Top News Highlights- 29 July 2024

Impact of Climate Change on Education

• Climate Change and Learning Losses: Extreme weather disrupts schooling, causing significant learning losses and dropouts.
• Global Exposure: Over 99% of children worldwide are exposed to at least one major climate and environmental hazard.
• Temperature Effects: A 1°C increase in outdoor temperature on exam days can result in a substantial decline in test scores, e.g., students in the hottest 10% of Brazilian municipalities lost about 1% of learning per year due to heat exposure.
• Food Insecurity and Education: Climate change-induced food insecurity threatens school enrollment, potentially affecting 170 million people by 2080.

Moidams Inscribed in UNESCO World Heritage List

• Significance: Moidams, the burial grounds of Ahom rulers in Assam, have been recognized as India’s 43rd UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Architectural Features: Consists of a vaulted chamber, a hemispherical earthen mound, and an octagonal boundary wall.
• Cultural Importance: Reflects the Ahom kingdom’s history and is often compared to Egypt’s pyramids.

RBI’s Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) Framework for UCBs

• Objective: To enhance the financial health of Primary Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) with precision and flexibility.
• Key Monitoring Areas: Capital, Asset Quality, and Profitability.
• Challenges: High non-performing assets, lack of professional management, and competition with Small Finance Banks and FinTechs.

National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Report on Tiger Deaths

• Statistics: 628 tigers died between 2019-2023, with over half occurring within Tiger Reserves.
• Conservation Status: Tigers are listed as Endangered under the IUCN Red List and are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Conservation Efforts: Initiatives like Project Tiger and M-STrIPES for effective monitoring and conservation.

Cultural Property Agreement Between India and USA

• Aim: To prevent and curb the illicit trafficking of Indian antiquities.
• Significance: Enhances cultural diplomacy, promotes tourism, and enriches education.
• Efforts: Includes global conventions and national acts to prevent smuggling and ensure repatriation of antiquities.

Growth-India Telescope Captures Building-Sized Asteroid

• About: India’s first fully robotic optical research telescope is located in Ladakh.
• Purpose: Studies celestial events and collects data on near-earth asteroids and other phenomena.
• Collaborations: Part of the Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH) international network.

Revised Model Skill Loan Scheme

• Objective: Provide easy access to advanced skill courses, removing financial barriers for students.
• Loan Limit: Increased to 7.5 lakh rupees from 1.5 lakh rupees.
• Eligibility: Includes NBFCs, Micro Finance Institutions, and Small Finance Banks.

Kargil Vijay Diwas Celebrations

• Commemoration: Marks the victory of Operation Vijay in 1999 and honors the bravery of Indian soldiers.
• Military Reforms: Post-Kargil reforms include the creation of the Defence Intelligence Agency and the appointment of the first Chief of Defense Staff.

Keywords Description

• Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC): Plans submitted by countries under the Paris Agreement to reduce national emissions and adapt to climate change.
• Prompt Corrective Action (PCA): A framework by RBI to ensure the sound financial health of banks by monitoring key indicators.
• Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972: An act aimed at the protection of wildlife and their habitats in India.
• Project Tiger: A conservation program launched in 1973 to protect tigers and their habitats in India.