(i) Ground Mounted Solar Plant : 70.05 GW 

(ii) Grid Connected Solar Rooftop: 14.30 GW

(iii) Hybrid Projects(Solar Component) : 2.63 GW

(iv) Off-Grid Solar: 3.78 GW

Additional Information

• India has recently launched its National Electricity Plan (Transmission), setting an ambitious target of achieving 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and over 600 GW by 2032.
• The Central Electricity Authority (CEA), in consultation with stakeholders, prepared the plan under Section 3 of the Electricity Act, 2003.
•  The plan outlines the addition of over 191,000 circuit kilometers of transmission lines and 1,270 GVA of transformation capacity from 2022-2032, with a focus on high-voltage systems (220 kV and above).

• It encompasses cross-border interconnections with countries like Nepal, Bhutan, and potential links to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. 
• It emphasizes the adoption of new technologies such as Hybrid Substations and high-performance conductors and aims to foster skill development in the sector.
• It also includes provisions for delivering power to green hydrogen and green ammonia manufacturing hubs, which are emerging as key sectors in India’s green economy.
  • These hubs will be located at coastal regions such as Mundra, Kandla, Gopalpur, Paradeep, Tuticorin, Vizag, and Mangalore. 

Additional Information

• The Commonwealth of Nations is a group of 56 countries composed mostly of former British colonies.
•  It was established by the London Declaration in 1949. 
• While members of the Commonwealth are predominantly located in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific, with many of them emerging economies, the three European members of the group are Cyprus, Malta, and the U.K. 
  • The developed nations of the Commonwealth are Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Republics and Realms: 
• The Commonwealth consists of both Republics and Realms. The British monarch is the Head of State for the realms, whereas the republics are ruled by elected governments except in the case of five countries — Brunei Darussalam, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malaysia, and Tonga — each a self-governed monarchy.
• The Commonwealth’s roots go back to the British Empire. But today any country can join the modern Commonwealth. The last two countries to join the Commonwealth were Gabon and Togo in 2022.
• Working: Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meet every two years to discuss pertinent issues and release a summit communiqué.
• All members are considered equal, and decisions are made by consensus.
• Member countries choose the Head of the Commonwealth. 
• Suspension of members can occur following breaches of human rights, as seen in cases such as Fiji, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and the Maldives.

• Eswatini is not a part of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)

Additional Information

• The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation was established in 2000 to formalise the strategic partnership between China and African nations. A summit is conducted every three years, with the host alternating between China and an African member.
• The FOCAC counts 53 African nations as its members – the entire continent except Eswatini, which has diplomatic ties with Taiwan against Beijing’s “One China” Policy.
• The African Union Commission, the continental bloc tasked with ensuring cooperation and economic integration across its member countries, is also a member.

Karmayogi Competency Model for civil servants

• The Capacity Building Commission (CBC), has developed the Karmayogi Competency Model for civil servants. 

• It is a framework of behavioral and functional competencies designed to aid their transition from a karmachari (employee) to a karmayogi (dedicated worker).
• The model aims to optimize deployment of officials to roles based on their competencies, which are also mapped to courses on the Integrated Government Online Training (iGOT) portal.

Components of the Competency Model

• The model consists of 34 competencies, categorized as behavioral and functional.
• Behavioral Competencies: There are 13 behavioral competencies, further divided into two sub-categories;
  • Core Competencies
  • Leadership Competencies
• Key behavioral competencies include: Self-awareness, Personal effectiveness,  Creativity and innovation and Strategic leadership.
  • These competencies are inspired by four resolutions that every public official should embody: Vikas (Development), Garva (Pride),  Kartavya (Duty) and Ekta (Unity).
• Functional Competencies: There are 21 functional competencies, which focus on skills required to effectively perform specific roles in governance.
  • Key functional competencies include: Citizen-centricity, Policy architecture, Digital fluency, Financial management and Data analytics.

• The Emissions Gap Report is published by UN Environment Programme

Emissions Gap Report 2024

• Recently, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the Emissions Gap Report 2024 ahead of the COP 29 of the UNFCCC meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

Key Highlights

• Current Trajectory: The report highlighted that if countries maintain current environmental policies, global temperatures will likely rise by 3.1°C above pre-industrial levels. 
• Paris Agreement at Risk: Full implementation of all Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) would still lead to 2.6°C of warming. 
  • The Paris Agreement target is to keep the global temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with an effort to limit it to 1.5°C. 
  • To limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030. 
• Record High Emissions: Global greenhouse gas emissions hit 57.1 gigatons of CO₂ equivalent gases (tCO₂e) in 2023. 
  • India’s emissions grew by 6.1% while overall global emissions rose by 1.3% in 2023 compared to 2022. 
• Major Emitters:  
  • G20’s Contribution: G20 countries (excluding the African Union) contributed 77% of global emissions in 2023. 
  • High Emissions from Key Players: Six of the largest emitters accounted for 63% of emissions globally.

• Per Capita Emissions:  
  • India’s per capita GHG emissions in 2022 were 2.9 tCO₂e, significantly lower than China (11 tCO₂e) and the US (18 tCO₂e). 
  • Developed countries have per capita emissions about three times the global average (6.6 tCO₂e), while India, African Union, and least developed countries remain below it. 
• Necessary Emissions Cuts: A reduction of at least 7.5% each year until 2035 is essential to keep the 1.5°C target within reach. 
• Cost of Bridging the Gap: Achieving net-zero by 2050 requires USD 900 billion to USD 2.1 trillion annually, or about 1% of global GDP. 
• Emission Reduction Pathways:  
  • Scaling solar and wind energy can deliver 27% of required emissions reductions by 2030. 
  • Forest conservation and restoration could account for around 20% of reductions.