Power, Electricity, IMD - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: 1.1 bn

Explanation:
Half a billion people have gained access to electricity in India since 2000, almost doubling the country's electrification rate, according to the World Energy Access report released on Dec 6, 2017 by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

This "remarkable" growth puts India on course to achieving access to electricity for all in the early 2020s, the report added.

The number of people without access to electricity fell to 1.1 billion in 2016 from 1.7 billion in 2000.

It is on track to decline to 674 million by 2030, with India reaching universal access well before then. Since 2012, more than 100 million people per year have gained electricity access, an acceleration from the rate of 62 million people per year seen between 2000 and 2012.

Our analysis in the World Energy Outlook confirms that India is emerging as a major driving force in global energy trends, with all modern fuels and technologies playing a part.

Half a billion people have gained access to electricity in India since 2000, almost doubling the country's electrification rate.
This remarkable growth puts India on course to achieving access to electricity for all in the early 2020s - a colossal achievement.

Rate of Electrification: Know More

• Coal has fuelled about 75% of the new electricity access since 2000, with renewable sources accounting for around 20%, according to the report.
• However, 239 million people remained without electricity access in 2016, about a quarter of the worldwide total.
• The report added that India is expected to reach universal electricity access in the early-2020s. Progress has also been made on clean cooking, although 830 million people in India still lack access.
• There are clear indications however that government policy efforts targeting LPG have begun to take hold.
• The share of the population relying primarily on biomass for cooking fell to 59% in 2015 from 66% in 2011.
• By 2030, the promotion of LPG and improved biomass cookstoves by the government means that more than 300 million people gain access to clean cooking facilities, but still more than one-in-three people remain without

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
India has been ranked 45th, down four notches from last year, in terms of competitiveness in the annual rankings compiled by IMD which saw Hong Kong topping the list.

US was “pushed out” of the top three slots while Hong Kong consolidated its dominance of the annual rankings for the second year.

The list is compiled by the International Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness Centre. Switzerland and Singapore were ranked second and third respectively, with the USA at the fourth spot - its lowest position in five years and down from third last year.

The Netherlands completed the top five, jumping up from eighth last year.

Others in the top 10 list include Ireland at 6th, Denmark 7th, Luxembourg (8th), Sweden (9th) and UAE at 10th.

As India slid, China improved its position by seven places to 18th, thanks to its dedication to international trade. “If you look at China, its improvement of seven places to 18th can be traced to its dedication to international trade. This continues to drive the economy and the improvement in government and business efficiency,”

Professor Arturo Bris, Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Centre said. The bottom of the table, meanwhile, is largely occupied by countries experiencing political and economic upheaval.

Ukraine was ranked 60th, while Brazil was placed at the 61st position and Venezuela at 63rd.

IMD: Know More

• The IMD World Competitiveness Centre is a research group at IMD business school in Switzerland.
• It has been publishing the rankings every year since 1989.
  This year’s list comprises 63 countries with Cyprus and Saudi Arabia making their first appearance. Meanwhile, for the first time this year, the IMD World Competitiveness Centre also published a separate report ranking countries’ digital competitiveness.
• At the top of the digital ranking is Singapore, followed by Sweden, the USA, Finland and Denmark, while the bottom five are Indonesia, Ukraine, Mongolia, Peru and Venezuela.

ANSWER: Vidyut Pravah

Explanation:
Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy launched mobile app Vidyut Pravah- Electricity, Price Availability and Highlights

• Mobile application provides highlights of power availability in the country on real time basis
• Web/Mobile application provides a wealth of information relating to current demand met, surplus power available and prices in the Power Exchange
• UI ensures that visualisation of power availability and prices at overall country level and at State/UT level is facilitated.
• The Web application can be accessed through vidyutpravah.in.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• IMD provides specialized forecasts for all the above.
• It also has mountain weather bulletin under this category

ANSWER: 1 and 2

Explanation:

• For the first time in its history, the India Meteorological Department — best known for its monsoon forecasts — will issue a summer forecast for April, May and June. Those involved say that though such a forecast may not be of much help to farmers — who rely on IMD’s rain forecasts to make sowing decisions and don’t plant their crops in these months — the information would be useful to power companies, several service-sector industries and state planners who’d like a heads-up on possible water shortages.
• In mid-March, the IMD will send out a color-coded map of India, showing how temperatures in different regions of the country are likely to deviate from what’s normal, during summer months. These numbers would be updated every five days
• IMD reports to Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Businesses that have requested summer forecasts include manufacturers of refrigerators, air conditioners, ice cream and cold drinks.
• The IMD does give warnings about imminent heat waves and dry weather but these are no more than five days ahead. The key factor to forecasting weather a few months ahead is in ensuring that the computerized weather models are consistently able to simulate the weather as it actually plays out.

ANSWER: Ministry of Earth science

Explanation:
- Indian Meteorological Department is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.
- It is headquartered in New Delhi and operates hundreds of observation stations across India and Antarctica.
- IMD is one of the 6 worldwide Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres of the Tropical Cyclone Programme of the World Weather Watch of the World Meteorological Organization.
- It is regional nodal agency for forecasting, naming and disseminating warnings about tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean north of the Equator.

ANSWER: Both

Explanation:
Forecasts of heat and cold waves over a sub-division will be issued only if at least two stations in the sub-division are expected to experience such conditions
Heat wave: Temperatures are greater than 4.50C above usual temperatures for the region.
Severe heat wave: Temperatures are greater than or equal to 470C.
Cold wave: Temperatures are less than 4.50C above usual temperatures for the region.
Severe cold wave: Temperatures are less than 20C

ANSWER: Seven

Explanation:
The seven states include Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. In this seven states, activities envisaged under the project includes establishment of 48 new Grid sub-stations of different voltage levels with total transformation capacity around 17100 MVA (Mega Volt Ampere) by installing over 7800 ckt-kms (Circuit Kilometers) of transmission lines.

ANSWER: Miniratna

Explanation:
The scheme of awarding Navratna, Miniratna (Category-1 and 2) status to public sector undertakings (PSUs) was started by the Union Government vide a notification dated 22 July 1997 so as to grant greater autonomy to PSUs to become global giants.

ANSWER: 3.6%

Explanation:
India achieved lowest ever power deficit of 3.6 per cent and highest ever increase in power capacity addition of 22,566 Mega Watts.