Jan 2nd 2025 Current Affairs

Index:

National Scenario

Improvement in retention rates from 2019 to 2024:
- Girls completing secondary education rose from 5% (2019) to 80%.
- Boys’ rates increased from 72.4% (2019) to 77.2%.
Challenges persist in certain states despite national-level progress.

State-wise Highlights

Positive Trends:
- Kerala:
  - Highest retention rates (100% for boys and girls completing upper primary in 2024).
  - Secondary education completion also improved (88.3% to 95.7%).
- Tamil Nadu: Similar improvements noted in secondary education completion.
- Himachal Pradesh: Consistent improvements in attendance at all levels.

Concerning Trends:
- Bihar:
  - Secondary education completion for boys dropped from 51.6% (2019) to 40.3% (2024).
  - Girls’ rates fell from 51.2% to 38.8%.
- Assam: Significant decline in dropout rates for both boys and girls.
- Meghalaya: Ranked lowest for upper primary education (2019).

Factors Driving Trends

Progressive states: Kerala and Tamil Nadu’s robust infrastructure and policies.
Lagging states: High dropout rates in Bihar, Assam, and Rajasthan due to socio-economic challenges and inadequate educational support.

Gender Disparities

Girls have shown better improvements in secondary education completion compared to boys.
However, states like Bihar and Assam still reflect a sharp gender gap in dropout rates.

Rankings (2024):

XZDD

Key Findings:

Aspect	Details
Extent of Contamination	– Excessive nitrates (>45 mg/L) found in groundwater in 440 districts (2023), up from 359 (2017). – 56% of India’s districts face nitrate contamination.
Reasons for Contamination	– Overuse of subsidized synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture. – Over-extraction of groundwater without adequate replenishment.
Health and Environmental Impact	– High nitrate levels pose significant health risks, especially for young children. – Contributes to environmental toxicity.
Regional Impact	– States with high nitrate contamination: Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Punjab.
	– Southern India shows an increasing trend in nitrate contamination.
Groundwater Extraction	– National stage of groundwater extraction: 60.4%, unchanged since 2009.
	– 73% of blocks have groundwater levels in the “safe zone,” improving from 67.4% in 2022.
Other Contaminants	– Uranium (unsafe beyond 30 ppb) and fluoride are major concerns.
	– High uranium contamination in Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh.
Monsoon Impact	– Nitrate levels rise during monsoon: contamination increases from 30.77% (pre-monsoon) to 32.66% (post-monsoon).
Trends in Affected States	– Maharashtra: 35.74% contamination. – Telangana: 27.48%; Andhra Pradesh: 23.5%; Madhya Pradesh: 22.58%.

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)

Establishment: Constituted under the Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation).
Objective:
- Sustainable development and management of groundwater resources in India.
- Monitoring and regulation of groundwater levels and quality.
Key Functions:
1. Conducts groundwater surveys, exploration, and assessment.
2. Prepares groundwater management plans.
3. Monitors water quality and contamination levels, including nitrates, fluoride, and uranium.
4. Provides technical assistance to states for groundwater development.
5. Raises awareness about groundwater conservation.
Reports: Publishes biennial and annual assessments on groundwater resources.
Significance:
- Helps address challenges of over-extraction and contamination.
- Contributes to national programs like Atal Bhujal Yojana.