PM YASASVI Scheme
Syllabus :GS 2/Governance
In News
- PM YASASVI Scheme empowers students to reach their full potential and contribute to society.
About PM YASASVI
- The PM Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India (PM-YASASVI) aims to uplift students from Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Backward Classes (EBC), and Denotified Tribes (DNT) by providing access to quality education.
- It was launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, it integrates previous scholarship initiatives to create a streamlined support system for disadvantaged students.
- Selection Process: Candidates are selected based on the YASASVI Entrance Test (YET), conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Scholarship Types
- Pre-Matric Scholarships: For students in classes 9 and 10, offering an annual allowance of ₹4,000 for families earning below ₹2.5 lakh.
- Post-Matric Scholarships: For higher education, with allowances ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹20,000 based on the course.
- Top Class Education: Support for meritorious students in top schools and colleges covering tuition and other expenses.
- Hostel Construction: Facilities for OBC students to improve access to education.
Objectives
- It promotes educational empowerment and helps vulnerable groups overcome financial barriers.
- It addresses financial constraints, providing a pathway for educational growth from school to higher education, thus contributing to a more inclusive society.
- It plays a crucial role in empowering marginalized communities and promoting their participation in the vision of a prosperous India by 2047.
Source :PIB
PM SHRI Scheme
Syllabus :GS 2/Governance
In News
- The Delhi Government has officially adopted the PM-SHRI (Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India) scheme.
About PM SHRI School
- The PM SHRI School initiative is a centrally sponsored scheme by the Government of India aimed at establishing over 14,500 schools managed by various government bodies, including KVS and NVS.
- It aligns with the National Education Policy (2020), falls under the Samagra Shiksha scheme
- It focuses on creating welcoming and safe learning environments that provide diverse educational experiences and quality infrastructure.
- Key objectives include nurturing students to become engaged citizens and promoting inclusivity, as outlined in the National Education Policy 2020.
- It is expected to benefit more than 20 lakh students directly and will inform policies and practices in school education. Implementation is planned over five years, from 2022-23 to 2026-27, with lessons learned to be scaled up to other schools across the country.
Source:TH
E. coli Outbreak
Syllabus :GS 2/Health
In News
- Several people were hospitalized in the US due to an E.coli infection after eating McDonald’s burgers.
About Escherichia coli (E. coli)
- E. coli are germs called bacteria. They are found in many places, including in the environment, foods, water, and the intestines of people and animals.
- Most E. coli strains are harmless. Some strains, like Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), can cause severe foodborne illnesses.
- Transmission: Primarily spread through contaminated foods, including:
- Raw or undercooked ground meat
- Raw milk
- Contaminated raw vegetables and sprouts
- Symptoms: Fever, vomiting, diarrhea.
- Treatment: E. coli infections are treated with antibiotics. There has been a notable decline in E. coli’s susceptibility to strong antibiotics, from 81.4% in 2017 to 62.7% in 2023.
- The FSSAI is establishing a network of 34 microbiology labs to test food products for pathogens, including E. coli, to improve food safety across India.
Source:IE
United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon
Syllabus: GS2/IR
Context
- UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, has accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of deliberate violations in recent days.
- Several of its positions have come under fire, prompting interventions from the UN security council.
About
- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was established to patrol the country’s southern frontier after Israel invaded in 1978.
- The agency seeks to keep the peace in areas between Lebanon and Israel.
- It monitors any movements of Israeli or Lebanese forces across the “blue line”, a 75-mile (120km) UN-mapped line that has become a de facto border.
- It is also tasked with helping the Lebanese national army keep the area free of militants.
- This has not worked because Hezbollah, Lebanon’s most powerful political and military force, effectively controls the south of the country.
- India has had a presence in UNIFIL since 1998.
- Indonesia is the biggest contributor, followed by India, Ghana, Nepal and Italy.
Source: IE
First Dry Port in Bihar
Syllabus: GS3/Infrastructure
Context
- Bihar got its first dry port at Bihta, a town near state capital Patna.
About
- A dry port, or inland container depot (ICD), provides a logistics facility away from a seaport or airport for cargo handling, storage, and transportation.
- It acts as a bridge between sea/air ports and inland regions, facilitating efficient movement of goods.
- Significance: It was much needed for Bihar as its export goods mainly agro-based, garments and leather products are manufactured in diverse locations.
- Bihar is a major producer of fruits and vegetables such as potato, tomato, banana, litchi and makhana (fox nuts).
Source: IE
Pink Cocaine
Syllabus: GS3/ S&T
In News
- Pink Cocaine, also known as ‘tusi’, is a recreational drug making headlines for its use among celebrities.
About Pink Cocaine
- Despite its name, pink cocaine typically does not contain actual cocaine.
- It is a concoction of drugs, primarily ketamine, combined with other substances like methamphetamine, MDMA, and even opioids, often with a pink dye added.
- Pink cocaine is primarily used within the clubbing culture, either as a powder snorted or taken in pill form.
- The drug is linked to serious health risks, such as heart attacks, stroke, psychosis, and addiction.
Source: LM
Snow Leopard (Panthera Uncia)
Syllabus: GS3/ Species In News
In News
- International Snow Leopard Day was observed on October 23.
About Snow Leopard (Panthera Uncia)
- The snow leopard has a beautiful, spotted coat, thick enough to insulate them from the cold. It is often termed as Ghost of Mountain.
- Rosettes are large rings enclosing smaller spots. WWF relies on spot patterns to identify individual snow leopards when conducting camera trap research.
- Distribution: They are sparsely distributed across 12 countries in central Asia, from southern Russia down to the Tibetan plateau, including Mongolia, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal.
- Threats: Loss of natural prey species, retaliatory killing due to conflict with humans and illegal trade of its fur and bones.
- Conservation: Classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list and listed in Schedule-I species of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- It is the state animal of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.
Source: TH
Breeding Great Indian Bustard Using Artificial Insemination
Syllabus: GS3/ S&T, Environment
In News
- The Sudasari Great Indian Bustard Breeding Centre in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, successfully bred a great Indian bustard (GIB) using artificial insemination (AI).
Bustard Recovery Program
- The breeding center, part of the Bustard Recovery Program initiated in 2016, focuses on captive breeding to eventually reintroduce the GIB into the wild.
Great Indian Bustard
- About:
- One of the heaviest flying birds endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
- omnivorous
- State Bird of Rajasthan
- Habitat:
- Untamed, Arid grasslands.
- A Maximum number of GIBs were found in Jaisalmer and the Indian Army-controlled field firing range near Pokhran, Rajasthan.
- Other areas: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
- Protection Status:
- IUCN Status: Critically Endangered.
- Listed in Wildlife Protection Act’s Schedule 1.
- Threats to the Bird:
- Hunting, Intensification of agriculture, Power lines.
Indian Initiatives for Protection of GIB
- Habitat Improvement and Conservation Breeding of Great Indian Bustard-An Integrated Approach.
- A Bustard conservation breeding centre in Rajasthan.
- Project Great Indian Bustard launched by the Rajasthan government
Source: HT
Lahore Declared the World’s Most Polluted City
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
Context
- Lahore was named the world’s most polluted by air quality monitor IQAir, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) level of 394.
About
- IQAir measures air quality levels based on the concentration of the hazardous airborne PM2.5 particles.
- The AQI value exceeds 55.6 times the World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guideline value in Lahore.
- An AQI over 100 is considered unhealthy, with levels exceeding 150 classified as ‘very unhealthy’.
Actions to fight against pollution
- Artificial rain: Planned as an emergency measure to mitigate the impact of smog.
- Anti-smog squad: Educating farmers on sustainable practices to reduce crop burning.
| WHO Air Quality Guideline – They serve as a reference for governments and organizations to set national air quality standards and are not legally binding. – Recommended Limits of Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10); 1. PM2.5: WHO recommends an annual average limit of 5 µg/m³ and a 24-hour limit of 15 µg/m³. 2. PM10: The guideline suggests an annual average limit of 15 µg/m³ and a 24-hour limit of 45 µg/m³. |
Source: IE
Previous article
Stubble Burning Violates Article 21: SC
Next article
Competency Model for Civil Servants