theIASHub | 19 Jun, 2025 | 19
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QS World University Rankings: Recently, IIT Delhi achieved a major milestone by becoming the highest-ranked Indian institution in the QS World University Rankings 2026, climbing 27 places to secure the 123rd global position.
o This marks the first time since 2018 that IIT Delhi has surpassed IIT Bombay, which had topped among Indian institutes in six of the past ten editions.
o IIT Madras made it to the top 200 for the first time, now ranked 180 (up from 227).
o MIT ranked 1st globally for the 14th consecutive year.
o Top 5 globally: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, Stanford, Oxford, Harvard.
o India ranked 4th in total institutions listed (54), after USA (192), UK (90), and China (72).
o Focus: On delivering valuable support and resources to the global higher education community.
o Mission: To empower individuals from all over the world to achieve their full potential by facilitating educational success, promoting international mobility, and aiding in career development.
o 10 indicators: Academic reputation, faculty student ratio, international relation network, international faculty, students, and outbound exchange students etc.
Operation Sindhu : Recently, as tensions grew between Iran and Israel, India started Operation Sindhu to bring back over 4,000 Indians, including many students, from Iran safely.
o These students flew from Yerevan to Delhi and evacuations are supervised by Indian missions in Iran and Armenia.
o Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) stated that Indian nationals are being moved from conflict zones to safer areas within Iran before evacuation.
o 24×7 control room set up by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi.
o Indians in Iran advised to stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran via emergency helplines.
o India coordinating with Armenia, Turkmenistan, Iraq, and using possible sea routes via Persian Gulf.
o Some Indian students injured in a strike, as confirmed by Iranian embassy officials.
o Government appreciated cooperation by Iran and Armenia in facilitating the evacuation.
Ocean Darkening: A recent scientific study has raised alarms about a growing threat to oceanic ecosystems — ocean darkening.
o According to the findings, more than 20% (1/5th) of the world’s oceans have darkened significantly over the past two decades, potentially triggering profound consequences for marine life and global climate regulation.
o It plays a crucial role in regulating the global climate through carbon absorption.
o It boosts ocean productivity and helps sustain global fisheries.
o Formation of algal blooms, which block sunlight and reduce water clarity.
o Changes in plankton dynamics, including behavior and density.
o Rising sea surface temperatures affecting light penetration.
o Disruptions in ocean circulation patterns that impact water clarity and light distribution.
o Results in greater competition and may disrupt marine food webs, even in areas with low fishing pressure.
Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 Report (2023–24): Recently, the Ministry of Education released the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 for the academic year 2023–24, assessing states and union territories on a 1,000-point scale based on key indicators of school education performance.
o Bottom Performer: Meghalaya scored 417, placing it in Grade Akanshi-3 (score range: 401–460).
o 24 States/UTs showed improvement in their performance compared to the previous year.
o No State/UT crossed into the highest grade range of 761–1000, indicating room for improvement across the board.
o Bihar and Telangana recorded the most notable improvement in access to education.
o Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, and Telangana made the highest progress in infrastructure development.
o Launched in: 2017; the updated PGI 2.0 version is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
o Published by: Ministry of Education, Government of India.
o Coverage: Assesses performance across 6 key domains using 73 indicators: Learning Outcomes, Access, Infrastructure & Facilities, Equity, Governance Processes and Teacher Education & Training
o Grading Scale: Total score is out of 1000 points, divided into 10 performance grades — from Daksh (highest) to Akanshi-3 (lowest).
Invasive Alien Species (IAS): Recently, as global trade adapts to new bilateral agreements and changing tariffs, a growing concern has emerged: the rising spread of Invasive Alien Species (IAS).
o A new analysis warns that these biological intrusions, often unintentionally introduced via trade routes, pose significant risks to biodiversity, food security, public health, and economic stability.
o Deliberate introductions (e.g., cane toads in Australia, mosquitofish and guppies in India) for biocontrol have often backfired.
o Biofouling during maritime trade allows aquatic species like the Asian paddle crab to travel undetected.
o India's import of PL 480 wheat (1955) introduced Parthenium, a toxic invasive plant now found nationwide.
o Introduction of Tilapia for food security displaced native freshwater species in Indian rivers.
o Key Characteristics They reproduce rapidly, enabling them to spread quickly and dominate new habitats.
ü They often thrive due to the absence of natural predators or competitors in the introduced environment.
ü Their broad environmental tolerance allows them to survive in extreme or varied climatic conditions.
ü They can disrupt ecosystem functions by altering processes like nutrient cycling, fire patterns, and habitat structure.
Global Energy Monitor (GEM) : Recently, a report by the Global Energy Monitor (GEM) ranked India fourth globally for its potential to generate solar energy from abandoned coal mines, highlighting a promising opportunity for clean energy transition.
o Telangana, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh among top 20 global regions with highest land availability for solar conversion, jointly offering over 22 GW potential.
o Globally, 288 GW of solar potential identified across 28 countries with recently closed/open-pit coal mines.
o 15 countries have launched renewable projects on former coal mines.
o It produces databases, reports, and tools to help track and understand the global energy landscape.
o Promotes data transparency and open access to energy system information worldwide.
o Its data is widely used by key global institutions, including: International Energy Agency (IEA), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Bank and Bloomberg Global Coal Countdown.
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