No construction in core areas of tiger reserves, national parks: Supreme Court

TheSupreme Court banned all construction activities in thecore areasoftiger reserves,national parksand wildlife sanctuaries after it was brought to its notice by a court-appointed panel that illegal constructions for establishment of a tiger safari was being done within in the buffer area of theCorbett Tiger ReserveinUttarakhand.

The MoEF&CC to review norms issued under Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 relating to setting

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up of zoos and safaris within and wildlife sanctuaries and amend the same so as to discourage use of wildlife habitat for wildlife tourism activities which are non-site specific.

India & EU to Create 3 Working Groups under Trade & Technology Council to boost ties

India and the European Union (EU) announced the formation of three working groups under the Trade and Technology Council that was set up to deepen strategic ties with the trade bloc. India and EU had in April last year agreed to establish a TradeandTechnologyCouncil, to tackle the challenges at the nexus of trade, trustedtechnologyand security. Such a council is the first for India with any of its partners and second for the EU, following the first one it has set up with the United States (US).

The working

Groups will now start preparing for the first meeting of the council, which will take place before the next EU-IndiaSummit in spring of 2023. Ministerial meetings of the council will take place at least once a year, with the venue alternating between the EU andIndia.

UAE and India discussing settling non-oil trade in Rupees

The United Arab Emirates is in early discussions with India to trade non-oil commodities in Indian rupees, Minister for Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi said in

World Economic Forum, Davos. The minister said other countries, including China, had also raised the issue of settling non-oil trade payments in local currencies. He added that the UAE is hoping to conclude a trade agreement with Cambodia in the first quarter.

The move would build on an agreement signed in 2022, which aimed to increase trade excluding oil between the two countries to $100 billion by 2027. Trading in Indias currency would also signal a stark move away from the US dollar, which dominates global commodities markets as well as trade for countries along the Persian Gulf.

PDRD Grant

The Central Government has released a Post Devolution (PDRD) grant of 9,871 crores of rupees, distributed to 17 states after the finance ministry’s approval.

Highlights:

The state governments get the Post Devolution Revenue Deficit grant. Article 275 of the constitution provides for the grant.

The grants are distributed following

the fifteenth Finance Commission‘s recommendations.

The parliament shall offer grants in aid to states, according to Article 275. India’s consolidated fund funds these grants.

The federal government has complete authority to set varying amounts for various states. The grant’s goal is to assist state governments in covering the costs of

the projects, promoting the welfare of scheduled tribes, and improving the administration of scheduled territories.

Leopard Counting Census

Forest department employees rescued a leopard from the Sishugram Red Cross organisation near IIT Guwahati on February 3, 2022.

Highlights:

After being observed, the leopard will be released into its natural habitat.

Under its divisional competence, the NKF Division has also begun the process of conducting a leopard

counting census.

North Kamrup Forest Division (NKF Division) has begun an exclusive leopard counting census in Assam’s forest and non-forest areas for the first time.

The leopard counting census has begun in Amingaon, Kamrup district, where leopards have high densities.

It began on January 31, 2022. Leopards will be counted using the camera

trapping approach.

In the Amingaon area, 50 cameras would be deployed at Sila Reserve Forest, NIPER, Changsari, Aiims, and other locations.

Paray Shikshalaya

he classroom at Paray Shikshalaya is an open one. The West Bengal government will be the one to launch it.

Highlights:

The Paray Shikshalaya has been established for pupils in pre-primary and primary school.

Elementary Education will be provided to pupils in classes 1 through 5 under the system. The classes will take place on the ground.

Extracurricular activities would be promoted and supported among the pupils. Meals will be served in the middle of the day.

According to , the primary school dropout rate was 6.61 percent in 2010-11. In addition, since COVID, the number of pupils attending school has declined across India. West Bengal’s rural areas are

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yet to obtain Internet access. The open room classroom is the ideal technique to bring in primary school children in this situation.

National Sports Federations Scheme of Assistance

To strengthen its support for Sports in India, the Union Government has authorized the continuation of the “Scheme of Assistance to National Sports Federations (NSFs).”

Highlights:

The continuation of the Scheme has been authorized with a budget of Rs. 1575 crore for the XV Cycle, which runs from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

The principal Central Sector Scheme is

the Scheme of Assistance to NSFs.

It is a significant source of funding for national teams preparing for the Asian Games, Para Asian Games, Olympic

Games, Para-Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games (CWG), and other major international tournaments.

Use:

The cycle’s funding will be extended to NSFs for national team training for national and international events between 2022 and 2026, focusing on the Commonwealth and Asian Games in 2022, the Olympics, and the Paralympics in 2024 Asian and Commonwealth Games in 2026.

Space X Launched NROL-87 Mission

SpaceX successfully launched NROL-87, a spy satellite for the US military, as part of the operation.

Highlights:

Falcon rocket was used to launch the satellite, which is the second of the mission’s three planned launches.Many details of the NRO fleet are never revealed, as these satellites are employed for military purposes.

The First Time NRO Mission required a Rocket landing, also called a Vertical landing. This was propelled from the Californian Space Force outpost of Vandenberg.

The NROL-87 is a reconnaissance satellite operated by the United States.

The satellite was launched into a 512.7 km orbit by a Falcon rocket. It was orbited around the Sun in a Sun Synchronous Orbit,

also known as Helio synchronous orbit, which It’s a polar orbit.

4 initiatives which can make education more accessible in India

TheLearning-levels-1124732.html”>National Achievement Survey (NAS) of 2021reported an Average learning level of 59% in grade 3, 49% in grade 5, 42% in grade 8 and 36% in grade 10. This indicates a decline in learning levels with an increase in grade level and has far-reaching implications for young Indians readiness for the 21st-century workplace

and Indias preparedness for the Fourth Industrial revolution.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the digital divide caused by disparate access to, and affordability of, technology (such as Internet connectivity and electricity) and devices (such as computers and mobile devices). This divide

varies across geographies, demographics and communities. Additionally, students with disabilities face unique challenges due to the lack of peer support, lower concentration levels and the need for better parental support.

A joint effort between the World Economic Forum, UNICEF and YuWaah (Generation Unlimited in India) proposes solutions that align with, and augment and amplify,Indias National Education Policy (NEP) 2020and theNational Digital Education Architecture of 2021.

The report identifies four focus areas for interventions: foundational numeracy and Literacy (FLN), teachers capacity building, school-to-work transition and connecting the unconnected. The interventions are categorised under five building blocks, namely: curriculum, content, capacity, community and digital.

SGPC to set up international Sikh advisory board

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has decided to establish an international Sikh advisory board, which will have representatives from different countries.

This board will make efforts to resolve issues

and grievances of Sikhs living in foreign countries and support local gurdwara management committees in preaching the Sikh faith.

He said in the past, the SGPC had started this process in Yuba City in the United States of America, which will be expedited and necessary action will be taken to establish sub-offices in other countries as well.