National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)
Syllabus: GS 2/Education
Why in News ?
- NIRF announced India Rankings 2023.
- 5,543 institutions applied for ranking in 2023.
National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)
- NIRF accepted and launched by MoE on 29th September 2015.
- It provides a methodology for ranking institutions.
- This is the eighth edition of India Rankings for HEIs.
Distinct additions of the 2023 edition
- New subject added: Agriculture & Allied Sectors.
- Innovation ranking integrated from ARIIA to India Rankings.
- Scope expanded from Architecture to Architecture and Planning, including Urban and Town Planning institutions.
Key Highlights of India Rankings 2023
- IIT Madras remains 1st in Overall and Engineering categories for multiple years.
- IISc Bengaluru ranks 1st in Universities and Research Institutions categories.
- IIM Ahmedabad leads in Management for multiple years.
- AIIMS Delhi tops Medical and improves its Overall ranking.
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Hyderabad surpasses Jamia Hamdard in Pharmacy.
- Miranda House secures 1st in Colleges consistently.
- IIT Roorkee excels in Architecture.
- National Law School of India University (NLSIU) Bengaluru maintains 1st in Law.
- Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Delhi leads in Agriculture and Allied Sectors.
- IIT Kanpur excels in the Innovation category.
Importance of rankings
- Rankings/accreditation evaluate educational program quality.
- India Rankings aid students in choosing universities.
- Helps universities identify areas for improvement in teaching, research, resources, and infrastructure.
Pulses Production in India
Syllabus: GS3/ Indian Economy & related issues, Agriculture
Why in News ?
- India heavily relies on imports for Edible oil and pulses.
- Import dependence is significant for these agricultural commodities.
About
- India’s pulse imports decreased by 60% from 2017-18 to 2022-23.
- Government plans to boost pulse production for self-sufficiency in the next three years.
Imports of Vegetable Oil
- India consumes 24-25 million tonnes of cooking oil annually.
- Only 9-10 million tonnes is domestically produced, while 14-15 million tonnes is imported.
India’s pulses
- India’s pulses output increased from 19.26 mt to 27.50 mt.
- Higher domestic production led to a reduction in pulses imports.
- Imports of yellow/white peas and chickpea have significantly dropped.
Image: Breakup of India’s imports of major pulses
- Government incentivized farmers to expand pulses crop area during the rabi season.
- 60% import duty on chana and 50% duty plus minimum price on yellow/white peas.
- Government’s procurement at minimum support prices (MSP) supported the boost in production.
Indian Pulses Sector
- India is the largest producer, consumer, and importer of pulses.
- Pulses cover 20% of food grain area and contribute 7-10% to total food grain production.
- Rabi season contributes over 60% of total pulse production.
- Major pulses include chickpeas, pigeon pea, moong beans, urad, masur, peas, and various beans.
- Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka are the top pulse-producing states.
- 2016 was declared the “International Year of Pulses” by the United Nations to raise awareness of their nutritional benefits and food security.
Climatic Conditions Required
- Pulse crops cultivated in Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid seasons.
- Rabi crops require mild cold climate during sowing and warm climate during maturity.
- Kharif pulses thrive in warm climates.
- Kharif: Arhar, Urd, Moong, Lobia, Kulthi, Moth.
- Rabi: Gram, Lentil, Pea, Lathyrus, Rajmash.
- Summer: Greengram, Blackgram, Cowpea.
Benefits of pulses
- Pulses offer many benefits like:
- They are nitrogen fixers (Conserve soil nutrients)
- Cost advantages – it takes considerably lower amounts of resources to grow pulses
- Great for intercropping and crop rotation practises
- Climate resilience
- Longer shelf life
- Need very little processing
- Contribute to Global Food Security
Challenges to the Pulse Production
- Poor storage facilities and rainfed dependency lead to price volatility.
- Decrease in pulse cultivation due to farmers opting for higher yielding crops with higher MSP.
- Inconsistent MSP, minimal farmer representation, lower profit.
- Imported pulses at lower prices.
- Vulnerability to pests, lack of crop insurance and credit facilities for farmers.
Minimum Support Price (MSP)
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Antardrishti (Financial Inclusion)
Syllabus: GS3/ Indian Economy & related issues
- Why in News ?
- RBI Governor launched Antardrishti, a Financial Inclusion Dashboard, in June 2023.
Antardrishti
- Antardrishti dashboard assesses and monitors financial inclusion progress.
- Intended for internal use in RBI, it promotes greater financial inclusion through a multi-stakeholder approach.
Financial inclusion
- Financial inclusion provides access to affordable financial products and services to vulnerable groups.
- RBI introduced the concept in India in 2005.
- The objectives of financial inclusion are to provide the following:
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- A basic no-frills banking account for making and receiving payments
- Saving products (including investment and pension)
- Simple credit products and overdrafts linked with no-frills accounts
- Remittance, or money transfer facilities
- Micro insurance (life) and non-micro insurance (life and non-life)
- Micro pension and
- Financial Literacy.
Significance of Financial Inclusion
- Financial inclusion promotes economic resources and savings among the poor.
- It contributes to inclusive growth and overall economic development.
- India emphasizes effective financial inclusion to uplift the disadvantaged through tailored financial products and services.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
- It is the National Mission on Financial Inclusion to ensure access to financial services, namely, basic savings & deposit accounts, remittance, credit, insurance, pension in an affordable manner.
- It was launched by PM Modi in August 2014.
- Benefits under PMJDY
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- One basic savings bank account is opened for unbanked people.
- There is no requirement to maintain any minimum balance in PMJDY accounts.
- Interest is earned on the deposit in PMJDY accounts.
- Rupay Debit card is provided to the PMJDY account holder.
- Accident Insurance Cover of Rs.1 lakh (enhanced to Rs. 2 lakh to new PMJDY accounts opened after 28.8.2018) is available with RuPay card issued to the PMJDY account holders.
- An overdraft (OD) facility up to Rs. 10,000 to eligible account holders is available.
- PMJDY accounts are eligible for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Bank (MUDRA) scheme.
Financial Inclusion (FI) Index
- RBI constructed the Financial Inclusion (FI) Index in 2021 to measure the extent of financial inclusion.
- It is based on three dimensions (weights indicated in brackets): Access (35 per cent), Usage (45 per cent), and Quality (20 per cent).
Other financial inclusion schemes in India
- Jeevan Suraksha Bandhan Yojana,
- Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana,
- Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY),
- Atal Pension Yojana (APY),
- Varishtha Pension Bima Yojana (VPBY),
- Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme (CEGS) for scheduled castes, and
- Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana.
MISHTI (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes)
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
- Why in News ?
- PM Modi launched Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) on World Environment Day.
- Scheme focuses on mangrove conservation, shoreline habitats, and tangible incomes.
- Announced in the 2023-24 Union budget.
MISHTI (mangrove initiative for shoreline habitats and tangible incomes)
- MISHTI aims to restore mangrove cover in nine states initially.
- Development of mangroves in 11 states and 2 union territories over five years.
- Benefits include mitigating threats to coastal areas from rising sea levels and cyclones.
- Strategy includes sharing best practices and public-private partnerships.
- Centre funds 80%, state governments contribute 20% of the project cost.
Mangrove Forests
- Mangroves are shrubs or small trees found in intertidal areas and swamps.
- They are salt-tolerant and grow in tropical and sub-tropical regions.
- Mangroves can withstand extreme weather and low oxygen levels but not freezing temperatures.
Significance of Mangroves
- Mangroves are effective carbon sinks, storing more carbon than terrestrial forests.
- They contribute to “Blue Carbon” by storing carbon in the soil.
- Mangroves act as natural barriers against tides and storms, preventing significant property damages.
- They support diverse marine biodiversity and provide breeding grounds for fish populations.
- Mangroves support local artisanal fishers, providing employment opportunities.
Do you know?
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Threats
- Between 2010 and 2020, around 600 sq. km of mangroves were lost of which more than 62% was due to direct human impacts, the Global Mangrove Alliance said in its 2022 report.
- Infrastructure projects — industrial expansion and building of roads and railways, and natural processes — shifting coastlines, coastal erosion and storms, have resulted in a significant decrease in mangrove habitats.
Mangrove Cover: Worldwide
- Global Mangrove forests cover around 14.79 million hectares across 113 countries.
- Asia has the largest Mangrove area with 5.55 million hectares, followed by Africa with 3.24 million hectares.
- Four countries (Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, and Mexico) account for over 40 percent of the total Mangrove area.
Mangrove Cover: India
- India has a mangrove cover of 4,992 square km, which is 0.15% of the country’s total geographical area.
- West Bengal has the highest mangrove cover in India (42.45%), followed by Gujarat (23.66%) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (12.39%).
- Other states with mangrove cover include Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Kerala.
- Important mangrove species in India include Avicennia officinalis, Rhizophora mucronata, Sonneratia alba, Avicennia alba, Bruquiera cylindrica, Heritiera littoralis, Phoenix paludosa, Morinda citrifolia, and Ceriops tagal.
Sundarbans
- Sundarbans is the world’s largest single patch of mangrove forests located in the northern Bay of Bengal.
- It spans approximately 10,000 sq km, covering parts of Bangladesh and India.
- Sundarbans was the first mangrove forest in the world to be brought under scientific management in 1892.
- Four protected areas within the Sundarbans are recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Mangrove Alliance for Climate (MAC)
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Rare Higgs Boson Decay
Syllabus: GS3/Science & Technology
- Why in News ?
- Scientists detected a Higgs boson decay into a Z boson particle and a photon.
- This observation contributes to the understanding of particle physics and the Higgs boson’s properties.
What is Higgs Boson?
- The Higgs boson is associated with the Higgs field, giving mass to fundamental particles.
- Quarks and gluons are building blocks of protons and neutrons, which form atomic nuclei.
- Stronger interaction with the Higgs boson results in higher particle mass.
- Proposed in 1964, the Higgs boson was discovered in 2012 at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
- Confirmation of the Higgs field completed the standard model of particle physics.
- The discovery earned the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for Higgs and Englert.
- Understanding Higgs bosons and their interactions contributes to our knowledge of the universe.
- It is colloquially called the “God Particle.”
Standard Model:
- Standard Model predicts a 0.1% decay pathway for Higgs boson with mass 125 billion eV/c2.
- Standard Model lacks explanation for dark matter and Higgs boson’s mass.
- Precise testing helps identify gaps and validate new physics theories.
- Higher decay rate through the pathway could support new scientific realms.
Rare Decay Process
- Rare decay process of Higgs boson into Z boson and photon provides valuable insights.
- Higgs boson is unstable and decays into lighter particles.
- Standard Model predicts a 0.1% probability for this decay pathway.
- Significance is not high enough for complete certainty due to its rarity.
Goomty
Syllabus : Miscellaneous
Why in News ?
- Indian Railways to secure goomties after Odisha train accident.
- Measures taken to enhance safety and prevent accidents.
- Goomties are the junction points where railway tracks intersect.
About Goomty
- Goomty is a small cabin housing signaling equipment.
- Indian Railways to launch safety drive for double-locking goomties.
- Aimed at enhancing safety and preventing unauthorized access to railway equipment.
Amrit Dharohar Yojana
Syllabus: GS3/ Environment
Why in News ?
- PM Modi launched Amrit Dharohar Yojana on World Environment Day.
- Scheme announced in the 2023-24 Union budget.
About
- Scheme aims to conserve existing Ramsar sites with local community involvement.
- Ramsar sites to be developed as eco-tourism centers and generate green jobs.
- India has 75 Ramsar sites, recognized as important wetlands under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
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