Page 293 - Education

UGC paves way for more accreditation agencies

To increase the number of accreditation and assessment agencies (AAAs) for higher education institutes in the country, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to appoint an Accreditation Advisory Council (AAC) which will help the commission set up more such agencies.

Maha to provide skimmed milk powder to primary school students

The Maharashtra government has decided to provide 600 grams of skimmed milk powder as health supplement to each primary school student for three months as part of a pilot project. A government resolution issued today by the School Education and Sports department stated that each student of Classes I to VIII would be given three packets, of 200 grams each, of skimmed milk powder over three months. It said that a committee headed by the additional chief secretary, School Education department will monitor the scheme while the director, primary education would the coordinating officer. The pilot project would, however, not include schools in Mumbai as they are already covered by a Central government nutrition programme, it added. As per the Economic Survey of Maharashtra for 2017-18, the state has 1.18 crore students studying in 1,06,527 primary schools (Std I to Std VIII). It said that schools will give out these packets in the presence of the management committee on a ...

UP govt asked to reveal plan to improve infra in Varanasi schools

The Allahabad High Courttoday asked the Uttar Pradesh administration to reveal within a week on how it plans to improve the infrastructure of 17 government primary schools in Varanasi. A bench comprising Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Yashwant Varma passed the order after hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by NGO Jan Adhikar Manch on the poor condition of schools. The court directed Secretary, Basic Shiksha Parishad, Uttar Pradesh to file an affidavit within a week revealing its plan along with a timeline to either improve infrastructure of schools or shift them to another building. Thecounsel for Basic Shiksha Parishad placed a report on the condition of the schools before the court and steps that will be taken to improve their infrastructure. No time frame was stated. The court said that reports show that17 government primary schools of Varanasi were in a 'very sorry state of affairs'. As per the averment contained in the PIL, a team of the NGO visited as many as 17 ..

TN govt effects reshuffle of senior IAS officers

Tamil Nadu government today effected a rejig of senior IAS officers including district collectors. According to a government order, Higher Education Principal Secretary Sunil Paliwal has been transferred to labour and employment department swapping with Mangat Ram Sharma. School Education Secretary (curriculum) T Udayachandran has been posted as Commissioner of Archaeology. While Chennai district collector V Anbuselvan has been transferred as the Cuddalore collector, the additional director of Anna Institute of Management will replace him. Erode district collector S Prabhakar has been posted as Krishnagiri collector.

Plea in HC seeks readmission for 42,503 students in govt schools

A plea was filed in the Delhi High Court today seeking directions to the Delhi government to grant readmission to 42,503 government school students, who failed the Class X CBSE exams this year, in the same institutions. The plea is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao. The application was filed by NGO Social Jurist in a pending petition highlighting the denial of admission to over 400 students in government schools in the national capital. Advocate Ashok Agarwal, appearing for the NGO, claimed that there was violation of the Delhi School Education Rules in refusing readmission to 42,503 students who had appeared for the Class X examinations this year, but failed. The plea alleged that instead of granting them readmission in the same government school, the students were forced to take transfer certificate (TC) and opt for the National Institute of Open Schooling instead. It said that out of the 1,36,663 government ...

Students demand 'Atal Chair' at AMU

Former students of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have demanded the institution of an Atal Bihari Vajpayee Chair for research on the former Prime Minister's literary work.

Goa exam: Accounts dept proposes re-evaluation after all

Two days after announcing that all 8,000 candidates who had appeared for an examination for the post of accountant in the Goa government had failed, a senior official today said that the Accounts department would ask for a re-evaluation of the answer papers. Goa's director of accounts, Prakash Pereira, in a notification issued on August 21, had said none of the candidates, who appeared for the recruitment examination held on January 7 this year, secured the minimum qualifying marks of 50 out of 100. The directorate of accounts had advertised 80 posts of accountant in the common account cadre in October last year. The five-hour examination included a 100 marks paper on English, general knowledge and Accounts. Pereira today said that he would submit a proposal to the state government to re-evaluate the papers of these candidates. He said that he would also ask the government to upload the re-evaluated answer papers on the department's website. The official told reporters ..

New interactive robot can be your kid's reading buddy

A new interactive robot, programmed to be an interested listener, may serve as a reading companion for your kid, a new study suggests.

Imarticus Learning raises USD 2 mn from CBA Capital

Imarticus Learning, a professional education platform, today said it has closed a USD 2 million (over Rs 14 crore) funding round from education-focused venture capital fund, CBA Capital. Imarticus Learning will utilise the series B capital towards expanding its international operations while also strengthening its stronghold in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Pune, where it is currently present, it said in a statement. The company provides financial and analytics-centric professional education, and has trained over 30,000 students globally. It aims to skill 55,000 students by 2020. In addition, it has also worked with around 200 companies globally, helping facilitate management training and re-skilling programmes for their employees. The company said domestic and international expansion will be a "key focus" for the company during 2018-2019, as it plans to establish institutes in cities like Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Indore. "The funding will not only boost

Vajpayee's achievements to be included in school textbooks in Raj

Milestones achieved during the regime of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be included in school textbooks in Rajasthan from the next academic session, Education Minister Vasudev Devnani said today. Devnani has written to the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education-Ajmer to start the process of scrutinising the contents and highlighting them in school textbooks. "Major transformation and achievements during the tenure of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be highlighted in school textbooks. I have given the directions to the Board to initiate the process to get the things done," Devnani told PTI. "Students should know about his great and influential leadership during Kargil war, nuclear tests in Pokhran in Jaisalmer and unforgettable contribution to the country through programmes like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana among others which took the country on the path of development," he said. The directions were given on August .

85-day long Manipur University agitation called off

The 85-day long agitation at Manipur University was called off today by the protesters in the interest of students, Manipur University Students' Union president M Dayaman Singh said. The students of the university had been demanding the removal of Vice-Chancellor A P Pandey and constitution of an Independent Enquiry Committee to look into the allegations of administrative and financial lapses made by the V-C. The agitation was called off in the interest of students and particularly after the HRD ministry agreed to all the terms included in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed on August 16, Singh said. The Manipur University Teachers' Association and the Manipur University Students' Union said it was for the authorities to decide when the classes would resume in the varsity. The MOA was signed by the Manipur University Students' Union, the Manipur University Teachers' Association, the Manipur University Staffs' Association and representatives of the HRD Ministry and the state ...

Students of this Chhattisgarh village cross rivers, jungles to attend school

Even after 72 years of Independence, there are still few in the country for whom a simple task of going to school could be a battle. This is the condition in Balrampur village in the Naxal-infested region of Chhattisgarh.Due to lack of proper roads, students of the village are forced to walk for at least eight kilometres to reach their school in Kolti.In addition to poor connectivity, students say that no educational institutions are available in their village, thus leaving them no option but to travel the extra miles to attend school.While connectivity remains a crucial challenge, extreme weather conditions worsen the situation for these young children."When it rains, it becomes difficult for us to go to school. We have to cross a river and jungle to reach school. There is no school in our village, and it is not very safe for us," a student said.Apart from students, locals, too, face the hardships of lack of proper roads, and claim that despite complaints to authorities in the state,

Orissa HC quashes affidavit clause in GIA policy for teachers

The Orissa High Court has quashed the affidavit clause in the state government's Grant-in-Aid (GIA) policy for teachers. Adjudicating over a writ petition challenging the 2017 policy, Justice A K Rath, in his ruling, said the clause infringed on the fundamental rights of the teachers. The affidavit clause would require the teachers to submit an affidavit that they would not resort to any legal action in future after accepting the new GIA policy, the petitioner's counsel Buddhadev Routray said. The policy promises the teachers financial benefits such as basic pay, grade pay and increments. In the earlier block grant system, they were getting only a consolidated amount. The high court order, bringing relief to the teachers, was delivered yesterday, but they have been continuing their dharna at Bhubaneswar. School and college teachers were on dharna for a week to press for their demands including abolition of the affidavit clause.

Manipur varsity to reopen on Thursday after 85 days

Closed for 85 days, the Manipur University will reopen on Thursday, said M. Dayamon, president of Manipur University Students Union.

Seating position in lecture halls can affect grades

Choice of seating in the lecture hall can affect a college student's performance, a study suggests. Lectures are a staple of higher education, and understanding how students interact and learn within the lecture theatre environment is central to successful learning. Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK examined students' reasons for choosing particular seats in a lecture hall, and investigated how seating positions correlate with student performance. "Interaction is a key part of learning and knowing who the students are interacting with can be a great benefit when designing activities," said David P Smith of Sheffield Hallam University. Many students preferred being able to sit with their friends, while others were more concerned with either attracting or avoiding the lecturer's attention. Some students chose seats that allowed them to see and hear clearly, while others picked easily vacatable seats that made them feel less anxious, researchers said. Friendship ...

8,000 applicants fail in Goa govt exam, AAP says 'cruel joke'

A day after all 8,000 students who had appeared for a written government exam in January failed, the AAP in Goa on Wednesday accused the state government of playing a "cruel joke" on the youth.

Teachers to continue with agitation till their demands are met

The agitating school and college block grant teachers today announced that the agitation will continue till a permanent solution is reached on their demands. The teachers and employees of 4000 schools and 1500 colleges are sitting on dharna at the Mahatma Gandhi Marg here demanding fulfillment of their 7-point charter of demands since August 16. The teachers under the aegis of All Odisha School- College Teachers and Employees United Forum have been demanding abolition of block grant, full grant without any conditions, service conditions, pension benefits and others. Though the government last year announced to abolish the block grant form of salary payment for teachers and introduction of Grant-In-Aid (GIA) format, the teacher body alleged that the administration diluted the GIA policy and their demands are not fulfilled. The ministerial-level meeting chaired by Finance minister S B Behera last evening discussed over teachers demands, but could not take any decision. ...

Madrasa loses recognition after students stopped from singing nat anthem

Taking a serious view of alleged opposition by the principal and teachers of a 'madrasa' (Islamic seminary) to singing of the national anthem during Independence Day function, the Uttar Pradesh government has cancelled its recognition. The recognition of Madrasa Arabia Ahle Girls College, situated in Badago area under Kolhui police station has been cancelled on the order of the state education department, official sources said. District minority welfare officer Prabhat Kumar said the action was taken following a report of the inquiry committee set up by the administration to probe the allegations. The principal of the madrasa Fazlal Rahman and some other teachers had reportedly stopped the students from singing the national anthem on Independence Day after unfurling of the tricolour. The matter came to light when a video purportedly showing the principal stopping the students from singing the national anthem became viral on social media. The police had swung into action and a case ..

8,000 candidates take exam for accountant posts in Goa govt, all fail

The candidates, all graduates, needed to secure a minimum of 50 marks out of the total 100 to qualify but none got it

Morocco re-introduces compulsory military service

Rabat, Aug 22 (IANS/MAP) The Moroccan cabinet, chaired by King Mohammed VI, has approved a bill for compulsory military service for 12 months for young people aged between 19 and 25.