It is released by UNESCO's Global Education Monitoring Team (GEM).

• It assesses how countries are performing against their own specific targets for various education indicators
• SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Key findings

• The global out-of-school population is now estimated to be 272 million, over 21 million more than the last estimate.
• The two countries with the largest absolute increases in their 6 to 17 year‑old populations between the years 2019 and 2024 are India (by 9 million) and Pakistan (by 9.7 million).

CAG has set up a separate unit for auditing public sector undertakings (PSUs) run by various state governments.

About CAG

• Appointed under Article 148 of constitution by the President of India.
  • CAG is not eligible reappointment in central or state government. 
• The extent of his duties is listed out in the CAGs (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971.
  • Tenure: 6 years or up to age of 65 years whichever is earlier.
  • Removal: Removed by the President on the same grounds and in the same manner as a judge of the Supreme Court.
• Other Key Details:
  • Duty of the CAG arises only after the expenditure has been incurred. 
  • CAG reports on the execution of projects or programs by the ministers are discussed by the Public Accounts Committee.
  • Information from CAG reports can be used by investigating agencies to press charges in court of law.

DGCA has given an order for extended surveillance of the 34 Boeing 787 planes which are currently present in the Indian aircraft fleet.

About DGCA

• It is responsible for regulation of air transport services to/from/within India and for enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards. 
• Ministry: It is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• It also co-ordinates all regulatory functions with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
  • ICAO is a United Nations agency which helps 193 countries to cooperate together and share their skies to their mutual benefit.
• HQ: New Delhi

South Africa won the World Test Championship (2023-25) against titleholder Australia in Lords (England).

About WTC

• Started in August 2019, each cycle consists of matches  played over two years.
• The top nine ranked teams on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings qualify for the WTC.
  • Each series consists of a minimum of two (2) Tests, and a maximum of five (5) Tests.
• Each team plays six series, with each series counting for 120 points, distributed over the number of matches in a series.

Traditional construction techniques to be  used to restore and preserve the Simhachalam Temple.

About Simhachalam Temple

• Location:Also known as Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Temple, is a Hindu temple located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• Deity:It is dedicated to the incarnation (avatar) of Vishnu known as Narasimha (the man-lion).
• Features: It combines the Orissan and Chalukyan features of temple construction.
  • It faces west instead of east as is traditional, symbolising divine forces winning out over evil forces.
• History:The exact age is unknown, but it has an inscription from AD 1098-99 during the reign of Chola King Kulottunga-I.

Second phase of NAKSHA training begins at four National Centres of Excellence.

About NAKSHA( NAtional geospatial Knowledge-based land Survey of urban HAbitations)

• Overview:one-year pilot programme  under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).
• Ministry:Ministry of Rural development.
• Objective: To revolutionize urban land records across 157 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in 27 States and 3 Union Territories.
• Strategy:Uses advanced aerial and on-ground survey methods to create a detailed, GIS-based digital map of urban land parcels.

The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) concluded with the adoption of the Nice Ocean Action Plan. 

• UNOC3 was held in Nice, France. 
• It was co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. 

Key Highlights of Action Plan 

• A global roadmap adopted to support the achievement of SDG 14, focused on conserving and sustainably using oceans, seas, and marine resources.
  • Declaration recognized that SDG 14 is the least funded of all SDGs.
• Reaffirms commitment to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
• Called for coordinated global action to reduce climate and acidification impacts on oceans and coastal communities reliant on them.

Authorities at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital identifying victims of the Air India flight AI-171 crash through DNA profiling.

About DNA Profiling ( also called DNA fingerprinting) 

• It is a technique used to identify individuals by analyzing unique patterns in their DNA. 
• Key Methods 
  • Short Tandem Repeat (STR): Examines short repeating DNA sequences in the nucleus. 
  • Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA): Used if nuclear DNA is degraded. mtDNA is abundant and maternally inherited, allowing matches with maternal relatives.
  • Y Chromosome: Focuses on STRs on the Y chromosome, inherited father to son. Identifies male victims by matching paternal male relatives.
  • Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs): Used for highly degraded DNA. 
    • SNPs are single-base differences unique to individuals, matched with personal items like toothbrushes.