Page 364 - Education

CBSE to use advanced technology to check question paper leak

The Department of School Education will use advanced technology from next year's CBSE examinations to check incidents of question paper leak, Union School Education Secretary Anil Swarup said here today. The CBSE had come under attack after the economics paper of the Class 12 board exams was leaked in March, affecting lakhs of students, and a re-examination was ordered. "The Secretary of Education has appointed a committee to explore how technology can be used to prevent any recurrence of such a situation," Swarup said. He asserted that no CBSE official was involved in the leak scandal and that it was perpetrated by a handful of tech-savvy people. "Today, technology allows us to improve that situation. And we have to see that it is not repeated, keeping in mind that there are smarter people," Swarup said. "From next year, it will be our endeavour to ensure that there is no such leak," he added, replying to a query after a discussion on "Robust, just, reliable and student-friendly ...

Cambridge University seeks help to attract black students

Cambridge University says it needs the support of schools and parents to improve diversity and help increase the number of black British students it enrols. A freedom of information request by the Financial Times showed some Cambridge colleges admitted no black British students between 2012 and 2016. The prestigious university told the newspaper it would not be able to improve diversity "on its own". "We are already doing a significant bit of outreach, but ultimately the university isn't going to be able to bring about this change on its own. We need the support of schools and parents too," a statement to the newspaper from the university said. "More needs to be done to prepare high-achieving black students for applications to Cambridge and Oxford, which is why we have significantly increased the funding we contribute to programmes like Target Oxbridge," it said. Target Oxbridge provides one-to-one training for black students to improve their chances of being admitted to the ...

SC notice to Centre on plea against upper age limit for NEET

The Supreme Court today sought reply from the Centre on a plea challenging the Medical Council of India (MCI) norm laying down upper age limit of 25 years for general category aspirants to apply for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for MBBS and BDS courses. A bench comprising justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Ashok Bhushan issued notices to the Centre, the CBSE and the Kerala government on the plea by a group of 170 medical aspirants and posted the matter for hearing on July 10. The group of aspirants have challenged the Delhi High Court's May 11 judgement dismissing the pleas challenging the MCI notification laying down the upper age limit of 25 and 30 years for general and reserved categories respectively to apply for NEET for MBBS and BDS courses. However, the high court had struck down a clause in the notification which bars students from the open schools or those who have studied privately from appearing in the test. During the brief hearing today, the counsel appearing

HC asks JNU to consider sexual harassment victim's plea to finish course

The Delhi High Court has asked the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration to sympathetically consider the plea of a student to allow her to complete her post-graduate course, which she had to abandon mid-way due to trauma after she was sexually harassed by another student of the institute. Justice Rekha Palli asked the JNU administration to treat the plea of the student as a representation and keep in mind the circumstances under which she was compelled to abandon her studies while considering her request to complete the course. The university, represented by advocate Harsh Ahuja, assured the court that the student's plea would be taken up as a representation at the next academic council meeting in July and that her request would be considered sympathetically. Taking note of the assurance given by the university, the court directed it to pass a "reasoned and speaking order" within eight weeks and dispose of the student's plea. The woman had moved the court after the ...

UN releases first education guide on fighting anti-Semitism

The United Nations has released its first ever guidelines on fighting anti-Semitism in education. UNESCO, the UN's cultural body, launched the publication on Monday in Paris in collaboration with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the OSCE. The guide, aimed to be used by young people, the teaching world, as well as political leaders, was presented by Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO's first Jewish director general. UNESCO said the guide provides tools to strengthen the resilience of young people to anti-Semitic ideas and violent extremism, such as how to respond to anti-Semitic acts and words in school settings. It also familiarizes educators with anti-Semitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories as well as developing media skills to help students resist manipulation.

HC refuses to stay NEET 2018 results

The Delhi High Court today refused to stay the results of the 2018 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) on a plea alleging that the question papers were leaked. The NEET results were declared today at a time when Justice Pratibha M Singh was hearing the plea which also sought quashing of the entrance exam which was held on May 6 for admission to the medical and dental colleges across the country. The plea was filed by one of the candidates, who appeared in the exam at a Gurgaon centre. The counsel said there was a shortage of question papers in one of the cities which showed that the papers were leaked. However, the counsel for the CBSE, which conducted the exam, said there was some confusion in the distribution of the question papers, but later it was sorted out and there was no shortage. The court also questioned the counsel for filing the petition during the vacations while the exam took place on May 6. "Considering that a large number of students appeared in the ...

Bihar girl tops NEET, highest number of successful candidates from UP

Bihar girl Kalpana Kumari today bagged the top rank in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical and dental colleges across the country with the maximum number of candidates clearing the exam belonging to Uttar Pradesh. Kumari secured a percentile score of 99.99 and 691 marks. Telangana's Rohan Purohit and Delhi's Himanshu Sharma jointly bagged the second position with 690 marks. The third rank was shared by Aarosh Dhamija from Delhi and Prince Chaudhary from Rajasthan, both of whom scored 686 marks. A total of 13.36 lakh candidates had registered for the exam, a 16.49-per cent increase from last year. However, 12.69 lakh candidates appeared for the test, of whom 7.14 lakh cleared it. As many as 76,778 candidates from Uttar Pradesh cleared the test. Over 72,000 and 70,000 candidates cleared the test from Kerala and Maharashtra respectively. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had conducted the test on May 6. The test was conducted in 136 ...

Bombay Caterers Association inaugurates catering institute in Mumbai

Bombay Caterers Association (BCA) opened the Institute of Catering Technology and Event Management (ICTEM) at Angels Education Trust, Sion (W), Mumbai. This is the first ever vegetarian catering institute offering various courses. This is also the first institute for outdoor catering industry in India.ICTEM was inaugurated by BCA Founder Krishna Kamath on the eve of Thursday 31st May 2018. The office was inaugurated by Trustees of Angels Education Trust. Computer Lab was inaugurated by Chandrakant Sheth. Kitchen Lab was inaugurated by Gokuldas Parekh and classroom was inaugurated by Satish Kamath, Secretary - BCA and Samir Parekh, Treasurer - BCA.ICTEM offers multiple courses which include Training Chef (Duration: 3 Months), Food and Service Trainee (Duration: 3 Months), Assistant Catering Manager (Duration: 6 Months), Live Counter (Duration 3 Months), Meetings and Event Planner (Duration: 6 Months), Catering and Event Planner (Duration 1 Year). These courses will commence in July ...

PIL in HC for proper implementation of Right to Education Act

A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court seeking proper implementation of the Right to Education Act, alleging that authorities concerned have taken no action to ensure education, health and nutrition of children up to the age of 14 years. The PIL has sought framing of a policy to ensure education, health and nutrition as well as development of children up to the age of 14 years, as guaranteed under the Constitution. The petition has sought directions to the AAP government and the municipal corporations, which run schools in the national capital, to carry out house to house survey in their respective areas to find out if there are any children between the ages of 6-14 years who are not going to schools. The petitioner, Salek Chand Jain, has also urged the court to direct authorities to take steps to curb the drop out rate in government and corporation-run schools. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar is likely to hear the matter on July 11.

CBSE declares NEET 2018 results

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Wednesday released the 2018 Under-Graduate results of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).This comes after the Supreme Court, earlier in the day, had refused to stay the announcement of the results.Over 13 lakh candidates had appeared for the national medical entrance exam at 2,225 centres across the country on May 7.On May 8, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo-motu cognizance of a media report alleging hardships to the students, who had to travel outside their state to write the examination organised by the CBSE.

Act as change makers to improve lives of marginalised, prez tells guvs

President Ram Nath Kovind today asked the governors of states to act as change makers by improving the lives of marginalised people and enhancing higher education standards. In his opening address at the two-day conference of governors and lt governors, which began at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, he said a governor is a mentor and guide for the state government and an important link in the federal structure. "The people of the state view the office of the governor and the Raj Bhavan as a fount of ideals and values," Kovind said. He said there are approximately 100 million people in the country who belong to the Scheduled Tribes. "As governors you can help in the shaping of a road map for the betterment of lives of our fellow citizens, who have not benefited as much as expected from our development journey," the president said. He said India is blessed with the largest youth population in the world. "As governors, you are guardians of our youth in the sense that you can inspire young ...

What's holding Indians back? Parents' income and education levels

The income of Indians is more dependent on their parents' income and educational levels, restricting their chances of rising above the socio-economic strata they are born in, says World Bank report

NCERT syllabus to be reduced by half

The Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has decided to reduce the NCERT syllabus by half as it is 'cramped', said HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on Saturday.He said, "The government has decided to reduce the NCERT syllabus by half as it is "cramped."Talking to media here, Javadekar said alongside studies, a child needs physical education, life skills and value-based education.Reportedly, the minister said that the draft of a new National Education Policy will be tabled before the Union Cabinet by the end of this month.

Go after knowledge not just marks: Union minister to students

Union minister P P Chaudhary today told students to focus on acquiring knowledge rather than "merely run after marks". At a function here to felicitate the top rank holders of the six categories of Olympiad exam, for class 4 to 12, conducted by Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) during the academic year 2017-18, he exhorted students to be imaginative and indulge in activities to keep their mind engaged. Chaudhary, the Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, in his address, also quoted from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's book Exam Warriors, saying, "Exams are like festivals, celebrate it... Exams are not a test of you, but a test of your preparations." "The effort should be to acquire more knowledge rather then running merely after marks. The focus should be on seeking knowledge rather than good marks as shown in the famous movie '3 Idiots," he said. "Imagination is the sole characteristic of humans across the living world as we know it no machine or animal possesses it, and is ...

China, Spain are emerging as hotspots for Indian students at US expense

In the US, Trump's policy of 'America for Americans first' is making the environment less welcoming for international students

WB edu minister vows strict action in student harassment case

A day after a student alleged he was "stripped naked" and "filmed" inside a room at a reputed college here, West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee today said "strict action" will be taken against anyone found involved in the act. The video clip of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed the student pleading for mercy at St Paul's Cathedral College even as he was forced to remove his clothes in front of a group of people. Chatterjee, who received a written complaint from the student on the matter, told reporters today that anyone found involved in the misdeed would bear consequences. "If the allegations were found to be true in the inquiry report of the college, the government will show 'zero tolerance' to such misconduct," he said. The first-year student, who claimed to be a member of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) unit of the college, told media yesterday that he was subjected to torture by some senior members of the students' ...

Easing the study load: Govt to bring bill to scrap homework for classes 1&2

he Union minister said the Centre will bring a no homework bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament in compliance with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009

Nearly half of Afghan children out of school: UN

Nearly half of Afghanistan's children are not attending school because of worsening security, poverty and sex discrimination, according to a new UN report today. The number of children deprived of schooling is at its highest rate since 2002 -- the year after the US-led ouster of the repressive Taliban regime, which had banned girls from the classroom. Girls remain more likely to miss out on a formal education, making up 60 percent of the 3.7 million children aged between seven and 17 not at school. The figure rose as high as 85 per cent in some of the worst-affected provinces, reflecting pervasive gender-based discrimination in parts of the deeply conservative Muslim country. Child marriages and a shortage of female teachers were additional factors keeping girls away from the classroom. The report by United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) also estimated that up to 300,000 children are at risk of dropping out before the end of the year. Those children most at risk often live in rural .

School in Naxal hotbed prepares kids to fight gun with pen

Deep inside a forest in the Naxal hotbed of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh, a residential school is striving to usher in a new dawn in the lives of children affected by Maoist violence. The school, called 'Panchsheel Ashram', is home to 132 students, including 71 girls, who are preparing for a future away from the shadow of gun. The school is the brainchild of 49-year-old former teacher K Madhukar Rao, one of the founder members of the now defunct anti-Maoist militia movement 'Salwa Judum'. His vision to bring about a change in the Naxal-prone area and to prevent indoctrination of the young minds led him to set up the institution in 2008 in the Kutru village, located 450 km from the state capital Raipur. "The tribal children are exploited by Maoists due to their illiteracy and ignorance," he told PTI, adding that education will surely empower them and prevent them from being misguided by the anti-social elements. He recalled that when he was nine years old, his father .

Assam girl ambassador of 'promote science' initiative in France

Assam's Priyanka Das, working on satellite navigation for French major Safran, has been appointed ambassador for an initiative in France to encourage girls to follow scientific careers and take it to higher education levels. "For Girls and Science" initiative was launched in 2014 to promote more scientific vocations among young people, especially girls, and inspire them to become scientists of tomorrow and supported by the Ministry of National Education of France and the L'Oreal Foundation. "As part of the programme, we meet middle school and high school students, and through talks and presentations, we try to clear the misconceptions about scientists and women in science," says 26-year-old Priyanka. It is linked to the L'Oreal Women in Science programme that awards five women scientists each year in collaboration with UNESCO. Priyanka, who has her roots in Assam, is pursuing her PhD and working in R&D with a team of experts in the Navigation Systems division of Safran. "I'm ...