Page 374 - Education

Kabul library bus drives Afghan children to read

The door of the blue bus slides open and dozens of children excitedly bound up the steps, eager to get their hands on hard-to-find books in Kabul's first mobile library. Named Charmaghz -- the Dari for walnut, which is associated with logic in Afghanistan because the nut resembles a brain -- the converted public bus is hard to miss as it winds through the dusty streets of the Afghan capital. The library-on-wheels offers pupils and street kids free access to children's books, which are in short supply at public schools and libraries. It also offers one of the few spaces outside the home that children can use in a city where fear is increasingly keeping residents behind closed doors. As both the Taliban and the Islamic State group step up their attacks in Kabul, with civilians paying the price, many parents -- traumatised by the violence, some of them already devastated by loss -- have stopped taking their children out in public. Charmaghz, used by as many as 300 children every day, is .

Revise curricula, introduce English course, Minister tells edu

West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee has stressed the importance of revising curricula in higher educational institutes at par with the industry needs to ensure that students bag a job along with a degree. The minister also urged the institutes to introduce a six-week English course for students to help them seal the deal at job interviews. "I have seen during my visits abroad that a six-week English course is a must for candidates coming from other countries. Out government is also focusing on English education. Here, too, it should be mandatory for every student," he said at a career fair yesterday. Chatterjee, who is also in charge of Higher Education Department, urged the heads of the academic institutions to ensure overall development of students. "The curriculum should be modern, in tune with the job market. For a physics student, merely reading a physics text book and references before sitting for exams won't be enough. He/she must be conversant with .

Kejriwal attacks LG, says don't create hurdles

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today attacked Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal for "creating obstacles", after the latter congratulated teachers and students of government-run schools in the national capital on their good performance in CBSE Class 12 examinations. On Twitter, Kejriwal sought to know from Baijal who had benefitted when the Centre removed Atishi Marlena, advisor to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, from the post in April. Marlena was among the nine advisors to Delhi ministers whose appointments were cancelled following a Union Home Ministry directive that said these posts were "not sanctioned". "So u agree that Del govt doing great work in education? Who benefitted when u removed Atishi Marlena? If u stop creating obstacles, wonders cud be achieved in many sectors. It will make u also proud. Pl support our efforts. Lets be positve. Pl don't create hurdles in everything (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted. His tweet came after Baijal said on Twitter: "Heartiest ...

Akhilesh gives laptops to exam toppers, says BJP not honouring youth

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today gave laptop computers to students of various boards who have topped the Class 10 and 12 examinations in the state, and criticised the ruling BJP for not felicitating them yet. Yadav congratulated Kirti Singh, Arisha Pathak, Sonam Yadav, Balbir Yadav, Saumya Singh, Almas and Aditi for their academic performance at an event in the state capital Lucknow. "We are fulfilling our promise to give laptops to meritorious students. We want to remind the BJP that they had made a promise in their 'Sankalp Patra' to give the students laptops and free data but the promise was not fulfilled," he said. The Samajwadi Party president termed the BJP "anti-youth" for not honouring the students until now. "The BJP has forgotten all promises made to the people," Yadav said. "The BJP government has turned a blind eye towards farmers, youngsters, poor labourers and traders. People are so much agitated with the BJP that in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections ..

58 students injured in stampede after earthquake rumour in Bihar

At least 58 students were injured in a stampede fuelled by rumour of an earthquake at Bihar Sharif Railway station in Nalanda district, police said today. Hundreds of students from Supaul, Madhubani, Madhepura and Saharsa districts had reached Bihar Sharif Railway Station by Danapur-Rajgir passenger train around midnight last night to appear for an ITI examination, Rail Police Station SHO Om Prakash Paswan said. The students slept on the railway platform as it was quite late, he said. Around 2 am, sound of asbestos sheets falling apart led many of them to believe that it was a tremor, the SHO said. A stampede followed in which 58 of the students sleeping on the platform got injured, he added. All the injured, who were admitted to Bihar Sharif Sadar Hospital, have been released today after being administered first aid, the SHO added.

Man digitises over 1,100 schools in Maha; NCPCR to analyze initiative

A man in Maharashtra has transformed 1,100 rural schools in Dhule district by replacing blackboards with digital projectors and introducing Internet in the institutes through public participation. Impressed by this, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has decided to analyze the impact of his work and on the basis of it, the panel will make recommendations to the central and state government. Thirty-six-year-old Harshal Vibhandik did engineering from Mumbai and MBA from the US. He returned to India after working in the USA for few years with an aim to transform schools in his native Dhule district. "I got this idea of digitisation of schools when I was working in the USA," Vibhandik said. He used to organise 'Prerna Sabha' (inspiration conference) in villages and collected donations from people to provide computers and projectors to schools in tribal-dominated areas. "Slowly people grew interest in the 'Prerna Sabha' and villagers also took part in it with ...

HC seeks report on plea alleging illegal construction in pvt school

The Delhi High Court has sought a status report from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation on a PIL seeking demolition of an alleged unauthorised construction in the premises of a private school here. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also questioned the NGO for filing the petition and asked who was "instigating" it. "Who is instigating you to file this petition? You will lose your credibility. Don't come irrationally," the bench said. Harkrishan Das Nijhawan, the general secretary of NGO Paardarshita Welfare Foundation, claimed that the private school was indulging in commercial activity and it had allowed a bank to function from the premises. The bench observed that nowadays, especially after the murder of a seven-year-old boy in Ryan International School in Gurgaon, schools do not allow outsiders to enter. "Have you gone inside the school. You say the school premises are being used for commercial purpose. Nowadays no school allows any outsider ..

GNI, Adobe tie up to set up Adobe Creative Technology Academy

: To help students gain industry-ready skills, educational group Guru Nanak Institutions (GNI), today announced it has entered into a partnership with technology giant Adobe for setting up Adobe Creative Technology Academy at its campus here. Through the integrated programme,GNI will offer an add-on specialisation along with the B.Tech degree and students will be trained on Adobe skills using two-year add-on specialisation in multi-stack UI/UX and IOT technologies. "The programme will create industry-ready professionals with certification in AdobeUI/UX technologies," GNI Vice Chairman G S Kohli told reporters here after signing the strategic agreement with Adobe Ireland. It will also develop and enhance skills and knowledge of students and faculty in areas of UI/UX Design and Development, he said adding "we aim to skill about 1,000 students every year using this academy." "We work with students all over the world in skilling them in next generation Adobe technologies. We

Modi praises Odisha tea seller for educating slum children

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed a tea seller in Odisha's Cuttack for providing education to 70 slum children.

138-yr-old Pune school opens its doors to girls

Ending the decades long tradition, a 138-year-old school, started here by freedom fighters including Bal Gangadhar Tilak, is all set to open its doors for girls from the upcoming academic session. The decision to this effect has been taken by the school management to break the "gender stereotypes", its principal said. The New English School was started by Tilak along with social reformers like Gopal Ganesh Agarkar and Vishnushastri Chiplunkar in 1880. The institution, run by the Deccan Education Society, had the co-education system till 1936. However, the education society then started another institution - Ahilyadevi High School - exclusively for girls in the city. Gone are the days when boys and girls were taught in different schools, said Nagesh Mone, who recently took over as the school's principal. "While growing up, the students should know that men and women are equal and in order to break the gender stereotypes, it is important to start co-education at the early

PM Modi congratulates Indian Mount Everest conquerors

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded five tribal students and many other conquerors for scaling Mount Everest this year.Addressing the 44th edition of 'Mann Ki Baat', Prime Minister Modi said, "I laud the five tribal students from Chandrapur, Maharashtra, Ajeet and Deeya Bajaj, Sangeeta Bahl and a BSF contingent for scaling the Mount Everest. The BSF contingent also brought back dirt that had accumulated in the mountains."On May 16, a team comprising five tribal students, named Maneesha Dhurve, Pramesh Ale, Umakant Madhavi, Kavidas Katmode and Vikas Soyam, from Ashram School in Chandrapur, scaled the world's highest peak. These students began training in August, 2017, covering Wardha, Hyderabad, Darjeeling and Leh-Ladakh.Just a while ago, 16-year-old Shivangi Pathak became the youngest Indian woman to climb the 8,848-metre peak from the Nepal side.Ajeet Bajaj and Deeya Bajaj also become India's first father-daughter duo to climb the 8,848-metre peak. The climbed the peak on ..

EEF ties up with Power Grid to offer digital solutions at Army-run schools in J&K

Terrorism deprives thousands of children of education in Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Army has set up special schools to address this problem. Now, the quality of education at these institutions in J&K is all set for a digital leap with the introduction of a digital solutions learning programme. The programme was inaugurated by Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat at Army Goodwill Schools, Pahalgam, at a function held late Friday evening, and attended by GOC Northern Command Lt. General Anil Bhatt with senior officials from the State Education Department, civil administration and other senior police functionaries. At least 1,600 students and hundreds of staff at Army Goodwill Schools (AGS) will benefit from Phase I of the programme, facilitated by a non-profit NGO 'Extramarks Education Foundation (EEF)' headed by founder Atul Kulshreshtha and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL), according to a release issued by organisers. EEF and PGCIL will equip all the army ...

Students turn 'foot soldiers' for Goa govt's waste mgmnt drive

They go to school, they study, and they also lend a helping hand to the Goa government's drive for proper segregation and collection of waste. Thousands of students from over 400 schools across the coastal state have become 'foot soldiers' for the initiative, taken up by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC), an official said. With the help of students, the state-run body has been collecting a total of about 17 tonnes of segregated waste from the schools every month, he said. The high school students are playing a pivotal role in the initiative by meticulously segregating the garbage and disposing it in bins. The waste is then shifted to the treatment plant at Saligao near Panaji, GWMC Managing Director Sanjith Rodrigues told PTI. Students from 403 schools are a part of the project. In each school, the drive is led by a nodal officer, who is a teacher from the same institution, he said. GWMC, set up a few years back to tackle the garbage issue, has introduced the ..

Civil rights attorney Lewis Myers Jr. passes away

Civil rights attorney Lewis Myers Jr., who worked on a key lawsuit against racial discrimination in Mississippi's higher education system, passed away on Saturday.He was 70 years old."We've lost a loving husband, wonderful father and dear friend ... legal scholar, civil rights activist, and advocate for the poor and marginalised," CNN quoted a statement from his family.Myers' firm website says that he was involved in a notable desegregation lawsuit, Ayers vs. Mississippi, that was filed in the 1970s and eventually reached the US Supreme Court.It led to the state operating its higher-education system under court-ordered desegregation in 1995, CNN quoted The Clarion Ledger.In 2005, the state began making payments on a USD 503 million settlement to three historically black colleges, because of Lewis Myers Jr.

DTC driver's son tops CBSE Class 12 exam

Prince Kumar, the son of a DTC bus driver, topped the CBSE Class 12 examination in the science stream. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia congratulated Kumar and said that it was a "very proud moment" for him. "Very proud moment, just congratulated Prince Kumar, topper of Delhi Govt school, Science stream in Class 12, Son of a DTC bus driver has got 97% with 100/100 in Maths, 99/100 Eco, 98/100 in Chemistry (sic)," Sisodia tweeted. He also congratulated Prachi Prakash, who topped the commerce stream in Delhi government schools. "It was also touching moment to speak to Prachi Prakash and her family, topper of Delhi Govt school, Commerce stream in Class 12. Daughter of a small private company executive, Prachi got 96.2% with 100/100 in Eco, 99/100 in Math," Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, said in another tweet. He also interacted with Chitra Kaushik, Delhi Police assistant sub-inspector's daughter, who topped Delhi government schools in arts stream. Sisodia also ...

It's best moment of my life: CBSE topper Anoushka Chandra

Anoushka Chandra, who stood second in the CBSE Class 12 examination with a score of 498 out of 500, is still to come to terms with her achievement. Chandra, a student of Seth Anandram Jaipuria School in Ghaziabad, told PTI, "I can't put it into words. Yes, we had thought that results would be good. Being the all-India second topper has been the best moment of my life. We have not decided how we will celebrate this moment." She scored 98 in English (Core) and 100 in History, Economics, Political science and Psychology. Chandra said that she used to plan and study. "I used to set targets on a daily basis and cross them off after I finished. I used to study for one or one-and-a-half hours and then take a break for half-an-hour or 15 minutes," she said. Chandra is a voracious reader and likes reading about contemporary issues. She intends to study Political Science at Delhi University. "The colleges on my wish-list are Miranda House, Hindu, St Stephen's and LSR," she said. The CBSE exams .

CBSE Class 12 topper fan of thriller series, Meghan Markle

Meghna Srivastava, who has topped the CBSE Class 12 examination, is a fan of thriller series, loves baking cakes to beat stress and looks up to Meghan Markle. She topped the CBSE Class 12 examination by getting 99.8%. She secured 499 marks out of 500. Srivastava hails from Noida and studied at the Step By Step School there. She scored 99 in English (Core), while in other subjects --Psychology, History, Geography and Economics -- she scored 100. Srivastava said that the pre-boards helped her prepare for the exams well and she solved a lot of question papers of the previous years to prepare for the exams. "I have been very consistent and I would plan my revisions. I did not over pressurise myself . I always focussed on my timelines and never indulged in studying at the last moment," she told PTI. Srivastava's mother, who works as an HR head for a Gurgaon-based MNC, said that they never forced her to study hard. "I was always worried that she should eat well. We did not pressurise her ..

CBSE results: Delhi 3rd in terms of pass percentage

As the CBSE declared Class 12 results today, Delhi was third in terms of pass percentage after Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai. The overall pass percentage was 83.01 per cent as against last year's 82.02 per cent. The best performing region was Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala with a pass percentage of 97.32. Chennai region's pass percentage was second best at 93.87, while Delhi's pass percentage was 89. Last year, Delhi's pass percentage was 88.37. Girls outshone boys in the Delhi region as well with a pass percentage of 93.19 as against boys' 84.93. The pass percentage of government-aided schools in Delhi this year was 82.79 as against 80.32 in 2017. The pass percentage of private schools was 88.35 this year as compared to last year's 84.20. The pass percentage of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya was 99.17 this year as compared to last year's 97.04. Kendriya Vidyalayas had a pass percentage of 98.06 this year as compared to last year's 96.59. As many as 16,408 students had compartment, a ...

KVs give best results among all categories of CBSE schools

Kendriya Vidyalayas gave the best results among different categories of schools affiliated to the CBSE with a pass percentage of 97.78, as opposed to 95.86 last year. While private schools had the lowest pass percentage with 82.50, the overall pass percentage for Class 12 was 83.01 per cent as against last year's 82.02 per cent. HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar also praised the Kendriya Vidyalayas' performance in the Board results. Javadekar said, "I am very happy for Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya." According to CBSE officials, government-aided schools registered a pass percentage of 84.48 per cent and government schools had a pass percentage of 84.39. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and Kendriya Vidyalaya have pass percentage of 97.07 and 97.78 per cent respectively. The schools under the Central Tibetan Schools Administration (CTSA) had a pass percentage of 94.82 while private schools had a pass percentage of 82.50, the lowest among all the categories of schools. Out of 68,590 .

Did not let partial visual impairment come in way of aspirations: Differently abled CBSE topper

Lavanya Jha, who has come third among the differently abled students in the CBSE Class 12 examination, says she did not let partial visual impairment bog her down and come in the way of her aspirations. Jha scored 97.4 per cent in the board examination. For her, preparation for the examination began two years ago when she shifted to Delhi from Patna. "I left my parents and my home. I stayed in a hostel. The course I wanted to pursue was not available in Patna and that's why I had to move to Delhi for my Class 11 and 12," Jha told PTI. Jha said she also gave up watching television to focus on her examination. "I gave up TV. I used to enjoy watching songs. I don't think I like watching TV any more now," she said. The DPS R K Puram student is 40 per cent visually impaired and her impairment was diagnosed in 2014. "I did not let it affect me. I thought it would be better if I did not pay much heed to it. I ignored it and did not consider it as a hindrance," she said. "I got extra time to .