7th Assembly Session of International Solar Alliance

Context: New Delhi will host the 7th Assembly session of the International Solar Alliance

• Agrivoltaic System: The Assembly will conclude on 6 November 2024 with delegates visiting a farm site in Delhi to witness the practical implementation of the Agrivoltaic System ( using the same land for solar energy production and agriculture).

Key Highlights of the Assembly Session

• Elections for the president and co-president for the year 2024 – 2026 will be conducted 
• The  High-Level Technology Conference on Clean Technologies:  The 3rd edition will be hosted in global collaboration with the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, the Government of India, the Asian Development Bank, and the International Solar Energy Society.
• 3rd Edition of The World Solar Reports: The series will be launched in the session and is ISA’s flagship report series on technology, investment, and market.
  • World Solar Market Report: It reveals exceptional solar growth with global capacity soaring from 1.22 GW in 2000 to 1,418.97 GW in 2023.
  • World Investment Report: Solar Energy is leading the  renewables space with 59% of the total investment with APAC emerging as the top investing region.
  • World Technology Report: There are technological advancements in solar with 24.9% efficiency in solar PV modules and a 90% drop in utility-scale solar PV costs.
  • Green Hydrogen Readiness Assessment for African Countries: Launched with Denmark’s support, targeting Egypt, Morocco, and Namibia to explore green hydrogen as a decarbonization solution.

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About the International Solar Alliance

• The International Solar Alliance is an international organisation which aims to promote solar power as a sustainable transition to a carbon-neutral future. 
• Establishment: Launched in 2015 by India and France at the COP21 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris.
• Headquarters:  National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) Gurugram, India. 
  • It is the first international intergovernmental organisation to be headquartered in India
• Membership:  103 Member Countries and 17 Signatories
• Guiding Strategy: The ‘Towards 1000’ initiative targets:
  • USD 1000 billion investment in solar by 2030,
  • Access to clean energy for 1000 million people,
  • Installation of 1000 GW solar capacity,
  • Reduction of 1000 million tonnes of CO2 annually.
• Vision: “Let us together make the sun brighter”
• Mission: “Every home, no matter how far away, will have a light at home.”
• ISA Assembly:
  • The Assembly is the apex decision-making body of ISA representing each Member Country which meets annually at the ministerial level at the ISA’s seat
  • Functions: The Assembly primarily makes decisions for the implementation of the ISA’s Framework Agreement.
    • Assessment: The overall effects of the programmes and other activities in terms of deployment, performance, reliability, cost, and scale of finance is assessed.

Key Initiatives of ISA

• One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG): Aims to build a global, interconnected renewable energy grid, with support from the World Bank.
• ISA Solar Technology and Application Resource Centre (ISTAR C): Focuses on technical training, innovation, and capacity-building for solar energy solutions.
• The Solar Data Portal: It is a platform that delivers real-time data on solar resources, project performance, and investment opportunities across countries.
• The Global Solar Facility: It aims to unlock commercial capital for solar projects in underserved regions, especially Africa.
• SolarX Startup Challenge: To identify and support innovative, scalable solutions for the solar sector. 
• The ISA Knowledge Series and the Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre: It was launched at the G20 Ministerial to advance solar energy research and development to expand knowledge-sharing and advocacy.

World’s First Wooden Satellite

Context: The world’s first wooden satellite was launched into space by Japan in an early test of using timber in lunar and Mars exploration.

About the Satellite

• Name: The satellite is named LignoSat after the Latin word for “wood”
• Built by: It was developed by Kyoto University and homebuilder Sumitomo Forestry (1911.T)
• Material Used: LignoSat is made of Honoki, using a traditional Japanese crafts technique without screws or glue.
  • Honoki is a kind of magnolia tree native to Japan and traditionally used for sword sheaths. 
• Mission: The satellite will be flown to the International Space Station on a SpaceX mission and later released into orbit about 400 km (250 miles) above the Earth. LignoSat will stay in orbit for six months.
• Purpose: LignoSat will  demonstrate the cosmic potential of wood as a space-grade material as  humans explore living in space.
  • The satellite is a  NASA-certified wooden satellite
• Mission Objectives: 
  • Endurance Strength: To measure Wood’s ability to endure the extreme environment of space with temperatures fluctuating from -100 to 100 degrees Celsius every 45 minute
  • Impact of Radiation: It will also measure wood’s ability to reduce the impact of space radiation on semiconductors, making it useful for applications such as data centre construction.

Advantages of Wood as a Space Material

• Space Debris: Conventional metal satellites create aluminum oxide particles during re-entry, but wooden ones would just burn up with less pollution
• Durability: Wood is more durable in space than on Earth as  there’s no water or oxygen that would rot or inflame it
• A wooden satellite also minimizes the environmental impact at the end of its life while decommissioning.

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Protected Planet Report 2024

Context: Recently, the Protected Planet Report 2024 was launched at COP16. 

More on the news

• Launched by : The UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

About The Protected Planet Report

• It is the first report to thoroughly evaluate the status of protected and conserved areas worldwide, aligning with Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. 
  • This report compiles up-to-date data from governments and other partners through the Protected Planet Initiative.
• Objective: The report evaluates the global commitment to biodiversity conservation since the KMGBF was established, tracking milestones and challenges.
  • 30×30 Target: This goal prioritizes the protection of at least 30% of the world’s terrestrial and marine ecosystems by 2030 to maintain ecological balance and support biodiversity.
  • Importance of the 30×30 Target
    • Ecosystem Stability: Conserving 30% of land and marine areas is vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity.
    • Climate Change Mitigation: Protected areas can act as carbon sinks, helping in the fight against climate change.
    • Sustainable Development: Biodiversity conservation supports sustainable livelihoods and natural resources, crucial for future generations.

Key Findings of the Protected Planet Report 2024

• Coverage Progress: Currently, 17.6% of land and 8.4% of marine areas are protected. To achieve the 30×30 target by 2030, substantial acceleration and quality improvements in protected areas are needed.
• Area Expansion: Since 2020, an additional 629,000 km² of land and 1.77 million km² of marine areas have been protected. However, 12.4% more land and 21.6% more marine areas must still be secured.
• Biodiversity Protection: While 68% of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are protected, 32% remain unprotected. Efforts are needed to cover critical ecosystems and ensure ecological representation.
• Connectivity: Only 8.52% of land is both protected and ecologically connected, showing a gap in the connectivity essential for biodiversity conservation.
• Effectiveness of Protection: Although 177 countries report some management data, more comprehensive governance assessments are necessary to measure conservation impact.
• Equitable Governance: Indigenous management is limited to 3.95% of protected areas. Broader governance inclusion is required to honor Indigenous and community rights.
• Integrated Conservation: Protected areas should be embedded in larger landscapes and seascapes, balancing biodiversity goals with sustainable use and local livelihoods.

Millimeter Wave Transceiver for 5G Rural Connectivity

Context: The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a key Telecom R&D body under India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee).

More on the news

• The collaboration aims to develop a Millimetre Wave Transceiver for 5G Rural Connectivity to enhance telecom infrastructure in rural areas.
• The agreement is signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) scheme of the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India. 
  • TTDF aims to fund telecommunication product innovation to provide affordable broadband and mobile services, addressing India’s digital divide.

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India’s Autonomous Maritime Milestone: Sagarmala Parikrama

Context: An autonomous surface vessel, indigenously developed by Sagar Defence Engineering, successfully completed a 1,500 km voyage from Mumbai to Thoothukudi.

More on the news

• This autonomous vessel marks a first-of-its-kind achievement in India

About Sagarmala Parikrama

• It is an initiative of  the Indian Navy and Sagar Defence Engineering.
• Objective: To showcase India’s expertise in maritime technology. 
• Key feature: This project has an autonomous vessel named “Matangi”. 

Key Highlights

• Human-Free Navigation: The vessel accomplished this feat without any human intervention, showcasing India’s technological prowess in autonomous maritime systems.
• Government Support: The Indian Navy’s support, through its innovation and indigenization initiatives, was instrumental in the project’s success.
• Strategic Significance: This achievement has significant implications for India’s national security, enabling the deployment of unmanned systems for various maritime operations.
• Future Applications: The successful voyage opens doors for the deployment of autonomous vessels in diverse applications, including coastal surveillance, anti-piracy operations, and search and rescue missions.

Implications for India’s Maritime Security

• Enhanced Surveillance: Autonomous vessels can be deployed for continuous surveillance of India’s vast coastline, improving maritime security.
• Efficient Operations: Unmanned systems can undertake routine tasks, freeing up human resources for more complex missions.
• Reduced Risk to Personnel: By minimizing human involvement in hazardous maritime operations, autonomous vessels can reduce the risk to personnel.
• Technological Advancement: This achievement underscores India’s commitment to technological advancement in the defense sector, positioning the country as a global leader in autonomous maritime systems.

Permafrost Carbon

Context: A first full greenhouse gas budget (for CO₂, methane, and nitrous oxide) for the period 2000–20 by tallying sources and sinks for the northern permafrost region is being published as part of the Global Carbon Project.

Highlights of the Study

• It was found that permafrost was a small to medium CO₂ sink which stored between 29 million and 500 million tonnes of carbon a year.
• Negative Carbon-Climate Feedback: Thawing of permafrost will not drastically affect the global warming scenario and will actually result in cooling affects as,
  • Longer growing seasons (due to global warming), the increase in available nitrogen in soils, and higher CO₂ concentrations will  help plants to grow for longer and accumulate more carbon.
• Neutral Potential: The combined contribution to global warming of all three greenhouse gasses is close to neutral as CO₂ sinks will lead to cooling offsetting  the warming from methane and nitrous oxide emissions in 100 year cycle.
• Sources of Greenhouse Gases:
  • CO₂: Lakes, rivers and wildfires were the source of CO₂.
  • Methane: There is an increase in wetlands (low oxygen levels) as the permafrost melts making more  landscape saturated with water.
  • Nitrous Oxide Emissions: It came from the decomposed soil organic matter also containing nitrogen from the dry tundra and boreal forests.
• As a Sink: 
  • The boreal forests of Canada and Russia and other smaller regions, were mainly responsible for soaking up the CO₂ when there was increased plant growth and longer growing seasons.

About Permafrost

• Permafrost is any ground comprising layers of soil, sand, gravel, or rock held together by ice that remains frozen for at least two years and is a geologic manifestation of climate being defined by temperature, and not by soil moisture or snow cover.
• Regions: Permafrost is found in The Arctic, The Antarctic, High mountains, Subsea Arctic continental shelves, Eurasia, North America, and Greenland
• Permafrost Carbon: It is the source of organic carbon (a material leftover from dead plants that couldn’t decompose, or rot away, due to the cold) found mainly near the surface.
  • As permafrost thaws, microbes will act on these organic carbon decomposing them, releasing  greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere.

55th International Film Festival of India

Context: Panaji, Goa will host the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Highlights of the 55th IFFI

• The 2024 edition features films across 16 curated segments
  • Examples:  popular segments like  ‘Creative Minds of Tomorrow’, ‘Film Bazaar’ and ‘Cine Mela’ etc
• The Country of Focus: Australia will be the country of focus and feature seven Australian films across a range of genres.
  • India and Australia have formalized an Audio-Visual Co-Production Treaty, supporting deeper cinematic collaborations between the two countries.
• Sections:
  • IFFI’s International Cinema Section: It will showcase exceptional films from around the globe.
  • The Indian Panorama Section: it will showcase 25 Feature Films and 20 Non-Feature Films during its 55th edition.
  • Opening Film: 
    • The feature Film category will open with  “Swatantrya Veer Savarkar” (Hindi) by Shri Randeep Hooda.
    • The non-feature category will open with Ghar Jaisa Kuch (Ladakhi), directed by Harsh Sangani.
• Best Debut Director of Indian Feature Film: A new award category was created dedicated to emerging voices in Indian cinema.
  • Debut Director Films Honoured: Boong (Manipuri) by Lakshmipriya Devi; Gharat Ganpati (Marathi) by Navjyot Bandiwadekar; Mikka Bannada Hakki (Bird of a Different Feather- Kannada) by Manohara K;  Razakar (Silent Genocide of Hyderabad- Telugu) by Yata Satyanarayana; Thanupp (The Cold- Malayalam) by Ragesh Narayanan
• Centenary Tribute: IFFI 2024 will pay centenary tribute to four legends of Indian cinema ie. actor Raj Kapoor, director Tapan Sinha, Telugu film icon Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR), and singer Mohammed Rafi

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About The International Film Festival of India (IFFI)

• The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) stands as one of Asia’s premier film festivals, with an accreditation from the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF) also.
• Foundation: It was founded in 1952.
• Held At: Goa is hosting the festival annually since 2004
• Organised by: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India ( National Film Development Corporation) in collaboration with the Entertainment Society of Goa, Government of Goa.
• Significance: The event continues to serve as a cultural bridge, connecting audiences, filmmakers, and cinephiles from around the world while fostering a global appreciation for the art of filmmaking.

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