CURRENT-AFFAIRS

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• The evaluation of 254 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) by the NCERT has highlighted several challenges, including insufficient transparency in fund usage, inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of teachers, low salaries, and concerns about student safety.
• About Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas:
• The KGBV Scheme, initiated by the Government of India in August 2004, aims to establish residential schools at the upper primary level for girls from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Minority Communities, particularly in challenging regions.
• KGBV targets educationally backward blocks (EBBs) where rural female literacy rates fall below the national average and where the gender literacy gap is significant. The scheme ensures that at least 75% of the seats are reserved for girls from SC, ST, OBC, or minority communities, with priority given to the remaining 25% for girls from families below the poverty line.
• The primary goal of KGBV is to provide access to quality education for girls from disadvantaged backgrounds by establishing residential schools at the upper primary level. The scheme focuses on areas with:
• High tribal populations,
• Low female literacy rates or a high number of out-of-school girls,
• Significant SC, OBC, and minority populations,
• Numerous small, scattered habitations lacking school facilities.
• Eligibility Criteria:
• Girls from disadvantaged groups, including SC, ST, OBC, and minority communities.
• Girls from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
• Female students aged 14 to 18 years.
• Girls living in areas with low female literacy.
• Exceptional cases include girls in difficult situations who have not completed primary education.
• The KGBV scheme was integrated with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) from April 1, 2007. SSA has since been incorporated into the newly launched Integrated Scheme of School Education - Samagra Shiksha, effective from the 2018-19 academic year. This integration allows for the upgrading of existing KGBVs from the upper primary level to the senior secondary level, accommodating 150-250 girls, in conjunction with the previous Girls Hostel Scheme.
• Consequently, the revised scheme now offers access and quality education to girls from disadvantaged groups, ages 10-18, aspiring to study from Classes VI to XII. Each educationally backward block (EBB) is provided with at least one residential school for girls in these grades.

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• India is preparing to commission its second nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arighat, which will be equipped with nuclear missiles for strategic deterrence.
• About INS Arighat:
  • INS Arighat is India's second domestically constructed nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), following the first, INS Arihant, which was commissioned in 2018. It was built at the Indian Navy's Ship Building Centre (SBC) in Visakhapatnam.
  • This submarine is a crucial element of India's nuclear triad, which allows the country to deploy nuclear missiles from land, air, and sea platforms.
• Features:
  • Dimensions: The submarine is 111.6 meters long, with an 11-meter beam, a 9.5-meter draught, and a displacement of 6,000 tonnes.
  • Propulsion: It is powered by a pressurized water reactor and features a single seven-blade propeller.
  • Speed: It can reach speeds of 12–15 knots (22–28 km/h) on the surface and 24 knots (44 km/h) underwater.
  • Armament: INS Arighat can carry up to four K-4 SLBMs (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles) with a range exceeding 3,500 kilometers, or twelve K-15 SLBMs with a range of about 750 kilometers. The K-15 missiles can also be equipped with strategic nuclear warheads.
  • Additional Armament: The submarine is also armed with torpedoes and mines.
  • Safety Features: It includes two auxiliary standby engines and a retractable thruster for emergency power and maneuverability.
  • INS Arighat represents a significant enhancement to India’s maritime defense capabilities and strategic deterrent.

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• Gotipua child performers, who view the world as their stage and experience constant applause, face an uncertain future as they approach puberty.
• About Gotipua Dance:
  • Gotipua is a traditional folk dance from Odisha and serves as a precursor to the classical Odissi dance form. In the Odia language, "Goti" means "single" and "Pua" means "boy." This dance form involves children being trained in singing, dancing, yoga, and acrobatics within specialized institutions known as gurukuls or akhadas. The boys dress as girls and perform at temple festivals, social events, and religious ceremonies.
• Origin:
  • Historically, the temples of Odisha featured female dancers known as Devadasis or Maharis, who were devoted to Lord Jagannath. During the reign of the Bhoi king Rama Chandra Dev, with the decline of the Mahari dancers, a new tradition of male dancers, known as Gotipuas, emerged to sustain this artistic heritage.
• Today, Gotipua Dance is performed with a precise and systematic approach. Its performance includes:
  • Vandana: A prayer to God or a guru.
  • Abhinaya: The enactment of a song.
  • Bandha Nritya: Acrobatic rhythms and postures demonstrating physical prowess, requiring significant agility and flexibility. This aspect of the dance is most effectively performed during adolescence, and becomes increasingly challenging with age.
• The dance extensively uses hand and foot movements and is accompanied by traditional instruments including the mardala (a type of pakhawaj), small cymbals (gini), harmonium, violin, and flute.