Education
Report of All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2019-20 released

Relevance IN - Prelims (about AISHE 2019-20 - report highlights) + Mains (GS II - Education)
What's the NEWS

• Union Education Minister announced the release of the report of All India Survey on Higher Education 2019-20.
• This Report provides key performance indicators on the current status of Higher education in the country.

All India Survey on Higher Education 2019-20. (highlights)

• In the last five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20, there has been a growth of 11.4% in the student enrolment.
• The rise in female enrolment in higher education during the period is 18.2%.
• The continuous focus given by the government on education of girls, women empowerment and empowerment of socially backward classes are well reflected by the increased participation of women, SCs and STs population in Higher Education as shown by the Report.
• This report is the 10th in the series of All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) annually released by D/o Higher Education.
• The continuous rise in the enrolment, number of institutions, gender parity is a part of our country's major move towards improving access, equity and quality in light of National Education Policy 2020, he added.

Key features of All India Survey on Higher Education Report 2019-20

1. Total Enrolment in Higher Education stands at 3.85 crorein 2019-20 as compared to 3.74 crore in 2018-19, registering a growth of 11.36 lakh (3.04 %). Total enrolment was 3.42 crore in 2014-15.
   
   
   
2. Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), the percentage of students belonging to the eligible age group enrolled in Higher Education, in 2019-20 is 27.1% against 26.3% in 2018-19 and 24.3% in 2014-2015.
   
   
   
3. Gender Parity Index (GPI) in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 1.01 against 1.00 in 2018-19 indicating an improvement in the relative access to higher education for females of eligible age group compared to males.
4. Pupil Teacher Ratio in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 26.
5. In 2019-20: Universities: 1,043(2%); Colleges: 42,343(77%) and stand-alone institutions: 11,779(21%).
   
   
   
6. 3.38 crore Students enrolled in programmes at under-graduate and post-graduate level. Out of these, nearly 85% of the students (2.85 crore) were enrolled in the six major disciplines such as Humanities, Science, Commerce, Engineering & Technology, Medical Science and IT & Computer.
7. The number of students pursuing PhD in 2019-20 is 2.03 lakh against 1.17 lakh in 2014-15.
8. The Total Number of Teachers stands at 15,03,156 comprising of 57.5% male and 42.5% female.

Science and Technology
COMSOL Platform through I-STEM for academic researchers at no cost

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about I-STEM portal + about COMSOL + about PM-STIAC mission and PSA office) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of science and technology)
What's the NEWS

• For the first time in the country, through the I-STEM portal academic users in India will now be able to access the COMSOL Multiphysics software suite at no cost.

I-STEM portal and COMSOL collab

• The Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM), the national web portal for sharing R&D facilities, and the COMSOL Group headquartered in Sweden, have entered a collaborative arrangement for this.
• The suite is hosted on the cloud server to provide user friendly access from anywhere in India.
• The arrangement is expected to assist many students and researchers in the country, especially those in the more remote and less-endowed institutions, thereby enhancing learning outcomes and promoting R&D efforts across India.
• I-STEM (www.istem.gov.in) is an initiative of Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Govt. of India under the PM-STIAC mission.
• The goal is to strengthen the R&D ecosystem by connecting researchers with resources, in part by promoting technologies and scientific equipment development indigenously and providing necessary supplies and supports to researchers and enable them to access existing R&D facilities through the I-STEM web portal.
• The portal hosts the database of facilities across India so that a researcher desirous of using any of them can search for the same and make a booking online for using it.
• Presently, the portal lists more than 25,000 pieces of equipment from 850 institutions across the country, and has more than 20,000 Indian researchers.
• The portal also features a Digital Catalogue of indigenously developed technologies and products,as well as host the platform for the various City Knowledge and Innovation Clusters, to enhance R&D collaboration and skill development across the country.

Know! about COMSOL

• The COMSOL Multiphysics software suite(https://www.comsol.co.in/), developed by the COMSOL Group, is used worldwide as an indispensable tool for a variety of computer simulations for R&D as well as for learning and instruction.
• It is a general-purpose simulation software package for modelling designs, devices, and processes in all fields of engineering, manufacturing, and scientific research.
• In addition to using Multiphysics modelling for one's own R&D projects, one can also turn the resulting models into applications for instruction, especially in classes for undergraduates and graduate students.
• Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser launched the COMSOL Platform and the Library of Calibration Standards
  
  

Know! the terms associated
Principal Scientific Adviser

• In November 1999, Cabinet Secretariat established the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
• The PSA's office aims to provide pragmatic and objective advice to the Prime Minister and cabinet on matters related to science, technology and innovation with a focus on application of science and technology in critical infrastructure, economic and social sectors in partnership with Government departments, institutions and industry

Empowered Technology Group (ETG)

• Established with the approval of the Union Cabinet, the Empowered Technology Group (ETG) aims to proactively lay down, coordinate, and oversee national-level policies relating to procurement & induction, facilitate Research and Development (R&D) and provide timely advice for determining direction and trajectory of Government's R&D and Technology Development Programmes.

The Nine missions under the PM-STIAC

1. Natural Language Translation
2. Quantum Frontier
3. Artificial Intelligence
4. National Biodiversity Mission
5. Electric Vehicles
6. BioScience for Human Health
7. Waste to wealth mission
8. Deep ocean exploration
9. AGNIi

Other Major Projects of PM-STIAC

• Research Clusters
• Earth Museum
• Brahmaputra River System
• I-STEM
• Energy Security

Prelims Factoids
Discovered Small Field Bid Round-III launched
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Discovered Small Field (DSF) Policy and its benefits)
What's the NEWS

• Discovered Small Field (DSF) bid round-III for international competitive bidding was launched by the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel.

Know! about DSF

• Hydrocarbons & the Petroleum Ministry to devise innovative ways for early resource monetisation, including expediting production timelines under DSF I & II.
• The work on DSF should be done at exponential speed and on a mission-mode to monetise our natural resources for greater public welfare.
• Encouraged by the success of DSF bid rounds-I &II, the Government of India has extended the DSF Policy by launching DSF bid round-III.
• Previous two DSF rounds had a resounding success. In DSF Round - I launched in 2016, 134 bids were submitted for 34 contract areas by 47 companies. 30 Revenue Sharing Contracts were signed. In DSF Round - II launched in 2018, 145 bids were submitted for 24 contract area. 24 Revenue Sharing Contracts were signed.
• Government of India had launched Discovered Small Field (DSF) Policy in 2015 which was a monumental step for awarding discovered acreages and monetize the unmonetized discoveries.
• The DSF policy has multiple attractive features like revenue sharing contract model with low regulatory burden, no minimum biddable work programme, no prior technical qualification required, no upfront signature bonus, etc.

Science & Technology
Hybrid Multiply Face Masks
Relevance IN - Prelims ( know! the terms associated - Grand Challenges Canada + about DBT and BIRAC)
What's the NEWS

• Parisodhana Technologies Pvt. Ltd. was supported partly by BIRAC and IKP Knowledge Park, under the Fast-Track COVID-19 fund to develop hybrid multiply face masks, SHG-95® (Billion Social Masks).
• These ‘Made in India' face masks provide high particulate (>90%) and bacterial filtration efficiency (>99%).
• The face masks so developed ensure high breathability, have comfortable ear loops, and are convenient to be used even in tropical conditions since they are prepared from purely hand weaved cotton contact materials.
• A special filtration layer is an added advantage. The cost of these hand washable and reusable face masks has been estimated as INR 50-75 per piece by the company, making it affordable for general public as well.
• With around 145000+ units sold, this initiative, which is also funded by Grand Challenges Canada, has been designed to meet the demands in times of COVID-19, while improving the livelihoods of many Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

Know! about DBT

• Under the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) enhances and improves the development of biotechnology in India, via its growth and application in agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment, and industry.

Know! about BIRAC

• A not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise set up by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) acts as an Interface Agency to improve and encourage the evolving biotechnology industry to execute strategic research and development activities in context to Nation's product development needs

Science & Technology
Instrumentation facility at IISc Bangalore can accurately trace toxic metals at very low concentrations

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the Water analysis facility and its working mechanism) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of science and technology)
What's the NEWS

• A multi-instrument facility established at IISc, Bangalore can determine concentrations of metals and metalloids spanning a concentration range of ≥100 ppm to 10 ppt (9 orders of magnitude).

Know! more about the instrument

• This Water analysis facility will be key in tracing sources of pollution, quantifying reactive-transport pathways of toxic metals, and assessing the efficiency of remediation methods.
• Facilities for accurate and precise determination of major, minor, and trace element concentration from natural water samples is critical for quality environmental and geochemical research.
• This multi-user facility will serve as an open access center for characterization of dissolved metals and metalloids for environmental and geochemical researchers from across the country.
• The project ‘Fast Forward to SGD6: Acceptable and affordable water in secondary Indian cities (4WARD)' under its Urban Water Systems programme, awarded to a cluster of institutions (IIT Bombay, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Amritha Vishwa Vidyapeetham, and IISc) and led by IIT Kharagpur, supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) focuses on identification and alleviation of water quality and quantity related challenges faced by Tier-II Indian cities.
• The instrumentation includes a Quadrupole Inductively Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometer fitted with collision reaction cell (QQQ-ICP-MS) and an Inductively Couple Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer with dual detection capability (ICP-OES).
• At this analytical facility detection limits for key environmental toxins (viz. Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Pb) are all less than 5 ppt.

Culture
Birth Anniversary of Shaheed Ram Prasad Bismil
Relevance IN - Prelims (all about Shaheed Ram Prasad Bismil.)
What's the NEWS

• As part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Ministry of Culture will hold the special ceremony at Shahjahanpur, the birth place of Shaheed Ram Prasad Bismil on 11^th June, 2021 to mark the birth anniversary of renowned freedom fighter Shaheed Ram Prasad Bismil.
• The Ministry of Culture & Tourism will offer floral tributes to Shaheed Ram Prasad Bismil, Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan and Shaheed Roshan Singh at a special event being organized by the NCZCC, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India at Shaheed Udayan Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Shaheed Ram Prasad Bismil.

• Pt. Ram Prasad Bismil, born on 11^th June, 1897 in Shahjahanpurwas amongst the most notable Indian revolutionaries who fought against British colonialism.
• He wrote powerful patriotic poems in Urdu and Hindi under the pen name of Bismil from age of 19.
• He formed the Hindustan Republican Association with leaders like Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad and participated in the Mainpuri conspiracy of 1918, and the Kakori conspiracy of 1925 with Ashfaq Ullah Khan and Roshan Singh to protest against the British Rule.
• He was martyred at Gorakhpur Jail on 19th December, 1927 just aged 30, for his role in Kakori conspiracy.
• While in jail, he wrote ‘Mera Rang De BasantiChola' and ‘Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna' which became the anthem for freedom fighters.

Education
Three Indian universities achieve top-200 positions in QS World University Rankings 2022

Relevance in - Prelims ( about QS World University Rankings 2022)
What's the NEWS

• Three Indian Universities have achieved top-200 positions in QS World University Rankings 2022. IISc Bengaluru ranked number 1 in the world for research.
• QS Quacquarelli Symonds, global higher education analysts has today released the 18th edition of the world's International University rankings.
• Union Education Minister congratulated IIT Bombay for securing 177th position , IIT Delhi for securing 185th rank and IISc Bengaluru for securing 186th position in universities rankings.
• The Minister further said that the initiatives such as National Education Policy - 2020 and Institute of Eminence are instrumental in ranking our colleges and institutes globally. This can be felt by looking at the university rankings declared by QS & Times Group

QS World University Rankings

• It is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
• Previously known as Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings, the publisher had collaborated with Times Higher Education (THE) magazine to publish its international league tables from 2004 to 2009 before both started to announce their own versions.
• QS then chose to continue using the pre-existing methodology, while THE adopted a new methodology to create their rankings.
• In partnership with Elsevier, the QS system now comprises the global overall and subject rankings (which name the world's top universities for the study of 51 different subjects and five composite faculty areas), alongside five independent regional tables (Asia, Latin America, Emerging Europe and Central Asia, the Arab Region, and BRICS).
• Being the only international ranking to have received International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) approval, the QS ranking is viewed as one of the three most-widely read university rankings in the world, along with Academic Ranking of World Universities and Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

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