·       It will provide scholarships to meritorious students from SC communities to study in private and NGO-run residential schools for Classes 9-12.

·       The scheme is expected to provide admissions to around 3,000 students in Classes 9 and 11 each year.

·       The core objectives of the scheme are to enhance the reach of the development initiatives of the government and fill in the gap in service-deprived SC dominant areas in the education sector.

·       The scheme will collaborate with voluntary organisations to provide an environment that can help create conditions for socio-economic upliftment and the overall development of the SC communities.

·       The scheme is being implemented in two modes.

·       First, there are SHRESHTA schools, which consist of the best CBSE/ state board-affiliated private residential schools.

·       Under SHRESHTA, outstanding students from SC communities, across states and UTs, will be selected annually through the National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS) and will be admitted to these schools for education in Classes 9 through 12.

·       The schools that will be part of this scheme will be selected based on a performance score of above 75 percent pass rate in Class 10 and 12 board examinations over the past three years.

·       The second mode is based on NGO and voluntary organisation-run schools and hostels. The institutions run by such organisations that run up to Class 12 will also be made part of the scheme.

·       Students whose annual parental income is less than Rs 2,50,000 and who belong to SC communities are eligible to participate in this scheme.

·       Only those candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class VIII/X in the given academic session can apply for taking admission to Class IX/XI.

·       The scheme will cover the tuition fee, the hostel fee, and the mess fees for qualifying students.

·       Students will also be allowed to choose from a range of schools based on their merit.

·       No financial assistance is provided.

·       It taps underground mountain water sources trapped in and beneath the upper reaches of alluvial fans and channels the water downhill through a series of gently sloping tunnels.

·       It’s a system that’s managed by everyone and its benefits are shared.

·       Some of the region’s qanat systems, like those in Iran, are protected under heritage status.

·       It’s known by a variety of names, “foggara” in north Africa, “falaj” in Oman and “qarez” in parts of Asia.

·       Many old qanāts are still used in Iran and Afghanistan, chiefly for irrigation.

·       Indian participation in the project was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2014.

·       India to provide the project with hardware, instruments, software worth Rs.200 million.

·       The project will be set up in Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano on the island of Hawai’i, United States.

·       They are referred as the ‘ghost of the mountains’ for  their camouflaging ability.

·       Nativity – The alpine regions of Central Asia.

·       Habitat – Rugged mountainous areas or non-forested areas covering an altitude between 3200m-5200m.

·       Project Snow Leopard – India’s centrally-supported program to conserve the species and habitats.

·       SECURE Himalaya – It is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

·       GSLEP – Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Programme is an alliance of 12 snow leopard range countries, multi-lateral institutions, NGOs, scientists and local communities to conserve them.

·       IUCN status is Vulnerable

·       Appendix I of Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).

·       Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.

·       Vadnagar is a town and municipality in the Mehsana district of the North Gujarat region of Gujarat state.

·       It is a multi-layered and multi-cultural mercantile settlement, with its history stretching back to nearly 8th Century BCE.

·       As a historical city, it was known by various names, such as Vridhanagar, Anandapur, Anartapur, and Nagar.

·       The town represents a continuously evolving historic urban landscape/area that played a major role in the hinterland trade network of Western India.

·       It is mentioned often in the Puranas and even in the travelogue of the great Chinese traveler, Hieu-en-Tsang (7th century), as a rich and flourishing town.

·       Features:

·       The ancient town of Vadnagar is an L-shaped town with Sharmishtha Lake located on its northeastern edge.

·       The whole ancient town of Vadnagar is built over an ancient mound. The topography of the mound is gently rising, with its highest point in the middle of the settlement, also called Darbar Ghat.

·       Vadnagar town is divided into several blocks, also called Mohallas or Madhs. These mohallas are named after a temple, a community, or an occupation.

·       The town’s fortifications, arched gateways (toranas), temples, wells, residential structures (kothis), and excavated sites like Buddhist monasteries and dedicated stupas showcase the architectural influence of various cultural periods.

·       The oldest temple, Ambaji Mata Temple, dates back to the 10th-11th Century CE, while other important Hindu and Jain temples within the town are from 17th Century onward.

·       The current residential layer of the town is from late Gaekwad period (late 18th Century CE).

·       Vadnagar town is surrounded by fortifications made of bricks and partly stone, covering an area of 1km east-west and 700 m north-south.