Page 197 - Education
Nearly 1 lakh schools with only one teacher: Government
There are more than 90,000 schools with only single teacher teaching in them at the primary and secondary level combined, as per the data available with the government, Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Satya Pal Singh said in Parliament on Monday.
Meritorious students from Himachal visit Hyderabad as part of Bharat Darshan Tour
A group of meritorious students from Himachal Pradesh visited the city on Monday as part of Bharat Darshan Program and interacted with the former captain of Indian cricket team Mohammad Azharuddin.Azharuddin, who is also the working president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) motivated these students by giving them an inspirational talk.Speaking to ANI, Azharuddin said, "I had an interaction with these meritorious students from Himachal Pradesh. I learned a lot from these students and I am very happy that these students are visiting my home state of Telangana. The students are enjoying the Hyderabad weather and I wish them the best of luck for their future."Lecturer Dr. Rajesh, accompanying the group of students told ANI, "The students have visited many places in Hyderabad like Charminar, Golconda, Indian Business School and have interacted with Azharuddin. Now the students will move towards Delhi to visit the parliament. The tour will complete by 9th January 2019."The ...
Bengal raises retirement age of college, university teachers to 65 years
The West Bengal government has raised the retirement age for college and university teachers to 65 years and that of the vice chancellors to 70 years, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Monday.
JNU seeks clarification from professor who alleged VC denied her leave to receive award
The JNU administration on Monday said they have sought clarification from Professor Kavita Singh, who has alleged her leave to receive the Infosys Prize had been denied by the varsity's vice chancellor. Professor Chintamani Mahapatra, Rector-I of the varsity, said, "Certain kind of leaves are not a right. In many cases, professors apply late at night or after 5.30 pm when the office closes. She had applied for vacation leave/casual leave and on Monday, we wrote to her to clarify on the kind of leave." Singh, however, said university staff have the option of applying for combination leaves and that is what she did. "We have an e-office system where we can apply for leaves. It has dropdown menus and I had applied for vacation/casual leave around lunchtime on January 2. The next day, when I was in Bengaluru, I received an e-mail saying my leave had been rejected," she said. She said that casual leave is a right and she did not apply for duty leave since it is an "entitlement" and her ...
JNU admin may invite students' representatives to Academic Council
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration Monday said they might mull the possibility of having student representatives in the academic council since the elected students' union has not been notified yet. Professor Chintamani Mahapatra, Rector-I of the varsity, said the student's union could not be notified as election campaigning bills were not duly signed and were not submitted within the deadline recommended by the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines. "We are waiting and requesting them repeatedly. The administration cannot take action. The ball is in their court. We are accountable to the CAG and internal audit for every penny spent. Till now, there is no students' body at the varsity," he added. Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) members are special invitees to the Academic Council and since they have not been notified, they have not been able to attend the Academic Council meeting. They are not part of the decision making, Mahapatra pointed out, adding that .
DUTA, JNU students union to join all-India labour strike
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) on Monday said it will observe a two-day strike on the university campus in support of the Indian trade unions' strike, called by the labour unions to protest against unemployment and "anti-labour, anti-people and anti-national policies of the BJP-led NDA government".
Online exams will be 'non-discriminatory': JNU
The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Monday said its online entrance exams will be 'non-discriminatory' and will bring more transparency in the system. The JNU students' union has called the varsity's move of switching to online entrance tests a "massive scam", adding that at a time of fund-cuts, it is an expensive exercise. However, Professor Chintamani Mahapatra, Rector-1 of the varsity, said the online exam will test the range of knowledge of students and the idea was introduced after conducting a feasibility study. He said for MPhil and PhD students chosen after the online exams, centres will have the option of testing their writing and reasoning skills through a written exam along with viva, which will hold 30 marks. He said the feasibility study found that the online examinations can be conducted without any wastage of money. University officials added that the National Testing Agency will be holding the exams in all likelihood by the end of May. Students will have the option ..
Maha govt to start open SSC board from Jan 10
The Maharashtra government will Thursday launch 'Open SSC board' initiative with an aim to encourage students to keep pursuing sports and arts. Announcing the move, state Education and Sports Minister Vinod Tawde Monday said the students pursuing sports or an art who do not want to attend regular schools can avail of the new facility. "We are coming out with a third new thing. Number of times, children start playing, but take a break when they join class 8 because of the class 10 exam and become busy in academies," Tawde told reporters here at a media briefing which was organised to share details of the second edition of the Khelo India Youth Games. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education conducts the HSC (class 12) and SSC (Secondary School Certificate or class 10) examinations in the state. "On 10th of this month, we are launching Open SSC Board. Any sportsperson or artist -- singer, or a divyang (physically handicapped)....(like) I ..
Education officer caught taking Rs 1 lakh bribe
An education officer was Monday caught while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a teacher, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said. Mohan Desle, a Class-I officer with the Palghar Zilla Parishad (ZP), was arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act, DySP Ajay Aphale of the ACB's Thane Unit said in a release. The 49-year-old was trapped after the aggrieved teacher lodged a complaint with the ACB. The complainant was employed with a private school and appointed in 2012, Aphale said. The education officer had not given sanction for his post. The complainant teacher had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against the education department and got a judgement in his favour, said the release. Following the HC order, the complainant approached the education officer seeking approval of his post, said the release. Desle allegedly demanded Rs 3 lakh as a bribe from the complainant to accord sanction to the post, it said, adding later the amount was brought down ..
Trade union strike: Odisha schools, colleges to remain closed
All educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities in Odisha will remain closed on Tuesday in view of the two-day nationwide strike called by central trade unions. A notification to this effect was issued by the Higher Education department on Monday. "All schools in the state will remain closed on Tuesday due to the general strike called by central trade unions. The decision regarding the closure of schools on Wednesday will be taken tomorrow, said School and Mass Education Secretary PK Mohapatra. Meanwhile, the state's BJD government and its trade union front -- Biju Sramika Samukhya (BSS) -- have extended support to the two-day nation-wide strike called by CITU, AITUC and others trade unions. The general strike has been called by the central trade unions demanding fulfilment of a 12-point charter of demands including inflation control, minimum monthly salary of Rs 18,000, equal pay for equal work, social security provisions, discontinuation of ..
Campaign like Swachh Bharat needed to overcome sustainable development challenges: Norwegian PM
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg Monday lauded her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's "everyday, normal life politics" that dealt with direct problems of the people as she cited the example of Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. She said the campaign might seem "not-so-visionary, not up in the skies" but it is needed to solve the sustainable development challenges because sanitation is an extremely important issue. Solberg also said India and Norway can collaborate on innovation in the field of education by utilising technology, especially in rural areas. The prime minister Monday visited a government primary and middle school in Nithora village of Ghaziabad's Loni area where she met with children, teachers and locals to interact on issues such as sanitation and female literacy. The Scandinavian leader, who is on a three-day visit to India, stressed that girls' education is the most important development rule not just for girls' rights but for any country's development. "No country can only .
JNU yet to ascertain who ensured entry of RSS-affiliated outfit's rally in campus
Almost a month after an RSS-affiliated outfit took out a rally in the JNU campus to campaign for a religious conclave by the VHP, the varsity Monday said it is yet to ascertain who ensured the entry of the rally inside the campus. The rally, held on December 5 last year by RSS-affiliate Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), had triggered a controversy as the university students' union filed a complaint with the vice-chancellor alleging that the event was organised without permission and the "security breach" had put at risk students' safety. "A committee has been formed to look into the matter and it is yet to submit its report. It is yet to ascertain how did the rally come into the campus early morning. Guidelines have been issued to security personnel after the incident," said Professor Chintamani Mahapatra, Rector-I of the varsity. He, however, did not divulge details about members of the committee. The varsity also rubbished the allegations of the student's union which had said that the ..
JNU admin refutes fund cut allegations, says it got Rs 2 cr from UGC for library
The Jawaharlal Nehru University administration said they have received Rs 2 crore from the University Grants Commission towards library and dismissed allegations of fund cuts being made by the students' union. JNU Rector 1 Professor Chintamani Mahapatra said earlier the money used to come for five years and the varsity had leeway to manage funds but now every year, they have to give the budget estimate to the government. JNU officials also said the varsity has applied for the tag of Institute of Eminence to the HRD Ministry which has to be decided by the ministry. The JNU Students' Union has been accusing the varsity administration of cutting down library funds from Rs 8 crore to Rs 1.7 crore and dropping the subscription of important journals over paucity of funds. "We have received Rs 2 crore from the UGC on December 26 for the library and we already have Rs 1.7 crore that is allocated for it," Mahapatra said. Sources said the varsity is likely to allocate a little over a crore more
Mamata upset over student unrest
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed shock over militant student politics in premier universities like Presidency and Jadavpur and said she had no faith in politics that did not treat people with respect.
Pak PM's teacher Geoffrey Langlands laid to rest in Lahore
Major (retd.) Geoffrey Douglas Langlands, a former British officer and one of the country's most famous educators whose students include Prime Minister Imran Khan, was laid to rest here on Monday. He died on January 2 at the age of 101. Langlands, who arrived in Pakistan during the World War II and stayed in the country after the end of the colonial rule, has been honoured with Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Order of St. Michael and St. George, and Order of British Empire by the Queen of England for his contribution to humanity and education. Among his students were Prime Minister Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. A large number of people from different walks of life attended his cremation at the Aitchison College where he served most of his life. He was laid to rest at a cemetery in Gulberg, as per his will. Major (retd) Langlands was buried in Lahore according to his will, Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi told reporters after his funeral. "Pakistan is ..
Students stage protests against removal of temporary structure
A section of students of University of Hyderabad Monday staged protests against the removal of a temporary structure erected to commemorate the death anniversary of Rohit Vemula, a research scholar who committed suicide on January 17, 2016 on the HCU campus. "The students under the united banner of Justice for Rohith staged a protest at the administration building today demanding an explanation and reinstation of the portraits of the great leaders that were removed by the (Vice Chancellor) Appa Rao led administration," a release issued by 'Justice for Rohit', a conglomeration of various student bodies, said. The students held a march from the temporary structure, 'Velivada' to the administration building demanding restoration of the portraits. Defending their move to remove the temporary structure, varsity authorities said ithad fallen apart under weather conditions over the last three years and a section of the students attempted to resurrect it with fresh flexi ...
West Bengal govt to extend retirement age of college teachers
Announcing the decision to extend the retirement age of college-university professors from 62 to 65 years, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Monday the move was aimed to utilise their services for a longer period. Addressing the Convocation of Calcutta University at state-run Nazrul Manch here, Banerjee said, "If someone's life doesn't end at 60-62 what will he/she do for another 25 years?" Banerjee said her government has taken the decision to raise the retirement age of professors from 62 to 65 years and Vice-Chancellors from 65 to 70 years. Banerjee said that as part of the move to empower girls, the government would lay the foundation of 'Kanyashree University' on January 10 in Nadia district. She said 'Kanyashree', the cash-transfer programme to curb child marriage and help girl students stay in school, has now been extended to all girls in the state. Banerjee said that while her government has set up 23 new universities in the past seven years, ...
Edu institutes should be free of political interference: WB CM
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said educational institutes should be "free from political interferences" and students should learn to be respectful to their fellow mates and faculty members, no matter what the differences. The CM said she was shocked to learn that Presidency University had to change venue for its annual convocation as the students had locked the gates of the main campus. "I abhor the kind of politics which does not give respect to a fellow human being, the politics which does not believe in the minimum courtesy. I was so shocked to learn about Presidency, could never imagine such a thing would happen," she said here at the convocation ceremony of University of Calcutta (CU). Referring to a 2014 incident in Jadavpur University, where the students refused to receive certificate from the governor, the CM said such actions were "not acceptable". "The universities are earning a bad repute because of a handful of students," she ...
DU teachers to go on 2-day strike to demand promotions, involvement in major decisions
Delhi University teachers have decided to go on a two-day strike against the administration's alleged ignorance towards the pending promotions and non-involvement of the elected representatives in major decisions, the teachers' association announced on Monday. "We are writing to you to convey the decision of the Dell University Teachers' Association (DUTA) executive to call for a university shutdown on Tuesday and Wednesday to express the collective anger of the teachers against the manner in which you have completely abdicated your responsibility as head of the institution," DUTA President Rajib Ray said in a letter to the Vice Chancellor. "The DUTA demanded the pending cases of promotions in colleges and university departments be processed with no further delay or bureaucratic requirements such as uploading of forms and publications," he said. Citing a recent incident, Ray said, "The latest example is the manner in which you conducted the Academic Council meeting. The university did
Education fundamental to development, says Norway's PM during visit to UP village
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg stressed on the need for education for sustainable development as she visited a government school here in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. Solberg interacted with children, their parents, teachers and local communities at the government primary and middle school in Nithora village in the Loni area. "I view education as fundamental to sustainable development. Access to quality education is a universal human right and is the key to unlocking opportunities for all, so that everyone can enjoy a better life," she said during the interaction. "India is making impressive strides in education, and I applaud the work that the local community and UNICEF are doing," Solberg, who is on a three-day India visit, said. The Norwegian prime minister arrived in Delhi on Monday. Solberg will talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her visit. She also congratulated the government, authorities and community members for making the school an "inspirational model" by ...