India to host third Voice of Global South Summit

• Theme of Third Global South Summit: “An Empowered Global South for a Sustainable Future”.

Global South:

• About: The Global South refers to the developing and the less-developed countries of the world.
• Brandt Line: Proposed by German Chancellor Willy Brandt in the 1980s, this line visually depicts the global north-south economic divide, based on per-capita GDP, spanning Africa, the Middle East, India, and China, while excluding Australia and New Zealand.

About Global South Summit:

• About:  It is an initiative that envisages bringing together countries of the Global South and sharing their perspectives and priorities on a common platform across a whole range of issues.
• Philosophical Foundation: Rooted in the Indian principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning ‘the world is one family’.
• Structure:The summit  is structured into Leaders’ Session and ministerial sessions.

Previous Summits:

• Summit Details: India hosted the first Voice of Global South Summit on January 12 and 13, 2023. 
  • The second edition was held on November 17, 2023. 
• Summit Format: Both the summits were held in virtual format.
  • Both the previous editions of the Summit saw participation of over 100 countries from the Global South. 
• Outcome of these Summits: The inputs and feedback from developing country leaders at previous summits was incorporated into the G-20 summit agenda and the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration.
  • The New Delhi Leaders Declaration was adopted during the G20 New Delhi Summit.

‘FloodWatch India’ app

About ‘FloodWatch India

• It was developed by the Central Water Commission (CWC). 
• The app now gives information about floods from many more places (592) compared to before (200).
• • The app also tells you how full big water tanks (called reservoirs) are. 
    • This is important because when these tanks are too full, it can cause floods in nearby areas.
• Better Predictions: ‘FloodWatch India’ uses advanced technologies like satellite data analysis, mathematical modeling, and real-time monitoring to provide accurate and timely flood forecasts.

Model Solar Village’ under PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

• It has been  notified by the  Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

‘Model Solar Village’ Component: 

• It will emphasize creating one Model Solar Village per district across India
• Goal: To promote solar energy adoption and enable village communities to become self-reliant in meeting their energy needs. 
• Budget: A total budget of ₹800 crore is allocated for this component, with  ₹1 crore being provided per selected Model Solar Village.
• Eligibility: A village must be a revenue village with a population size above 5,000 (or 2,000 for special category states). 
• Implementation Agencies: It will be done by State/UT Renewable Energy Development Agency under the supervision of District Level Committee (DLC)
• The Selection Process: It will involve a competition where villages will be assessed on their overall distributed renewable energy (RE) capacity installed 6 months after the declaration of the potential candidate by the District Level Committee (DLC).
  • The winning village in each district, with the highest RE capacity, will receive a central financial assistance grant of ₹1 crore. 

PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

• Launched: It was launched on 29th February 2024
•  Aim: It is to increase the share of solar rooftop capacity and empower residential households to generate their own electricity.
• Budget:  The scheme has an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore and is to be implemented till FY 2026-27.