Poll year: Editorial on upcoming electoral contests in Northeast

 Bharatiya Janata Party, which had a negligible presence in the Northeast earlier, has been deepening its footprints in the region at a furious pace.

The next parliamentary elections in India are expected to take place in 2024. The attention of India and that of the world would, quite naturally, be on their outcome. But a number of crucial electoral contests are scheduled this year as well. As many as nine states would vote in assembly polls. The results, pundits argue, need not reflect the national mood with precision. But the outcomes would still generate interest because the principal players in national politics — the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress — would be in the fray in many of these states. Inaugurating this season of polls are three states in the Northeast. Tripura will vote to bring in a new government on February 16 while Meghalaya and Nagaland would do so on February 27, with the results of all three contests being declared on March 2. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which had a negligible presence in the Northeast earlier, has been deepening its footprints in the region at a furious pace. It held  Assam and, most strikingly, took Tripura and is part of the ruling alliance in Nagaland and Meghalaya. But the road to power for the BJP could be a bit of an uphill grind. In Tripura, it is expected to face the combined strength of the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) with Pradyot Kishore Debbarma’s Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance expected to queer the pitch further. Even in Meghalaya, the BJP’s equation with the ruling National People’s Party has become frosty. The stakes, arguably, are even higher for the Congress that is now a rump of its former self in the region. Meanwhile, if Bengal’s ruling party, the Trinamul Congress, manages to taste some success in Meghalaya, it could provide a fillip to the regional party’s ambition to play a role in Delhi. As for Nagaland, it should be anxious for a credible government as well as a combative Opposition. At the moment, in a peculiar development for a democracy, Nagaland is the only Indian state without an Opposition.

The winner in these three states would have their task cut out. The Northeast, despite being one of India’s strategic corners, continues to battle, among other challenges, underdevelopment, corruption, militancy as well as intra-border tensions. Chinese incursion in Arunachal Pradesh has added to the region’s centrality to policy. It is imperative that the elected dispensations rise above political differences to take on these hurdles for the welfare of the nation, the region, and the people.

Source: The Telegraph, 20/01/23

ASER report has significant pointers on reversing post-pandemic educational losses

 

The report, along with others, underlines the significance of empowering teachers and reaching out to students in their homes. A system that synergises the roles of the home and classroom is the way to go

The findings of the first nationwide ASER survey in four years offer significant takeaways. Covering nearly seven lakh children in the age group of 6 to 16 in 616 districts, it frames the impact of the pandemic on learning outcomes. As expected, the report card in this respect is not too good. But ASER 2022 also belies fears that the prolonged closure of schools — amongst the longest in the world — would set back the steady rise in enrollment over the past 10 years. More than 98 per cent of 6-16 year-olds are in school. It’s heartening that the proportion of out-of-school girls has fallen to 2 per cent. The uncertainties and exigencies of the pandemic years do not seem to have diminished the importance that parents, across social groups, attach to sending children to school.

ASER recorded a steady rise in learning outcomes between 2014 and 2018. But the lack of classroom interaction with the teacher seems to have reversed these incremental gains. The percentage of Class 3 students who can read a Class 2 book has fallen by nearly 7 percentage points since the last nationwide ASER survey in 2018. The loss in numerical skills is less steep — about 2.3 per cent. But these figures seem less grim when seen from another perspective — 2022 was the first year in a physical classroom for these students. The report suggests that despite wide variations in how children accessed technology during the pandemic years, most schools — even in rural areas — “attempted to keep learning going with digital resources”. Here, too, a significant contribution seems to have been made by mothers and fathers. The percentage of young parents who have been to school has gone up appreciably in the past 10 years and they may have actively participated in overcoming some of the challenges caused by the pandemic-induced disruption, the report suggests. In the coming months and years, as states try to find different pathways to reach NEP 2020’s goal of achieving universal foundational literacy and numeracy, they would do well to work ASER 2022’s hypothesis on the role of parents into their plans.

A comparative analysis of learning outcomes during the pandemic and post-pandemic years in West Bengal, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh — states where the ASER was conducted during the health crisis — also offers hope. It shows that these states have reversed their losses significantly in 2022. Other studies, including that by the University of California’s Karthik Muralidharan on Tamil Nadu’s recovery, underline the significance of empowering teachers and reaching out to students in their homes. A system that synergises the roles of the home and classroom is the way to go.

Source: Indian Express, 20/01/23

Quote of the Day January 18, 2023

 

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“वहां नहीं जाएं जहां राह ले जाये, वहां जाएं जहां कोई राह न हो और अपनी छाप छोड़ जाएं।”
राल्फ वाल्डो इमर्सन

Kollam: India’s First Constitution Literate District

 In a historic achievement, the Indian district of Kollam has become the country’s first constitution literate district. The announcement was made by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The district’s success is the result of a seven-month campaign launched by the Kollam district panchayat, District Planning Committee, and the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) to educate citizens about the country’s laws and their rights.

About the Constitution Literacy Campaign

• The campaign aimed to provide constitutional literacy to 23 lakh citizens belonging to 7 lakh families in the district.
• To achieve this goal, awareness classes were organized for around 90% of the people in Kollam.
• Around 16.3 lakh people above the age of 10 were educated by 2,200 trainers called “senators,” who visited schools, offices, auto stands, and tribal councils to create awareness.

Importance of this campaign

The Constitution literacy campaign in Kollam district is expected to help in a number of ways. By providing education about the country’s laws and citizens’ rights, the campaign aims to create a more informed and aware citizenry. This can lead to better understanding of one’s rights and responsibilities as a citizen, and can also help in holding the government accountable for its actions. It also helps the government’s efforts to improve secularism and the social environment.

GK Facts on Kollam

Kollam, also known as Quilon, is an ancient port city located on the banks of the Ashtamudi Lake in the Indian state of Kerala. Kollam was once a major center of international trade, particularly in spices and cashew nuts, and was an important port for the Chinese, Arabs, and Europeans. The city is home to the Thangassery Light House, which is one of the oldest lighthouses in the country and offers a panoramic view of the city. Kollam is also famous for its traditional Kerala-style houseboats, known as Kettuvallams, which are used for backwater tourism. The city is known for its rich cultural heritage and is home to several ancient temples, churches, and mosques, including the famous Sree Maha Ganapathi Temple, Kadakkal Devi Temple, and the St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral.

Current Affairs-January 14, 2023

 

INDIA

• Prime Minister Modi flags off world’s longest river cruise from Varanasi to Dibrugarh.
• Makar Sankranti festival is being observed across the country.
• TRAI releases Consultation Paper on Telecommunication Infrastructure Sharing, Spectrum Sharing and Spectrum Leasing.
• Indian Railways to launch Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train.
• Himachal Pradesh govt restores old pension scheme
• Tamil Nadu adopts Bill to make Tamil paper compulsory for State government jobs.
• Supreme Court held that exclusion of Sikkimese women who marry non-Sikkimese men from exemptions under the Income Tax Act is unconstitutional.

ECONOMY

• Rise in government capital spending pushes up investments till December by 53% higher than FY22.
• India-China trade recordec at $135.98 bn in 2022; Trade deficit crosses $100 bn mark for the first time
• Jio-BP to build EV charging infrastructure for Citroen’s India unit.
• Retail inflation eases to 12-month low of 5.72% in December

WORLD

• US renames five places that used racist slur for Native Americans
• WHO urges South-East Asian countries to take urgent and accelerated measures against measles
• Europe’s largest known deposit of rare earth elements found in Sweden.
• Sri Lanka plans to downsize military by half by 2030.
• China operates first domestic Boeing 737 MAX flight since 2019

SPORTS

• FIFA charges Argentine Football Association for alleged offensive player misconduct and violations of fair play at World Cup final.
• Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy storm into semifinals of Malaysia Open Men’s doubles Badminton event.
• India defeats Spain in the opening match of World Cup Hockey 2023.

Current Affairs-January 15-16, 2023.

 

INDIA

• Festivals of Makar Sankranti, Magh Bihu and Pongal were celebrated in different parts of the country.
• Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express train runs from today.
• G20: Two-day ‘Think-20’ meeting to start in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• G20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) to begin in Pune, Maharashtra.
• Centre to launch five-year National Urban Technology Mission for Municipal Services and ULBs.
• Chhattisgarh begins road construction work in Pudaang village, for the first time since India’s Independence.

ECONOMY

• Report: Richest 1% Indians own more than 40% of country’s wealth.
• Japan’s SMBC Bank and Oaktree Capital Management submit expressions of interest (EoIs) for strategic stake sale in IDBI Bank.
• Swiggy has rolled out Ambulance Service for Delivery Partners and its dependants.
• The government has extended the tenure of managing director (MD) and CEO of Bank of Baroda (BoB) Sanjiv Chadha till June 2023.
• CII Business Confidence Index for the October-December quarter records its highest reading in two years.
• World’s longest River Cruise MV Ganga Vilas will reach Patna today; The Cruise is on way to Dibrugarh via Bangladesh.

WORLD

• Davos 2023 : World Economic Forum Meeting begins today on the theme, ‘Cooperation in a Fragmented World’.
• Britain to send 14 of its main battle tanks along with additional artillery support to Ukraine.
• Earthquake of 6.0 magnitude strikes Indonesia’s Northern Sumatra.
• US President Joe Biden approves emergency declaration for California due to winter storms

SPORTS

• Shang Juncheng becomes the first male Chinese player to win an Australian Open match.
• Barcelona beats Real Madrid 3-1 to lift Spanish Super Cup
• India defeats Sri Lanka by the largest ever margin of 317 runs in the last ODI and clinched the series by 3-0.
• Indian team of Yuki Bhambri- Saketh Myneni wins Bangkok Open tennis title.

Current Affairs-January 17, 2023

 

INDIA

• Excellence in Governance Awards for District Magistrates to be presented by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
• Odisha government initiates process to divest 49 per cent stake in Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC), a profit-making PSU.
• Bhavin Rabari of Gujarati film Chhello Show bags International Press Academy (IPA) award.
• Chennai organises its first International Book Fair.
• Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal felicitates National Startup Awards 2022 winners
• 21st Edition of the Bilateral Naval Exercise between India and France- VARUNA commenced on the Western Seaboard.

ECONOMY

• India exported goods worth USD 34.48 billion in December 2022, at a 7.75% rise from November’s figure but 12.2% dip from a year ago.
• Siemens signs 3 billion euro contract to supply and service freight trains in India.
• India exported more than USD 6 billion worth of smart-phones during April-November 2022.
• Wholesale inflation in December 2022 slips to 22-month low at 4.95%.

WORLD

• Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe says the government will implement 13th Amendment, which provides for devolution of power to minority Tamil community.
• China’s population falls to a 60 year low, to 1.41 billion with a fall of roughly 850,000.
• Nepal’s Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Pokhara crashed before landing; All 68 passengers onboard died.
• Russia and Belarus began joint military exercises in Belarus military airfields.

SPORTS

• World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi claim men’s and women’s singles titles in the Malaysia Open.
•  Yonex- Sunrise India Open 2023 is set to start in New Delhi.
• Hockey World Cup 2023: Match between India and England ends in goalless draw.