MAINS Current Affairs includes Saudi Arabia’s Land Restoration Model & Global Out-of-School Population Climbs to 273 Million

Environment

1. Saudi Arabia’s Land Restoration Model

Context: According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Saudi Arabia has successfully restored nearly one million hectares of degraded land, emerging as a major model for large-scale land reclamation in arid and water-scarce regions.

Understanding Land Degradation

Land degradation refers to the decline in the productive capacity of land due to physical, chemical, and biological deterioration.

It occurs because of:

• soil erosion
• salinisation
• deforestation
• overgrazing
• unsustainable land use

Globally, nearly 40% of the land surface is degraded, affecting close to 3 billion people through reduced food security, water scarcity, and livelihood stress.

In India, around 97.85 million hectares (nearly 29.77% of total geographical area) experienced degradation during 2018–19.

Key Features of Saudi Arabia’s Restoration Model

1. Cloud Seeding and Rain Enhancement

Saudi Arabia has adopted artificial rainfall enhancement techniques to increase water availability in desert regions.

This has helped:

• improve soil moisture
• support vegetation growth
• reduce desertification pressures

2. Early Warning Systems

Advanced systems for forecasting:

• sand storms
• dust storms
• drought conditions

These improve:

• disaster preparedness
• climate resilience
• protection of agricultural land

3. Expansion of Protected Areas

The country has expanded ecologically protected zones to:

• conserve biodiversity
• prevent further land misuse
• restore natural ecosystems

This improves soil fertility and ecological balance.

4. Large-scale Ecological Restoration

Massive plantation and landscape restoration efforts have improved:

• vegetation cover
• carbon sequestration
• land productivity

Major Causes of Land Degradation

• Climatic Variability: Prolonged droughts reduce soil moisture and vegetation cover, making land vulnerable to degradation.
• Soil Erosion: Wind erosion is dominant in arid and semi-arid regions, leading to loss of topsoil.
  • Floods, cyclones, and landslidesdegrade land by altering soil structure and removing vegetation.
• Deforestation:Removal of forest cover for agriculture, urbanisation, and industry exposes soil to erosion.
• Industrialisation:Expansion of industries and cities leads to land sealing and loss of fertile land. Mining activities remove topsoil and leave behind degraded landscapes.

Government Initiatives in India

• Soil Health Card Scheme
  • Helps farmers adopt balanced nutrient management.
• Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana
  • Promotes organic farming for soil health restoration.
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
  • Supports sustainable land and water management.
• Green India Mission
  • Focuses on increasing forest cover and restoring degraded landscapes.
• National Afforestation Programme
  • Supports reforestation and eco-restoration.

Global Initiatives

• Food and Agriculture Organization Global Soil Partnership
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Land Degradation Neutrality target by 2030
• 4 per 1000 Initiative for soil carbon enhancement

Conclusion

Saudi Arabia’s experience shows that land restoration is possible even in highly arid conditions through technology, ecological planning, and policy commitment.

For countries like India, land restoration is not only an environmental imperative but also essential for:

• food security
• climate resilience
• rural livelihoods
• sustainable development

It must be treated as a core governance and environmental priority.

 Education

2. Global Out-of-School Population Climbs to 273 Million

Context: According to the latest report by UNESCO, titled “2026 GEM Report — Access and Equity: Countdown to 2030”, the global out-of-school population has reached 273 million in 2024.

Key Highlights of Report

1. Rising Out-of-School Population

• Around 273 million children and adolescents remain outside the formal education system
• Roughly one in every six school-age children globally is excluded from education

This reflects persistent inequalities in access, affordability, and inclusion.

2. Low Retention and Completion Rates

The report highlights weak student retention across education levels.

• Only two-thirds of students complete secondary education globally
• Large dropout rates are visible especially at:
  • upper primary
  • secondary stage
  • transition from school to higher education

This shows that enrolment alone is not enough.

3. Access Does Not Guarantee Learning

The report stresses that higher enrolment has not necessarily improved learning outcomes.

Major reasons include:

• overcrowded classrooms
• shortage of qualified teachers
• lack of textbooks and digital resources
• poor infrastructure

As a result, many students suffer from learning poverty despite being enrolled.

4. Inadequate Financing

A major structural concern is insufficient public expenditure on education.

The report points out:

• low budgetary allocations
• poor targeting of funds
• regional disparities in spending

This weakens both access and quality.

Positive Trends in School Education 

• The report highlights that several countries have achieved significant reductions in out-of-school populations since 2000.
• Madagascar and Togohave reduced out-of-school rates among children by over 80 percent.
• Morocco and Vietnamhave achieved similar progress among adolescents, while Georgia and Türkiye have improved outcomes among youth.
• Côte d’Ivoirehas reduced out-of-school rates across all age groups by half during the same period.

School Education in India

• India operates one of the world’s largest school systems, serving 69 crore studentsacross 14.71 lakh schools, supported by over 1.01 crore teachers (UDISE+ 2024-25).
• Gross enrolment ratio (GER)scores, as per NEP academic structure, are 4 at the preparatory stage (Grade III to Grade V), 90.3 at the middle stage (Grade VI to Grade VIII), and 68.5 at the secondary stage (Grade IX to Grade XII).

Government Initiatives taken in India 

• Samagra Siksha Abhiyan (SSA): It is an overarching scheme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to class XII.
  • The Scheme subsumes the three erstwhileCentrally Sponsored Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).
• PM SHRI Schools: Development of 14,500 schoolsas exemplary institutions with modern infrastructure and pedagogy.
• Mid-Day Meal Scheme: Provides free meals to students in government schools to encourage school attendance, improve nutrition, and reduce dropout rates.
• Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009: Guarantees free and compulsory education for children in the 6-14 age group, focusing on quality education and no discrimination.
• National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education: Aims to encourage girls from rural areas to continue education by providing financial incentives.
• New Education Policy 2020: 
  • Emphasis on early childhood care and education (ECCE),particularly for children up to 6 years.
  • Introduction of a 5+3+3+4 school structure (5 years of foundation, 3 years of preparatory, 3 years of middle, and 4 years of secondary education).
  • Focus on critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solvingrather than rote learning.

Concluding remarks

• The findings of UNESCO highlight that the global education crisisis not limited to access alone but extends to issues of equity and quality of learning.
• With the deadline for Sustainable Development Goal 4approaching in 2030, there is an urgent need for accelerated and focused action.
• Ensuring that every child not only attends school but also learns effectively is essential to achieving the vision of inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

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