General Studies Paper-2

Context: The National Education Policy 2020, marked the first comprehensive education policy completed five years since adoption.

Key Features of NEP 2020

• Structural Reform: Shift from the 10+2 system to a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure – covering ages 3-18 across foundational, preparatory, middle, and secondary stages.
• Foundational Literacy & Numeracy: Emphasis on basic reading and arithmetic skills through initiatives like NIPUN Bharat for all children by Grade 3.
• Mother Tongue & Multilingualism: Promotes instruction in the mother tongue/regional language up to at least Grade 5 (preferably till Grade 8); advances the three-language formula.
• Holistic & Multidisciplinary Education: Multiple entry/exit options in higher education; flexible subject choices across streams.
• Vocational & Skill Education: Integration of vocational courses and internships from an early stage, with at least 50% learners exposed to vocational education by 2025.
• Technology Integration: National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR), DIKSHA, and PM e-VIDYA as digital platforms for inclusive and scalable education delivery.
• Higher Education Reforms: Push for multidisciplinary institutions, Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), National Research Foundation, and increased autonomy for colleges/universities.
• Universal Access & GER Targets: Universal school access by 2030; gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education to 50% by 2035.

Achievements & Impacts

• School Education: Over 6,400 PM SHRI schools upgraded as model schools in 27 states/UTs.
  • NIPUN Bharat has improved foundational learning outcomes, ASER 2024 shows remarkable progress: 23.4% of Class III students could read Grade II text in 2024, up from 16.3% in 2022.
  • DIKSHA platform has surpassed 5 billion learning sessions.
• Higher Education: Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) portal has onboarded 1,667 institutions and 32 crore Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) IDs have been created.
  • Launch of Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs).
• Equity, Access & Inclusion: Steps taken to mainstream out-of-school children, reduce dropout rates, and improve participation of girls and disadvantaged groups.
  • Higher education enrollment has risen significantly to 4.46 crore students.
  • Enrollment of SC, ST, Muslim, and North-East (NE) students has seen substantial growth, ranging from 36–75%.

Challenges

• Centre–State Federal Tensions: Three-language formula rejected by Tamil Nadu, Kerala citing linguistic imposition.
  • Opposition to schemes like PM SHRI Schools over centralisation fears.
• Resource Constraints: Significant financial investment is needed for infrastructure, teacher training, and digital access, especially in rural/remote areas.
• Digital Divide: Inequities in internet/device access risk exacerbating socio-economic gaps, especially among marginalized populations.
• Language Policy: Concerns over the practicality of widespread mother tongue/vernacular mediums, especially in diverse linguistic settings and for higher education.
• Privatization & Equity: Fears that increasing privatization may hamper affordability and equal access to quality education.

Way Ahead

• Strengthen Centre–State Coordination: Build contextual MoUs with states to localise NEP. Create state-level resource groups for capacity building.
• Bridging Implementation Gaps: Accelerated capacity-building, state support, and regular review of progress are critical.
• Digital and Physical Infrastructure: Investment in devices, internet connectivity, and school infrastructure must continue.
• Inclusive Pedagogy & Curriculum: Regional needs and languages must be addressed; Special focus on SEDGs and inclusive strategies.

Current Context : The United Nations awarded the Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize 2025 to Brenda Reynolds (Canada) and Kennedy Odede (Kenya) for their exceptional service to humanity and community development.

 ABOUT THE PRIZE

• Founded: Established in 2014–15 as a quinquennial award given by the UN Secretary-General to one male and one female from different regions.
• Recognition Criteria: Honorees demonstrate life-long dedication to reconciliation, social cohesion, and community service, inspired by Nelson Mandela’s legacy.
• Prize Details: Winners receive a plaque with citation and Mandela quote; no monetary prize. UN staff are ineligible.
• Indian Participation: No Indian has received the award to date.

Current Context : The 10^th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting occurred on 26 May 2025 in Brasilia, Brazil, led by Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, reflecting India’s active role in cultural diplomacy.

KEY OUTCOMES

• Brasilia Declaration: Ministers formally adopted this declaration highlighting four strategic focus areas:

1. Creative economy & AI in culture
2. Culture & climate in the Post‑2030 Development Agenda
3. Return of cultural assets
4. BRICS Cultural Festivals & Alliances

• New BRICS Cultural Platform: Aimed at boosting visitor exchange, joint projects, creative industries, and artist mobility using New Development Bank support.

About BRICS

• Founded in 2009 as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China); South Africa joined in 2011, making it BRICS.
• Established as an economic forum for emerging market coordination and reform of global institutions

Current Context : The Government has reviewed the status of setting up all seven Zonal Cultural Centres, aligning with its plan to strengthen regional cultural promotion.

ABOUT ZONAL CULTURAL CENTRES

• Purpose: Founded as autonomous bodies under the Ministry of Culture to preserve and celebrate India’s folk, tribal, and endangered art forms.
• Focus Areas: Engaging youth and showcasing the country’s cultural diversity across regions.
• Headquarter Locations of 7 ZCCs:
  • North Zone: Patiala (Punjab)
  • North-Central Zone: Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh)
  • East Zone: Kolkata (West Bengal)
  • North-East Zone: Dimapur (Nagaland)
  • South Zone: Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu)
  • South-Central Zone: Nagpur (Maharashtra)
  • West Zone: Udaipur (Rajasthan)

Current Context : NEP 2020 completes five years on 29 July 2025.

 ABOUT NEP 2020

• Educational Reforms & Achievements
  • Introduced 5+3+3+4 structure supporting experiential and multidisciplinary learning.
  • Integrated vocational education in mainstream schooling: 50% coverage goal by 2025.
  • NIPUN Bharat reached 2 crore students across 8.9 lakh schools.
  • Over 4 lakh teachers trained under NISHTHA
  • 72% schools now have internet access; digital tools like DIKSHA, PM e-Vidya, and AI bots
  • CUET (from 2022) now key to UG admissions.

Current Context:  Recently, 17 Members of Parliament (MPs) awarded Sansad Ratna Awards for outstanding performance in the 18^th Lok Sabha.

• Based on metrics like debates, questions, bills, attendance, and committee work.
• Notable recipients: Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), Ravi Kishan (BJP), Nishikant Dubey (BJP), Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena-UBT).
• Special Jury Awards given for sustained excellence to:
  • Bhartruhari Mahtab
  • K. Premachandran
  • Supriya Sule
  • Shrirang Appa Barne

 ABOUT SANSAD RATNA AWARDS

• Established : Initiated in 2010, inspired by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to recognize parliamentary excellence.
• Selection Criteria : Based on objective data: debates, MP questions, bills, attendance, committee contributions.
• Significance
  • Encourages transparency, efficiency, and democratic accountability in Parliament.
  • Rewards active legislative performance and sustained contributions.

Current Context : Recently, Gyan Bharatam Mission launched by PM Narendra Modi during the 124th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

• Aims to digitise ancient Indian manuscripts and create a National Digital Repository for global access.

 ABOUT GYAN BHARATAM MISSION

• Vision & Purpose
  • Preserve over 1 crore ancient manuscripts seen as “Chapters of India’s soul”.
  • Develop a central digital platform for scholars, students, and global public access.
• Key Goals
  • Digitisation of rare, fragile, and historical texts.
  • Build a centralised digital repository.
  • Provide global academic access to India’s civilisational heritage.

Current Context : Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) will establish India’s first Hindi-medium MBBS college, starting academic session 2027–28.

• Entire instruction, clinical training, and exams will be conducted in Hindi.

 ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

• Approval Process
  • Proposal cleared by the Executive Council of Madhya Pradesh Medical University.
  • Detailed Project Report (DPR) to be submitted to the State Government, then to the National Medical Commission (NMC).
• Significance
  • Teaching, exams, and clinical training to be delivered completely in Hindi.
  • Builds on previous state efforts—like translating MBBS textbooks into Hindi.
• Impact & Capacity
  • Aims to broaden access to medical education for Hindi-speaking students.
  • Initial intake: 50 MBBS seats.
  • Clinical training to be held at the existing government medical college in Jabalpur.

Current Context : On Global Tiger Day (29 July 2025), Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that Kaziranga Tiger Reserve now ranks 3rd globally in tiger density.

• Tiger count increased from 104 (2022) to 148 (2024) — a major conservation success.

 ABOUT KAZIRANGA TIGER RESERVE

• Location: Assam, in Golaghat and Nagaon districts
• UNESCO World Heritage Status: Since 1985 
• Designated Tiger Reserve: 2006
• Tiger Population Growth
  • 1997: ~80 tigers
  • 2019: 121 tigers
  • 2022: 104 tigers
  • 2024: 148 tigers
• Division-wise Data (2024)
  • Biswanath Wildlife Division (first-time survey): 27 tigers
  • Eastern Assam Division: 104 → 115 tigers
  • Nagaon Division: stable at 6 tigers
• Density Rank (Global)
  • Kaziranga:65 tigers / 100 sq km
  • Ranks 3rd worldwide, after:
    • Bandipur (Karnataka):83
    • Corbett (Uttarakhand):56

Current Context : The Indian Army conducted Exercise Drone Prahar at Rayang, East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

 About Exercise DRONE PRAHAR

• Objective
  • Enhance battlefield commanders’ situational awareness.
  • Enable real-time decision-making through layered drone surveillance.
  • Integrate drones into routine military operations for combat modernization.
• Operational Highlights
  • Demonstrated sensor-to-shooter coordination using live drone feeds.
  • Showed precision targeting supported by real-time ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance)
  • Tested airspace deconfliction, secure communication, and inter-unit coordination.