Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CSE
Topics Covered
- Fungus powered biosynthesised nano particles
- Index on school education
- Unified district information system for education plus report
- Article 142
- Carbon neutral Tourist Destination
- Facts for Prelims
1 . Fungus Powered Biosynthesised Nano Particles
Context: Medicines may soon have traces of ultramicroscopic gold powered by a super mushroom for greater efficacy.
Key Highlights
- Cordy gold nanoparticles (Cor-AuNPs), the outcome of a collaborative experiment by scientists from four Indian institutions, has earned an international patent from Germany.
- These nanoparticles, derived from the synthesis of the extracts of Cordyceps militaris and gold salts, could make drug delivery in the human body faster and surer.
- Cordyceps militaris is a high-value parasitic fungus, lab-grown at the Department of Biotechnology’s Technology Incubation Centre (TIC) in Bodoland University, one of the collaborators of the patented work.
- Gold salts are ionic chemical compounds of gold generally used in medicine.
Better penetration
- Penetration in the cells is more when the drug particles are smaller.
- Cordyceps militaris, called super mushroom for its tremendous medicinal properties, adds bioactive components to the synthesis of gold nanoparticles for better penetration.
The research works
- Researchers have been working extensively on the genetic diversity and medicinal properties of the wild Cordyceps mushroom found in the eastern Himalayan belt.
- Over eight years, they standardised the cultivation of this mushroom with antimicrobial, antidiabetic and antioxidant properties.
- Biosynthesised nanogold particles indicate a new application of nanoparticles in the development of therapeutic drugs that can be delivered as ointments, tablets, capsules, and in other forms.
2 . Index on school education
Context: The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education released the Performance Grading Index (PGI) for States/UTs for 2020-21, a unique index for evidence based comprehensive analysis of school education system across State/UTs.
About PGI
- The Indian Education System is one of the largest in the world with about 14.9 lakh schools, 95 lakh teachers, and nearly 26.5 crore students from varied socio-economic backgrounds.
- DoSE&L devised PGI for States/UTs to provide insights and data driven mechanism on the performance and achievements of on the success of school education across all States/UTs.
- The indicator-wise PGI score shows the areas where a State needs to improve. The PGI will reflect the relative performance of all the States/UTs in a uniform scale which encourages them to perform better and to adopt best practice followed by performers.
Objectives
- The prime objective of PGI is to promote evidence-based policy making and highlight course correction to ensure quality education for all. So far, DoSE&L has released PGI report for the year 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20. The present report is for the year 2020-21.
- The ultimate aim of PGI is to propel States & UTs towards undertaking multi-pronged interventions that will bring about the much-desired optimal education outcomes covering all dimensions. The PGI is expected to help States and UTs to pinpoint the gaps and accordingly prioritize areas for intervention to ensure that the school education system is robust at every level.
Components of the Index
- The PGI structure comprises of 1000 points across 70 indicators grouped into 2 categories viz., Outcomes, Governance Management (GM).
- These categories are further divided into 5 domains, viz., Learning Outcomes (LO), Access (A), Infrastructure& Facilities (IF), Equity (E) & Governance Process (GP).
- As was done in the previous years, PGI 2020-21 classified the States/UTs into ten grades viz., highest achievable Grade is Level 1, which is for State/UT scoring more than 950 points out of total of 1000 points. The lowest grade is Level 10 which is for score below 551.
Ranking
- A total of 7 States and UTs, Viz., Kerala, Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh have attained Level II (score 901-950) in 2020-21 as compared to none in 2017-18 and 4 in 2019-20.
- Gujarat, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh are the new entrants to highest achieved level of any State so far.
- The newly formed UT viz., Ladakh has made significant improvement in PGI from Level 8 to Level 4 in 2020-21 or improved its score by 299 points in 2020-21 as compared to 2019-20 resulting into highest ever improvement in a single year.
3 . Unified district information system for education plus report
Context : Ministry of Education released a detailed report on Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2021-22 on school education of India.
About UDISE+
- The UDISE+ system of online data collection from the schools was developed by Department of School Education & Literacy in the year 2018-19 to overcome the issues related to erstwhile practice of manual data filling in paper format .
- In UDISE+ 2021-22, additional data on important indicators viz., digital library, peer learning, hard spot identification, number of books available in school library, etc have been collected for the first time to align with the NEP 2020 initiatives.
Key Findings of the Report
- In 2021-22 total students enrolled in school education from primary to higher secondary stood at 25.57 crore as compare to 25.38 crore enrolment in 2020-21, registering an increase of 19.36 lakh enrolments.
- Total number of Scheduled caste enrolment increased to 4.82 Crore in 2021-22 as compared to 4.78 Crore in 2020-21. Similarly, total Scheduled Tribe enrolment increased to 2.51 crore in 2021-22 from 2.49 crore in 2020-21. Total other backward students also increased to 11.48 crore in 2021-22 from 11.35 crore in 2020-21.
- Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) which measures the general level of participation has improved in 2021-22 at primary, upper primary, and higher secondary levels of school education, as compared to 2020-21.
- Total enrolment of Children with Special Needs (CWSN) in 2021-22 stands at 22.67 lakh as compared to 21.91 lakh in 2020-21 showing an improvement of 3.45% over 2020-21.
- In 2021-22, total number of Scheduled Caste (SC) students from Primary to Higher Secondary has gone up to 4.83 crore from 4.78 crore in 2020-21. Similarly, total Scheduled Tribe (ST) students have gone up from 2.49 crore to 2.51 crore and Other Backward Caste (OBC) students from 11.35 crore to 11.49 crore during 2020-21 and 2021-22.
- 95.07 lakh teachers are engaged in school education during 2021-22 out of which more than 51% are female teachers.
- Further, in 2021-22, the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) stood at 26 for primary, 19 for upper primary, 18 for secondary and 27 for higher secondary, showing an improvement since 2018-19.
Girls Education
- In 2021-22 over 12.29 crore girls are enrolled in primary to higher secondary showing an increase of 8.19 lakh compare to the enrolment of girls in 2020-21.
- The Gender Parity Index (GPI) of GER shows the representation of females in school education is in line with representation of girls in population of corresponding age group. The GPI value at all level of school education are one or more implying more participation of girls in the school education.
5 . Article 142
Context : The Supreme Court upheld the Employees’ Pension (Amendment) Scheme, 2014 of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organistion as “legal and valid” while reading down certain provisions.
About the News
- Court used its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to allow eligible employees who had not opted for enhanced pension coverage prior to the 2014 amendments, to jointly do so with their employers within the next four months.
- The court struck down a requirement in the 2014 amendments that employees who go beyond the salary threshold (of ₹15,000 per month) should contribute monthly to the pension scheme at the rate of 1.16% of their salary.
- The requirement to contribute 1.16% of the salary to the extent that such salary exceeds ₹15,000 per month as an additional contribution made under the amendment scheme is held to be ultra vires to the provisions of the Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952,. The court suspended the implementation of this part for six months.
About Article 142
- Article 142 (1) states that “The Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it, and any decree so passed or order so made shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India in such manner as may be prescribed by or under any law made by Parliament and, until provision in that behalf is so made, in such manner as the President may by order prescribe”.
- Article 142 (2) Subject to the provisions of any law made in this behalf by Parliament, the Supreme Court shall, as respects the whole of the territory of India, have all and every power to make any order for the purpose of securing the attendance of any person, the discovery or production of any documents, or the investigation or punishment of any contempt of itself.”
- The provision that vests sweeping powers in the Supreme Court for the end of ensuring “complete justice” has been used generally in cases that involve human rights and environmental protection.
5 . Two Finger’s Test
Context : Supreme Court said that those conducting the ‘two-finger test’ on alleged rape victims will be held guilty of misconduct.
What is the ‘two-finger test’?
- A woman who has been sexually assaulted undergoes a medical examination for ascertaining her health and medical needs, collection of evidence, etc.
- The two-finger test, carried out by a medical practitioner, involves the examination of her vagina to check if she is habituated to sexual intercourse. The practice is unscientific and does not provide any definite information. Moreover, such ‘information’ has no bearing on an allegation of rape.
- A handbook released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on dealing with sexual assault victims says, “There is no place for virginity (or ‘two-finger’) testing; it has no scientific validity.”
SC Observations
- Saying it was “regrettable” that the practice was still followed, the SC stated, “Whether a woman is ‘habituated to sexual intercourse’ or ‘habitual to sexual intercourse’ is irrelevant for the purposes of determining whether the ingredients of Section 375 (rape) of the IPC are present in a particular case.”
- Adding that the “probative value” of a woman’s testimony does not depend upon her sexual history, the court said: “It is patriarchal and sexist to suggest that a woman cannot be believed when she states that she was raped, merely for the reason that she is sexually active.”
The SC’s earlier comments on the test
- In May 2013, the apex court had held that the two-finger test violates a woman’s right to privacy and asked the government to provide better medical procedures to confirm sexual assault.
- A bench of Justices BS Chauhan and FMI Kalifulla held that even if a woman is “habituated” to sexual intercourse, that cannot give rise to the presumption of consent in the particular case.
- Invoking the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 1966 and the UN Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power 1985, the apex court said rape survivors are entitled to legal recourse that does not re-traumatise them or violate their physical or mental integrity and dignity.
What the government’s guidelines say
- In 2014, the Union health ministry released a document titled ‘GUIDELINES & PROTOCOLS Medico-legal care for survivors/victims of sexual violence’.
- The guidelines are clear about the two-finger test, saying, “Per-Vaginum examination commonly referred to by lay persons as ‘two-finger test’, must not be conducted for establishing rape/sexual violence and the size of the vaginal introitus [opening] has no bearing on a case of sexual violence. Per vaginum examination can be done only in adult women when medically indicated.”
- In fact, the guidelines state that a rape victim’s consent (or her guardian’s, if she is minor/mentally disabled) is necessary for any medical examination. Even if the consent is not provided, the victim cannot be denied medical treatment.
- However, these are guidelines and are not legally binding.
Other recent attempts to stop the ‘two-finger test’
- In April this year, the Madras High Court directed the state to ban the two-finger test. The bench of Justices R Subramanian and N Sathish Kumar observed that despite the SC’s 2013 observations, the test is being conducted, even on minors.
- In August this year, the National Medical Commission (NMC), the country’s top medical education regulator, modified modules for forensic medicine, including guidelines about the two-finger test. The modified module on virginity test states that students will be trained on “how to apprise courts about unscientific basis of these tests if court orders it”.
6 . Facts for Prelims
PUSA biodecomposer
- Pusa bio-decomposer is a solution developed by the scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, which can turn crop residue into manure in 15 to 20 days and therefore, can prevent stubble burning
Child welfare police officer
- The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the States/Union Territories to appoint a Child Welfare Police Officer (CWPO) in every police station to exclusively deal with children, either as victims or perpetrators.
- Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which calls for designating at least one officer, not below the rank of an Assistant Sub-Inspector, CWPO in every police station.
Amur falcon
- The Amur falcon is a small sized raptor from the falcon family, breeds in Siberia and Northern China but migrates to the warmer climate of the Southern part of Africa via India every year.
- India’s northeastern region falls on their migration route and every year, for centuries now, these birds have been visiting some very specific areas.
- The sheer size of the migrating flock is the main reason why this migration is so popular, especially among the birding community. The falcons may be small in size but are some of the strongest fliers in the animal kingdom. They make a roundtrip of at least 20,000 km every year, starting by leaving their cold breeding ground during the winter months to go to the warmer climate of Africa, where there is plenty of food available.
- One of the most amazing things these birds do is fly over the Arabian Sea for a really long time, and as they fly, they feed on the insects in the air. It’s a good thing their migration coincides with the dragonfly migration.
- In northeast India, they usually come to areas in and around the Doyang river dam in Pangti village in Wokha district, Nagaland. In Manipur, large flocks make Tamenglong district their home for a few weeks. And in Assam, Dima Hasao district gets to see some isolated roosting sites.
- These birds, however, don’t stay on for a long period. You will be able to see them till mid-November. By November, their number won’t be as big as when they first come, as they slowly start their journey to Africa.
- The biggest roosting site in India is in Nagaland. Pangti village in Wokha, Nagaland, is where these birds come in large numbers to roost and the area is aptly named Amur Falcon Roosting Area Union.
- An international team of ornithologists declared Nagaland ‘the Falcon capital of the world’ sometime back, after they recorded that around one million Amur Falcons roost in the region.
- In Tamenglong, Manipur, these falcons are locally known as akhuaipuina and the forest department, along with the local wildlife NGOs, are doing their best to give these birds a safe roosting site as long as they are visiting the area
Tokhu emong bird count
- Tokhü Emong Bird Count (TEBC) is Nagaland’s first bird documentation event to celebrate the birds of the state. This event is being organised in collaboration with the Wokha Forest Division and the Divisional Management Unit, Nagaland Forest Management Project (NFMP), Wokha, Nagaland and Bird Count India.
RISAT 2
- Isro’s radar-imaging satellite Risat-2 that was India’s first “eye in the sky” to keep surveillance on the country’s borders as part of anti-infiltration and anti-terrorist operations has finally landed on after completing its ‘job’ for over 13 years as it splashed in the near .
- The principal sensor of Risat-2, considered a ‘spy’ satellite, was an X-band syntheticaperture radar from Israel Aerospace Industries.
- Risat-2 was built at an accelerated pace following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks due to delay with the indigenously developed C-band for Risat-1 satellite.
- The satellite, which was India’s first dedicated reconnaissance satellite, possessed day-night as well as all-weather monitoring capability.
- It was also used to track hostile ships at sea that were deemed a military threat. On October 30, Risat-2 made an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere at the predicted impact point in the Indian Ocean near Jakarta, Isro said on Wednesday.
- “Risat-2 was launched on April 20, 2009 by PSLV-C12 launch vehicle in an inclined eccentric orbit of 41.2 degree inclination with Perigee altitude 400 km and Apogee altitude 550 km. Weighing only about 300 kg, the satellite has now made an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere at the predicted impact point in Indian Ocean near Jakarta
- Since its injection, Risat-2’s radar payload services were provided for various space applications.