Page 374 - Education

VP visits Mizoram varsity, asks students to stay true to roots

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today exhorted the students of the Mizoram University to stay true to their roots and respect the customs and traditions of the country. Delivering a lecture this morning after inaugurating the administrative building of the university, the vice president said students should be well-versed in their mother tongues before learning a foreign language. He stressed the need to eradicate poverty and illiteracy to bridge the urban-rural divide in the country. Naidu, during his maiden visit to the state as vice president, expressed hope that Mizoram University, which bagged the 81st spot in the National Institutional Ranking Framework, would become an education hub for the northeast region in the years to come. "If APJ Abdul Kalam, who distributed newspapers at one point of time, could become the president of India and Narendra Modi, who sold tea at railway platforms, could become the Prime Minister, any hard working students can achieve high ...

Lupita petitioned in high school so female students could wear make-up

"Black Panther" star Lupita Nyong'o says she led a petition in high school so that her female counterparts could wear make-up. The 35-year-old actor said she had no interest in getting dolled up herself, but wanted the right for others as her peers would not be adversely affected by wearing make-up. "I went to an all-boys school for high school, and they had girls in the last two classes. This is a school with 700 boys and a handful of girls. "At one point, there was an archaic rule that said that girls could not wear makeup to school. I was angry that the powers that be were trying to basically oppress and control the small female population. It infuriated me to the point that I started a petition," Nyong'o told InStyle magazine. "I said to myself, 'Look, if a woman wants to wear makeup to school to feel confident in an environment where she's a minority, why not? It doesn't actually change whether or not she's able to take in the information being given to her in the classroom'," ...

HC restrains SCB college HoD from exam duties

The Orissa High Court has restrained the SCB Medical College's Urology department head Dr Datteswar Hota from supervising any examination of the department and also directed the state government to appoint a new head in place of Hota within 10 days. A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Vineet Saran taking up a joint petition filed by at least 10 PG students of the Medical College last week, directed the state government to remove Hota from all administrative duties, including examinations. Allegations of misconduct were levelled against him. Posting the matter to be heard again after summer vacation, the High Court has asked the government to find his replacement and appoint the new HoD within 10 days. "The state health secretary has been directed to comply with the order," senior advocate Pitambar Acharya, who was arguing the case on behalf of the medical students, said. Hota was transferred to MKCG Medical College in Berhampur in March this year after it was ascertained that he

Shivaji University signs MoU with SPJIMR

State run Shivaji University in Kolhapur today signed an MoU with Mumbai-based S P Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) for faculty development, case writing and select social initiative. University chancellor Dr Devanand Shinde and SPJIMR dean Dr Ranjan Banerjee signed the agreement, the state government announced. Shivaji University is headquartered in Kolhapur and covers Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur districts. As part of the exercise, the SPJIMR will work with Shivaji University in areas like faculty development, case writing, research, curriculum development and on select social initiatives of the Maharashtra government that are relevant to regions around Kolhapur, an official statement said. "The government supports the enhancement of quality education through partnerships and mentorship programmes. This MoU sets a new benchmark of public-private partnership that can enhance learning and open up new opportunities for development of faculty and ...

Sports academies to coach students in 85 Delhi school grounds

Eighty-five Delhi government school playgrounds have been allotted for free to private sports academies, clubs and individuals, to hold free sports training sessions for the students of government schools, an official said on Wednesday.

Timings of govt schools in Gurgaon changed due to intense heat

In view of scorching heat wave conditions, the Deputy Commissioner Gurgaon announced that all government schools will function from 8 AM to 1.30 PM from May 25 to June 1. The city witnessed a hot day today, with the maximum and minimum temperatures settling at 43 and 27 degrees Celsius respectively. Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon, Vinay Pratap Singh in his order said, "the timings in all government schools in the city will be from 8 AM to 1.30 PM from May 25 onwards till summer vacations begin, that is, June 1." There are hundreds of government schools located in posh and old parts of the city.

Delhi Police officers, representatives of South Campus colleges discuss parking issue

The issue of entry of ex-students in the college premises and unauthorised parking in and around the institutes were some of the issues that were discussed at a coordination meeting held between police officers and principals of South Campus colleges, ahead of the admission season, the police said. Keeping in view the expected high footfall of new students, a coordination meeting between police officers and principals and representatives of all colleges of the South Campus was held today, they added. The senior police officers of southwest district including Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Milind Mahadeo Dumbere were present in the meeting. The college representatives were assured that a special team has been constituted by the district police to keep a check over the miscreants. Several teams have also been constituted to stop any untoward incidents against the girl students, they said. During the admission session, motorcycle patrolling will be intensified in the area and .

St Stephen's teachers urges Javadekar for stakeholders meeting on autonomy issue

In the backdrop of row over grant of autonomous status to St Stephen's College, its staff association today wrote to Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar requesting him to convene a stakeholder's meeting and give a hearing to their concerns. In the letter, St Stephen's College Staff Association President Nandita Narain said, "We understand from teacher representatives of Hindu College that you have given a commitment that you will not take the matter, on autonomous status to the college, forward without taking on board all stakeholders, and addressing all their concerns. We are confident that you will honour this commitment with regard to our college as well." "We therefore request you to convene a meeting at which the teachers, students and non-teaching staff of the college can express their concerns regarding autonomy and kindly put the matter on hold till then," she said. Narain also mentioned that the association was not aware of a meeting that the Ministry .

GST, demonetisation PM's revolutionary steps: Venkaiah

Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said that the GST and demonetisation were "revolutionary steps" taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that many international institutions were highly appreciative of India's growth.

Delhi government orders 575 schools to refund excess fees

The Delhi government on Wednesday directed 575 private schools in the city to refund to parents the excess fees charged by them with nine per cent interest.

Keep distance of 6 inches when together: Pak varsity to male and female students

A Pakistani university has asked male and female students to maintain a distance of six inches when together, causing an uproar in social media against the varsity's notification. The Islamabad-based Bahria University last week issued the notification to students at all three of its campuses in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, Dawn newspaper reported. A copy of the notification outlining dress code received major backlash after it went viral on social media, it said. "All the heads of departments and security are to ensure that male and female students sit/stand at least six inches away from each other," the notification said. It also "strictly forbids" 'touching' of male and female students and warned of disciplinary action against the violators. The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has demanded the Bahria University withdraw the notification, the report said. FAPUASA President Dr Kaleemullah Barech said that the notification was ridiculous .

HC rebukes JNU for not providing safe environ for women students

The Delhi High Court today rebuked the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) for not taking constructive steps to provide safe working environment for women who have levelled sexual harassment charges against a professor. "I thought you were taking constructive measures to provide a safe environment to them. You (JNU) said on the last date that you were setting up a fact-finding committee which will hear them. "I see a complete turn around as you are saying you do not know who the eight students are and do not call them (to be heard before the committee)," Justice Rajiv Shakdher said and asked the varsity "Do you have the power to sanitise the environment?" The observation by the court came after it perused a report of the fact-finding committee (FFC) set up by JNU to probe the alleged misconduct by the professor. The court also said the report contained no findings and the panel has not even called the eight complainants or Prof Atul Kumar Johri. It observed it had expected the ...

Girls outshine boys in class X board exam

With a higher pass percentage, girls outshone boys in the Class 10 state board exams,the results of which were declared today by the Directorate of school education. The overall pass percentage was 94.5 per cent. Girls recorded a pass percentage of 96.4 while the boys registered a percentage of 92.5 per cent, an official release SAID Around 9.50 lakh students took the examinations. Of the total number, 4.76 lakhs were girls, 4.74 lakhs boys. Sivaganga topped the districts in the examinations followed by Erode and Virudhunagar. Subject-wise performance saw 98.47 per cent of students clearing science, 96.75 per cent (social science), 96.50 per cent (English) and 96.42 per cent (language),the release said. A total of 4,433 differently-abled students took the examination, of which 3,944 emerged successful. The state government did away with the ranking system last year, saying the system caused unnecessary 'stress' to students.

Protest at TN House against killings in Tuticorin

Citizens' groups and students' organisations staged a protest outside the Tamil Nadu Bhawan at Chanakyapuri here today, condemning the Tamil Nadu government for the killing of the anti-Sterlite plant agitators in Tuticorin in police firing. Over 60 protesters raised slogans and demanded parleys with the Principal Resident Commissioner of Tamil Nadu, Jasbir Singh Bajaj. The security, however, put up barricades and prevented them from entering the campus. Shutting down the Sterlite plant in Tuticorin, a judicial inquiry into the police firing, action against police officers, an independent inquiry into the company's financing by the comptroller and auditor-general (CAG) were some of the demands of the protesters. Representatives of the All India Students' Federation, Muslim Yuva Morcha, National Alliance of People's Movements, All India Students' Association, JNU Students' Union and Students Islamic Organisation of India took part in the protest. The months-long protest in Tuticorin, ...

Former Assam DGP turns teacher

Mukesh Sahay, who retired as the Assam director general of police barely a month ago, has donned the hat of a school teacher as he says it is time for him to "give back to the society". Sahay began his new stint teaching mathematics to class 12 students of Sonaram Higher Secondary School the day right after his retirement. He had retired as the top police official of Assam on April 30. "I was aware that the school had no maths teacher at the (higher) secondary level and so I decided to volunteer to teach the children," he said. "The government gives me a good pension and so it is time for me to give back to society," the former DGP said and hoped that the students benefit from his teaching. He has also asked them for their feedback. "If they benefit, I will continue to teach as I enjoy interacting with young people," he said adding education is the key to transformation and this has been evident in his life. Asked, the former DGP said that policemen and teachers serve ..

Govt colleges in Punjab to offer skill development courses

As part of its campaign to provide employment to every household, the Punjab government will offer skill development courses in the state-run institutions and polytechnic colleges, Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said here today. The new initiative will give a fillip to the government's 'Ghar Ghar Rozgar' campaign and will offer courses lasting three to six months under the Punjab Skill Development Mission, Channi, the Technical Education and Industrial Training and Employment Generation minister said. "Dropouts or semi-literates will also be able to take admission in these skill development courses and attain free training," he said. The cost of the training is Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per student but it will be borne by the government, he added. In the first phase, the courses will be introduced in 22 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) and 10 polytechnics. More colleges will be roped in later. The institutional heads will have to submit a project report on the courses ...

App launched for DU aspirants

A mobile app was launched on Wednesday to help Delhi University (DU) aspirants with admissions in the varsity.

NE has immense investment potential : Naidu

Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu today said that there is an immense investment potential in the northeastern region and stressed on improving connectivity to it. Addressing the second convocation of National Institute of Technology here, Naidu said though north-eastern region is endowed with abundant natural resources it has a difficult terrain, dispersed habitations, poor connectivity and inadequate infrastructure which are obstacles in realising its true potential. Improving connectivity is most important to bring the northeast region into the mainstream, he said adding air connectivity is vital for promoting tourism, business and people-to-people contact. "We strongly believe that the corridors of connectivity should be converted into corridors of economic growth with a symbiotic market model of development," the vice-president said. Naidu said that Nagaland is growing fast and setting up of the NIT is an indication of the growing importance of this region and the ..

Delhi govt asks 575 pvt schools to refund excess fees charged

The Delhi government has directed 575 private schools in the city to refund the excess fees charged by them citing implementation of the 6th pay commission recommendations. The government has also directed the schools to refund the excess fees charged -- between June 2016 to January 2018 -- with 9 per cent interest. The directive by the AAP dispensation comes following the report of a comiittee constituted by the Delhi High Court for examining the records of private schools in respect of implementation of the 6th Central Pay Commission recommendations. The panel has audited 1169 schools in the city so far. "The commiittee has identified 575 schools in its report to refund excess fees charged by these schools with 9 per cent interest. The schools are directed to refund the fees within 7 days and ensure disbursal of pending payment of salaries if any," an order by the Directorate of Education (DoE) said. "Non-compliance with the order shall be viewed seriously and action shall be taken .

SC to hear pleas to quash CLAT exam on Thursday

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear on May 24 pleas filed by candidates who appeared for Common Law Admission Test 2018 (CLAT) and are seeking direction to quash the examination and to hold it afresh.