Recent incidents of sewage mixing with drinking water in Indian cities highlight serious gaps in Urban Wastewater Management (UWM), posing risks of large-scale public health crises.
About
Generation vs. Treatment Gap: India generates approximately 72,368 MLD (Million Litres per Day) of urban wastewater, but the treatment capacity is only about 28-44%.
Health Implications: Untreated sewage is the primary driver of waterborne diseases (diarrhea, cholera, typhoid), contributing to nearly 80% of diseases and a significant portion of child mortality in India.
Many challenges were flagged by exporters in a meeting of the Board of Trade (BoT) chaired by the Union Commerce and Industry Minister.
About
The BoT meeting happened in the backdrop of slowing exports due to the steep US tariffs of 50% as both countries failed to conclude a trade deal.
In the Board of Trade meeting, representatives from states and the industry, as well as key Central ministries, provide the Commerce Ministry with specific inputs to boost exports and trade.
Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan said that Land acquisition continues to be a major obstacle to infrastructure development in India.
Historical Background
The British standardised land revenue collection by introducing different settlement systems to strengthen their control in India.
The three main land tenure systems were in place:
Zamindari System: Under it, land was owned by landlords (zamindars) who paid land revenue to the state, while cultivation was done by tenants under their control.
Recently, India has unveiled plans to empower teachers with AI tools and liberalize the country’s open schooling framework to align India’s education system with the goals of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Role of AI in Education
AI For Teachers: AI-based platforms aim to be introduced to assist teachers in lesson planning, personalized assessments, and student engagement.
NCERT and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) will collaborate to develop adaptive digital teaching aids capable of tailoring instructional materials based on student learning patterns.
It includes AI training modules for educators, developed in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Intel India under the AI for All program.
