PUNJAB

No improvement in school education: NITI ranking

With no improvement in the School Education Quality Index (SEQI) ranking, released by the NITI Aayog on Monday, Punjab has evidently failed to refine its school education system.

Among the 20 large states in the country, Punjab has been ranked ninth with an increase of just 8.4 per cent in the overall performance score from the previous assessment year. Punjab’s rank was same in the previous report too. States like Haryana, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha have improved their scores by 18.5, 16.8, 13.7 and 12.4 per cent, respectively.

The overall performance is the weighted aggregate of a state or UT’s performance on the basis of two categories — Outcomes and Governance Processes Aiding Outcomes.

The state has performed poorly in a majority of the domains of the outcome classification, thus witnessing the decline. In the domain of learning outcome, which is one of the important indicators, Punjab (10 per cent score) has been among the lowest, along with Uttar Pradesh. This score is based on the results of the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2017.

In the domain of equity outcomes, which covers indicators related to inclusive education, the state recorded a major decline by 4.2 per cent from 63.5 to 59.3 per cent. However, in the Access Outcomes Domain, which covers enrolment and flow-related indicators, Punjab saw a slight decline from 73.6 to 72.6 per cent from the previous year.

Meanwhile, the state recorded a positive change in the Infrastructure & Facilities for Outcomes Domain from 61.8 per cent in the base year to 63.5 in 2016-17.

The state has also witnessed a positive change in the category of Governance Processes Aiding Outcomes which accounts for about 30 per cent of the overall score. Punjab’s percentage in this category has increased from 37.9 to 53.7.

According to the School Education Quality Index of the NITI Aayog, Punjab ranks ninth among 20 large states of the country. It has recorded just 8.4% performance hike, but there are states like Haryana, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha which have improved their scores by 18.5, 16.8, 13.7 and 12.4 per cent, respectively.

INTERNATIONAL

● France launches postage stamp with image of Mahatma Gandhi

A postage stamp bearing the image of Mahatma Gandhi issued by Franch postal service company La Poste to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma.

Indian Embassy partnered LaPoste of #France in launching a postage stamp today with an image of #MahatmaGandhi to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi @MEAIndia @PMOIndia @DrSJaishankar @IndAmbFrance @GroupeLaPoste

Similar postage stamps are issued in Uzbekistan, Turkey, Palestine and other countries around the globe on Gandhi Jayanti.

● India and USA to launch new initiative for clean energy

India and America will launch a new initiative for clean energy to fuel economic growth in the strategically-important Indo-Pacific region where China has been trying to expand its sphere of influence.
The US has been pushing for a broader role by India in the Indo-Pacific region in the backdrop of China’s rising military maneuvering in the region.

China trying to expand its military presence in the biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) partners from US department of energy and the US agency for international development.

NATIONAL

Telangana district tops rural Swachhta survey, Faridabad jumps 69 places to rank no 2

Peddapalli in Telangana has jumped two places in the annual sanitation survey to become the cleanest district replacing Satara in Maharashtra. However, the most remarkable improvement was recorded by Faridabad which jumped to the second rank in the 2019 rural swachhta survey findings from a lowly 71 a year back. Rewari, again from Haryana, was placed third in the survey which covered 690 districts in India.

This time the Swachhta Survey was carried out in 17,200 villages in these 690 districts and ranks were allocated based on quantitative and qualitative sanitation (swachhata) parameters, which included feedback from people, direct observation by third party assessors and service level progress by local administration.

Ministry of Tourism launches Audio Guide facility App ‘Audio Odigos’ for 12 sites of India

Ministry of Tourism launched the Audio Guide facility Audio Odigos for 12 sites of India (including Iconic Sites).

Audio guide Odigo offers Government of India verified content, with visuals & voice over support.

With Audio Odigos, tourists will now enjoy a more enriching experience and take back historical insights of the Indian culture and heritage.

The Audio Odigos app contains an inbuilt map of the site for smooth navigation during the tour.

Listeners will be offered various versions of history like Synopsis, detailed history and odcasts.

CSIR comes up with improved formulations for green crackers

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has come up with new and improved formulations in the manufacture of sound-emitting crackers and other fireworks keeping in view the pollution hazard and health risks.

New formulations for reduced emission light and sound emitting crackers with a 30 per cent reduction in particulate matter using Potassium Nitrate as an oxidant.

Harmanpreet Kaur becomes first Indian to reach 100 T20Is

Harmanpreet Kaur became the first Indian to play 100 T20 International matches.

Harmanpreet, who captains India in the shortest format of the game, turned up for the team in their sixth T20I against South Africa in Surat.

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