Page 317 - Education

India top destination for foreign, domestic educational donations: OECD

Asia received donations of $608 million compared to $592 million for Africa and $386 million for Latin America

Higher Education Commission against federalism: Kerala MP

Kerala MP M.B. Rajesh on Tuesday urged the central government to withdraw a bill to replace the University Grants Commission with the Higher Education Commission, saying the move will have "disastrous consequences" in the field of free thought, critical thinking and "increases the political control" over academia.

WB medical education director removed following students' fast

The West Bengal government today appointed Prof (Dr) Pradip Kumar Mitra as the director of the state Medical Education Department removing Dr Debasish Bhattacharyya, a notification said. The move seemed to be triggered by the two-week long hunger strike by students of the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital demanding accommodation at a new hostel building. The students lifted their indefinite fast yesterday after the authorities conceded their demands. Mitra, who was removed from the post of the SSKM Hospital's director following a controversy of arranging a dog's dialysis there in 2015, was currently posted as the OSD, multi/super specialty hospital. A notification issued by the state health and family welfare department said Dr Bhattacharyya of West Bengal Medical Education Service, who was posted as the director of state Medical Education, and ex-officio secretary Health and Family Welfare Department, was made the OSD in the health and family welfare department in .

No bar on enrolling law graduates who cleared Class X, XII

The Madras High Court has made it clear that there was no bar on enrolling law graduates who had passed their Class X or XII board examinations privately. The court held that candidates who have obtained the three year LLB degree from approved institutions established after getting their basic degree from universities established by statute shall not be refused enrolment. A Full Bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee, Justice R Subbaiah and Justice Abdhul Quddhose gave the order yesterday. It allowed a batch of petitions challenging the decision of Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to keep the petitioners' applications for enrolment pending on the ground they had cleared Class X or XII board examinations privately without attending regular classes in a recognised school. In a 43-page detailed order, it, however, ruled that those who obtain basic degree through an Open University system without basic qualification of Class XII certificate or equivalent from

Angry over bed-wetting, step-mother brands 7-year-old girl

A seven-year-old girl was branded with a hot spatula at home by her step-mother, angry over the child wetting her bed, police said here today. The incident, which took place last week, came to light today after the child revealed her ordeal to her teachers when she attended school, they said. Seeing the child's discomfort in the class, teachers questioned her and she showed the burn marks on her stomach, thighs and private parts, a teacher of the school said. School authorities immediately informed childline, an NGO, which contacted police. The step-mother and father, a lorry driver, have been arrested and a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) and the Juvenile Justice Act was registered, police sources said.

UP govt allocates Rs 5.20 crore to 4 akaharas for Kumbh Mela

The Uttar Pradesh government today allocated nearly Rs 5.20 crore to four 'akaharas' for providing basic facilities to devotees visiting the 2019 Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, an official spokesperson said. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting presided over by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. "Four 'akaharas' in Allahabad have their own land. Around Rs 5.20 crore has been allocated to provide basic facilities to devotees visiting these akaharas, has been approved," the spokesperson said. The UP cabinet allocated funds for establishment of a Sainik school in Mainpuri, he said. The cabinet gave its nod for the construction of Centre of Hepato-biliary Diseases and Liver Transplant at Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, the spokesperson said. It also cleared the proposed budget for establishment of a medical college in Mirzapur.

Scrapping of UGC: HRD min receives over 8,000 suggestions on draft bill

The HRD Ministry has received over 8,000 comments and suggestions on the draft Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Act, 2018, slated to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), a senior official said today. Last month, the HRD Ministry had announced its decision to replace the UGC with the HECI by repealing the UGC Act, 1951. "Over 8,000 suggestions and comments covering Members of Parliament, state governments, academicians, teachers' unions, chambers of commerce and students have been received and appropriate changes are being made in the draft Bill based on public feedback," the official said. According to the draft, which was placed in public domain by the ministry to seek feedback from the stakeholders, the new commission will focus solely on academic matters and monetary grants would be under the purview of the ministry. However, the grant disbursal function to universities and colleges is now proposed to be located in an entity which works in a transparent, ...

Authorities rescue 3 boys allegedly held in captivity by

Three boys allegedly denied schooling and kept captive at home by their parents, who wanted them to be "imparted Islamic education," were today rescued, officials said. Revenue officials, district legal services authority personnel besides police held discussions with the parents for several hours before rescuing the boys, aged 12, 9 and 6 years, they said. The order to rescue the children was issued by district collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla. The parents agreed to allow the officials take their children to the District Child Welfare Committee. The parents also accompanied them, officials said. The father refuted allegations that his children were under his captivity. "They are not in captivity...they are given proper education based on international Islamic syllabus from Arab nations," the father told reporters. The children also reportedly claimed that they were happy with the kind of education they were getting from their parents at their residence. The District ...

Class 2 student allegedly beaten up by teacher

A Class 2 student was allegedly beaten up by a teacher in a reputed private school here, police said on Tuesday, adding that the matter was being investigated.

IIT KGP institutes new awards, scholarships for students

The IIT Kharagpur (IIT KGP) is instituting several new student awards and scholarships from the semester beginning this month as alumni and corporate partners have come forward to support undergraduate students on merit basis towards their academics and research, a statement said on Tuesday.

India among most popular destination for Aus students under New Colombo Plan

India was among the most popular destinations for Australian students taking part in the Australian government's New Colombo Plan, with close to 1,300 students heading here next year to live, study and undertake internships, an official statement said. The New Colombo Plan was a signature initiative of the Australian government, which was designed to encourage more Australians to live, study and work in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia's Acting High Commissioner to India Rod Hilton said, With India at the front rank of Australia's international partnerships, I'm pleased that 1,261 students from 27 Australian universities will conduct internships, mentorships, practicals and research in India in 2019. As outlined in the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper, the New Colombo Plan was a practical manifestation of the Australian government's commitment to learn from its neighbours in the Indo-Pacific. Students would also gain invaluable experience of Indian workplaces through internships with

Drop plan to scrap UGC: CPI(M) MP

CPI(M) member M B Rajesh today asked the Centre to scrap the plan to replace the UGC with a Higher Education Commission of India (HECI), saying the move will impact free thinking in the academia. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Rajesh said if the Central government goes ahead with the plan then it will increase political control in academia. "This will impact free thinking. The academia is opposed to abolishing UGC. The move is not in sync with the federal principle of higher education. I appeal to the government to drop the move," he said. The Human Resource Development Ministry has announced its decision to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC) with HECI by repealing the UGC Act, 1951. According to a draft bill, the new commission will solely focus on academic matters and monetary grants would be under the purview of the ministry.

IITKGP offers new awards and scholarships

The IIT Kharagpur has instituted several new awards and scholarships for its undergraduate students for academics and research following donations by many alumni and corporates, an IIT KGP press statement said today. The number of new scholarships is nine, while that of the awards two, the statement said. The awards and scholarships are being given from this month. Dean, Alumni Affairs at IIT Kharagpur, Subrata Chattopadhyay said since the lower cut-off for economic background of students for existing scholarships and awards are at such a threshold that students falling in marginally higher category do not qualify for the benefits. Considering the cost of living, these students too need some sort of financial support and therefore "we have increased the threshold of the current family income upto Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh per year for different scholarships to accommodate more students," he was quoted as saying in the statement. The institute will also be funding ...

You can develop intelligence, so take it easy

If you think you can't do anything about your intelligence as this is something that can't be changed, check your stress levels as this may harm your studies.

Five footboard commuters of train killed

Five commuters travelling on the footboard of a suburban train were killed on Tuesday morning here after they hit a concrete wall very close to the railway track, said police.

CPSEs should pool CSR funds for development of aspirational districts: Niti

Niti Aayog today suggested that all central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) should pool their CSR funds so that it could be used for development under its 'Aspirational Districts Programme'. Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant addressed a meeting of CPSEs here to have a focussed approach on using their CSR funds. The intent is to pool the CSR funds of all CPSEs and to use it for health, education and nutrition purposes for the cause of aspirational districts that have the potential to improve in overall development parameters, Kant said. "As of now the public sector enterprises work in silos in small-small activities. If we use if for aspirational districts we can achieve more. So, we need to focus on a few aspects like health, nutrition, education, women and child welfare for a focussed attention in the Aspirational Districts Programme," he added. He said these districts have made their respective action plans and Niti Aayog is working in close coordination with them for their ...

Rahul seeks probe in NEET data leak

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday wrote a letter to the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) seeking a probe in alleged leak of personal data of National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) 2018 candidates.In a letter addressed to CBSE Chief Anita Karwal, Rahul stated, "It is alleged that data of candidates who appeared for NEET this year, is available on certain websites for a price and has leaked data of over 2,00,000 students."The Congress chief added that he was "shocked" by the "wide scale theft of personal data that has compromised the privacy of candidates across the nation"."This highlights the serious lack of safeguards to prevent data breach, and calls into question the ability of the C.B.S.E to ensure the sanctity of the examination process," letter added.While "strongly" urging Karwal to order an inquiry against the "shocking lapse" and take action against the officials responsible, Rahul asked her to reinforce the safety measures to prevent the ...

Manipur University students march towards state assembly

Amidst demands to oust the Vice Chancellor of Manipur University, members of the institution's student union marched towards the state assembly on Monday, while a session was in progress.The students attempted to disrupt the session as a mark of protest against the ruling government, who, they claim, failed to listen to the demands of the student bodies. However, they were barred from entering the building.Meanwhile, the district administration had already imposed Section 144 in and around the state legislative assembly.A large number of students marched towards the Manipur Legislative Assembly amidst heavy security and barricading.The students confronted the police team at the place, after which eight sustained injuries in subsequent clashes that broke out.The Manipur University Students' Union (MUSU) has been on a strike demanding the removal of the University Vice President following allegations of administrative negligence and financial irregularities.Last week, the Ministry of ...

Integrated B.Ed courses from next year: Minister

Even as the Lok Sabha on Monday passed an amendment bill on teachers education, Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar announced that four-year integrated B.Ed courses will be started from the next academic year.

Calcutta medical college students withdraw 'hunger strike'

Senior students of Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, withdrew their indefinite hunger strike here on Monday following a written assurance from the authorities that two floors of A new 11-storey hotel would be allotted to them.