• Union Education Minister, Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has recently released the Report on United Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2019-20 for School Education in India.

Highlights of the Report

• As per the UDISE+ report 2019-20, Gross Enrolment Ratio at all levels of school education has improved in 2019-20 compared to 2018-19.
• Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) has improved at all levels of school education.
• According to the report, in 2019-20, enrolment of girls from primary to higher secondary is more than 12.08 crore.
• This is a substantial increase by 14.08 lakh compared to 2018-19.
• Between 2012-13 and 2019-20, the Gender Parity Index (GPI) at both Secondary and Higher Secondary levels have improved.
• The UDISE+ report shows a remarkable improvement in the number of schools with functional electricity, with functional computers, internet facility in 2019-20 over the previous year.
• Another major improvement is seen in the number of schools with hand wash facility.
• In year 2019-20, more than 90% schools in India had hand wash facility as compared to only 36.3% in 2012-13.

UDISE+ System

• It is a system of online data collection from the schools which was developed in the year 2018-19 to overcome the issues related to manual data filling in paper format and subsequent feeding at the block or district level, which was in practice in the UDISE data collection system from 2012-13.
• The present publication relates to UDISE+ data for the reference year 2019-20.

• The 7th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was held recently.
• It is a biennial event hosted by the French Navy at La Reunion.

Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)

• It was conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008.
• It seeks to enhance maritime cooperation among Navies of the littoral states of the IOR by providing an open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues that would lead to common understanding on the way ahead.
• There are 24 members and 8 observers in IONS.
• Australia, United Kingdom, India, Saudi Arabia Timor Leste, UAE are members of the forum.
• China, germany, Italy, Japan, Madagascar, Netherland, Russian and Spain are observer Countries of IONS forum.
• The chairmanship of IONS has been held by India (2008-10), UAE (2010-12), South Africa (2012-14), Australia (2014-16), Bangladesh (2016-18) and Islamic Republic of Iran (2018-21).
• France has assumed the Chairmanship on 29 Jun 21 for a two-year tenure.
• IONS Conclave of Chiefs (CoC) is the decision-making body at the level of Chiefs of Navies, which meets biennially.
• 6th IONS and CoC was conducted by Iran Navy in April 2018 at Tehran.
• Owing to the pandemic, the CoC 2021, will be hosted by French Navy later this year.

• According to a recent study, black carbon emissions were most associated with premature mortality.
• The study was funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Black carbon (BC)

• It is a form of particulate matter that results from carbon emissions.
• The Indo-Gangetic plain has a high burden of black carbon with serious implications for regional climate and human health.
• Several cities in this belt routinely find themselves at the top of the list of the most polluted cities in India as well as the world.
• Black carbon results from incomplete burning of fossil fuel and studies have previously linked it to global warming.
• It’s a relatively short-lived pollutant in the atmosphere but influences cloud formation and atmospheric heat absorption processes.

• Darbar Move, which begins in the year 1872 has now came to an end.
• The administration served notice to employees to vacate the ‘Darbar Move’ related accommodations in three weeks in Jammu and Srinagar.

Darbar Move

• It is a 149-year-old biannual tradition of shifting capitals between Srinagar and Jammu.
• By shifting, hundreds of official files were physically moved in trucks on the treacherous Jammu-Srinagar highway.
• It was started during the Dogra monarch Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1872.
• The tradition was continued after 1947 by J&K’s political class, as it acted as a major bridge and a space for interaction between two diverse linguistic and cultural groups of Kashmir and Jammu regions.

• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) located and rescued a distressed fishing boat off the Tillanchong Island recently.

Tillangchong Island

• It is an island in the Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India.
• The island is a part of the Nicobar Islands chain, located in the northeast Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

ZyCov-D Vaccine

• ZyCov-D is a “plasmid DNA” vaccine — or a vaccine that uses a genetically engineered, non-replicating version of a type of DNA molecule known as a ‘plasmid’.
• The plasmids in this case are coded with the instructions to make the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
• It is developed by Zydus Cadila with the support of the central government’s Department of Biotechnology and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
• If approved by the regulator, ZyCov-D will be the world’s first DNA vaccine against infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Gravitational waves

• Gravitational waves were first predicted in 1916 by Albert Einstein on the basis of his Theory of General Relativity.
• Strongest sources of gravitational waves are among enigmatic objects in our universe like black holes, supernova, neutron stars and Big Bang.
• Recently researchers has discovery of a new source of gravitational waves that is collisions between Neutron Star and Black Hole.

Hawksbill Turtle

• There are five species in Indian waters i.e. Olive Ridley, Green turtle, Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Leatherback.
• Hawksbill sea turtles have a wide range, found predominantly in tropical reefs of the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans.

• The Hawksbill turtle is listed as 'Critically Endangered' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• They are protected in Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, under Schedule I.

Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2020

• It is a composite index produced, analysed and published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• It is a trusted reference that measures the commitment of countries to cybersecurity at a global level.
• The ranking is based on five pillars i.e. legal measures, technical measures, capacity building measures, cooperation and organisational measures.
• The US was ranked on the first spot, indicating highest commitment to cybersecurity.
• India improved its ranking from 47 and has entered the top 10 of a global cybersecurity ranking of countries.

Kalbeliya Dance

• It is associated with a Rajasthani tribe of the same name.
• It was included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in 2010.
• The dance form consists of swirling; graceful movements that make this dance a treat to behold.
• The movements associated with the Kalbelia also make it one of the most sensuous forms of folk dance in India.