PIB Summary- 22th May, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE- SLM)

Why in News?
Recently, the Union Minister inaugurated Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management at Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) in Dehradun.

Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM)

• The CoE-SLM was announced by the Prime Minister of India during the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP-14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in September 2019.

Aims

• Set Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets.
• Develop drought risk and early warning systems.
• Mainstream gender considerations in sustainable land management.
• Promote good governance of land tenure and rights.
• Assess the impacts of land degradation on greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.
• Facilitate the restoration of degraded land through technical support, capacity building, and knowledge sharing at national and sub-national levels.
• Promote South-South Cooperation to address land degradation issues through sustainable land management practices.

Objectives

• Assess land degradation to identify areas that require intervention.
• Conduct capacity building activities on sustainable land management frameworks aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Strengthen the assessment, monitoring, and reporting of land-based indicators outlined by the UNCCD.

STARS Program

Why in News?
Recently, Ministry of Education and World Bank organised a one of its kind workshop on School-to-Work Transition under the STARS Program in Mumbai.

About STARS Program

• Approval and Implementation: The STARS Project was approved by the Cabinet in October 2020 and is being implemented as a centrally sponsored scheme. It became effective in 2021 for a period of five years, up to FY 2024-25.
• Implementing Agency and Financial Support: The STARS project is implemented under the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, with financial support from the World Bank.
• Target States: The STARS project is being implemented in six identified states: Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala. These states will receive support for various interventions aimed at improving the quality of education.
• Focus and Objectives: The STARS project focuses on enhancing school education and aligns with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasizes quality-based learning outcomes. It specifically targets elements of the Samagra Shiksha scheme that directly support school education enhancement.
• Alignment with National Initiatives: The STARS project aligns with key initiatives of the government, including PM e-Vidya, the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission, and the National Curricular and Pedagogical Framework for Early Childhood Care and Education, which are part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.