Daily Current Affairs 20 January 2024 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 20 January 2024 focuses on the Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

Annual Status of Education Report 2023

Source:  Annual Status of Education Report 2023
GS II:  Issues relating to the development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. Annual Status of Education Report
3. Annual Status of Education Report 2023
4. Issues Related to Elementary Education in India

Why in the News?

The 18th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2023 titled ‘Beyond Basics’ was released by NGO Pratham.

News in Brief

• The 2023 survey focused on an older group of 14-to-18-year-old children, specifically on their ability to apply reading and math skills to everyday situations, and their aspirations.
• It also sought to capture their access to digital technology, and whether they possess the skills to use it.
• Trends in basic learning have remained relatively unchanged over the last decade.
• Although the National Achievement Survey (NAS) and ASER use different metrics and methods for assessing learning
  • Both point to the fact that basic learning levels of elementary school children need significant improvement.

Annual Status of Education Report

• Facilitated by Pratham Education Foundation since 2005.
• The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is a large-scale citizen-led household survey.
• It aims to understand whether children in rural India are enrolled in school and whether they are learning.
• The basic, nationwide ASER survey is conducted every alternate year.
• It collects data on the enrolment status of
  • Children in the age group of 3-16 years
  • Basic reading and arithmetic levels of children in the age group of 5-16 years.
  • ASER 2023 will also capture digital access and skills in rural India.

Reason for Focus on 14-18 age Group

• To ensure that these young people have the skills and the opportunities needed to help them build a better future for themselves, their families, and for the country.
• It is important to understand children’s pathways after leaving elementary school before they become adults at the age of 18.

Annual Status of Education Report 2023

• ASER 2023 ‘Beyond Basics’ survey was conducted in 28 districts across 26 states, reaching a total of 34,745 youth
  in the age group 14-18 years.

Overall, 86.8% of 14-18-year-olds are enrolled in an educational institution.

• The percentage of youth not enrolled is 3.9% for 14-year-old youth
• 32.6% for 18-year olds.

Steam of Enrollment

• Std XI or higher, more than half are enrolled in the Arts/Humanities stream (55.7%)
• Followed by STEM (31.7%)
• Commerce (9.4%)
• Females are less likely to be enrolled in the STEM stream (28.1%) than males (36.3%).

Vocational Training

• Only 5.6% of surveyed youth report taking vocational training.
• Youth at the college level are the most likely to be taking vocational training (16.2%).
• Most youths are taking short-duration courses (of 6 months or less).

Working

• A higher percentage of males (40.3%) than females (28%) report doing work other than household work.
• This is for at least 15 days during the preceding month.
• Most youth who are working in activities other than household work tend to be working on family farms.

Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2022-23 shows that 58.4% of individuals in rural India work in agriculture, either on their own land or as casual labourers

Basic skills in reading and arithmetic

• About 25% of this age group still cannot read an Std II level text fluently in their regional language.
• More than half struggle with division (3-digit by 1-digit) problems.
• A little over half can read sentences in English (57.3%).
• Females (76%) do better than males (70.9%) in reading a Std II level text.
• Males do better than their female counterparts in arithmetic and English reading.

Digital Access

• • 90% of all youth have a smartphone in the household and know how to use it.
  • Males (43.7%) are more than twice as likely to have their smartphone than females (19.8%).
  • Availability of a computer/laptop in the households is much lower, with only 9%.

Work Aspirations

• The two most popular choices among the boys and young men in the sample were army (13.8%) and police (13.6%), with all other work categories falling far behind.
• Among the girls and young women surveyed, teacher (16%) and doctor (14.8%).
• Most common choices, with police (12.5%) emerging as the third most popular choice

Issues Related to Elementary Education in India

Shortage of Infrastructural facility

• The program of school building development was unable to keep up with the growth of elementary education.
• This is due to financial constraints.
• As a result, plans for instruction have been established in several locations, including public spaces like temples and teacher’s homes, among others.
• Such an institution lacks a playground and an unhealthful atmosphere.
• The expansion of primary education has been seriously hampered by inappropriate facilities and a packed, loud environment.

Social Values

• Traditions and practices rule the lives of society.
• These traditions and practices are some like childmarriage, religious fanaticism and caste- discrimination.
• Although the laws have been made to eradicate these evil practices, yet social practices proved more forceful those laws.

Poverty and Ignorance

• The financial condition of the country is not such as to provide full meals and adequate clothing to every citizen.
• Even now a family of as many as ten members depends for their bread on one of its members.
• The majority of people, being ignorant, do not realize the importance of education.
• Many parents, instead of getting their children admitted in schools, try to introduce them to some trade at a tender age to supplement their income.

Shortage of Funds

• The burden of primary education is being shouldered mostly by local bodies.
• The percentage of financial help for educational purposes to local bodies has been raised from 30 per cent to 33 per cent which is not sufficient.
• Local bodies with their poor financial resources would go on implementing successfully the compulsory primary education scheme.
• 1975 the state governments have been made responsible for paying salaries to primary school teachers.

India has about 688,000 primary schools and 100,000 secondary schools.

Education of Girls

• Special attention because wastage is heavy in his section of the community due to various reasons.
• The enrolment of boys is about 90% of the population in the corresponding age group.
• But the enrolment of girls is much lower.
• The number of girls en rolled for every 100 boys is only 50.

AI Governance Alliance Report

Source: The Print
GS III: Science and Technology

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. AI Governance Alliance (AIGA)
3. Artificial Intelligence

Why in the News?

AI Governance Alliance released a series of three new reports on advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI).

News in Brief

• The papers focused on generative AI governance, unlocking its value and a framework for responsible AI development and deployment.
• Alliance brings together governments, businesses and experts to shape responsible AI development applications and governance, and to ensure equitable distribution and enhanced access to this path-departing technology worldwide.
• Alliance must collaborate among governments, the private sector and local communities to ensure the future of AI benefits.

AI Governance Alliance (AIGA)

• The World Economic Forum launched the AI Governance Alliance in 2023.
• It is a dedicated initiative focused on responsible generative artificial intelligence (AI).
• It is a union of industry leaders, governments, academic institutions, and civil society organizations to champion responsible global design and release of transparent and inclusive AI systems.

Artificial Intelligence

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that focuses on creating systems, software, or machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.
• These tasks include reasoning, problem-solving, learning, perception, language understanding, and decision-making.
• AI aims to replicate or simulate human cognitive functions in machines, enabling them to perform tasks autonomously, make decisions, and adapt to new situations.

Impact of Artificial Intelligence on various sectors

• Healthcare Sector: AI-driven healthcare solutions are enhancing diagnostics, predicting disease outbreaks, and personalizing treatment plans. Telemedicine and AI chatbots have improved healthcare accessibility, especially in rural areas.
• Agriculture: AI is being used for precision agriculture, helping farmers optimize crop yield, monitor soil health, and manage resources efficiently. AI-powered drones assist in pest control and crop monitoring.
• Education: AI-driven educational platforms offer personalized learning experiences. Chatbots and virtual assistants aid in student queries, while AI analytics help educators identify areas of improvement.
• Finance and Banking: AI is revolutionizing fraud detection, algorithmic trading, and customer service in the financial sector. Chatbots handle routine queries, reducing human workload.
• Transportation: AI-enabled autonomous vehicles and traffic management systems enhance road safety and reduce congestion. Smart public transportation systems are becoming more efficient.
• E-commerce and Retail: AI-driven recommendation systems improve user experience and boost sales. Inventory management and supply chain optimization are also AI-driven.
• Manufacturing: AI-powered robots and automation systems enhance productivity and quality control in manufacturing processes. Predictive maintenance minimizes downtime.
• Government Services: AI aids in citizen services, from chatbots for information dissemination to data analytics for policy formulation and governance.
• Environmental Conservation: AI helps monitor and manage natural resources, predict climate changes, and track wildlife populations.
• Job Market and Skills: While AI can automate certain tasks, it also creates new job opportunities in AI research, development, and maintenance. Upskilling programs are crucial to prepare the workforce.

Amrit Udyan

Source: PIB
GS I: Indian Heritage and Culture

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. Amrit Udyan

Why in the News?

The Amrit Udyan of Rashtrapati Bhavan will open for public under the Udyan Utsav-1, 2024.

News in Brief

• The visitors will be allowed to visit in six hourly slots between 1000 hrs and 1600 hrs.
• The capacity for the two forenoon slots (1000 hrs to 1200 hrs) will be 7,500 visitors during weekdays and 10,000 visitors in each slot on weekends.
• The capacity for the four-afternoon slots (1200 hrs to 1600 hrs) will be 5,000 visitors in each slot during weekdays and 7,500 visitors on weekends.

Amrit Udyan

• Mughal Gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhavan/President’s House in Delhi have been renamed.
• The collective identity of all the gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be Amrit Udyan.
• Earlier there were descriptive identities, now a new identity has been given to the gardens.
• The Government of India has renamed the Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan as Amrit Udyan, keeping with the concept of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The Mughal Gardens of Jammu & Kashmir, the gardens around the Taj Mahal, and miniature paintings from India and Persia are the sources of inspiration for Mughal Gardens, or Amrit Udyan today.
• Although these gardens were never formally called Mughal Gardens, they gained this moniker due to their architectural design, which was influenced by Persian gardens, especially the Charbagh building.
• There are several Mughal gardens in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Afghanistan.

History and Structure of Amrit Udyan/Mughal Gardens

• Mughals were known to appreciate gardens.
• The garden is designed in the Persian style of landscaping.
• William Mustoe, the Director of Horticulture, and Sir Edwin Lutyens collaborated to finalize the design of the Mughal Gardens in 1917.
• Mughal canals, terraces and flowering shrubs are beautifully blended with European flowerbeds, lawns and private hedges.
• Fountains were often built, symbolising the cycle of life.

Babur Nama, Babur says that his favourite kind of garden is the Persian charbagh style. charbagh structure was intended to create a representation of an earthly utopia – jannat – in which humans co-exist in perfect harmony with all elements of nature.

Prelims

Nuclear-powered BV100

News: China has recently created a nuclear-powered battery, the BV100

• Receive energy from nuclear decay of nuclear isotopes, specifically from nickel-63.
• It is based on isotope technology first proposed in 1913.
• Nuclear decay is a spontaneous process in which isotopes emit radiation, leading to more stable new atoms.
• Power-generating unit: Sandwiches a nickel-63 layer between 2 thick diamond semiconductors.
• Integrating multi-stage batteries often leads to efficiency losses.
• It has the potential to power devices like smartphones and drones.
• There are concerns like nuclear safety, radiation protection, and efficiency losses.

Willingdon Island

News: The Cochin Port Joint Trade Union Forum has recently made an appeal to the Prime Minister for the revival of Willingdon Island, once the city’s business hub.

• Largest artificial island in India.
• It is located in Kerala.
• It is constructed from dredged soil around a natural island within Vembanadu Lake.
• Cochin Port Maritime Heritage Museum is located on Willingdon Island.
• Establishments in Willington Island
  • Port of Kochi
  • Kochi Naval Base
  • Southern Naval Command
  • Plant Quarantine station
  • Customs House Cochin
  • Central Institute of Fisheries Technology

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