Online Learning Portal
Online Learning Portal
Hybrid Classes
We provide offline, online and recorded lectures in the same amount.
Personalised Mentoring
Every aspirant is unique and the mentoring is customised according to the strengths and weaknesses of the aspirant
Topicwise Mindmaps
In every Lecture. Director Sir will provide conceptual understanding with around 800 Mindmaps.
Quality Content
We provide you the best and Comprehensive content which comes directly or indirectly in UPSC Exam.
DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS
PRINT
07 June, 2020
3 Min Read
India’s first solar ferry sails into global contest
GS- Paper-III
‘Aditya’, representing Asia in the Gustave Trouvé Awards event, is from Kerala.
India’s first solar-powered ferry, Aditya, which became an icon on the Vaikom-Thavanakadavu route in Kerala, is among 12 such ferries that have been shortlisted for the Gustave Trouvé Award. It is the sole entrant from Asia.
There are three award categories:
Gussies Electric Boat Awards were instituted in memory of Gustave Trouvé, a French electrical engineer and pioneer in electric cars and boats. Trouvé was a prolific inventor with over 75 patents. Back in 1881, he developed a 5-m-long prototype electric boat.
Built in Kochi
Operated by the Kerala State Water Transport Department (KSWTD), the vessel was built by Navalt Solar and Electric Boats, Kochi. Buoyed by the success of the ferry and its rock bottom operating cost, the department is expected to roll out more such vessels in the future.
The founder-CEO of the firm, Sandith Thandassery, a naval architect who graduated from IIT-Madras, explained what contributed to the success of the vessel. “As a public transport solar-electric ferry, it has proven its performance in its third year, transporting 11 lakh passengers and clocking a distance of 70,000 km, without a single drop of fossil fuel. It thus saved KSWTD over 1 lakh litres of diesel.”
The per km energy cost of Aditya is low, and the ferry normally operates 22 trips a day, covering a total of 66 km, carrying 75 passengers per trip.
It needs just ?180 per day in energy cost, compared to about ?8,000 for a diesel-run ferry of similar size. It is unusual for a high technology product to have such a low break-even period, Mr. Thandassery said. The financial viability of the zero pollution vessel is such that the KSWTD, in January 2020, said that it saved ?75 lakh since its 2017 launch.
Source: TH
18 Mar, 26
The Supreme Court of India recently gave a final three-week deadline to the Telangana Assembly Speaker to decide pending disqualification petitions against defecting MLAs under the Anti-Defection Law. What is the Anti-Defection Law? The Anti-Defection Law was introduced through the 52nd Amendment (1985), which added the Tenth Schedule to the
18 Mar, 26
A major disaster unfolded in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, when at least 18 workers died following an explosion in an illegally operating rat-hole coal mine. This incident highlights the continued prevalence of rat-hole mining despite bans imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Supreme Court of India. Rat-hole mining is driven
17 Mar, 26
India’s aviation sector has grown rapidly, becoming a major economic success story. However, regulatory oversight has not evolved at the same pace. Data-driven monitoring of fares and market behavior is essential to ensure fair competition, prevent market abuse, and shift from reactive crisis management to proactive regulation. Challen
14 Mar, 26
Recently, a high-level committee on Union–State relations submitted its first report to the Government of Tamil Nadu. The report examines the distribution of powers and responsibilities between the Union and the States, highlighting ongoing debates regarding the balance between central authority and state autonomy. This discussion is clos
14 Mar, 26
The relationship between India and the United Arab Emirates has evolved from a traditional energy-based partnership into a comprehensive economic and strategic relationship. Over the years, strong political trust, growing trade, and expanding investments have transformed bilateral ties into a diversified economic corridor. The economic partnership
22 Mar,2026
Our Popular Courses
Module wise Prelims Batches
Mains Batches
Test Series
24 × 7 Support :
8287714422
Whatsapp :
8010068998
Email Us: query@aspireias.com
My Notes
Geography And Environment
