Topic 1 : Smaller citizens: On the gaps in India’s education systemContext: Despite rising enrolment, gaps in India’s education system are not closing quicklyIntroductionThe pandemic was difficult for India’s youngest citizens, the children, but the true import of its impact is coming to light now.Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 All children from the age of six to fourteen are to receive primary education under the RTE Act.It upholds the fundamental right to education (Article 21 A).Additionally, it allows a child who is not admitted being admitted to an age-appropriate class.The act mandates 25% reservation for disadvantaged sections of the society where disadvantaged groups include:SCs and STsSocially Backward ClassDifferently abledIt also specifies the division of duties between the Union government and the state governments, including financial duties.The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Act, 2019 eliminated a clause pertaining to the “No Detention Policy.”Aside from the decennial census, local government elections, state legislature and parliament elections, and disaster relief, it also forbids the use of teachers for non-educational purposes.It stipulates that teachers who meet the necessary entrance and academic requirements will be appointed. |
‘ASER 2023: Beyond Basics’In the Annual Status of Education Report, titled ‘ASER 2023: Beyond Basics’ and released on Wednesday, a survey by civil society organisation Pratham among rural students aged 14 to 18, found that more than half struggled with basic mathematics, a skill they should have mastered in Classes 3 and 4.The household survey, the first field-based one in four years, was conducted in 28 districts across 26 States and assessed the foundational reading and arithmetic abilities of 34,745 students.In other findings, about 25% of this age group cannot read a Class 2 level text in their mother tongue; boys are, however, better in arithmetic and English reading skills than girls.Overall, 86.8% in the 14-18 year age group are enrolled in an educational institution, but there are gaps as they grow older — while 3.9% of 14-year-olds are not in school, the figure climbs to 32.6% for 18-year-olds.Also, for Class 11 and higher, most students opt for Humanities; while girls are less likely to be enrolled in the science stream (28.1%) compared with boys (36.3%), only 5.6% have opted for vocational training or other related courses. Other findings of the reportThe proportion of children opting for private tuition nationwide went up from 25% in 2018 to 30% in 2022.Close to 90% of the youngsters surveyed have a smartphone and know how to use it, though many are unaware of online safety settings.The trends, especially the lag in reading and solving simple arithmetic, give an inkling of what ails the education system, and the corrective measures required.The report says all States have made a major push in foundational literacy and numeracy under the NIPUN Bharat Mission, but the numbers show that in a diverse and vast country such as India, there is a lot of catching up to do.- The National Education Policy 2020 says the top priority is to “achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy in primary school by 2025”.
Way forwardWhile rising enrolment is a good thing, what awaits the students after they finish the compulsory school cycle (Class 8) is not all that rosy, sometimes because they are simply not able to cope with the ambitious curriculum set for the higher secondary level.The Right to Education Act, 2009 may have ensured universal access to education, but there is many a gap to fill before it touches every child in the true spirit of the law.
Topic 2 : Crafting a new phase in India-U.K. defence tiesContext: Rajnath Singh’s visit to the U.K. offers plenty of opportunities for the two countries to forge new plans for a joint naval vision.Introduction
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent visit to the United Kingdom (U.K.) came after a hiatus of 22 years. Opportunities have grown significantly in the past few years as opposed to two decades ago. Growth of opportunitiesThe growth of Chinese military power and in particular, its expansion into the Indian Ocean which threatens India and also Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs), on which the U.K. depends, have given the British an opportunity to reorient their strategic priorities. Indian Navy’s Needs and Cooperation with the UKThe Indian Navy needs to improve its capabilities compared to the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The UK is assisting in resolving the Navy’s technological gaps.One key area where London and New Delhi are cementing cooperation is in electrical propulsion to power aircraft carriers.The Indian Navy’s carriers, at present, are not powered by electric propulsion technology. The Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy (RN) use electric propulsion and the RN has mastered this technology.In the run-up to Mr. Singh’s visit, there were already preliminary engagements between the Indian and U.K. governments regarding the Indian Navy securing electric propulsion technology.Though the PLAN for its part struggled to overcome the technical challenges associated with electric propulsion, there is increasing yet anecdotal evidence emerging that it is in the process of integrating electric propulsion into its warships such as the Type 054B frigates. Indian Navy’s Electric Propulsion PartnershipThe Indian Navy is integrating electric propulsion technology into its advanced surface combatants to prevent Chinese naval advances.Electric propulsion reduces acoustic signature and enhances electrical power generation for subsystems in major warships.The “India-UK electric propulsion capability partnership” was established in February 2023, with discussions on the transfer of technical know-how and Royal Navy’s maritime electric propulsion experience.In November 2023, the partnership discussed the integration of electric propulsion technology in future warships.The British have agreed to train, equip, and establish infrastructure for developing an electric propulsion system. Challenges in India-UK defence partnershipWhile there are considerable opportunities in the India-U.K. defence relationship, challenges remain.A key challenge relates to legacy issues, especially in London’s effort to balance its ties between India and Pakistan.Successive U.K. governments have simultaneously supplied India and Pakistan with weapons or curbed weapons exports, leaving many in India frustrated with British motives and objectives in the Subcontinent.Nettlesome issues surrounding Khalistan and Sikh separatism will cloud the relationship.But today strategic realities have shifted with the emergence of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a major naval power whose deployments in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) are expanding rapidly, creating a very strong rationale for forging closer defence ties between the U.K. and India. ConclusionSeveral joint military exercises have already taken place between the two countries with deeper defence industrial cooperation on the anvil and during Mr. Singh’s visit, the British officially declared that they will be deploying a littoral response group, a specialised amphibious warfare group in 2024 and carrier strike group in 2025 to train and increase interoperability with the Indian Navy.With Mr. Singh’s visit to the U.K., London is both rediscovering and bolstering its military involvement and presence East of Suez, which it had considerably until the late 1960s
