Assam Current Affairs – January 28-31, 2024

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Assam & NE Current Affairs & GK – January 28-31, 2024

( Covers all important Current Affairs & GK topics for January 28-31, 2024)

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Current Affairs Assamexam

January 28-31, 2024 

Ministry of Education releases All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022

The Ministry of Education, Government of India releases All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022. The Ministry has been conducting AISHE since 2011, covering all Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the country registered with AISHE collecting detailed information on different parameters such as student enrollment, teachers, infrastructural information, etc.

Key findings of the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22

  • Total enrollment in higher education increased from approximately 4.14 crore in the previous session to nearly 4.33 crore in 2021-22, marking an increase of around 19 lakh students. 
  • Female enrollment increased from 2.01 crore in 2020-21 to 2.07 crore in 2021-22. The increase in female enrollment from 2014-15 (1.57 crore) to 2021-22 (2.07 crore) accounts for around 50 lakh students. 
  • In 2021-22, 57.2 lakh students were enrolled in the science stream, with female students outnumbering male students (29.8 lakh versus 27.4 lakh). 
  • Female Ph.D. enrollment doubled from 0.48 lakh in 2014-15 to 0.99 lakh in 2021-22. The annual increase in female Ph.D. enrollment for the period 2014-15 to 2021-22 is 10.4%. 
  • The enrollment of Scheduled Tribe (ST) students increased from 16.41 lakh in 2014-15 to 27.1 lakh in 2021-22, marking a 65.2% increase.
  • Total student enrollment in North East States increased from 9.36 lakh in 2014-15 to 12.02 lakh in 2021-22. Female enrollment in North East States (6.07 lakh) surpassed male enrollment (5.95 lakh) in 2021-22. 
  • OBC student enrollment increased by 45% in 2021-22 (1.63 crore) compared to 2014-15 (1.13 crore). Minority student enrollment increased from 21.8 lakh in 2014-15 to 30.1 lakh in 2021-22, with female minority enrollment witnessing a 42.3% increase
  • The total number of Universities / University level institutions registered is 1,168, Colleges 45,473 and Standalone Institutions 12,002. 
  • In all, 341 Universities/University level institutions have been established since 2014-15. 17 Universities (of which 14 are State Public Universities) and 4,470 Colleges are exclusively for women.

About All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE): 

  • The All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) is an annual statistical exercise conducted by the Ministry of Education (formerly known as the Ministry of Human Resource Development) in India.
  • It has been published since 2011 with the objective to portray the status of higher education in the country. 
  • The survey covers all institutions providing higher education in the country. 
  • Data is being collected on multiple parameters, such as teachers, student enrollment , programmes, examination results, education finance and infrastructure. 
  • Indicators of educational development such as institution density, gross enrollment ratio, student-teacher ratio, gender parity index, per student expenditure will also be calculated from the data collected through AISHE.

Laughing Gull Spotted for the First Time in India

The laughing gull, a migratory bird originating from North America, has been observed for the first time in the country at the Chittari estuary in Kasaragod district of Kerala.

About Laughing gull

  • The laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) is a species of bird belonging to the family Laridae.
  • It is a medium-sized gull with a distinctive appearance characterized by its black head, black legs, long drooping bill white body, and long wings.
  • The bird is known for its unique laughter-like calls which resemble human laughter. 
  • These birds are most commonly found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, as well as the Caribbean and parts of Central America.
  • They are known for their adaptability and opportunistic feeding habits.They eat mainly fish, shellfish, crabs, molluscs, insects, bird eggs, and young birds. 

E-Ink displays

An E-ink display is a screen that aims to replicate the experience of reading and writing on paper. They are used in e-readers like the Amazon Kindle. 

About E Ink displays

  • The technology was originally developed in the 1990s at MIT and is now owned by E Ink Corporation.
  • The screens work by manipulating microcapsules filled with positively and negatively charged particles, creating text and images without the need for backlighting. 
  • This makes them ideal for prolonged reading, as they reflect light like paper and consume minimal power.
  • They are being used at bus stop displays, walking direction signs, and some restaurants’ menu boards.

Pros and Cons 

Advantages: E Ink displays excel in low power consumption, making them suitable for devices requiring extended battery life. They also minimize eye strain due to their paper-like visual experience, matte surface, and outdoor readability. 

Disadvantages: E Ink displays have slower refresh rates compared to LCD and OLED screens, rendering them unsuitable for video or animation. They also have limitations regarding color and resolution and remain relatively expensive for larger sizes.

The PM inaugurates the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Supreme Court of India

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Supreme Court of India at the Supreme Court auditorium in Delhi. He also launched citizen-centric information and technology initiatives that include Digital Supreme Court Reports (Digi SCR), Digital Courts 2.0 and a new website of the Supreme Court.

About the Supreme Court of India

  • The Supreme Court of India is the apex judicial body under the Constitution of India. 
  • Article 124 of the Constitution states that “There shall be a Supreme Court of India.” 
  • The Supreme Court came into existence on January 26, 1950, with the coming into force of the Constitution.
  • The Supreme Court has original, appellate, and advisory jurisdiction. 
  • It serves both as the final court of appeals and the final interpreter of the Constitution. 
  • Its exclusive original jurisdiction extends to any dispute between the Government of India and one or more States or between the Government of India and any State or States on one side and one or more States on the other, or between two or more States, if and insofar as the dispute involves any question (whether of law or fact)on which the existence or extent of a legal right depends.
  • Article 32 of the Constitution gives extensive original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights.

Status Report of Snow Leopards in India

The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released the report on the Status of Snow Leopards in India during the National Board for Wildlife meeting held in New Delhi. 

The report was released as part of the Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program, which is the first-ever scientific exercise that reports Snow leopard population of 718 individuals in India. 

About Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program

  • The SPAI systematically covered over 70% of the potential snow leopard habitat across the trans-Himalayan region, including UTs of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, and states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is the National Coordinator for this exercise that was carried out with the support of all snow leopard range states and two conservation partners, the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru and WWF-India. 
  • The assessment was conducted from 2019 to 2023 using a meticulous two-step framework, including evaluating snow leopard spatial distribution and estimating snow leopard abundance using camera traps.
  • The first step involved evaluating Snow leopard spatial distribution, through an occupancy-based sampling approach in the potential distribution range. In the second step, Snow leopard abundance was estimated using camera traps in each identified stratified region.

Recommendations of the SPAI Program

  • The report emphasises the need for establishing a dedicated Snow Leopard Cell at WII under the MoEFCC to focus on long-term population monitoring. 
  • Consistent monitoring through periodic population estimation is proposed to ensure the long-term survival of snow leopards and to identify challenges, address threats, and formulate effective conservation strategies.

India Nominates ‘Maratha Military Landscapes’ for UNESCO World Heritage List 2024-25

The “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” will be India’s nomination for recognition as the UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2024-25.

This nomination comprises 12 components, each holding a unique place in history and culture. The twelve component parts of this nomination are, Salher fort, Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Khanderi fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijay durg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu. These components, distributed across diverse geographical and physiographic regions, showcase the strategic military powers of the Maratha rule.

About Maratha Military Landscapes

  • The Maratha Military Landscapes of India, which developed between the 17th and 19th centuries, represent an extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers. This extraordinary network of forts, varying in hierarchies, scales and typological features, is a result of integrating the landscape, terrain and physiographic characteristics distinctive to the Sahyadri mountain ranges, the Konkan Coast, Deccan Plateau and the Eastern Ghats in the Indian Peninsula.
  • There are more than 390 forts in Maharashtra out of which only 12 forts are selected under the Maratha Military Landscapes of India, of these eight forts are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. 
  • These are Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala fort, Vijaydurg, Sindhudurg and Gingee fort whereas Salher fort, Rajgad, Khanderi fort and Pratapgarh are protected by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Maharashtra. 
  • In the Maratha Military Landscapes of India Salher fort, Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Raigad, Rajgad and Gingee fort are hill forts, Pratapgad is hill-forest fort, Panhala is hill-plateau fort, Vijaydurg is coastal fort whereas Khanderi fort, Suvarnadurg and Sindhudurg are island forts.

Maratha Military Ideology 

  • The origins of Maratha Military ideology can be traced back to the 17th century during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (circa 1670 CE). 
  • This enduring legacy continued through subsequent rules, including the Peshwa rule until 1818 CE. 

Nomination and Criteria

  • There are two categories of nomination- cultural and natural criteria, the Maratha Military landscapes is nominated in the category of cultural criteria. 
  • There are six criteria (i to vi) for cultural sites and four criteria (vii to x) for natural sites for inclusion in the World Heritage List.
  • The Maratha Military Landscapes of India is nominated under criterion (iii): To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization that in living or which has disappeared, 
  • criterion (iv): to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble, or landscape that illustrates significant stage(s) in human history and 
  • Criterion (vi): To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.

India’s UNESCO Heritage

  • At present in India there are 42 World Heritage sites, out of which 34 are cultural sites, seven are natural sites whereas one is mixed site.
  • In Maharashtra there are six World Heritage Sites, five cultural and one natural these are, Ajanta Caves (1983), Ellora Caves (1983), Elephanta Caves (1987), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004), Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018) and western Ghats of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala is serial property in natural category (2012). 
  • The Maratha Military Landscapes of India included in the Tentative List of World Heritage sites in 2021 is the sixth cultural property nominated for inclusion in the World Heritage List from Maharashtra.

India-Saudi Arabia Joint Military Exercise ‘SADA TANSEEQ’

 

The inaugural edition of India-Saudi Arabia Joint Military Exercise ‘SADA TANSEEQ’ commenced at Mahajan, Rajasthan. The Exercise is conducted from 29th January to 10th February 2024. 

 

Participation and Representation: 

  • The Saudi Arabian contingent comprising 45 personnel is being represented by Royal Saudi Land Forces. 
  • The Indian Army contingent also comprising 45 personnel is being represented by a Battalion from the Brigade of the Guards (Mechanised Infantry). 

 

Objectives

  • Aim of the Exercise is to train troops of both sides for Joint Operations in Semi Desert terrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. 

 

About Exercise Sada Tanseeq

  • The Exercise will enable both the sides to share their best practices in the tactics, techniques and procedures of conducting operations in sub-conventional domain. 
  • It will facilitate developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between troops from both the sides. 
  • The Exercise will involve Establishment of Mobile Vehicle Check Post, Cordon & Search Operation, House Intervention Drill, Reflex Shooting, Slithering and Sniper Firing. 
  • The Exercise will provide an opportunity to both the contingents to strengthen their bond.
  •  It will act as a platform to achieve shared security objectives, enhance the level of defence cooperation and foster bilateral relations between the two friendly nations.