February 3, 2020

Topic: Biodiversity.

According to a research conducted by a forestry student Bageshwar Singh, the wetland is threatened by 16 invasive species of plants.

Out of 109 species of vascular plants observed in the study area, 16 are included in the list of invasive alien species.
Bio invasion, which is invasion and expansion by an alien exotic species at the cost of the native ones, is a great cause of species extinction.
As per the Convention on Biological Diversity 1992, invasion of the alien species is the second-worst cause of loss of biodiversity in the world.

It is a man-made lake constructed in 1870.
It was made by constructing the headworks across the perennial Bien River, a tributary of the Beas River to provide irrigation facilities to the hinterland.
It was declared a Ramsar site in 2002.
This year, this wetland saw a marginal rise in the number of migratory birds arrived in the wetland.

(Source:-The Tribune)

Topic: Education and Infrastructure.

The drop in the enrolment has seen a decline of 48% since 2017.
Private polytechnic colleges have seen a decline of 60 % since 2017 whereas the government ones have seen a fall of 10 %.
Out of 226 polytechnic colleges in the state, only 28 are the state ones.

Lack of industry-driven courses.
The poor performance of the teaching staff.
Strictness on the front of the attendance and anti-copying measures.
Polytechnic courses run by private Universities are also attracting various students of this discipline.
The misappropriation and misuse of funds for building the infrastructure of the colleges and hostels are also a great issue.
Illogical deployment of teaching staff has also come to light as teachers have been appointed for the courses not approved by the All India Council of Technical Education ( AICTE).
Also, Private Colleges have been barred from visiting government schools for awareness.
Also, a rising wave of migration to foreign countries is a concern.

(Source:-The Tribune)