Page 322 - Education
'Robot chemist discovers new molecules, reactions'
Scientists have trained an artificially-intelligent robot to automatically explore a very large number of chemical reactions, an advance that could revolutionise the way molecules are discovered. The 'self-driving' system, underpinned by machine learning algorithms, and developed by researchers at the University of Glasgow in the UK can find new reactions and molecules. It could allow a digital chemical data driven approach to locate new molecules of interest, rather than being confined to a known database and the normal rules of organic synthesis. The result could be a decreased cost for discovering new molecules for drugs, new chemical products including materials, polymers, and molecules for high tech applications like imaging. "This approach is a key step in the digitisation of chemistry, and will allow the real time searching of chemical space leading to new discoveries of drugs, interesting molecules with valuable applications, and cutting cost, time, and crucially improving ...
Steps in place to check recurrence of CBSE paper leak:Minister
The CBSE has taken steps to check recurrence of paper leaks after disaffiliating schools concerned for compromising with the sanctity of exams, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said today. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts 14 types of examinations which are taken by 1.5 crore students, Javadekar said during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha. "The Board is examining various options to ensure that such incidents (leakage of question papers) do not recur...The government has constituted a High-Powered Committee (HPC) to examine the entire system of conducting Class X and Class XII examinations conducted by the CBSE. The Committee has recently submitted its report," Javadekar said. He said six complaints were lodged with Delhi Police after leakage of two papers - Economics of Class XII on March 26 and Mathematics on Class X on March 28 for investigating the matter and nabbing culprits. "The Delhi Police has informed the Board that a
Day 2 of strike called by students' union paralyses life in Manipur
The 48-hour general strike called by the Manipur University Students' Union, demanding the removal of the university vice-chancellor, entered its second day today, paralysing normal life in the north-eastern state. Educational institutes, shops, markets and government offices were closed and vehicular movement remained suspended, the police said. The protesters blocked the roads in various localities, including at Kongpal and Wangkhei in Imphal East district, Wangjing and Thoubal Bazaar in Thoubal district and Thangmeiband in Imphal West district. They burnt tyres and put up barricades in the middle of the street at some places, the police said. Heavy security was deployed in the vicinity of the chief minister's bungalow, Raj Bhavan and the surrounding areas of the high-security zone, they added. The security was beefed up after a large number of protesters tried to forcibly enter the Raj Bhavan, the main office of the BJP in the state and the secretariat on July 16 and 17, the police
Nat Sports Univ campuses to be opened in other states: Govt
Efforts are being made to open campuses of the National Sports University in other states while four new courses are soon being introduced in the Imphal -based varsity, Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said today. Replying to questions in the Lok Sabha, he said there was already a five per cent quota for sportspersons in government jobs and stressed that the need of the hour was to keep politics out of Indian sports. The University in Imphal already has four schools and 13 departments and since January two courses have been started. "Very soon we will start four more courses in the University," Rathore said during Question Hour. For academic session 2018-19, Bachelor of Physical Education and Sports (BEPS), B.Sc (Sports Coaching), Master of Arts (Sports Psychology) and Master of Science (Sports Coaching) will start. He said it was essential that a curriculam or syllabus is prepared which would act as a "torch-bearer" for sports education in the country. "The National
2 school girls killed, 5 other kids injured as vehicle overturns
Two school girls were killed and five other children were injured when the vehicle they were travelling in overturned in the neighbouring Chitrakoot district, a senior police official said today. The students of a school in Kol Gadhiya village had taken a lift in the tractor-trolley yesterday afternoon on their way home when it overturned while negotiating a turn, Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Jha said. Shanti (12) and Vibha (13) died on the spot, Jha said. Five other school children were injured and admitted to a hospital, he said adding that the driver fled the scene leaving the tractor-trolley behind.
Jindal varsity signs MoU with Harvard on academic collaborations
O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Harvard University to expand their collaborations in three areas, including in student engagement through an annual teaching session at Harvard for Jindal students.
ITI training officer suspended on sexual abuse charge
A training officer of a government-run Industrial Training Institute here in Kalahandi district has been suspended for allegedly sexually harassing a girl student, Principal of the ITI, S K Muduli said. Disciplinary proceedings were also initiated against the training officer, Managovinda Bag, by an order of the Director, Technical Education and Training yesterday, he said. The student had lodged a complaint with the principal following which action was initiated against the ITI officer, the principal said. The girl had alleged that the training officer had called two girls from the hostel on July 14 to the second floor of the building to discuss details of the annual day celebration of the institute on July 15. The complainant was in charge of decorating the college for the celebrations. The officer sent the other student to another floor of the building to fetch some items, then caught hold of the complainant and attempted to outrage her modesty, she said in her ...
Naxals destroy school in Jharkhand
The Naxals in Jharkhand's Latehar region on Wednesday destroyed one of the government schools in the vicinity.The ultras alleged that the school was being used to house security personnel.Speaking to ANI, the students said now they have only three rooms left in the entire premises of the building."Initially there were 6 rooms in our school but now there are only 3 rooms left," said a girl student.The students studying in first, second and sixth standards are now confined to a single room due to the paucity of space.On a related note, in Serandag village also 5,000 villagers are facing problem in getting medical treatment after the Naxals sabotaged the health care center three years ago. The nearest medical center of the village is now located 20-25 kilometers away.
HC raps TN educational authorities; orders school's closure
Pulling up education authorities over the appalling conditions at a private school here where toilets lacked doors and roofs, the Madras High Court today ordered its closure and directed that all the students be shifted to nearby schools. Passing interim orders, Justice S Vaidayanathan noted that toilets in the school were open to sky and did not even have doors and said since high-rise buildings were close-by, miscreants may take photographs of girl students using the toilets and circulate them on the internet. The judge said he was not inclined to grant permission for continued functioning of the 'Sri Saravana Vidhyalaya Nursery and Primary School' at suburban Puzhal for a period of one academic year to carry out the rectifications. He ordered that all the students studying in the school be accommodated in the nearby schools. Accepting the direction, the special government pleader submitted a list of eight schools located in the vicinity. The matter relates to a petition from S ...
Two students arrested for beating SI at police outpost
A sub-inspector was allegedly beaten up by two college students while he was questioning them at a police outpost in Dum Dum area of North 24 Parganas district, a police officer said today. The sub-inspector of Ghughu police outpost under Dum Dum police was yesterday questioning the two students with regard to violence in their college when they became agitated and attacked the sub-inspector, the officer said. The two student have been arrested for attacking the sub-inspector, the officer added.
LS passes Bill scrapping 'No detention' policy
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the amendment seeking revocation of 'no detention' policy in classes 5 and 8, enabling states now to allow schools to fail the child if he/she fails in either or both classes and withhold their promotion to the next standard.
JUN students protest HRD Ministry's decision to scrap UGC
A section of teachers and students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University today staged a protest near the Ministry of Human Resource Development here against the proposed move of the government to replace the UGC with a higher education commission. The protest was also attended by various students outfits, including the All India Students Association (AISA) and Students' Federation of India (SFI). The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry had recently announced its decision to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC) with the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) by repealing the UGC Act, 1951. According to a draft bill, which has been placed in the public domain by the ministry to seek feedback from the stakeholders, the new commission will solely focus on academic matters while monetary grants would be under the purview of the ministry. "The series of latest decisions by the MHRD such as imposing self-financing and government fund-cut in the name of autonomy, the ...
'Padho Punjab, Padhao Punjab' project emphasises on pure Punjabi pronunciation
To ensure correct pronunciation of Punjabi by students, the School Education Department here has initiated a special project under 'Padho Punjab, Padhao Punjab.' Under this project, primary schools' teachers of the state are being trained through a special training workshop here so that they could teach the students how to speak and write standardised Punjabi language, an official spokesperson of the School Education Department. Education Minister Om Parkash Soni said due to linguistic diversity in the state, there is a lack of accuracy in students to speak and write standardised Punjabi. Under the project, students are being trained with the help of recitation charts, card and learning materials. During the workshops, teachers are taught how they can focus on the precision by students, while they articulate language, and for this purpose, all the resource persons are required to first recite Punjabi language loudly and then share the same technique with primary school teachers, the .
India announces three-year visa for Bangladeshi students
India today announced a three-year visa for Bangladeshi students willing to study in the country under a newly signed bilateral agreement, said a media report. According to the High Commission, a revised travel deal signed during the July 13 15 visit of Home Minister Rajnath Singh has relaxed student visa, the bdnews24.com reported. They (students) will immediately get a minimum three-year visa, said Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, while inaugurating a two day education fair here. Shringla said Bangladeshi students wishing to study in India and their parents will get three-year visas immediately after their enrolments. Large number of Bangladeshi students take admissions in Indian universities every year for studies at different levels and in varied courses. Encouraging new students to apply to Indian universities and other institutes, Shringla said India is an important destination for higher education. It has more than 800 universities and 3,800 ...
Cabinet approves continuation of pre-matric, post matric, merit-cum-means scholarships for minorities
The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal for continuation of pre-matric, post matric and merit-cum-means based scholarship schemes for the students belonging to minority communities at a cost of over Rs 5,000 crore up to 2020. Under the schemes, around 70 lakh scholarships are likely to be disbursed annually, an official statement said. "The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for continuation of pre-matric, post matric and merit-cum-means based scholarship schemes for the students belonging to the six notified minority communities at a total cost of Rs 5338.32 crore for period up to 2019-20," it said. This will benefit 70 lakh students annually, it said. These schemes shall be implemented through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) and scholarships will be disbursed through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Scholarships are awarded to students who have secured not less than 50 per cent marks in the ...
LS passes bill to end no detention policy in schools
A bill to amend the Right to Education (RTE) Act to abolish the 'no detention policy' in schools was passed in the Lok Sabha today. Replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha on The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (second amendment) Bill, 2017, Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said that it will be at the discretion of the states whether to continue with no detention or not. The states, he said, will decide at what level and who will conduct the examination, the minister said. "It is a broken education system. We have to rebuild our education system," he added. Under the current provisions of the RTE Act, no student can be detained till class 8 and all students are promoted to the next grade. The minister said that in some of the states like Sikkim , Kerala and Telangana, the students ,who were studying in private schools, have come back to government schools. "Teacher training, quality and accountability are most important," Javadekar ...
LS passes Bill allowing detention of school children
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the amendment seeking revocation of 'no detention' policy in classes 5 and 8, enabling states now to allow schools to fail the child if he/she fails in either or both classes and withhold their promotion to the next standard.
Centre approves new medical college in UP's Deoria
The government today gave its nod to a proposal of the Uttar Pradesh government for establishment of a new medical college at Deoria. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal for setting up the college by upgrading the district hospital at Deoria at a cost of Rs 250 crore under Phase-II of a centrally sponsored scheme. Under Phase-II of the scheme for establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district or referral hospitals, the criteria for one medical in every three parliamentary constituencies and one government medical college in each state was adopted. "Accordingly, a requirement of 24 additional medical colleges including eight medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh has been approved. Out of the eight identified blocks in UP, the Block-6 consists of Ghosi,Salempur and Ballia parliamentary Constituencies. "The state government of Uttar Pradesh has recommended for establishment of Medical Colleges, .
IIT-H to introduce 3 all course tech programmes
: The Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H) will introduce three All Course MTech programmes in Biomedical, Chemical and Material Science Engineering next month. While the primary goal of the All Course MTech programme was to provide a strong coursework to meet the industrial requirements, it also offers a flexible structure to cater to students with a research bent of mind, a release said. A student can choose to take only courses and graduate in three semesters or he/she may choose to do a full thesis for 14 months, which is similar to the regular two year M Tech Programme, it said. The deadline for filing online applications is July 21, the release said. The Institute introduced this concept last year when it started on a limited basis in three specializations - Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. After seeing the strong response from students, the Institute decided to add three more specialisations this year, the release said. Speaking about the .
Cabinet nod to setting up Central University in Andhra Pradesh
The Cabinet today approved setting up of a Central University in Andhra Pradesh, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said here today. "Very happy that #Cabinet approves Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2018 to set up Central University of #AndhraPradesh. This will result in more facilities for Andhra Pradesh in higher education. "In a historic first, Central University of #AndhraPradesh will start academic session on 5th August, 2018. Earlier the practice was different - First the cabinet will take decision, then the bill will be passed in parliament. That meant loss of atleast one year," Javadekar said in a series of tweets. The Human Resource Development Minister further said,"To save on time @narendramodi govt. created a different rule formed a society and started the college immediately under the mentor-ship of Hyderabad Central University. This is unique and Andhra People will celebrate.
