highlighted the critical role played by the
wetland ecosystem in securing ecological, economic, and climate security.
He also mentioned
various green initiatives taken by the Government in the budget 2023 under the
leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi including Amrit Dharohar, MISHTI, PM
PRANAM, Green credit, and Green Growth aligned with Mission Life.
He also highlighted
the achievements of the country in the last about 9 years under the leadership
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during which the country has not only developed
economically but also with ecological balance.