North Sea: Key Features and Recent Discoveries

1. Recent Discovery

• Researchers have found massive landforms beneath the North Sea, indicating that the region was once covered by a giant ice sheet during the last Ice Age.

2. Geographic Overview

• Location: A shallow, enclosed sea in Northwestern Europe.
• Classification: Considered a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Connections:
  • North: Linked to the Atlantic Ocean via the Norwegian Sea.
  • South: Connected to the English Channel.
  • East: Linked to the Baltic Sea through the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits.
• Bordering Countries:
  • United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

3. Physical Characteristics

• Area: Covers approximately 570,000 sq. km.
• Major Rivers Draining into the Sea:
  • Forth, Elbe, Weser, Ems, Rhine, Meuse, Scheldt, Thames, and Humber.
• Ports:
  • Home to two of the world’s largest ports – Hamburg and Rotterdam.

4. Economic and Environmental Significance

• Fishing Industry:
  • One of the most important global fishing grounds.
• Energy Resources:
  • Rich in oil and natural gas reserves, particularly in the United Kingdom and Norway sectors.
• Biodiversity:
  • Supports marine life and coastal ecosystems essential for fisheries and tourism.

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Extended Till 2028

1. Recent Developments

• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the extension of JJM till 2028 in the Union Budget 2025-26.
• An allocation of ₹67,000 crore has been approved.
• However, the scheme witnessed a significant budget cut at the Revised Estimate (RE) stage for FY 2024-25.

2. About Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)

• Launch Year: 2019.
• Objective: To provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) ensuring 55 litres per capita per day of safe drinking water to all rural households.
• Original Deadline: 2024 → Extended to 2028 due to implementation challenges.
• New Focus Areas:
  • Quality Infrastructure.
  • Sustainable Operation.
  • Community-Led Management under “Jan Bhagidari” (People’s Participation).

3. Key Features of JJM

a) Objectives & Implementation Strategy

• Universal Piped Water Access: Ensuring every rural household receives tap water by 2028.
• Community Involvement:
  • Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs)/Pani Samitis play a key role.
  • 50% participation from women is mandatory.
• State Participation:
  • States/UTs sign agreements to ensure sustainability and service quality.

b) Administrative Framework

• Nodal Ministry:
  • Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Background:
  • JJM subsumed the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).

c) Funding Pattern

• 90:10 for Himalayan & North-Eastern States.
• 100% Central Funding for Union Territories.
• 50:50 for other States.

4. Current Progress & Budgetary Allocations

a) Achievements Since 2019

• 80% of rural households now have piped water access (up from 15% in 2019).
• Over 12 crore families have gained access to drinking water.

b) States with 100% Coverage

• Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Telangana, and Mizoram.

c) UTs with 100% Coverage

• Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu, and Puducherry.

National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)

1. Why in News?

• The CBI arrested 10 individuals from the NAAC inspection team and Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF), Andhra Pradesh, in a bribery case for favorable NAAC ratings.

2. About NAAC

• Established: 1994.
• Headquarters: Bengaluru.
• Governing Body:
  • Controlled by a General Council (GC) and an Executive Committee (EC).
  • UGC Chief heads the Governing Council.
• Purpose:
  • Evaluates the performance of higher education institutions.
  • Provides accreditation as a marker of quality.

3. UGC Regulations (2012)

• Accreditation Mandatory:
  • Higher education institutions must get accredited after 6 years or after two batches graduate.
  • Accreditation is necessary to receive UGC funds.
• Autonomous Accreditation:
  • A college must have a minimum NAAC grade of ‘A’ to apply for autonomy.

4. Accreditation Criteria & Process

• Assessment Parameters:
  • Infrastructure.
  • Teaching & Evaluation.
  • Governance.
  • Research.
• Process:
  • Submission of a Self-Study Report by the institution.
  • Student Satisfaction Survey conducted by NAAC.
  • Peer Team Visit for evaluation.
  • Final NAAC Grade & Accreditation Certificate (valid for 5 years, or 7 years for institutions with previous ‘A’ grade or higher).

5. National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 & Reforms

• Suggested Transition from an 8-point grading system to a Binary Accreditation System:
  • Institutions will be categorized as ‘Accredited’, ‘Awaiting Accreditation’, or ‘Not Accredited’.
• Reforms in 2024:
  • Maturity-based Graded Accreditation introduced, alongside Binary Accreditation.
  • Accredited institutions classified from Level 1 to Level 5:
    • Level 1 to 4: Institutions of National Excellence.
    • Level 5: Institutions of Global Excellence for Multi-Disciplinary Research & Education.
  • The new system is still being rolled out, with workshops conducted with stakeholders.

Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

Recent News

• ‘Chhota Bheem’, one of the most famous tigers of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, passed away while undergoing treatment for multiple fractures at Bhopal’s Van Vihar.

About Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

• Location: Umaria district, Madhya Pradesh
• Mountain Ranges: Nestled in the Satpura and Vindhya ranges
• Etymology:
  • Named after the ancient Bandhavgarh Fort, located atop a hill.
  • As per legend, Lord Rama gifted the fort to Lakshmana, hence the name “Bandhavgarh” (Brother’s Fort).

Key Features

• Total Area: 1,536 sq. km.
  • Core Zone: 716 sq. km.
  • Buffer Zone: 820 sq. km.
• Tiger Density: Among the highest in the world.
• Landscape: A mix of valleys, hills, and plains, with the Bandhavgarh Fort as a key landmark.

Biodiversity

• Flora:
  • Sal forests, mixed forests, and grasslands dominate the vegetation.
• Fauna:
  • Tigers, leopards, sloth bears, Indian bison (gaur), and Asiatic elephants.
  • Deer species: Sambar, chital, and other ungulates.

Bandhavgarh continues to be a critical habitat for tiger conservation in India, attracting wildlife enthusiasts and researchers worldwide.