Daily Current Affairs and GK | 29 and 30 January 2023

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

1. All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021 has been released by the Ministry of Education.

• All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) is being conducted since 2011 by the Ministry of Education.
• The survey is a compilation of information on different parameters such as student enrolment, teacher’s data, infrastructural information, financial information etc.
• In AISHE 2020-21, data have been filled using an entirely online data collection platform through the Web Data Capture Format (DCF).
• Key Highlights of the Survey:
  • The number of Female enrolment has increased to 2.01 crore from 1.88 crore in 2019-20.
  • The enrolment in higher education has also increased to 4.14 crore in 2020-21 from 3.85 crore in 2019-20. Gross Enrolment Ratio has increased to 27.3 from 25.6 in 2019-20.
  • The enrolment of ST students has increased to 24.1 Lakh in 2020-21 from 21.6 Lakh in 2019-20. OBC Student enrolment has increased by 32%.
  • In terms of the number of students enrolled, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan are the top six states.
  • Among Disciplines at the undergraduate level, enrolment is highest in Arts (33.5%), followed by Science (15.5%), Commerce (13.9%) and Engineering & Technology (11.9%).
  • During 2014-15 to 2020-21, enrolment in the Institute of National Importance (INIs) has increased by 61%.
  • Total number of faculty/teachers increases by 47,914 from 2019-20.
  • During 2020-21, the number of Universities has increased by 70, and the number of Colleges has increased by 1,453.
  • The number of Institutes of National Importance (INIs) has increased from 75 in 2014-15 to 149 in 2020-21.
  • The highest number of Universities are in Rajasthan (92), Uttar Pradesh (84) and Gujarat (83).
  • The female per 100 male faculty has increased to 75 in 2020-21 from 74 in 2019-20.

Topic: Art and Culture

2. The government will transfer around 1,000 monuments to the private sector.

• The monuments under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India will be transferred to the private sector for their maintenance under the Monument Mitra Scheme.
• Under the scheme, the private sector will revamp monument amenities.
• The monuments will be taken over by the corporate entities as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility.
• The target of the government is to transfer the control of 500 sites under the revamped Monument Mitra Scheme by the end of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav on 15 August 2023.
• The Monument Mitra Scheme was started some years back under the Ministry of Tourism.
• Now the scheme has been transferred from the Ministry of Tourism to the Ministry of Culture in respect of the monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Topic: Corporates/Companies

3. ‘She Feeds the World’ programme has been launched in India by PepsiCo Foundation and CARE.

• The programme has been launched to strengthen the role of small-scale women producers.
• The programme will be implemented in the Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts of West Bengal.
• The programme aims to reach out to more than 48,000 women, men and children. It will indirectly benefit 1,50,000 individuals.
• ‘She Feeds the World’ will drive impact for women farmers and their families across economic, social and environmental dimensions of a sustainable food system.
• The programme is a key pillar of PepsiCo’s pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) commitment to spreading regenerative agricultural practices.
• PepsiCo’s pep+ commitment also aims to improve the livelihoods of over 2,50,000 people in the agricultural supply chain and communities by 2030.
• PepsiCo Foundation is the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo. PepsiCo is an American multinational corporation.

Topic: Geography

4. Pune researchers have discovered a low-level basalt plateau in the Western Ghats in Maharashtra.   

• It is an isolated flat-topped steep hill. The discovery was from Manjare village.
• The researchers have also found 76 plant species. These plant species belong to 24 plant families. 
• According to the lead author of the study, Aboli Kulkarni, three outcrops are known in the biodiversity hot spot of Western Ghats.
• They are laterite outcrops at high and low altitudes and basalt outcrops at high altitudes.
• But now a low altitude basalt outcrop has been found in Murbad district, which is about 100 kilometres from Mumbai.
• Landscape habitats called rock outcrops have more exposed rock surfaces than their surroundings.
• The plateau is important from the conservation point of view. It features plant species from all the three other outcrops given above.
• Locals referred to the plateau as similar to Kas plateau, which is a UNESCO world natural heritage site in Maharashtra.
• Kas plateau is a lateritic plateau. It hosts many endemic wild flowering plants.

Topic: Important Days

5. Martyrs’ Day/ Shaheed Diwas: 30 January

• India celebrates Martyrs' Day every year on 30 January to honor the sacrifice of Mahatma Gandhi.
• On January 30, 1948, Nathuram Godse killed him at Birla House in New Delhi.
• This year the nation celebrated the 75th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• This day is celebrated as a day of non-violence and peace.
• This day is also celebrated as a day to remember all the martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom and independence of the country.
• Mahatma Gandhi:
  • His full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
  • Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation, was a lawyer, political ethicist, activist, and writer.
  • He was born in Porbandar, Gujarat on 2nd October 1869.
  • He founded the Harijan Sevak Sangh in 1932.
  • Times Magazine named Mahatma Gandhi as the Man of the Year in 1930.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

6. Serbia's Novak Djokovic has won the Men's Singles title in Australian Open Tennis.

• In the final, Djokovic won his 10^th Australian Open by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6, 7-6.
• Djokovic equalled Rafael Nadal's men's record of 22 Grand Slam titles and he will now be world number one in the rankings.
• In the year 2021, Djokovic also won the title by defeating Tsitsipas in the final of the French Open.
• Both players were face to face for the 13th time and Djokovic won for the 11th time.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

7. President approved conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards-2022 to 43 persons.

• Among 43 persons, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak will be given to 7 persons, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 8 persons and Jeevan Raksha Padak to 28 persons.
• Jeevan Raksha Padak awards is given for meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a person.
• The awards are given into three categories: Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak.
• Jeevan Raksha Padak award was established on 30 September 1961. The award can also be conferred posthumously.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

8. Eight Indian airports get carbon accreditation.

• Eight Indian airports have been awarded the Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation in the Asia Pacific and Middle East region.
• Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) is a global carbon management certification programme for airports.
• It assesses the efforts of airports in reducing their carbon emissions through six levels of certification.
• Delhi and Mumbai airports have received the highest level 4+ accreditation (Transition).
• Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad have got Level 3+ accreditation (Neutrality).
• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Biju Patnaik International Airport, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, and the Trivandrum International Airport have got Level 2 accreditation (Reduction).
• A total of 66 airports in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East region are among 440 accredited global airports.
• Only 32 airports in the world are in the top tier — Level 4+ (Transition).

Topic: Sports

9. India won Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup title.

• India defeated England in the first-ever ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup final.
• Indian women’s team defeated England in the final of the U-19 Women's T20 World Cup at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
• India Women U19 won by 7 wickets. Indian women’s team has won a World Cup title at any level for the first time.
• Shafali Verma-led team bowled out England for a total of 68 in 17.1 overs.
• Titas Sadhu (2), Archana Devi (2), and Parshavi Chopra (2) took six wickets.
• Mannat Kashyap, Shafali, and Sonam Yadav took a wicket each.
• BCCI Secretary Jay Shah announced Rs 5 crore prize money for the Women's U-19 cricket team and support staff.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

10. Delhi’s Mughal Gardens have been renamed Amrit Udyan.

• The central government changed the name of the Mughal Gardens in Rashtrapati Bhavan keeping in line with the theme of Amrit Mahotsav.
• President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Amrit Udyan on 29 January 2023.
• It will be open to the public for two months from 31 January to 26 March.
• It is usually open for public viewing for one month from February to March.
• It is also planned that the garden will be kept open for viewing by special groups, like farmers and differently-abled from 28 March to 31 March.
• Rectangular, Long and Circular Gardens, the Herbal Garden, Musical Garden and the Spiritual Garden make up the Mughal Gardens. It was built by Sir Edward Lutyen.
• The style of Mughal Gardens was influenced by the Persian gardens particularly the Charbagh structure.
• Charbagh is a Persian and Indo-Persian quadrilateral garden layout. It is based on four gardens of Paradise mentioned in Quran.

Topic: Sports

11. Germany wins FIH Men's Hockey World Cup by defeating Belgium.

• Germany defeated Belgium by 5-4 in the penalty shootout to win the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar.
• Both the teams scored three goals each at the end of normal time. The result of the match came from penalty shootout.
• It is Germany’s third world cup title. Earlier, it has won the World Cup in 2002 and 2006.
• The Netherlands won the bronze medal by defeating Australia.
• Niklas Wellen got the ‘Best Player Award’ while Vincent Vanasch won the ‘Best Goalkeeper Award’.
• Jeremy Hayward gets the ‘Hero Top Scorer’ award.
• Maximum Team Goals Award went to the Netherlands.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Jharkhand

12. First Jharkhand Migrant Survey has been launched for a better understanding of the migrant population.

• Jharkhand is conducting the Jharkhand Migrant Survey (JMS) for a better understanding of the migrant population and their numbers.
• Jharkhand Migrant Survey (JMS) has been launched as a part of the State’s Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative (SRMI).
• Its main objective is to prepare a database of migrant workers, which can be used for formulating government policies.
• In the Survey, 60 enumerators in 24 districts of Jharkhand will collect the details from some 11,000 households.
• The government is aiming to find out conditions, and factors influencing migration.
• The Survey has a special segment to understand the socio-economic conditions and job preferences of women migrants.
• Policy and Development Advisory Group (PDAG) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in October 2021 with the Jharkhand government to set up a technical support unit.
• Earlier, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Punjab have also conducted such surveys.
• In 2021, the Jharkhand government launched ‘Safe and Responsible Migration Initiative’ to enable systematic registration and monitoring of migrant workers.

Topic: Committees/ Commissions/Taskforces

13. 3 Grievance Appellate Committees have been established by Centre based on recently amended IT Rules 2021.

• On December 28, three Grievance Appellate Committees have been formed by the centre  (GAC) based on the recently amended Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules 2021). 
• Each committee has three members each.
• These committees have been constituted with the objective of making the internet safe and reliable in the country.
• The need for Grievance Appeal Committees (GACs) arose due to a large number of complaints not resolved or resolved unsatisfactorily by Internet intermediaries.
• The IT Rules, 2021 provide for paving the way for grievance redressal apart from the courts.
• It ensures that the constitutional rights of Indian citizens are not violated by any of the mass technology platforms by laying down new accountability standards for SSMI.
• The GAC will be a virtual digital platform, operated only online and digitally, wherein the entire appeal process from filing of appeal to its decision will be conducted digitally.
• Users will have the option to appeal against the decision of the Grievance Officer for social media intermediaries and other online intermediaries before this new appellate body.
• The Committee shall endeavor to resolve the appeal of the user within a period of 30 days.
• This online platform will be operational from 1 March 2023.

Topic: Personality in News

14. Lala Lajpat Rai’s birth anniversary celebrated on 28 January across the nation.

• This year, the nation celebrated his 158th birth anniversary.
• He is remembered for his contribution to the freedom struggle of India.
• He was popularly known as "Punjab Kesari," which generally translates as "Punjab Da Sher" (the Lion of Punjab).
• He was an extremist from political lineage and was part of the famous trinity of "Lal, Bal and Pal" along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal.
• He also served as the President of the Indian National Congress from the year 1920.
• Lala Lajpat Rai:
  • He was born on 28 January 1865 in Punjab.
  • In 1928, Lala ji died in Lahore due to severe head injury due to police beating.
  • He founded the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic School in Lahore.
  • He also founded the ‘Servants of the People Society’ at Lahore in 1921.
  • He had founded Punjab National Bank and Laxmi Insurance Company.