10 June 2018: UPSC Exam PIB Summary & Analysis

Indigenous Lithium Ion Battery project

• A Memorandum of Agreement for transfer of technology for India’s first Lithium Ion (Li-ion) Battery project was signed between Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CECRI), Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu under Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and RAASI Solar Power Pvt Ltd.
• A group at CSIR-CECRI headed by Dr Gopu Kumar has developed an indigenous technology of Lithium-ion cells in partnership with CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) New Delhi, CSIR- Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI) Kolkata and Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) Hyderabad.
• CSIR-CECRI has set up a demo facility in Chennai to manufacture prototype Lithium-Ion cells.
• It has secured global IPRs with potential to enable cost reduction, coupled with appropriate supply chain and manufacturing technology for mass production.
• Currently, Indian manufacturers source Lithium Ion Battery from China, Japan and South Korea among some other countries.
• India is one of the largest importers and in 2017, it imported nearly 150 Million US Dollar worth Li-Ion batteries.

Rural sanitation coverage under Swachh Bharat 

• Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the largest behavior change programme in the world, the rural sanitation coverage of India has now risen to 85%. 
• Through mobilization of rural communities, 7.4 crore toilets have been built across rural India, and as an outcome, over 3.8 lakh villages and 391 districts have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF).
• This is significant because, under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), sanitation coverage has increased to more than double the coverage at the time of the launch of the Mission.
• The Swachh Bharat Mission is the first sanitation programme in the country to measure outcomes (ODF) instead of output (toilets) alone. 
• The SBM’s emphasis on behavior change in rural sanitation at the grassroots also leads to rigorous verification and sustainability of the benefits accrued to rural communities under the progress made. 
• The SBM is a people’s movement, a true jan andolan, and it is this people’s participation that has led to the success being witnessed under the Mission.
• The Mission is on track to achieve an ODF India by October 2019.

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