• Every year on October 11^th, the global community observes the International Day of Girl Child 2023.
• The day aims to focus on the importance of “girls’ education, their rights and promoting gender equality.”
• The theme of International Day of the Girl 2023 according to the UNICEF website is, “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being.”
  • It focuses on taking action to curtail girls’ and women’s rights and gain progress on gender equality.
• The United Nations General Assembly adopted a Resolution 66/170 in 2011 to declare ‘October 11’ as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognise their rights and the challenges they face.

• World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9^th October.
• The event was declared by the 1969 Universal Postal Congress in Tokyo as a means to mark the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union’s (UPU) creation in 1874.
• Theme for World Post Day 2023 is “Together for Trust: Collaborating for a safe and connected future.”
  • It urges governments and their postal services to support the development of a digital single postal territory that complements the extensive physical network developed over centuries.

• Udangudi ‘Panangkarupatti’ (palm jaggery/ gur) has been given a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• The palm jaggery preparation procedure in this area is traditional till date without inclusion of any additional modern strategies.
  • No chemical additives are used in Udangudi Panangkarupatti.
• The karupatti prepared from the palm sap from the region around Udangudi in Tiruchendur taluk in Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu has some uniqueness.
• This is due to presence of red sand dune soil found in the region.
  • This soil holds less groundwater.
• The moisture content in the atmosphere is less because of the dry climatic condition, which leads to high sucrose content, in turn adding taste.
• The region’s dry climate is also suitable for storage of karupatti for a longer duration.
• Udangudi jaggery is even exported to foreign countries, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.

• The ‘Iron Dome’ is ground-to-air short-range air defence system which intercepts incoming missiles, rockets and even Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and destroys them mid-air.
• The system, which has been standing guard since 2011, has been deployed across Israel for times like these.
• The Dome has a range of close to 70 km and has three crucial components, Detection and Tracking radar, Battle Management and Weapons Control and the Missile Launcher armed with 20 Tamir Missiles.
• It is reportedly capable of handling multiple rocket attacks and has a 90% success rate.
• Also Operation Iron Swords has been launched by Israel Defence Forces in response to an attack on Israel by the Hamas militant group.

• The dancing frogs that are endemic to the Western Ghats are the most threatened amphibian genus of India, according to the Wildlife Trust of India, which analysed the second edition of the Global Amphibian Assessment released recently.
• It is also the fifth most threatened genus in the world with 92 per cent of its species in the threatened category.
• Of the 24 species of the frogs belonging to the Micrixalus genus that were assessed, two were found to be critically endangered and 15 were endangered.
• Characteristic behaviour- The dancing frogs that are found near the streams do a unique display to mate. The males stretch up their hind legs one at a time and wave their webbed toes in the air in a rapid motion akin to a dance. This act is called “foot flagging” and gives the species their name.
• The species prefer habitats in areas with thick canopy cover of at least 70-80 per cent.
• Threats- invasive species, land use change, extreme weather, etc

• Hemochromatosis is a rare genetic disorder that quietly threatens the health of affected individuals by causing iron overload, which can lead to severe organ dysfunction.
• Hemochromatosis has been dubbed “bronze diabetes” because of the skin darkening and concomitant pancreatic illness.
• This health condition is primarily classified into two types–
  • Hereditary hemochromatosis
    • It is a genetic disorder driven by a mutation in the HFE gene, resulting in individuals being homozygous for the C282Y variant.
    • This genetic anomaly sets the stage for a lifelong struggle with excessive iron absorption within the intestines.
    • Individuals with hereditary hemochromatosis have a relentless and indiscriminate iron absorption mechanism, leading to a gradual buildup of iron in their system.
    • Over time, this iron overload becomes a ticking time bomb for multiple organs.

• Secondary hemochromatosis
  • On the other hand, Secondary hemochromatosis differs from the hereditary form as it is typically caused by external factors like frequent blood transfusions, excessive iron supplementation, or certain medical conditions.
  • The iron accumulation in secondary hemochromatosis is often more rapid and can have a similar impact on organ function.
• Common symptoms include- Feeling very tired all the time (fatigue),weight loss,weakness and joint pain etc.
• Treatment– Phlebotomy is the standard treatment for primary hemochromatosis. Iron toxicity can be reduced by removing red blood cells, the body’s main mobilizer of iron. Phlebotomy is usually performed once or twice a week.

• In a significant move aimed at advancing education and promoting the socio-economic progress of Scheduled Castes (SCs), the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has introduced the ‘Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas’ (SHRESHTA).
• The primary goal of this initiative is to extend the impact of government development programmes and bridge service gaps in areas predominantly inhabited by SC communities within the education sector.
• The scheme’s core strategy involves fostering collaboration between grant-in-aid institutions managed by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and residential high schools offering quality education.
• Each year, the program will choose about 3,000 deserving SC children and grant them admission to the top private residential schools in the nation.
• The scheme’s implementation is structured in two distinct modes.
  • First, there are the SHRESHTA schools, which comprise the best CBSE/State Board-affiliated private residential schools. Under this mode, a specified number of outstanding SC students in various States and Union Territories (UTs) will be selected annually through the National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS), conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
  • The second mode of implementation pertains to NGO/VO Operated Schools/Hostels.This mode specifically applies to schools and hostels operated by voluntary organizations (VOs) and NGOs, offering education up to the 12th standard.

• The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) was released recently.
• This national survey processed details from 5,639 first-stage sampling units (FSUs) and 1,67,916 people from 44,190 urban houses.

MAJOR FINDINGS

• It has reported that the unemployment rate in the country has shown a decrease between April and June 2023.
• Similarly, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for persons of age 15 years and above and the Worker-Population Ratio (WPR) have also improved during the period.
• The LFPR in urban areas increased from 47.5% in April-June 2022 to 48.8% in April-June 2023 for persons of age 15 years and above.

ABOUT PLFS

• PLFS is carried out by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under Ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI).
• It was launched in April 2017.
• Objective
  • To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the CWS.
  • To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both usual Status and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

• Labour Force: The Labour force, according to Current Weekly Status (CWS), is the number of persons either employed or unemployed on an average in a week preceding the date of the survey.
• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR)- Percentage of persons in the labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population.
• Worker Population Ratio (WPR): WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
• Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force.
• Current Weekly Status(CWS) Approach: The urban unemployment PLFS is based on the CWS approach.
  • Under CWS, a person is considered unemployed if he/she did not work even for one hour on any day during the week but sought or was available for work at least for one hour on any day during the period.

• Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, on a bilateral visit to India, conveyed approval to join the flagship Indian programme- International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL BIG CAT ALLIANCE (IBCA)

• Target species– Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar, and Cheetah.
  • India is home to five of these species except for the pumas and jaguars.
• It is open to 97 ‘range’ countries, which contain the natural habitat of these big cats along with other interested nations, international organizations, etc.
• It will provide a platform for the member nations to share knowledge and expertise and extend support to recovery efforts in potential habitats.
• IBCA will also assist existing species-specific inter-governmental platforms to boost conservation efforts.
• India has pledged a ‘total grant assistance’ of $100 million in the first five years.
• Governance Structure:
  • A General Assembly consisting of all member countries.
  • A Council of at least seven but not more than 15 member countries elected by the General Assembly for a term of 5 years, and a Secretariat.
  • Upon the recommendation of the Council, the General Assembly will appoint the IBCA Secretary General for a specific term.

A LOOK AT THE CURRENT STATUS OF THESE SEVEN BIG CATS:

LION (STATUS: VULNERABLE)

• Population: The IUCN estimates that 23,000-39,000 lions remain in the wild.
  • The total population of lions in India is around 700, as per 2020 estimates.
• Range: The big cat is now found only in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, along with a critically endangered subpopulation in West Africa and a small population of endangered Asiatic lions at the Gir National Park.
• Threats: decline in lion ranges due to land use and climate change, poaching

TIGER (ENDANGERED)

• Population: Around 3,700-5,000 tigers were living in the wild worldwide, as per a 2022 assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
• Range: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Threats: The use of land by humans for agriculture and development poses a serious risk to their habitat. Tigers need wide home ranges as they are territorial. Other threass include poaching and climate change

SNOW LEOPARD (VULNERABLE)

• Population: An estimated number of 4,000-6,500 snow leopards exist in the wild, with their population in decline, as per experts. In India, researchers estimate the total number to be between 400 and 700.
• Range: Across the mountainous regions of 12 countries across Asia — Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• Threats: loss of natural habitat, poaching, a decline in natural prey species and retaliatory killings.

JAGUAR (NEAR THREATENED)

• Population: As per WWF estimates, the global jaguar population is around 1,73,000.
• Range: Their population is distributed across 18 countries, with most of them in the Amazon rainforest and the Pantanal in South America. Brazil accounts for half of the wild jaguars in the world.
• Threats: fragmented habitats, deforestation and agricultural activities have resulted in a decline in their range.

CHEETAH (VULNERABLE)

• Population: Cheetah numbers have declined from an estimated 15,000 in 1975 to less than 7,000. The species was declared extinct in India in 1952.
• Range: The big cat is endemic to the savannahs of Africa. Initially, they were found in Africa, India, Pakistan, Russia, Iran and the Middle East. Currently, the majority live in east and southern Africa.
• Threats: loss of habitat, human-wildlife conflict, climate change, loss of prey and illegal trafficking.

PUMA (NEAR THREATENED)

• Population: The total breeding population of pumas is estimated at around 50,000.
• Range: Also known as a mountain lion, the puma is found in habitats ranging Canada through the U.S. and Central and South America.
• Threats: The species faces threats of loss of habitat and prey, besides human-wildlife conflict.

LEOPARD (NEAR THREATENED)

• Population: Around 2,50,000 leopards exist globally, while their population is estimated at around 13,000 in India.
• Range: Africa, parts of the Middle East and Asia, including India and China.
• Threats: Like other big cat species, leopards globally face the threat of habitat loss, poaching for body parts and harm due to human intervention.

• CM recently released the District Good Governance Index (DGGI) Annual Report-2022.
• As per the rankings for 2022, Kangra district bagged the first prize of Rs 50 lakh, Hamirpur district was second and got Rs 35 lakh reward while Lahaul and Spiti district was third and got the third prize of Rs 25 lakh.
• The DGGI report includes eight themes of essential infrastructure, support to human development, social protection, women and children, crime, law and order, environment, transparency and accountability and economic performance.
• In the second tier, there are 19 focus subjects like power, water, roads, education, health, PDS, social justice, employment, children & women, crime, law & order, atrocities, environmental violations, forest, transparency & accountability, farm & allied sectors and commerce and industry.
• In the third tier, there are 90 specific variables on which the data available in the districts is analysed and integrated.