Uttar Pradesh

• 11 Dec 2021

Announcement to Make Gorakhpur a 'Special Education Zone'

Why in News

• On December 10, 2021, Union Minister of State for Education, Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Dharmendra Pradhan announced to make Gorakhpur a 'Special Education Zone'.

Key Points

• The Union Minister made this announcement while addressing the concluding program of the 89^th Founder's Week celebrations of Maharana Pratap Education Council.
• Gorakhpur, developed as a knowledge city through three functional and one under construction universities, will be made a 'Special Education Zone' on the lines of 'Special Economic Zone' as per the requirement of the new National Education Policy.
• The aim of the 'Special Education Sector' is to prepare students as global citizens and solve the problems of the world through academic activities.
• Dharmendra Pradhan said that the new education policy has been prepared in line with the strategic change in the global scenario under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The objective of the new education policy is to make India the number one country in the world and the children of India to be global citizens.

Haiderpur Wetland

Why in News

• Recently Haiderpur Wetland of Western Uttar Pradesh has been recognized as 47^th Ramsar site in the country and 10^th in Uttar Pradesh and 2463^rd in the world, which has been confirmed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Key Points

• The Haiderpur Wetland is spread over an area of 6908 hectares on the Muzaffarnagar-Bijnor border between the Ganges and the Solani River. It is a part of Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Haiderpur Wetland is a man-made lake, which was formed in 1984. The biodiversity here attracts birds. Exotic birds reach here by crossing the hills of Mongolia.
• Also there are many species of dolphins, turtles, alligators, crocodiles, butterflies and deer etc. There are over 30 plant species and over 300 bird species, as well as over 40 fish species and over 102 waterfowl species.
• A conference was held on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. The countries involved in this signed an agreement related to the protection of wetlands and it came into effect from December 21, 1975.
• According to the Ramsar Convention, a wetland is a place that is full of water for at least eight months in a year and is home to more than 200 species of birds.