BharatNet launched in October 2011 under the Ministry of Communications to bridge India’s rural-urban digital divide.
Aim: Affordable high-speed internet for every Gram Panchayat (GP), fostering inclusive growth and empowering rural communities.
It serves as the backbone for India’s digital transformation.
Relevance : GS 3 (Digital Infrastructure )
Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) 2023
Approved in August 2023 with a budget of ₹1,39,579 crores.
Key features:
Ring Topology: Optical fiber connectivity from Blocks to GPs.
IP-MPLS Network: Advanced router infrastructure at Blocks and GPs.
On-demand Connectivity: For non-GP villages (~3.8 lakh).
Operational Support: 10 years of maintenance with centralized monitoring.
Power Backup and Fibre Monitoring: Enhanced resilience through the Remote Fibre Monitoring System (RFMS).
Funding: Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN)
Replaced the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
Objectives:
Improve telecomservices in rural/remote areas.
Ensure equitableaccess to digital services.
Boost economicgrowth and connectivity.
Phases of BharatNet Implementation
Phase I (Completed 2017): Connected 1 lakh GPs using existing infrastructure.
Phase II (Completed): Extended to 1.5 lakh GPs using diverse technologies like optical fiber and satellite.
Phase III (Ongoing): Focuses on integrating 5G technologies, enhancing bandwidth, and last-mile connectivity.
Impact of BharatNet
Digital Inclusion: Enabling e-governance, online education, and telemedicine in rural areas.
Economic Growth: Facilitates digital commerce and entrepreneurial activities in underserved areas.
Education and Healthcare: Supports digital classrooms and tele-health services, bridging resource gaps.
Empowered Governance: Enhances transparency and efficiency in public service delivery.
Achievements as of October 2024
4G BTS Coverage:24,96,644 Base Transceiver Stations across 783 districts.
5G Deployment: Fastest rollout globally with 4,62,084 BTS across 779 districts.
Data Affordability: Cost reduced from ₹269/GB (2014) to ₹9.08/GB (2024).
Connectivity Improvement: Over 6.15 lakh villages now have 4G mobile connectivity.
Internet Speed: Median mobile broadband speed increased from 1.3 Mbps (2014) to 95.67 Mbps (2024).
India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023
Introduction
Released by Shri Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, on 21st December 2024 at Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.
Published biennially by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) since 1987.
Based on remote sensing satellite data and field-based National Forest Inventory (NFI).
18th report in the series.
Relevance : GS 3(Environment )
Important Findings
Forest and Tree Cover
Total Forest and Tree Cover: 8,27,357 sq km (25.17% of India’s geographical area).
Forest Cover: 7,15,343 sq km (21.76%).
Tree Cover: 1,12,014 sq km (3.41%).
Increase:
Total: 1,445 sq km (Forest: 156 sq km, Tree: 1,289 sq km).
Top states with the highest increase in Forest and Tree Cover:
Chhattisgarh (684 sq km)
Uttar Pradesh (559 sq km)
Odisha (559 sq km)
Rajasthan (394 sq km).
Forest Cover by Area
Largest forest cover:
MadhyaPradesh (77,073 sq km).
ArunachalPradesh (65,882 sq km).
Chhattisgarh (55,812 sq km).
Percentage of Forest Cover
Highest percentage of forest cover (with respect to geographical area):
Lakshadweep: 91.33%.
Mizoram: 85.34%.
Andaman & NicobarIslands: 81.62%.
Mangrove Cover
Total area:4,992 sq km.
Growing Stock
Total: 6,430 million cubic meters (cum) (4,479 million cum inside forests, 1,951 million cum outside).
Increase of 262 million cum compared to 2021.
Bamboo Bearing Area
Total: 1,54,670 sq km (Increase of 5,227 sq km since 2021).
Carbon Stock
Total: 7,285.5 million tonnes (Increase of 81.5 million tonnes since 2021).
India’s carbon stock has reached 30.43 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent, moving closer to the NDC target of an additional 2.5–3 billion tonnes by 2030.
Timber Production
Annual potential:91.51 million cum from trees outside forests.
Highlights
19 States/UTs have forest cover exceeding 33% of their geographical area.
8 States/UTs have forest cover above 75%: Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Manipur.
Advanced technologies: Near real-time forest fire alerts and monitoring systems.