Bihar Affairs
Bihar CMs bicycle scheme worked wonders: Minister
The Mukhyamnatri Cycle Yojana launched in 2006 has worked wonders in Bihar, which has been reflected in the number of girl students appearing in Class X exams. The number of girls appearing in matric exams increased from 1.87lakh in 2005 to 8.37 lakhs in 2020.
Being in the Cycle programme increased girls age-appropriate enrolment in secondary schools by 30% and reduced the gender gap by 40%. This increase mostly took place in villages where the nearest secondary school was further away.
National and International Affairs
Performance Grading Index of Indian States
The Union Education Minister has approved the release of the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20 for Indian States and Union Territories.
For 2019-20, Punjab, Chandigarh, Nadu, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Kerala have the highest grade (A++).
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Puducherry, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu have improved their overall PGI score by 10%, i.e., by 100 points or more.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Punjab have improved by 10% (8 points) or more in the PGI domain: Access.
In the domain of PGI: Infrastructure and facilities, 13 states and UT have achieved an improvement of 10% (15 points) or more. Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Odisha have improved by 20% or more.
Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Odisha have improved by more than 10% in the PGI domain: Equity.
Black Carbon Report by World Bank
According to the report Glaciers of the Himalayas: <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change, Black Carbon, and Regional Resilience, glaciers in the Himalayas are melting faster than the global Average ice mass. A tough stance on black carbon can significantly reduce glacier melt.
The World Bank has released a report. The report included coverage of the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush (HKHK) mountain ranges.
Black Carbon (BC) is a pollutant with a short lifetime.
It is the second largest cause of Global Warming after carbon dioxide (CO2).
Unlike other greenhouse gas emissions, BC is quickly washed out of the Atmosphere and can be eliminated if emissions are reduced.
In India, one such policy is the National Mission on Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE). It is one of eight missions outlined in the National Climate Change Action Plan (NAPCC).
United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has been formally launched, which will run from 2021 to 2030.
United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will be co-led by using the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) & the Food & <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO). It used to be proclaimed by using the United Nations General Assembly in a 2019 resolution.
Protection and revival of thousands and thousands of hectares of Ecosystems all round the world for the advantage of people and nature. This in flip will contribute to the fulfillment of all the Goals.
A Multi-Partner Trust Fund has additionally been launched for the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Germany is the first country to provide funding of Euro 14 million toward this fund.
In order to support the launch of the UN Decade, a document has also been released which defines the want of having such a global restoration effort.