Question: How much is the corpus of grant aid in first ever official development assistance (ODA) project in Andaman & Nicobar (A&N) by Japan?
a) Rs 450 crore
b) Rs 500 crore
c) Rs 265 crore
d) None of the above
Ans: c
Context
- Japan has finalised loans and a grant totalling around 233 billion yen for several key infrastructure projects in India, including for a project in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Facts
- Japan has approved grant aid worth ¥4.02 billion, or ₹265 crore, to improve the power supply in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
- The grant would be used to procure 15MWh batteries as well as power system stabilisers to allow better utilisation of solar power generated in South Andaman.
- Japan has said that Andaman and Nicobar islands holds strategic geopolitical location for an open Indo-Pacific.
- This is first ever official development assistance (ODA) project by Japan.
- Apart from this Japan has also extended yen loans worth ¥229.5 billion, or ₹16,186 crore, for executing four projects, including Delhi Metro’s Phase 4 and Bengaluru Metro’s Phase 2 expansion plans.
- Loan agreements were signed between the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the government of India for these projects recently.
Importance of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) are a group of 572 islands, located at the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
- Some of the busiest sea trade routes pass along these islands.
- It connects South Asia with South-East Asia. While the northernmost point of the archipelago is only 22 nautical miles from Myanmar, the southernmost point, Indira Point, is a mere 90 nautical miles from Indonesia.
- The Andaman and Nicobar Islands constitute just 0.2% of India’s landmass but provide near 30% of its Exclusive Economic Zone.
- Recently, the Prime Minister has declared that the ANI will be developed as a “maritime and startup hub”.
By kameshwar shukla