Daily Current Affairs 08/09/2021
THE World University Rankings 2022
Why in News
- The Times Higher Education (THE) released World University Rankings 2022.
Key Points
Global Ranking:
- The University of Oxford, UK tops the ranking for the sixth consecutive year.
- Colleges from the United States continue to dominate the top 20 ranks, with California Institute of Technology, Harvard University and Stanford University taking the second, third and the fourth spot respectively.
India’s Ranking:
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru is the country’s top performing institute, but is ranked in the 301-350 bracket.
- It is followed by IIT Ropar and JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research. Both are in the 351-400 bracket.
- Overall, India is home to 35 of the world’s top 1,000 universities.
About THE World University Rankings 2022:
- The THE World University Rankings 2022 include more than 1,600 universities across 99 countries and territories, making them the largest and most diverse university rankings to date.
- The table is based on 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across four areas: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.
About Times Higher Education (THE):
- Times Higher Education, formerly The Times Higher Education Supplement, is a magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education.
Related India’s Initiatives:
- National Education Policy, 2020
- Institutions of Eminence (IoE) Scheme
- Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana
- Impacting Research Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT)
Source: Indian Express
Karbi Anglong Agreement
Why in News
- A tripartite agreement ‘Karbi Anglong Agreement’ among five insurgent groups of Assam, the Centre and the State government was signed to end years of violence in the Karbi Anglong region.
- It was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister, Amit Shah.
- The Karbi Agreement is another milestone in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Insurgency free prosperous North East”.
Key Points
Highlights of the Karbi-Anglong Agreement:
- The insurgent groups which signed the peace accord include Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), People’s Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK), United People’s Liberation Army (UPLA), Karbi People’s Liberation Tigers (KPLT) and the Kuki Liberation Front (KLF).
- With this historic agreement, over 1000 armed cadres have abjured violence and joined the mainstream of society.
- A Special Development Package of Rs. 1000 crores over five years will be given by the Union Government and Assam Government to undertake specific projects for the development of Karbi areas.
- This Memorandum of Settlement will ensure greater devolution of autonomy to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), protection of identity, language, culture, etc. of Karbi people and focused development of the Council area, without affecting the territorial and administrative integrity of Assam.
- The Assam government shall set up a Karbi Welfare Council for focused development of Karbi people living outside the KAAC area.
About Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC):
- It is an autonomous district council in the state of Assam for development and protection of tribals living in areas namely Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district.
- The council is constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India and administratively functions under the Government of Assam.
Other Recent Peace Agreements of the Northeast:
- NLFT Tripura Agreement, 2019
- Bru Accord, 2020.
- Bodo Peace Accord
Source: PIB
INSPIRE Awards - MANAK
Why in News
- The 8th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) for the INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge), has commenced.
- It is showcasing the innovative ideas from 581 students representing various States and UTs of the country.
Key Points
About The INSPIRE Awards - MANAK scheme:
- The INSPIRE Awards - MANAK scheme is aligned with the ‘Start-up India’.
- It aims to motivate students in the age group of 10-15 years and studying in classes 6 to 10 to become future innovators and critical thinkers.
About INSPIRE scheme:
- Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) was approved by the Government of India for implementation through the Department of Science & Technology to promote science and attract talents for pursuing career in research.
- It was launched by the Prime Minister on 31st December, 2008.
- INSPIRE Scheme has included three programs and five components.
Three programs:
- i) Scheme for Early Attraction of Talents for Science (SEATS)
- ii) Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)
iii) Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC)
Five components:
- i) INSPIRE Awards - MANAK
- ii) INSPIRE Internship
iii) INSPIRE Scholarship
- iv) INSPIRE Fellowship
- v) INSPIRE Faculty
Related Initiatives:
- Swarna Jayanti Fellowship (It provides special assistance and support to a selected young scientist)
- Science Technology and Innovation Policy, 2020
- SERB-POWER Scheme (For women scientists)
Source: PIB
Sri Lanka declares Economic Emergency to contain Inflation
Why in News
- The President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa had declared an economic emergency due to rapidly depleting forex reserves, depreciating currency, and rising food prices in the country.
- The emergency was declared under the Public Security Ordinance to prevent the hoarding of essential items, including sugar and rice.
Key Points
Reasons for Sri Lankan Economic Crisis:
- Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic suffered a severe setback in its tourism industry which contributes to over 10 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and brings in foreign exchange.
- Due to the depletion in the forex reserves, the country had to increase the amount of money to purchase the foreign exchange to import goods. This increase has led to the depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee by approximately 8 percent so far in 2021.
- Since Sri Lanka heavily relies on imports to fulfill the basic food supplies in the country, the depreciating currency has further led to a rise in the price of food items.
- The ban on the use of chemical fertilizers in farming by the government has led to a reduction in the agricultural production sector.
Measures Taken Under Economic Emergency Crisis:
- The Sri Lankan government has ascertained that the rise in food prices is due to speculators hoarding essential supplies.
- The government has appointed a former Army General as Commissioner of essential services who is authorized to seize food stocks held by traders and retailers and regulate their prices.
- The army has also been given powers to ensure that forex reserves be used only for the purchase of essential goods.
Source: The Hindu
12th edition of DefExpo
Why in News
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani jointly reviewed the preparations of DefExpo-2022, at Kevadia, Gujarat.
- A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Defence and Gujarat Government for organising DefExpo-2022.
- The 12thedition of DefExpo will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between March 10 and 13, 2022.
Key Points
About DefExpo-2022:
- DefExpo is India’s flagship event showcasing the land, naval, air as well as homeland security systems.
- The aim is to build upon the vision to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and reach USD 5 billion defence exports target by 2024.
Note: The previous edition (11th) of DefExpo was held at Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow in February 2020.
Source: PIB
September 08, International Literacy Day
Why in News
- International Literacy Day (ILD) 2021 is an international observance, celebrated each year on 8 September.
Key Points
- The theme of ILD 2021 is “Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide”.
History:
- 8th September was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO in 1966 to remind the international community of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies.
- The issue of literacy is a key component of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- The UN's Sustainable Development Agenda, adopted by world leaders in September 2015, promotes universal access to quality education and learning opportunities throughout people’s lives.
- Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 has as one of its targets ensuring all young people achieve literacy and numeracy and that adults, who lack these skills are given the opportunity to acquire them.
Recent Facts:
- 773 million adults and young people lack basic literacy skills.
- 617 million children and adolescents are not achieving minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics.
Source: un.org
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