TOPIC : GS 2 Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Higher education and COVID-19

What is the news?

• The state of campuses of higher education institutes in India is at its lowest mark currently.
• The second wave of the COVID­19 pandemic brought the entire country to its knees and people struggled to access basic healthcare facilities.
• There is still a lack of serious consideration for the safety of campuses, which may be among the most vulnerable sites for the spread of infection at the community level.
• There will be routine advisories in the form of notifications for standard operating procedures, protocols or guidelines issued from time to time at the apex level by the University Grants Commission (UGC),
• State level by the respective Education Departments, haven’t done on the ground.

Changing Approach

• Campuses that house hostels, libraries, common rooms­cum­wash rooms, auditoriums, gymnasiums, playgrounds, administrative offices, staff rooms, guest houses and staff quarters, besides classrooms and laboratories, require resources to change and modify their current settings for COVID­19­appropriate behaviour.
• Taking the ‘business­as­usual’ approach could lead to risking the lives of both students and employees on a very large scale.

UGC Recommendations

• This year, the UGC suggested a slew of measures that higher education institutes should adopt to fight the COVID­19 crisis.
• It recommended, inter alia, constituting a task force and setting up helplines
• It had also roping in counselors and mentors for providing mental health support and enabling the well-being of all stakeholders, and
• Majorly creating a team of well­informed volunteers trained in life skills, including the NCC and the NSS.
• It did not mention the means and mechanisms for training the workforce for these specialised tasks. In the absence of that, such measures remain empty efforts.

Numerous orders

• The terrible financial state of higher education institutes, especially State- run universities, combined with a lack of will on the part of State governments already overwhelmed by the vaccination drive,
• Reports of deaths of several teachers in prominent universities highlight the loss of the national intellectual capital and scholarship.
• The UGC in its order dated last year listed guidelines for colleges to reopen post the lockdown.
• It recommended that State governments estimate and prepare for the required procurement of essentials, such as disinfectants and face masks, in each of their districts and zones in consultation with higher education institutes;
• It also asked them to draw out a plan for distribution.
• Universities and colleges were instructed to ensure a sufficient supply of these items to students, faculty and staff.
• The UGC also suggested that higher education institutes set up on campus facilities for the isolation of symptomatic persons and for quarantining of those who were in contact with infected persons.
• Alternatively, they could tie up with State-run hospitals or other approved premises, as suggested by local authorities, for providing essentials to quarantined or isolated persons.

The need for quick action

• Explicit budgetary allocations for higher education institutes for COVID­19 management were found to be missing in the States annual budgets.
• On the part of institutes and policymakers both at the Central and State levels could endanger lives and may lead to a complete shutdown of academic activities in the time to come.
• It is incumbent upon the UGC to direct State governments to generously provide financial assistance to higher education institutes for managing the COVID­19 crisis.

Way Forward

• The resources could come from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for the year 2021­22
• Fund has released by the Department of Expenditure at the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs much before the normal schedule in view of the extraordinary public health crisis.

Mains Question

Institutes should be given financial assistance to create safe campuses for students and staff. Discuss

Sources : https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/higher-education-and-covid-19/article34834346.ece

PRELIMS PUNCHERS

1. SAGE (Senior care Ageing Growth Engine)

The SAGE portal will be a “one-stop access” of elderly care products and services by credible start-ups. The start-ups will be selected on the basis of innovative products and services, which they should be able to provide across sectors such as health, housing, care centers, apart from technological access linked to finances, food and wealth management, and legal guidance.

The recommendation of the committee set up for the purpose, upto Rs 1 crore will be given to Startups for elderly care .It is  urged the elderly persons to come forward and take advantage of the services to be provided by the up-coming start-ups and lead an active life full of dignity in society. The Ministry has designed SAGE programme as per the suggestions of the Empowered Committee on start-ups for the elderly to solicit the involvement of youth and their innovative ideas for elderly care

Sources: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1724425

2. Blue Finned Mahseer

THE BLUE-FINNED Mahseer, which was on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of endangered species, has now moved to the ‘least concern’ status. The group is involved in conservation of the blue-finned and golden mahseer for 50 years in Lonavala. Mahseer is the common name for generaTor. These fishes are found across Vietnam in north and China in south, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Asia, Indian Peninsula, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan

They inhabit both rivers and lakes. Most of species ascend into rapid streams with rocky bottoms for breeding. They are omnivorous. They eat algae, crustaceans, frogs, insects and other fish. They also eat fruits that fall from trees overhead.

Sources : https://indianexpress.com/article/india/blue-finned-mahseer-out-of-iucn-red-list-7343295/

3. The Law of the Sea Convention

It defines the rights and responsibilities of nations with respect to their use of the world’s oceans, establishing guidelines for businesses, the environment, and the management of marine natural resources. The Convention, concluded in 1982, replaced the quad-treaty 1958 Convention on the High Seas. UNCLOS came into force in 1994, a year after Guyana became the 60th nation to ratify the treaty. 167 countries and the European Union have joined in the Convention. It is uncertain as to extent the Convention codifies customary international law.

While the Secretary-General of the United Nations receives instruments of ratification and accession and the UN provides support for meetings of states party to the Convention the United Nations Secretariat has no direct operational role in the implementation of the Convention. A UN specialized agency, the International Maritime Organization, does play a role, as well as other bodies such as the International Whaling Commission and the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which was established by the Convention itself.

Sources : https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/navigation-with-permission/article34320149.ece

4. Mayun Island ( Perim)

It is a volcanic island in the Strait of Mandeb at the south entrance into the Red Sea, off the south-west coast of Yemen and belonging to Yemen. It administratively belongs to Bab al-Mandab District, Aden Governorate. The island of Perim divides the strait of Mandeb into two channels.

The absence of fresh water on the island has always been one of the major difficulties impeding permanent settlement. Although there are occasional heavy rains, there may be stretches of eight months or more without rain; the long-term average rainfall was about 60 mm per year. Vegetation is very scarce.

Sources : https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/uae-backed-troops-at-yemen-base/article34824916.ece

PRELIMS QUESTION

1. Consider the following statement with reference to Blue finned Masheer
2. They inhabit both rivers and lakes.
3. IUCN red list of endangered species listed as Endangered

Select the correct statement using code given below.

(a). 1only                                 (b) 2 only

(c). Both of them                 (d). None of the above

Answer : A

THE BLUE-FINNED Mahseer, which was on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of endangered species, has now moved to the ‘least concern’ status. The group is involved in conservation of the blue-finned and golden mahseer for 50 years in Lonavala. Mahseer is the common name for generaTor. These fishes are found across Vietnam in north and China in south, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Asia, Indian Peninsula, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan

They inhabit both rivers and lakes. Most of species ascend into rapid streams with rocky bottoms for breeding. They are omnivorous. They eat algae, crustaceans, frogs, insects and other fish. They also eat fruits that fall from trees overhead.

2. Consider the following statement with reference to Mayun Island
3. It is volcanic island in the Strait of Hormuz
4. The absence of fresh water on the island has always been one of the major difficulties impeding permanent settlement

Select the correct statement using code given below.

(a). 1only                                 (b) 2 only

(c). Both of them                 (d). None of the above

Answer : B

It is a volcanic island in the Strait of Mandeb at the south entrance into the Red Sea, off the south-west coast of Yemen and belonging to Yemen. It administratively belongs to Bab al-Mandab District, Aden Governorate. The island of Perim divides the strait of Mandeb into two channels.The absence of fresh water on the island has always been one of the major difficulties impeding permanent settlement. Although there are occasional heavy rains, there may be stretches of eight months or more without rain; the long-term average rainfall was about 60 mm per year. Vegetation is very scarce.