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- After a significant decline in foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, recent data from the ASER 2024 report indicates a modest recovery among school students.
- About the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER):
- ASER is an annual survey led by citizens that offers trustworthy insights into the schooling and learning outcomes of children in rural India. Published by the NGO Pratham, the survey has been conducted each year since 2005.
- In 2016, ASER shifted to a biennial model, where the comprehensive ‘basic’ ASER is conducted in all rural districts every other year. In the alternate years, a smaller-scale survey, typically covering 1-2 districts per state, focuses on different age groups and learning domains.
- The core ASER survey monitors the enrollment of children aged 3-16 and evaluates the basic reading and arithmetic abilities of children aged 5-16. ASER uses a household-based methodology instead of being school-based, allowing for the inclusion of all children—whether they have never attended school, have dropped out, are in government, private, religious, or alternative schools, or were absent on the assessment day.
- A 14-year-old boy from Noida has gained recognition from NASA for his preliminary discovery of an asteroid, which is currently designated as ‘2023 OG40.’
- About Asteroids:
- Asteroids, often referred to as minor planets, are the leftover rocky remnants from the early formation of our solar system and its planets, dating back about 4.6 billion years.
- These small, rocky objects orbit the Sun in elongated, elliptical paths and often rotate erratically, tumbling through space. The majority of asteroids are found in the main asteroid belt, located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
- However, asteroids can also be located in other areas, such as the orbital paths of planets, where they travel alongside the planets around the Sun. Earth and some other planets share their orbits with such asteroids.
- Although asteroids follow similar orbits to planets, they are much smaller in size. Most asteroids are irregularly shaped, though some are nearly spherical and many have craters or pits on their surfaces. While some asteroids can be hundreds of miles wide, many others are no larger than pebbles.
- Over 150 asteroids are known to have small moons, with some even having two moons. There are also binary (double) asteroids, where two roughly equal-sized bodies orbit each other, as well as triple asteroid systems.
- India's coastline, which is known for its rich biodiversity, is increasingly facing the challenge of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).
- About Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs):
- Certain environmental factors in water bodies can trigger the excessive growth of algae, leading to algal blooms. These blooms, which are visible to the naked eye, can appear in various colors such as green, blue-green, red, or brown, depending on the type of algae involved.
- Algal blooms can occur in fresh, marine (saltwater), and brackish (a mix of fresh and saltwater) environments. While not all algal blooms are harmful, most are beneficial as they provide food for aquatic animals. However, blooms that pose a threat to human health or aquatic ecosystems are classified as Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs).
- Why do HABs occur?
- HABs are typically triggered by certain environmental conditions, including warmer water temperatures, especially in summer, and an excess of nutrients from fertilizers or sewage runoff. These conditions create an ideal environment for algal growth. Although various types of algae can cause HABs, three groups—cyanobacteria, dinoflagellates, and diatoms—are most commonly responsible for blooms that can harm both humans and animals.
- What are the impacts of HABs?
- HABs can produce toxins that cause acute or chronic diseases in most vertebrates, depending on the type and amount of toxin. They can also harm the environment by depleting oxygen levels in the water, which can lead to the death of fish and other aquatic life. In some cases, HABs that bloom near the water’s surface can block sunlight from reaching deeper water, disrupting the growth of underwater organisms.