Social (Part - 3) - Current Affairs, November 2017 PDF Download

GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT
 

Why in News?

The 2nd edition of the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM Report, 2017-18) was recently released by UNESCO with the theme ‘Accountability in Education’.

Observations made by the report

• Growing populations gaining access to education, along with evidence of underachievement in learning, have brought into sharp focus persistent deficiencies in provision and quality.
• These, combined with tight education budgets and increased emphasis on value for money worldwide, have countries searching for solutions. Increased accountability often tops the list.
• Ensuring inclusive, equitable and good-quality education is often a collective enterprise in which all actors make a concerted effort to meet their responsibilities. This is because ambitious education outcomes rely on multiple actors fulfilling often shared responsibilities which cannot easily rest with single actors.
• Similarly, no accountability approach can succeed if actors lack an enabling environment or are ill-equipped to meet their responsibilities.
• At the same time, it needs to be realised that if accountability is to help ensure more inclusive, equitable and high-quality education systems, flexible approaches, which make judicious use of available information, are needed. Accountability should be understood as a means to an end – a tool in achieving SDG 4 targets – not a goal of education systems in itself.
   

Recommendations

Accountability in education starts with governments, which bear the primary duty to ensure the right to education. Report lays out the following recommendations to help governments – but also other actors with a stake in education – to design and implement robust accountability systems.

• Designing robust accountability systems
  √ Governments need to create space for meaningful and representative engagement to build trust and a shared understanding of respective responsibilities with all education actors
  √ They should develop credible education sector plans and transparent budgets with clear lines of responsibility and truly independent auditing mechanisms.
  √They should develop credible and efficient regulations and monitoring mechanisms and adhere to follow-up actions and sanctions when standards are not met.
• √They should design school and teacher accountability mechanisms that are supportive and formative, and avoid punitive mechanisms, especially the types based on narrow performance measures.
  √ They need to allow for a democratic voice, protect media freedom to scrutinize education and set up independent institutions for citizens to voice complaints.
• 
  Implementing robust accountability systems
  √Information: Transparent, relevant and timely data should be made available to decision-makers.
  √ Resources: Adequate financial resources should be provided to fund the education system.
  √ Capacity: Actors should be equipped with the skills and training needed to fulfil their responsibilities

Conclusion
Education is a shared responsibility and progress can only be sustainable through common efforts. Moving forward requires having clear lines of responsibility, knowing when and where those lines are broken and what action is required in response – this is the meaning of accountability, the focus of this Global Education Monitoring Report. The conclusion is clear – the lack of accountability risks jeopardizing progress, allowing harmful practices to become embedded in education systems.

SUB-SCHEMES UNDER ICDS
 

Why in news?

Recently, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the continuation of the sub-schemes under ICDS.

Integrated Child Development Scheme

• It is a flagship government scheme which aims to improve the nutrition and health status of children in age group of 0-6 years and lays foundation of psychological, physical and social development of the child.
• It was launched to reduce the incidence of mortality,  morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout amongchildren.
• It also aims to enhance the capability of mothers to take care of the health and nutritional needs of the children.
• In 2016-17, government had rationalised some schemes such as Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls, Child Protection Services and National Crèche Scheme and brought under Umbrella ICDS as its sub- schemes.
• These schemes have been continuing since 12th Five year plan.

MOSCOW DECLARATION
 

Why in news?

Recently, WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Tuberculosis in the Sustainable Development Era: A Multi-sectoral Response was held in Moscow.

Moscow Declaration

• During the Conference, Moscow Declaration was adopted by representatives from various countries (including India).
• The Declaration is a step towards the efforts to achieve SDG Goal 3.3.2 to end epidemic of TB incidence per 1000 population.
• It aims to eliminate additional deaths from HIV co-infection by 2020 and establishing a coordinated effort towards action against TB and non-communicable diseases.
• It also highlights the important areas for international action to address TB – sustainable financing, pursuing science, research and development and the establishment of a multisectoral accountability framework.

• The Declaration is a step towards the efforts to achieve SDG Goal 3.3.2 to end epidemic of TB incidence per 1000 population.
•  It aims to eliminate additional deaths from HIV co-infection by 2020 and establishing a coordinated effort towards action against TB and non-communicable diseases.
•  It also highlights the important areas for international action to address TB – sustainable financing, pursuing science, research and development and the establishment of a multisectoral accountability framework.

ELEPHANTIASIS
 

Why in news?

Recently, it was speculated that Government will miss out the set deadline to eliminate Elephantiasis.

Elephantiasis or Lymphatic Filariasis

• It is a parasitic disease caused by the parasitic worms called filial worms which is spread by the bite of the infected black flies and mosquitoes.
• The disease parasite is usually acquired during childhood. The larvae in the human can live in human beings for up-to 5-8 years without showing any symptoms; however the lymphatic system is damaged

.

• Elephantiasis leads to severe swelling in arms, legs, knees and genitals causes disfigurement and disability.
• It also makes the infected areas vulnerable to even minor scratches especially in rural areas with low sanitation.

Burden of Disease

• According to WHO estimates over 1 billion people in over 54 countries are at risk of developing disease with 70% of disease burden in India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Bangladesh.
• India alone accounts for 40% of world’s disease burden with over 31 million microfilaraemics, 23 million cases of symptomatic filariasis, and about 500 million individuals at risk of contracting the disease.
• India had set the ambitious target to eradicate the disease by 2020 which was earlier set at 2015 under the National Health Policy 2002.

Efforts to eradicate the Disease in India

• In 1995, government launched National Filaria Control Program
  with the objective of
  o delimiting the problem
  o undertake control measures in endemic areas and
  o training personnel to man the programme.

• In India, since 2004, Mass Drug Administration (MDA) is being carried on as a part of the Hathipaon Mukt Bharat (Filaria Free India) programme for preventive medication.
• Under this program, 88.96% of the population in endemic areas (2015) is being administered with two drugs - tablets of diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) and albendazole excluding children below 2 years, pregnant women and seriously ill people.
•  According to the data by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Micro flaria rate has fallen from 1.2 % in 2014 to 0.3% in 2015.