News In Short 24-10-2024

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