There are several potential downsides to relying too heavily on technology in the classroom:

1. Distraction and Reduced Focus:
   • Easy access to the internet, social media, and various digital devices can easily distract students, leading to reduced attention and focus during lessons.
   • The constant temptation to multitask or engage with non-educational content can undermine students’ ability to engage deeply with the material.
2. Lack of Hands-on, Tactile Learning:
   • Over-reliance on digital tools and screens can diminish opportunities for hands-on, physical learning experiences that are crucial for certain subjects and age groups.
   • Manipulating physical objects, engaging in hands-on experiments, and using traditional learning materials can be important for developing certain cognitive and motor skills.
3. Limited Social Interaction and Collaboration:
   • Technology-driven classrooms can reduce face-to-face interaction, collaboration, and social skills development among students.
   • The lack of in-person discussions, group work, and peer-to-peer learning can hinder the development of important social and communication abilities.
4. Equity and Access Issues:
   • Reliance on technology can create or exacerbate inequalities if some students do not have access to the necessary devices or reliable internet connectivity at home.
   • This can disadvantage students from lower-income or underserved backgrounds, further widening the digital divide.
5. Dependence and Loss of Traditional Skills:
   • Heavy reliance on technology can lead to a loss of traditional skills, such as handwriting, critical thinking, and problem-solving without the aid of digital tools.
   • This can result in a generation that is overly dependent on technology and lacks essential skills for when digital tools are unavailable.
6. Privacy and Security Concerns:
   • Increased use of digital platforms and storage of student data can raise privacy concerns and increase vulnerability to data breaches or misuse.
   • Ensuring the proper safeguards and data management practices is crucial when incorporating technology in the classroom.

This is an interesting and complex question. I think there are valid arguments on both sides as to whether childhood is becoming vanished or diminished in the modern era. Here are some key points to consider:

Arguments for Childhood Vanishing:

• Increased academic and extracurricular pressures on children, leaving less time for free play and exploration.
• Prevalence of digital technologies and screens, which can limit physical activity and face-to-face social interactions.
• Perceived loss of independence and unsupervised time as parents become more protective.
• Cultural shifts towards earlier maturity and shorter periods of carefree childhood.
• Commercialization and consumerism targeting children at younger ages.

Arguments Against Childhood Vanishing:

• Many traditional childhood activities and experiences still exist, even if altered by modern influences.
• Children today may have access to new forms of learning, creativity, and social connections through technology.
• Increased awareness and efforts to protect childhood, such as limits on screen time and emphasis on play-based learning.
• Diversity of experiences, with some children retaining more traditional childhoods while others are exposed to accelerated maturity.
• Ongoing debate and research on the impacts of modern life on childhood, with room for adapting and preserving its essence.

Ecological Impacts of Shark Population Declines:

1. Disruption of Trophic Cascades:
   • Sharks are apex predators in marine ecosystems, playing a crucial role in regulating the populations of their prey species.
   • Declines in shark populations can lead to trophic cascades, where the removal of top predators causes imbalances throughout the food web.
   • This can result in the overpopulation of mid-level consumers, leading to the depletion of their prey species and disrupting the overall ecosystem dynamics.
2. Altered Habitat Structure and Biodiversity:
   • Sharks help maintain the health and diversity of marine habitats, such as coral reefs and seagrass beds, by controlling the populations of their prey.
   • Declines in shark populations can allow for the overgrowth of certain species, leading to the degradation of critical habitats and a loss of overall biodiversity.
   • This can have cascading effects on the abundance and distribution of other marine organisms, including commercially important species.
3. Reduced Nutrient Cycling and Energy Flow:
   • Sharks play a role in the movement and cycling of nutrients throughout the marine ecosystem, as they consume and transport nutrients across different habitats.
   • Declining shark populations can disrupt these nutrient cycling processes, potentially leading to imbalances in the overall productivity and functioning of the ecosystem.
4. Increased Prey Populations and Altered Behavior:
   • The removal of apex predators, such as sharks, can cause their prey species to become more abundant and exhibit changes in their behavior, such as increased boldness or altered foraging patterns.
   • These changes in prey populations and behavior can further destabilize the ecosystem, affecting the dynamics of other species and the overall ecosystem resilience.

Role of Marine Protected Areas and Shark Sanctuaries in Shark Conservation:

1. Habitat Protection:
   • Marine protected areas (MPAs) and shark sanctuaries provide designated, protected habitats for sharks, allowing them to thrive and maintain their ecological roles.
   • These areas restrict or prohibit activities like fishing, which can help to rebuild and sustain shark populations.
2. Population Recovery and Resilience:
   • By reducing fishing pressure and other threats, MPAs and shark sanctuaries can facilitate the recovery of shark populations, allowing them to reestablish their ecological functions.
   • The increased abundance and diversity of sharks within these protected areas can enhance the overall resilience of the ecosystem to disturbances and environmental changes.
3. Enforcement and Regulation:
   • Effective management and enforcement of MPAs and shark sanctuaries can help deter illegal fishing and other activities that threaten shark populations.
   • Regulations and policies within these protected areas can also promote sustainable fishing practices and limit the trade of shark products, contributing to shark conservation efforts.
4. Research and Monitoring:
   • MPAs and shark sanctuaries provide opportunities for researchers to study shark behavior, ecology, and population dynamics, generating valuable data to inform conservation strategies.
   • Monitoring programs within these protected areas can also track the effectiveness of conservation efforts and guide adaptive management approaches.
5. Public Awareness and Education:
   • MPAs and shark sanctuaries can serve as platforms for public education and awareness campaigns, helping to inform and engage local communities and the global public about the importance of shark conservation.
   • This can foster a greater appreciation for sharks and their role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems, which can translate into support for conservation initiatives.

Agricultural extension is the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education, training and assistance. It is aimed to develop agriculture practices through research and development. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has initiated several extension approaches including Krishi Vigyan Kendras (1974) with its mandate ranging from vocational training to technology assessment and demonstration for its application and capacity development.

However, there are various issues with agricultural extension in India, including

• Low public spending on agriculture research and development despite the recommended expenditure of around 2 percent of GDP.
• Deficiency of infrastructure such as irrigation, connectivity, electricity, logistics and price incentives limit the impact of extension services thereby hindering agriculture growth.
• One-size-fits-all approach in a country with a large number of farmers categorized as small and marginal and not factoring in aspects such as resource availability, agro-climatic conditions etc.
• Lack of capacity and resources within civil society organisations to make a significant impact across regions. Though NGO-led extension models offer far more variety and display sensitivity to local priorities and conditions.
• Lack of functional coordination at field level among the government, private sector, NGOs and others providing agriculture extension services.
• Absence of quality standards leaves questions of accountability, as the majority of farmers are not in a position to pursue legal remedies in case of erroneous or even harmful advice.

Role of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in strengthening the national agricultural research extension system

• Identifying farming systems, field problems and developing action plans: KVK scientists visit on the ground and identify the grass root level problems existing in the villages, which are pivotal for designing future action plans.
• Technology development: Technology development is a continuous process and in this KVKs act as a crucial player in testing, adaptation and integration of proven technologies.
• Front line demonstration: KVKs demonstrate proven technologies for the first time to convince farmers and extension workers to establish production potential of technologies on the farmers’ fields.
• Capacity building: Through capacity development programs of farmers and extension personnel, KVKs update their knowledge and skills on modern agricultural technologies.
• Work as knowledge and resource centre of agricultural technologies for supporting initiatives of public, private and voluntary sector in improving the agricultural economy of the district.
• Provide farm advisories using ICT and other media means on varied subjects of interest to farmers. Today, KVKs are the focal point for Assessment, Refinement and Demonstration of front line technologies for all developmental activities related to agriculture, community and industries in rural India.

Due to changing agricultural conditions—including climate change, increasingly degraded and marginalized land coming into production, limited water availability, increasing use of inputs, rising fuel costs, and unknown market opportunities—farmers require access to timely, reliable, and relevant information that can support the complexity within which their farm enterprises operate.

India is a major force in the global energy economy. Energy consumption has more than doubled since 2000, propelled upwards by a growing population and rapid economic growth. Continued endeavours towards industrialization and urbanization will further increase the energy demand. According to the India Energy Outlook 2021, India will be the main driver of rising demand for energy over the next two decades, accounting for 25% of global growth. India’s energy consumption is expected to nearly double as the nation’s gross domestic product expands to an estimated $8.6 trillion by 2040. In this context, diversification of energy resources becomes a necessity for India:

• Predominance of coal: As per the 19th Electric Power Survey, out of the all-India power generation installed capacity by 2026-27, environmentally polluting coal-based projects would have a high 40 per cent share. Despite low per capita CO2 emissions, India is the third-largest global emitter of CO2. The carbon intensity of its power sector in particular is well above the global average.
• Menace of air pollution: Fossil fuel-based industry is a major source of particulate matter pollution in India. It causes heavy smog and air pollution in Northern India. In 2019, there were well over one million premature deaths related to ambient and household air pollution.
• Growing price competitiveness: Price volatility poses a major challenge for the fossil fuel and gas power plant operators as well as end users in India. On the other hand, the renewable energy sector has witnessed tremendous advancement in the whole value chain, especially due to technological advancement. Also, the market for renewable energy resources is maturing which will help drive down the price.
• Future proof: Generally, a wind or solar farm is built for up to 25 to 30 years of operation. The average time running period for a hydro power project is even higher. The equipment can be refurbished once its shelf life is over and newly upgraded solar modules or wind turbines will be relatively more cost effective and efficient.
• Ensuring energy security: In a fragile contemporary geo-politics, securing energy supplies and sources is essential for any nation to assert its sovereignty. While oil and gas sources are limited to certain regions of the world, renewable energy is available everywhere and is domestic. Not only does it offer security of energy supply but also reduces dependence on imported sources.
• International obligations: In the COP26 in Paris, India made a commitment to meet 50 percent of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030 and by 2030, it will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by less than 45 percent.

Thus, the need for energy diversification for India cannot be overstated. Due to favourable policies by the government, India is on track to meet its Paris Climate Change commitments. In 2021, with an increase in renewable energy capacity to 102 GW, the total energy generation from renewable sources is about 12 per cent. This points towards a positive trajectory towards energy diversification.