28th Dec 2017 – Press Information Bureau (Daily PIB PDF For UPSC)

Department of Atomic Energy

• Seventy years since the constitution of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1948, the total installed capacity of nuclear power in India has reached 6,780 MW, comprising 22 nuclear reactors.
• The installed capacity is expected to increase gradually, to 22,480 MW
  (including PFBR, 500 MW being implemented by Bharatiya Nabhikiya
  Vidyut Nigam Limited [BHAVINI]) by 2031 on progressive completion of projects under construction and accorded administrative approval & financial sanction by the Government of India.
• The average tariff of nuclear power in the financial year 2016-17 was Rs 2.95 per unit, with tariffs of stations ranging from Rs 1.07 in case of the oldest station TAPS 1&2 to Rs 4.10 in respect of the latest station, KKNPP 1&2.
• Nuclear is a clean, environment friendly base load source of power
  available 24X7.
• It also has huge potential which will ensure long term energy security of the country in a sustainable manner.
• Therefore nuclear energy is an important component of the country’s
  energy mix and is being pursued along with other sources of energy in an optimal manner.

Ministry of Defence

• Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) System of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully scored
  a direct hit on incoming missile today at around 09:45 am from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
• The spectacular success puts India in the league of a very few select nations world over in the arena of critical defence technology.
• The indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile is capable of destroying any incoming enemy ballistic missile at low altitude.
• The interceptor was engaged against a Prithvi missile.
• The interceptor positioned at Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast roared through its trajectory after getting signals from tracking radar and destroyed the incoming hostile missile mid-air in about two minutes.
• With this effective anti-ballistic missile system, India is the fourth
  country in the world to have a ballistic missile defence programme.

Ministry of Agriculture

• Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that India is the oyster of the global dairy industry with
  opportunities galore for the entrepreneurs globally.
• Shri Singh said it at the Consultative Committee meeting on Dairy
  Development held at Parliament House Annexe (PHA), New Delhi.
• Shri Singh said that India continues to be the largest producer of milk in the world since last 15 years and the credit for this achievement goes to the initiatives taken by the Government by implementing various schemes to increase the productivity of milch animals.
• Milk production, which was around 17-22 million tonnes in the 1960s, has increased to 163.7 million tonnes in 2016-17. Particularly, it has
  increased by 19% during 2016-17 in comparison to the year 2013-14.
• Similarly, per capita availability of milk has increased from 307 grams in 2013-14 to 351 grams in the year 2016-17, which shows a growth of
  14.3%.
• Similarly, the income of dairy farmers increased by 23.77% in 2014-17
  compared to 2011-14.
• During the last 3 years, with the annual growth rate of 5.53%, milk
  production in India has outpaced global milk production where it has
  grown by 2.09%.

External Affairs Ministry

• Sushma Swaraj today strongly criticized Pakistan for, what she called, its obnoxious behaviour during the meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his mother and wife in Islamabad.
• Making similar statements in both the Houses of Parliament on the
  meeting between Mr Jadhav and his family, she said it could have been a step forward, but Pakistan used it as a tool for propaganda.
• “यह भेंट आगेकी दिशा मेंबढ़नेवाला एक किम साबबत हो सकती है। लेककन अत्यंत खेि
  का ववषय हैकक हमारेिोनों िेशों के बीच बनी सहमतत सेहटकर इस मलाकात का
  आयोजन ककया गया है। 22 महीनेबाि एक मांकी अपनेबेटेसेऔर एक पत्नी के अपने
  पतत सेहोनेवाली भावभरी भेंट को पाककस्तान नेएक प्रोपोगंडा के हथियार के रूप में
  इस्तेमाल ककया।”
• The Minister criticized the neighbouring country for not allowing the familymembers to speak in their mother tongue.
• Mrs Swaraj also came down heavily on Pakistan for not returning the shoes of Jadhav’s wife and said Islamabad is now levelling baseless allegations that there was something hidden inside her shoes.
• Cutting across party lines, members in both Houses supported the government on the issue.
• Reacting to the statement made by Mrs Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the treatment meted out to Jadhav’s family is an insult to the mothers and sisters of 130 crore Indians.
• Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said the government should convey to the International community that Pakistan behaved in an inhuman manner.
• An earthquake of mild intensity was felt in some parts of Uttarakhand this evening.
  
• The epicenter was Pokhri block of Chamoli district.
  
• The tremor was measured 4.7 on the Richter scale.
  
• However, no loss of life or damage to property has been reported from any part of the state yet.

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