Prelims
PANCH SANKALPA OF NEP 2020
Why in News: Union Education Minister inaugurated a 2-day Vice-Chancellors’ Conference at Kevadia, Gujarat to review NEP 2020 progress and align universities with Viksit Bharat 2047 goals.
Panch Sankalp of NEP 2020 (Five Pillars)
- Next-Gen Emerging Education
- Multidisciplinary Education
- Innovative Education
- Holistic Education
- Bharatiya Education (Indian Knowledge Systems)
About NEP 2020 –
Replaces 1986 Education Policy; rolled out from 2023–24 academic year
Focus: Creativity, foundational literacy, numeracy, critical & ethical thinking School Structure: Shift from 10+2 to 5+3+3+4 (includes ECCE) Higher Education:
- Flexible, multidisciplinary
- Research & industry-academia collaboration
- Allows foreign university campuses
Digital Push: Use of e-learning platforms & digital tools
KAILASH MANSAROVAR YATRA
Why in News: It has resumed in 2025 after a five-year pause due to the pandemic and border tensions. This year, pilgrims are traveling via two routes, marking a significant revival of this important spiritual journey.
- Mount Kailash is a diamond-shaped black rock peak located in Tibet.
- Height: 6,638 meters.
- Considered sacred by Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Böns (indigenous Tibetan religion).
- For Tibetan Buddhists, Kailash is Mount Meru (cosmic axis connecting heaven and earth).
- In Hinduism, it is the abode of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
- In Jainism, called Ashtapada, where Rishabhanatha attained enlightenment.
- Spiritual center of the Earth; origin of Sutlej, Brahmaputra, Kamali, and Indus rivers.
- Lake Mansarovar lies at the base of Mount Kailash.
- Mount Kailash is unclimbed due to its sacred status.
- India organizes the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra annually between June and September.
Two main routes for the yatra:
- Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand (since 1981).
- Nathu La Pass in Sikkim (since 2015).
GLOBAL GENDER GAP REPORT 2025
Why in News: India is in the news because its rank in the Global Gender Gap Report 2025 dropped to 131 out of 146 countries.
Overview
Published by: World Economic Forum (WEF)
Type: Annual report benchmarking gender parity across countries
19th edition (2025): Covers 148 economies
Global Gender Gap Closed: 68.8% Estimated Time to Full Parity: 123 years Assessment Criteria (4):
- Economic Participation and Opportunity
- Educational Attainment
- Health and Survival
- Political Empowerment Parity Score Range: 0%–100%
India’s Status in 2025 Report
- Global Rank: 131 out of 148 (↓ from 129 in 2024)
- Parity Score: 64.1% (among the lowest in South Asia)
Positives
- Economic Participation Score: Improved by 0.9 pts to 40.7%
- Earned Income Parity: Increased to 29.9%
- Educational Attainment Score: Reached 97.1%. Driven by better female literacy and higher enrolment in tertiary education
- Health and Survival: Improvement in sex ratio at birth, Better healthy life expectancy
Negatives
- Political Empowerment: Declined for 2nd consecutive year
- Female MPs: Down from 14.7% to 13.8%
- Women Ministers: Down from 6.5% to 5.6%
- Overall Gender Parity: Worsened due to reduced representation in public leadership
