Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Security
Why in News?
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued new national security guidelines.
It was introducing a blanket ban on projects like solar, wind and hybrid renewable energy projects within 1 km of the international border and mandating security clearance for projects located up to 50 km away.
The border areas include the Line of Control (LoC), the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the International Border (IB).
Projects proposed within 20 km of the LoC, LAC and IB will also require a separate No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Defence.
Applications for all renewable energy projects will be submitted only to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
The guidelines impose restrictions on foreign participation and staffing.
It was stating that the applicants should not engage engineers, staff, employees, or labour from Pakistan, Bangladesh and China without the MHA’s permission.
Existing renewable energy projects near the LAC are mostly small-scale in nature, while those near the IB in Rajasthan and Gujarat are relatively large.
In Jammu and Kashmir, along the LoC, most projects are solar rooftop installations, while Kargil and Ladakh have solar photovoltaic projects.
