1) PARIVESH:
- PARIVESH is an acronym for “Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by Interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub”.
- It is a Single-Window Integrated Environmental Management System.
- It automates the entire process of seeking clearances (related to Environment, Forest, Wildlife and Coastal Regulation Zone) from Central, State and district-level.
- Implementing agencies: The system has been developed and hosted by the Union Ministry of Environment with technical support from National Informatics Centre, (NIC), New Delhi.
- Significance: It contributes to the objective of improving Ease of Doing Responsible Business and Sustainable Development.
2) Initiatives taken for promoting biofuels:
- PM Narendra Modi announced setting up of 12 modern biofuel refineries worth ten thousand crore rupees across the country.
- This is one of many steps taken by Government of India in recent years to increase blending of biofuels which have the benefits of reducing import dependency on crude oil, cleaner environment and additional income to farmers.
- The National Policy on Biofuels-2018 has been approved with the objective of reaching 20% ethanol-blending and 5% biodiesel-blending by the year 2030. The present level of ethanol blending is at a mere 2%.
- Recently, the Government has increased the price of C-heavy molasses-based ethanol to Rs. 43.70 from Rs. 40.85 to give a boost to Ethanol Blending Programme.
- The Government has also reduced GST on ethanol for blending in fuel from 18% to 5%.
