Page 308 - Education

V-C meets agitating students of Presidency University

Presidency University Vice Chancellor Anuradha Lohia today met the agitating boarders, who had been holding an indefinite sit-in for the past three days over hostel accommodation. A university spokesman said Lohia told the 50 agitating boarders that every effort was being made to complete renovation of the rundown building at the earliest but the state PWD has informed it will take five months to complete work. "We need to take care of proper sanitation and water supply facilities and build rooms for the support staff which will take some more time," the V-C told the students, the spokesman said. He said the agitating boarders refused to buy the logic of the V-C and said that some parts of the building have already neared completion and should be opened for their stay. "We tried to explain to them that this was not possible as a building can be opened for use after it is declared fit for use by the concerned departments which we hope to get after the entire Hindu Hostel

JNUSU calls for boycotting JNU convocation

Accusing JNU VC M Jagadesh Kumar of "muzzling their democratic rights", the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) today called for boycotting the university's convocation on August 8. Almost 46 years after it held its first convocation, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will be hosting its second convocation this month for awarding degrees to PhD scholars. The JNUSU alleged that for the last two-and-a-half years, they have witnessed a "systematic destruction of our campus led by its VC, M Jagadesh Kumar". "The VC and his political masters, through their anti-student and anti-social justice policies like research seat cut, scuttling reservations, fee hikes, victimisation and targeting of student activists through fines and punishments, have tried their best to demolish JNU and all that this university stands for," the students' union said in a statement. It called the convocation a "photo-op" in the name of distribution of degrees. "We would like to say it loud and ...

Over 45 per cent seats vacant in engineering colleges: HRD

Over 45 per cent seats remained vacant in AICTE approved engineering colleges across the country in the last four years, the Lok Sabha was informed today. Minister of State for Human Resource Development Satya Pal Singh said 48.79 per cent seats remained vacant during 2014-15 academic session while the percentage of seats that remained vacant during 2015-16, 2017-18 and 2018-19 was 47.68 per cent, 49.70 per cent and 49.30 per cent respectively. "The actual enrolment in technical institutes is based on demand-supply situation which is attributed to the location of the institute, research and infrastructure facilities and placement opportunities," Singh said. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) had received 239 applications from engineering and technical institutes for closure out of which 51 institutes were granted letter of approval.

No decision on removal of Jinnah's portrait yet: AMU

The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is yet to take a decision on removing a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah from the office of its students' union, an issue that had triggered a controversy in May, Parliament was informed today. The information was shared by Satya Pal Singh, Minister of State for HRD, in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha. "The students' union has been dissolved and any decision on the issue can only be taken by the newly-elected union, when formed," Singh said. BJP MP from Aligarh Satish Gautam had objected to the portrait of the founder of Pakistan on the walls of the AMU students' union office and written to the vice-chancellor of the university, seeking its removal. Violence had broken out on the AMU campus on May 2 as the row over the portrait triggered a right-wing protest and sparring between two leaders of the ruling BJP. At least six people were injured when the police lobbed teargas shells to disperse the AMU students demanding the arrest of ...

Three teachers suspended in Ganjam district

Three teachers of different upper primary schools in Khallikote block of Ganjam district were suspended for alleged dereliction of duty and misappropriation of government funds, officials said today. The action was taken against the teachers by the Block Education Officer (BEO) on Saturday on the basis of reports of the District Focus Monitoring Committee, which visited all the schools in the block on Friday, said District Education Officer (DEO), Sanatan Panda. The DEO said the Focus Monitoring Committee was an advisory body. The suspended teachers are Bibhuti Bhusan Panda and Rabindra Kumar Bej, in-charge headmasters of project upper primary school, BNpur and primary school, Jagannathpatna, respectively and Dibakar Tahala, assistant teacher, utkalmani primary school, Subulia. Around 100 officers divided into 22 groups visited 217 schools, including primary, upper primary, high schools and Adarsha Vidyalayas, in the block to assess the activities.

B'desh: University of Asia Pacific students attacked

A group of University of Asia Pacific students were assaulted by a group of motorcycle-borne men and vandalised their campus near Farmgate in Dhaka on Sunday.As per eyewitnesses, the men, who are yet to be identified, attacked the students with sticks near the Ananda Cinema Hall in Farmgate at around 12:30 pm (local time), Prothom Alo reported.On being chased by the men, the students, who were protesting along with the school students advocating for safer roads in Farmgate, took shelter in the campus of the University of Asia Pacific. The attackers then shattered the windows of the campus.Later, the students claimed that the miscreants were members from Bangladesh Chhatra League's (BCL) Tejgaon College unit, according to The Dhaka Tribune.For those unversed, two students of Dhaka's Shaheed Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College were killed when a speeding bus ploughed through a crowd on July 29. The bus was attempting to overtake another bus when the incident occurred.Following this, a large .

Woman sexually harassed by 4 men in UP

A 22-year-old woman was allegedly sexually harassed by four men when she was going for her tuitions in Rohana village in the district, police said today. The incident took place last evening under Kotwali Police Station, SHO Anil Kaperwal said. According to a complaint lodged by the victim's brother, the woman was sexually harassed by the four men when she was on her way for tuition. The police registered a case against the four, the SHO added.

Bangladesh PM urges protesting students to return home

Thousands of angry school students in Bangladesh continued their protest for the eighth consecutive day today, demanding a crackdown on reckless driving even as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged them to return home, saying that vested quarters have infiltrated the campaign. The protest brought the capital city to a standstill, blocking major intersections compelling the bus operators to suspend their services citing security reasons and exposing commuters in Dhaka to extreme difficulties. "We are now worried about your security as the perpetrators of arson attacks (in 2014-15) may stage sabotages . . . a quarter is out to catch fish in troubled water," the state-run BSS news agency quoted Hasina as saying. The protest began after two teenage students --a boy and a girl - were killed when two buses racing to collect passengers, a common occurrence in the city, hit them and wounded several others. One of the bus drivers fled the scene, although both were later arrested. Stating that ..

Varsity students vow to continue stir over hostel allotment

The students of Presidency University, who had been holding an indefinite sit-in for the past 51 hours over hostel accommodation, took part in a convention today, vowing not to withdraw the stir till their demands were met. The group of 70 protesters had been seeking room allotment at a hostel, which is currently undergoing renovation. They claimed that two of the six blocks at Hindu Hostel is ready for occupancy, even as the university for the students only after the renovation work is complete. The Presidency agitation comes weeks after another similar protest by the students of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital over hostel accommodation. The medical students resorted to a hunger strike last month to put pressure on the authorities, which finally gave in to their demands. At the convention today, Ujan, a spokesman of the agitators and member of Independent Consolidation (IC) students' union, said a former principal of the college had expressed solidarity with the .

DMK for probe by senior IPS officer into "cash-for-marks scam"

DMK today claimed the "cash-for-marks" scam at the Anna University indicated the 'deterioration' of the higher education sector in Tamil Nadu and demanded that a senior IPS officer be appointed as the investigating officer to probe the matter. Party working president M K Stalin, in a statement here, expressed anguish over the scam in which engineering students, who had appeared for exams last year, had been granted "excess marks" during re-evaluation after taking money and sought stern action against those involved. He charged that registration of cases by anti-corruption wing police against ten Anna University professors, including a former controller of examination, and "different types of irregularities" in universities in the state indicated "the extent to which the higher education sector had deteriorated under the AIADMK rule". Also referring to reports that irregularities had been committed in award of marks for research students, Stalin said all these had cast ..

UP govt wants to bring madrassas in mainstream education: Minister

The Uttar Pradesh government wants to bring madrassas into the mainstream education system, Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mohsin Raza said today. The Uttar Pradesh minister also favoured introducing a "new dress code" for students at madrassas (Islamic schools) across the country and added that he will take up the issue with the Centre. However, Raza did not elaborate on what should be the new dress code in these institutes, where students currently wear white kurta-pyjama. He rued that no leader from his community has till date thought about standardising the madrassa system. "Our government in Uttar Pradesh wants to bring madrassas in the mainstream education system. And why only in UP, I think all these religious institutions across the country should be brought into mainstream," he told PTI. Raza said he intends to discuss the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I would meet Modiji in this regard and seek his advise on how we can have a formal education system in ...

Transit campus of AP Central University inaugurated

The Transit campus of the Central University of Andhra Pradesh (CUAP) was today inaugurated by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. Speaking at the inaugural function, the Union Minister of Human Resource Development said the Andhra Pradesh government has earmarked land to the extent of 491.30 acres at Janthaluru village in Anantapur district for establishment of Central University of Andhra Pradesh. "All the new institutions started in Andhra Pradesh by the Centre will have full funding. Till now Rs 3,000 crore have been sanctioned for these institutions," he said according to a release by the University of Hyderabad here, which is mentoring the Central University. "We want Central University of Andhra Pradesh to excel in teaching, research and innovation in the years to come under the mentorship of the University of Hyderabad," Javadekar said. This University would be developed as an institution of Higher Learning with stress on ...

IIT KGP informs administration about 'law & order violations'

The IIT Kharagpur has reported to the West Midnapore district administration, state government and the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development about 'law and order violations' by a local group and to ensure safety of the students, faculty and staff. An IIT KGP statement said today, a group called the Joint Action Committee had allegedly prevented 850 contractual workers from clean-up and mess services at the student halls and had manhandled some of the workers yesterday. The group had also called an indefinite strike today which was later called off, district officials said and promised full cooperation to IIT KGP authorities in maintaining order. The premier institute has close to 12,000 students living in more than 20 halls of residence and the Hall Management Centre (HMC) has always engaged outsourcing agencies, the statement said. The group had been claiming that more outsourced workers be engaged in the mess service and cleaning operations at the student ...

MU impasse: Deputy CM seeks cooperation of agitators in

Expressing concern over the two-month impasse at Manipur University, Deputy Chief Minister Y Joykumar today appealed to the protesting students and teachers to cooperate with the HRD Ministry and the state government in "restoring normalcy" at the institute. Academic affairs have been under suspension at the central university since May 30 as protesters, under the aegis of Manipur University Students Union and Manipur University Teachers Association, have been seeking the removal of Vice Chancellor A P Pandey over allegations of irregularities. At a press meet this morning, Joykumar said, "We are very concerned about the future of the students as the impasse has entered its third month. The academic activities must have suffered a huge setback because of the stir." Pandey was granted a one-month leave earlier this week on the advice of the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry. He was replaced by professor W Vishwanath Singh. The ministry had last month formed ..

Universities not mere degree factories: President

President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday said that the best scientific universities and institutions of learning are not just teaching shops or degree factories but increasingly they are sources of innovation and incubators of technology and technology-driven start-ups.

Pak police kill prime suspect behind attacks on schools in Gilgit-Baltistan

Pakistani police today killed the prime suspect behind the brazen arson attacks targeting 14 schools, mostly all-girls', in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, according to a media report. The schools were burnt down over a period of two days in coordinated attacks in Gilgit-Baltistan's Diamer district, triggering protest by local residents who sought safety for educational institutions. "The prime suspect believed to be responsible for the torching of 14 girls' schools over a period of two days in Gilgit-Baltistan's was killed during a search operation in the Tanger area today," Diamer Police Spokesperson Muhammad Wakeel was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper. Shafiq - who has no known association with any militant or terrorist outfit, but is referred to as a 'militant' and 'militant commander' by police officials - was the prime suspect behind the brazen arson attacks targeting girls' schools in the Chilas, Darel and Tanger tehsils of Diamer district, it said. Gilgit-Baltistan ...

IT studies now compulsory at Swiss upper secondary schools

Computer science is now obligatory at Swiss upper secondary schools as the Alpine nation seeks to boost its citizens' IT skills, the Education Ministry announced.

Good posture could boost your math scores

A simple change of body posture can help boost a student's math scores, especially if they are known to fear the subject, a study has found. Researchers at San Francisco State University in the US tested 125 college students to see how well they could perform simple math - subtracting 7 from 843 sequentially for 15 seconds - while either slumped over or sitting up straight with shoulders back and relaxed. Fifty-six per cent of the students reported finding it easier to perform the math in the upright position. "For people who are anxious about math, posture makes a giant difference," said Erik Peper, from San Francisco State University. "The slumped-over position shuts them down and their brains do not work as well. They cannot think as clearly," said Peper. Before the study began, students filled out an anonymous questionnaire asking them to rate their anxiety levels while taking exams and performing math; they also described any physical symptoms of stress they experienced during ...

Suspect behind torching of Pakistan girls' schools killed: Police

The prime suspect behind the torching of 14 girls' schools in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region was killed during a search operation on Sunday, a police spokesman said.

HRD need 'realistic' plans to streamline process to recognise schools: Par panel

The HRD Ministry should go for "realistic" planning and expedite efforts to streamline the process of granting recognition to schools in a time-bound manner, a Parliamentary panel has recommended. "The committee is dismayed to note that for developing a transparent mechanism and adequate safeguards for recognition of a school, a substantial time has already elapsed in finding a viable solution, devoid of red-tapism, to the problem. "The HRD Ministry should go for realistic planning and expedite its efforts to streamline the process of granting 'certificate of recognition' in consultation with the respective state governments to consider the granting of recognition to government schools in a time-bound manner," the panel said in its report. The committee had earlier pointed out that a large number of private schools all over the country had been closed for non-compliance of norms laid down in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) which in turn had .