- ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINE (EVMs)
- The Election Commission (EC) of India has implemented several safety features in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to ensure their security and reliability during elections
- Here are some of the key safety features that protect EVMs from being tampered with:
- Physical Security Measures: Sealing and Storage: EVMs are sealed in the presence of candidates or their agents and then stored in strong rooms that are monitored with CCTV coverage and guarded by security personnel until the day of the election
- Technical Security Features: No External Network Connection: EVMs do not have wireless communication capabilities, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which means they cannot be hacked remotely
- Control Unit: Votes are registered in the control unit only after receiving confirmation from the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) about the print and fall of the VVPAT paper slips, ensuring a physical verification layer
- Fall Sensor: VVPATs are equipped with a ‘fall sensor’
- If the paper slip is not cut or does not fall into the ballot box, the VVPAT shows a ‘fall error’, and the vote is not recorded in the control unit
- This prevents any votes from being cast without verification
- Programmed One Time: Before the elections, the EVMs are programmed once for the specific election and cannot be reprogrammed or tampered with without breaking their physical seals
- Audit and Verification Processes: VVPAT System: The VVPAT system allows voters to verify that their vote has been correctly recorded on a physical paper slip, which is then dropped into a sealed box and can be used for later verification
- Random Verification: Currently, cross-verification of EVM votes with VVPAT slips happens in five randomly selected polling booths per constituency, providing a statistically significant check against tampering.
- Manual Counting Challenges: The EC highlighted the complexities of manual counting of VVPAT slips, which is time[1]consuming and sensitive to human error, particularly under the high-pressure environment of a counting centre.
- Transparency and Observation: Presence of Agents: Political candidates or their agents are present during the sealing and storage of EVMs, and they can observe the process, adding a layer of transparency and cross[1]party verification
- Random Checks and Records: No Mismatches Reported: According to the EC, there has been no mismatch in the votes polled and votes counted in the instances of random verification conducted, which covers over four crore VVPAT slips.
2. ACTIVITY BASED CURRICULUM DRAWN UP FOR ANGANWADIS
- The Activity-based curriculum for anganwadis, titled Navchetana, is designed to promote early childhood development in children from birth to age three
- Focus on Early Brain Development:
- Recognises the crucial role of the first three years in brain development (75% happens during this period)
- Provides step-by-step activities for caregivers and frontline workers (anganwadi staff and ASHA workers) to stimulate learning across various domains
- Activity-Based Learning: Encourages play, talking, movement, and sensory stimulation (sight, touch) through activities.
- Aims to develop early language, literacy, and numeracy skills.
- Curriculum Features: Developed by a committee involving government ministries, education institutions, and NGOs
- Follows the National Education Policy 2020’s emphasis on continuous learning
- Offers 36 sets of age-appropriate activities (month-by-month) for children from birth to 36 months
- Encourages using readily available household objects like cups, bottles, and fabric scraps
- Sample Activities: 0-12 Months: Reaching for objects, imitating sounds, spinning bangles.
- 12-24 Months: Feeding oneself, exploring the house, playing with dough, using a mirror.
- 18 Months: Scribbling with crayons.
- 24 Months: Sorting and matching shoes.
- 36 Months: Riding a tricycle, saying one’s name, identifying colors.
- Benefits: Promotes holistic development across physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains
- Helps identify developmental delays so children can receive appropriate support
- Provides anganwadi workers with a structured approach to early childhood education Overall, the Activity-based curriculum aims to equip anganwadis with a comprehensive framework for stimulating early learning in a fun and engaging way.
3. IMF AND INDIAN EDUCATION
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) advises India to prioritise investments in education and healthcare to leverage its young population’s potential
- India’s Demographic Advantage: India has a large young population entering the workforce every year (15 million).
- IMF’s Recommendation: Focus on education and healthcare to equip this young workforce with the right skills for the job market.
- Reasoning: This investment is crucial to benefit from the “demographic dividend” (economic advantage of a large working-age population).
- World Bank’s View: Earlier, the World Bank warned that South Asian countries, including India, risk squandering this demographic advantage.
- India’s Growth: Despite high youth unemployment (over 40% in 2022-23), the IMF projects a 6.8% growth rate for India in FY25. This growth is driven by public investment and private consumption.
- Public Investment: While public investment in infrastructure has boosted growth, the IMF questions if it has crowded out private investment.
- Private Investment: Recent upticks in private investment are a positive sign for India’s future economic growth.
- Consumption: Rising consumption, linked to falling inflation, is another factor supporting India’s economic growth.
4. WHO – PATHOGENS
- Pathogens that transmit through the air will be described by the term infectious respiratory particles or IRPs according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
- The world health has thus ended the lack of a common terminology to describe the transmission of these pathogens, which was particularly challenging during the global COVID – 19 pandemic.
- Varying terminologies contributed to challenges in public communication and efforts to curb the transmission of the pathogens
5. INDIGENOUSLY BUILT CRUISE MISSILE SUCCESSFULLY TESTED
- The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight test of a “long range subsonic indigenously developed cruise missile”
- From the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the coast of Odisha
- The missile followed the desired path using waypoint navigation and demonstrated very low altitude sea-skimming flight
- During the test, all subsystems performed as per expectation
- The details or the specifications of the missile were not mentioned but the missile looked a lot similar to the Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile.
ONE LINER
- Madhya Pradesh Tops in implementing the Centre’s “Green Credit Programme” (GCP).
- Sam Pitroda has written a New Book Title “The Idea of Democracy”.
