Short News

• The National eGovernance Division (NeGD) is set to integrate Personalized Adaptive Learning (PAL) into its existing Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) platform.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Education
• It provides e-content for schools via an online portal and a mobile application. 
• It also has embedded assistive technologies for learners with visual or hearing impairments. 
• DIKSHA features digitized National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks used by national and State Boards. Apart from this, DIKSHA hosts 2.43 lakh contributions by 11,624 academicians by way of teaching videos, explainers, and practice questions. 

About Pirola:

• Pirola shares its origins with Eris, both emerging from the XBB lineage derived from the Omicron strain.

• Article 371 D, which offers constitutional protection and guarantees the allocation of 85% of seats in educational institutions to the locals, may not come to their rescue as the validity of the A.P. Reorganisation Act ceases after the 10-year period in May 2024.

About Article 371-D:

• It  provides Special Provisions for Andhra Pradesh.
• The President can provide equal opportunities for the local populace in public education and employment. 
• By virtue of Article 371-D inserted by the 32nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1973.
• Article 371D has been extended to the State of Telangana by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

About Urban Infrastructure Development Fund:

• Objective: To supplement efforts of the State Governments/UTs for urban infrastructure development work implemented through Public/State Agencies, Municipal Corporations, Urban Local Bodies in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities by providing a stable and predictable source of financing. 
• It allows for pooling of resources and expertise, enabling creation of comprehensive infrastructure solutions that address the unique needs of each urban area. 
• Projects under the UIDF: 
  • water supply, sanitation, construction of roads, comprehensive area development, local area planning for decongestion, heritage conservation, town-planning schemes and parks with open gyms.
• The fund cannot be used for maintenance work, administrative expenses, housing, power, telecom, urban transport, health and education projects, as per the guidelines.