Uttarakhand

• 18 May 2024

Plastic Free Ganga

Why in News?

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation have launched a collaborative initiative titled “Flowing Towards a Plastic-Free Future” to free the Ganga river and its 15 tributaries from plastic pollution and conserve the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem.

Key Points

• The drive will take place over five days in seven states, namely Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand.
• The initiative focuses on raising awareness about detrimental effects of plastic on freshwater biodiversity.

Wildlife Institute of India

• It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• It was established in 1982.
• It is based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• It offers training programs, academic courses, and advisory in wildlife research and management.

Ganga River

• It is the longest river of India flowing over 2,510 km of mountains, valleys and plains and is revered by Hindus as the most sacred river on earth.
• The Ganga basin outspreads in India, Tibet (China), Nepal and Bangladesh over an area of 10,86,000 Sq.km.
• In India, it covers states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Union Territory of Delhi draining nearly 26% of the total geographical area of the country.
• It originates in the snowfields of the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas.
• At its source, the river is called the Bhagirathi. It descends down the valley upto Devprayag where after joining another hill stream Alaknanda, it is called Ganga.
• The principal tributaries joining the river from right are the Yamuna and the Son.
• The Ramganga, the Ghaghra, the Gandak, the Kosi and the Mahananda join the river from left. The Chambal and the Betwa are the two other important sub- tributaries.
• The Ganges River Dolphin is an endangered animal that specifically habitats this river.
• The Ganga joins the Brahmaputra (Jamuna) in Bangladesh and continues its run under the name Padma.
• The Ganga widens out into the Ganges Delta in the Sundarbans swamp of Bangladesh, before it ends its journey by emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

Additional Virtual Classrooms in Uttarakhand

Why in News?

The Uttarakhand government plans to introduce 840 additional virtual classrooms with the assistance of Telecommunications Consultants India (TCIL).

• These virtual classrooms will enable teachers in Dehradun to conduct live online classes for students.

Key Points

• In the first phase, the scheme is already extended to 1.9 lakh students between classes 6 to 12.
  • Authorities are currently working to ensure that underprivileged students receive education without any technical issues.
  • Coaching will also be provided to students preparing for medical and engineering entrance exams to bring socio-economic change.
• The program is currently being implemented in 500 government schools spread across the 13 districts of the state.
  • It utilizes Remote Operated Terminals (ROTs) and Satellite Interactive Technology to enable interactive communication in virtual classrooms, enabling students to engage in both online and offline learning.
  • Additionally, parents and teachers have the ability to monitor their progress through dedicated applications.