Annual Status of Education Report
Why in news?
- The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019 ‘Early Years’ was released by NGO Pratham.
Key facts
- At least 25% of schoolAnnual Status of Education Report children in the four-eight age group do not have age-appropriate cognitive and numeracy skills.
- Just 37.4% of children below six are able to recognize at least letters and only 25.6% can do additions, according to the report. Similarly, only 34.8% of children in Class II can read a text meant for the level below. And at Class III, only 50.8% can read
texts meant for their juniors two levels below. - Permitting underage children into primary grades puts them at a learning disadvantage which is difficult to overcome. More than a quarter of Class 1 students in government schools are only 4 or 5 years old, younger than the recommended age.
- The government-run preschool system is losing out to private schools in terms of enrolment.
- A better education level among mothers can lead to better outcomes among children in preschools and early schools. Numeracy skills among Class III children of illiterate mothers are much lower than those whose mothers had studied till Class XI or above.
- More girls are enrolled in government institutions and more boys in private institutions.
Global Drosophila conference
- Pune hosted the fifth edition of the Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC5), which was organised in the country for the first time by the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER).
Key facts
- Drosophila is a genus of flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called “small fruit flies” or pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies.
- One species of Drosophila in particular, D. melanogaster, has been heavily used in research in genetics and is a common model organism in developmental biology.
- Its genome is entirely sequenced and there is enormous information available about its biochemistry, physiology and behaviour.
Asia Pacific Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC):
- This biennial conference aims to promote the interaction of Drosophila researchers in the Asia-Pacific region with their peers in the rest of the world.
- It will bring together scientists from all over the world who use the fruit fly, Drosophila, as a model organism to address basic and applied questions.
- The last four editions of this conference took place in Taipei, Seoul, Beijing and Osaka.
‘Option in goods’ in commodities
Why in news?
- Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said that stocks exchanges can launch ‘option in goods’ in their commodity derivatives segment. This is in addition to ‘options on commodity futures’.
Key facts
- The provision shall pave the way for launching options contracts in commodities based on underlying spot market price and settlement through compulsory delivery.
- For the first time, Indian commodity derivatives market will witness both European as well as American options, where as in securities market options are restricted to European style only.
- The options can reduce the risk for the hedgers. Options in agriculture commodities can prove to be an important tool to replace minimum support price intervention scheme of the govt.
- A contract for the purchase or sale of a right to buy or sell or a right to buy and sell in the future, such underlying goods, is called ‘option in goods’.
- It will play a major role in stimulating agricultural marketing and enable farmer-friendly options products.
- The product design and risk management framework would be in conformity with the guidelines of the circular, and exchanges willing to start trading in options contracts with goods as underlying should take prior approval of Sebi for launching such contracts.
- The exchanges should also make necessary disclosures such as open interest of top 10 largest participants/group of participants in “option in goods” (both long and short) and the details of their combined open interest in underlying constituents.
Bru-Reang Refugee
Why in news?
- Union Home Minister presided over the signing of an agreement between Government of India, Tripura and Mizoram and Bru-Reang representatives to end the 23-year old Bru-Reang refugee crisis.
Salient features of the new agreement:
- Around 34,000 Bru refugees will be settled in Tripura and would be given aid from the Centre to help with their rehabilitation through a package of around Rs 600 crores.
- These people would get all the rights that normal residents of the States get and they would now be able to enjoy the benefits of social welfare schemes of Centre and State governments.
- Each of the displaced families would be given 40×30 sq.ft. residential plots, in addition to the aid under earlier agreement of a fixed deposit of Rs. 4 lakhs, Rs. 5,000 cash aid per month for 2 years, free ration for 2 years and Rs. 1.5 lakhs aid to build their house. The government of Tripura would provide the land under this agreement.
Background:
- In 1997, following ethnic tension, around 5,000 families comprising around 30,000 Bru-Reang tribals were forced to flee Mizoram and seek shelter in Tripura. These people were housed in temporary camps at Kanchanpur, in North Tripura.
- There had been a sustained demand of most Bru-Reang families that they may be allowed to settle down in Tripura, considering their apprehensions about their security.