Jharkhand Affairs
The state education department has finalized the reducedsyllabusfor Class I to Class XII students of government schools for the 2021-22 academic session because of the Covid pandemic.
The new syllabus prepared by theJharkhandCouncil for Educational Research and Training has reduced study material by almost 25%. Many chapters in various subjects have been removed while several sub-sections of chapters have been dropped. For instance, in the Class IX syllabus for Hindi, several chapters have been omitted but the grammar part has been kept intact. Several sub-sections of mathematics of Class IX and X have also been dropped. In junior classes, the long stories and the ones which are difficult to read and understand have been omitted.
The reduction in syllabus comes in the aftermath of a disruption of study in government schools during the current academic session because of the pandemic. So far, the regular classes for students in Class I to class VIII have not taken place even though over one-third of the session is over. However, classes for students of Class IX to XII are underway amid restrictions since the early part of August. Last year the syllabus was reduced by 40%.
National and International Affairs
Award for Sea Turtle Conservation
Indian biologist Shailendra Singh won the Behler Sea Turtle Conservation Award for bringing back three critically endangered protected species of sea turtles from the brink of extinction.
The award has been bestowed with the help of various international bodies concerned in turtle conservation such as /SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Turtle Survival Alliance,Turtle Conservancy, and the Turtle Conservation Fund.
As per report, more than half of the world Population are not getting any form of social protection. This trend of no social protection is there even after expansion of social protections amidst the global outbreak of COVID-19.
Only 47 per cent of the global population had effective access to one social protection benefit, in 2020 while 53 per cent (4.1 billion people) had no protection at all.
People in Europe and Central Asia are among the best covered population. 84 per cent of populations in Europe and Central Asia are having access to at least one benefit.
During the session, Prime Minister noted that, India-Russia energy PARTNERSHIP can bring stability in the global energy market. At the same time,International North-South Transport Corridorwill bring both the countries closer.
The plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) was held in Vladivostok.
EEF is an international meet, held annually in Vladivostok in order to encourage foreign investments in the resource-rich but underdeveloped Far East region of Russia. Russia has actively engaged India to invest in this region, following which India had announced a $1-billion line of credit for the Far East during EEF 2019.
Energy is one of the major pillars of India-Russia strategic partnership. Energy partnership between both the countries can help in bringing stability in the global energy market.
Both the countries have also been making a Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor. This connectivity project and International North-South (Transport) Corridor will bring both the countries physically closer.
Indias state-run Mazagon Docks Limited (Indias largest shipyards) will partner with Russian ship-building facility at Zvezda in order to build important commercial ships in the world.
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have developed device to conduct microbial experiments in outer space.
This modular, self-contained device can be used to cultivate Microorganisms which in turn, enable scientists to carry out biological experiments even in outer space.
This study was published in Acta Astronautica. Researchers showed how this device can be used to activate and track the Growth of a bacterium called Sporosarcina pasteurii for several days with minimal involvement of human.
This understanding of how these microbes behave in extreme environments will provide valuable insights for human space missions like Gaganyaan that is set to be launched in 2022.
Social protection comprises of access to healthcare and income security in cases of Unemployment, old age, inability to work, and for families with children.