Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM)

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (also known as the National Solar Mission) is a major initiative of the Government of India and State Governments to promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy security challenges. It will also constitute a major contribution by India to the global effort to meet the challenges of climate change.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission was launched on the 11^th January, 2010 by the Prime Minister. The Mission has set the ambitious target of deploying 20,000 MW of grid connected solar power by 2022 is aimed at reducing the cost of solar power generation in the country through:

1. Long term policy
2. Large scale deployment goals
3. Aggressive R&D
4. Domestic production of critical raw materials, components and products

Mission will create an enabling policy framework to achieve the objective of establishing India as a global leader in solar energy, by creating the policy conditions for its diffusion across the country as quickly as possible. The immediate aim of the Mission is to focus on setting up an enabling environment for solar technology penetration in the country both at a centralized and decentralized level.

Why recently in news?        (The Hindu)

India is forecast to see flat capacity addition in 2014 when compared with 2013 even as the global market may improve capacity by about 24 per cent in the current calendar year. Several factors are being cited for the slow growth in solar capacity addition:

1. India’ trade dispute with the U.S. in the World Trade Organization.
2. Frequent delays in State policies.
3. Project economic viability stemming from reverse auctions that have pushed down project margins
4.  Lack of enforcement for renewable purchase obligation (RPO) norms
5. The upcoming national elections

These factors are adding uncertainty to India’s solar market which may result in a slowdown in large-scale solar project installations.

Mumtaz Mahal Museum

Reference- (The Hindu)

The museum is located in one of the palaces of the Red Fort, Delhi. It is believed that this palace was built by Shah Jahan for his queen Arjumand Banu Begum also famously known as Mumtaz Mahal. The objects are displayed thematically in six galleries belonging to the Mughal period.

The first few showcases have articles belonging to Emperor Akbar and his successors which include miniature paintings, manuscripts, stone inscriptions, farmans (royal orders) etc. One of the showcases has 17th century brass astrolabes which were used for astronomical calculations like measuring the distance between heavenly bodies, day and night times etc. The next gallery has porcelain, celadon and jade objects, textiles and glazed tiles. The most distinctive of the Mughal jade objects are the hilts of swords and daggers, usually plain but beautifully carved and finished. Curtains, carpets, pillows, cushions and costumes are also on display in the museum.

The Bahadur Shah Zafar gallery houses objects belonging to the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah and his queen like costumes, pen holder, ink pot, scissor, gun powder horns, rose water sprinkler, toilet box etc. Two specimens of calligraphy of Bahadur Shah II, an ivory miniature believed to be of Zeenat Mahal and a photograph of the last days of Bahadur Shah in the prison at Rangoon deserve special mention.

One can also find the arms used in the war of 1857 by the then Nawab of Pataudi, arms used by Bahadur Shah and field glass used by General J. Nicholson during the siege of Delhi here. Portraits of the last Mughal rulers and contemporary personalities like Mirza Ghalib, maps and lithographs depicting scenes of Delhi, Bahadur Shah’s letter to Queen Victoria with the thumb impression of his son Jawan Bakht, are some of the other interesting pieces of display in the museum.