Page 368 - Education

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 ...

US teacher charged for feeding puppy to turtle

An American school teacher has been charged after allegedly feeding a sick puppy to a snapping turtle in front of his students.

Two children drown in Kali river in UP

Two children drowned in Kali river here when they went to take a bath, police said today Sakib (11) and Shahbaz (12), who were students of a madrasa, slipped and fell into the river last evening when they had gone for a bath, Circle Officer Harish Bhadoria said. Following a rescue operation, the children were found but when they were rushed to hospital they were declared dead, he said.

Safety norms for schools: CCTV on premises, character

The Maharashtra School Education department today issued guidelines for schools and junior colleges, mandating certain safety measures in students' interest. A circular issued by the department said that every school and junior college should install CCTV cameras. Attendance should be marked thrice a day, and if a student is found missing, parents should be informed immediately through a text message, the circular said. No student should be punished in such a way that he or she would suffer a mental or physical trauma, it said. The guidelines also restrict entry of unidentified persons on the school premises. Character certificate from police would be mandatory for recruitment as teachers or other staff at educational institutions. Washrooms for boys and girls should be separate and at a suitable distance from each other, and there should be a woman attendant at the girls' washroom, the guidelines say. The woman attendant on school bus should not leave the bus until the ..

Qualifying exams for 5th, 8th standards from 2019: Javadekar

The Centre is hoping to pass the proposed education bill in the Monsoon session of Parliament to start examinations in 5th and 8th standards in government schools from March next year, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said here on Saturday.

'Cramped' NCERT syllabus to be reduced by half: Javadekar

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar today said the government has decided to reduce the NCERT syllabus by half as it is "cramped". He said the proposed amendment to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which reviews the no-detention policy and empowers states to conduct examinations for Class 5 and 8 students, is expected to to be tabled before Parliament in July. The minister also said the draft of new National Education Policy will be tabled before the Union Cabinet by the end of this month. Along with studies, a child needs to have physical education, life skill and value education as "education is not just memorising and putting it down in answer sheet", Javadekar said at a press conference. "Education is comprehensive, to put to use one's cognitive and analytical abilities. That is true education... The NCERT syllabus is so cramped. Hence we have decided to reduce the syllabus by half," the minister said. The ministry have received 37,000 suggestions on classes, lessons and ...

Murugesan appointed as Annamalai Univ VC

Prof V Murugesan was today appointed as Vice Chancellor of Annamalai University by the Tamil Nadu Governor and Chancellor Banwarilal Purohit. Purohit presented the letter of appointment to Murugesan at a function at the Raj Bhavan today. Murugesan, who served Anna University, Chennai for 16 years as a professor, has administrative experience for 22 years, a Raj Bhavan release said. His tenure as Vice-Chancellor, Annamalai University would be for a three year period.

Girl students to get sanitary napkins at Re 1 in Haryana

Girl students of government schools in Haryana will get sanitary napkins at just Re 1 starting August, an official release said today. Women belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families too will be covered under the scheme, it said. The decision to sanitary napkins at Re 1 per packet was taken by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar after a meeting with senior functionaries of school education department and health department, it added. Khattar said girls till 18 years will be provided with the napkins in schools, while those above the age limit will get it through the through Public Distribution System at ration shops every month. According to a survey, only 28 per cent of girls use sanitary napkins while 40 per cent of women use cloth during menstruation, which leads to hygiene issues and diseases, it said. The move will provide huge relief to girls and women, the release said.

Vigilance officials arrest BEO for accepting bribe

The anti-graft vigilance officials arrested a block education officer (BEO) for allegedly accepting a bribe from a teacher in Odisha's Kendrapara district, the department said in a release today. The BEO of Rajnagar block was arrested from his office yesterday when he was accepting Rs 2,000 in cash from the teacher to process a file related to promotion of 14 teachers, the release said. The bribe money was seized in presence of witnesses after it was recovered from the BEO's possession, the release said. The BEO's residence at Gualasingh village was also searched, the release added.

SAARC important platform for regional cooperation: Pak diplomat

Pakistan High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood on Friday stressed on the role of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as a primary platform for regional cooperation in South Asia.He made the comment when he visited the South Asian University (SAU) in the national capital and met SAU's President Dr. Kavita A. Sharma, according to a statement from the Pakistan High Commission.Mahmood expressed hope that the SAARC process would continue to move forward and help the South Asian people realise their collective vision for socio-economic development.He affirmed Pakistan's commitment of further strengthening its relationship with SAU and advancing mutually beneficial collaboration in the field of higher education in the future.The Pakistani envoy underlined the interest of Pakistani students in pursuing higher studies at SAU and highlighted the importance of the university's facilitative role in this context, the statement continued.Mahmood also conveyed his ...

SAARC will continue to move forward: Pak envoy

Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood today expressed hope that SAARC would continue to move forward and help the South Asian people in realising their vision for socio-economic development. Mahmood, while visiting the South Asian University (SAU) here, emphasised the SAARC's role as the primary platform for regional cooperation. He affirmed Pakistan's commitment to further strengthening its relationship with the South Asia University and advancing mutually-beneficial collaboration in the field of higher education in future. The envoy expressed hope that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) process would continue to move forward and help the South Asian people realise their collective vision for socio-economic development, a Pakistan High Commission statement said. During his visit to the university, the Pakistani envoy had a fruitful exchange of views with SAU's president Kavita A Sharma, the statement said. The high commissioner also underlined

State-run TACTV to upgrade to HD, cyber security plan on anvil

The Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation will upgrade its broadcast to high definition with HD set-top boxes for its subscribers, Chief Minister K Palaniswami told the state assembly today. Presently TACTV was providing digital cable television services in standard definition and it would be upgraded to HD, he said without spelling out any time-frame. Palaniswami also announced a two-year increase in the age-limit for appearing in the state Public Service Commission conducted Group-1, 1-A, and 1-B examinations for services in the government. The age limit for SC, ST, MBC, BC and Denotified communities would go up to 37 from the present 35. For Other communities, the age limit will now be 32 instead of 30, he said. To protect the government's e-governance infrastructure and assure safe and secure internet services, "Cyber security architecture for Tamil Nadu," plan will be implemented through the State-run Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited at a cost of Rs ...

12 lakh taking exam for NIOS diploma in elementary education

Over 12 lakh untrained teachers across the country are taking the examination for two years diploma course in elementary education conducted by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) in pursuance of Prime Minister's Digital India campaign. The NIOS, formerly known as the National Open School, was established in 1989 as an autonomous organisation by Union Human Resource Development ministry. There are a total of 3186 examination centres across the country and 12,62,044 learners enrolled for the Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) programme, an NIOS statement said today. The D.El.Ed programme is a specifically designed package for in-service untrained teachers working in primary or upper primary schools of different states of the country. "The programme, run in pursuance of the Prime Minister's digital India campaign, is a unique example of usage of Informatic practise," the statement said. "For this course, right from the process of entrance to control of ..

SC sets aside HC order asking MCI to conduct inspection in college

The Supreme Court today set aside a Bombay High Court order directing the Medical Council of India (MCI) to inspect a medical college, where "large-scale deficiencies" were found during an inspection last year, for granting renewal for admission in academic year 2018-2019. A bench comprising justices L Nageswara Rao and M M Shantanagoudar allowed the appeal filed by the MCI, which had challenged the high court's order asking it to carry out the inspection and submit a report to the Centre before April 30. The apex court referred to one of its previous judgment, in which it had held that medical education must be taken very seriously and when an expert body certifies that facilities in a medical college were inadequate, it was not for the courts to interfere with the assessment except for reasons like mala fides of the inspection team or others. "In view of the large-scale deficiencies found in the inspection report dated September 25, 2017 and September 26, 2017...the respondent no. ..