Page 387 - Education

CBSE conducts separate board exams for 6 students representing India in global sports meets

In a first, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted separate exams for six students of class 10 and 12 this year as they were representing the country in international sports championships during the regular schedule. Four of these six students, including Commonwealth Games hero Anish Bhanwala, bagged medals in their respective events. "The special drive of CBSE to promote talents in sports led to a departure from set practice of following the fixed exam schedule this year. There were six students who were to represent India at various sports events while other class 10 and 12 students were busy writing CBSE board exams," a senior CBSE official said. "We confirmed the same from the Sports Authority of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and gave special permission to two class 12 students and four class 10 students for appearing in board exams on later dates," the official added. While Amolika Singh, a class 12 student from Lucknow represented India at the ...

Last chance for unrecognised pvt schools in Delhi to prevent closure

The Delhi government has decided to provide a last chance for registration to unrecognised private schools in the national capital which were earlier directed to discontinue all educational activities from this academic session. The schools have been asked to furnish information including address, infrastructure, land area and number of students studying among other parameters, to consider granting them recognition. "In order to provide an opportunity to the unrecognised schools of getting themselves registered, the department has created a proforma seeking relevant information," the Directorate of Education (DoE) said in a communication to the unrecognised schools. The government also plans to use the information to "draw up a database for future policy decisions and monitoring by DoE". "Besides, the information sought is also necessary to identify the addresses of such unrecognised schools as well as to fetch the information of students studying in these schools with a view to ...

CU asks colleges to focus on modalities to implement CBCS

Calcutta University authorities today asked its affiliated under graduate colleges to focus on the modalities for implementing the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) in the first semester. Pro-Vice Chancellor (academic) Dipak Kar told the college representatives at a workshop here that that they should let the students know about the available combination papers in the college during admission while enforcing the CBCS in the first semester. "You should put the focus on the way of admission under CBCS mode and on the modalities for the first semester," Kar said at the Rajabazar Science College campus of CU when some of the college representatives raised the issue. Representative of a South Kolkata college told reporters later that they wanted to know how to enforce the CBCS which the CU had announced to implement from the coming academic session. The system enables a student to choose an elective paper from any discipline - science, humanities and commerce.

DAV, South Point, La Martiniere Girls among school regatta winners

DAV Chandigarh, Jatragachi Pranavananda School 'A' from North 24 Parganas district and city-based schools South Point and La Martiniere Girls 'A' bagged titles in their respective groups of the All India Invitation School Regatta which concluded here on Saturday.

Ansari supports AMU students' demand, says timing of incident raises questions

Breaking his silence, former vice president M Hamid Ansari today supported AMU students' demand for action against intruders who created ruckus on the varsity campus over Jinnah portrait issue on May 2, when he was present there for an event, and said their peaceful stir against the transgression is commendable. The event where Ansari was to be conferred the life membership of the Aligarh Muslim University Students Union was cancelled due to the alleged violence by right wing Hindu activists. Ansari, who has studied at AMU, said the disruption, its precise timing, and the "excuse manufactured for justifying it", raises questions. "The peaceful protest by the (AMU) students against this transgression is commendable. They must ensure that it does not in any way interfere with their academic pursuits. Their request that action be taken against the intruders and disruptors, after a judicial enquiry, is justified. The authorities of the AMU have made a similar request, he said in a letter .

Need to eliminate cheating in exams for reforms in edu system: Pb minister

Punjab minister O P Soni today stressed on eliminating cheating and copying in schools "to bring reforms in the ailing education system" and said that school education along with health was the top priority of the Congress government in the state. He said the results of class 10 and class 12 exams conducted by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) were "really weak" and a lot of students failed. "To bring reforms in our ailing education system, the first step is to eliminate cheating and copying so that we may see the real picture of the situation," the state school education minister told a gathering here. "The mentality to cheat has to be abandoned if we need to bring reforms in our education system, teachers have to teach and students have to learn and parents have to be cooperative," Soni said. He informed the gathering that Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has ordered constitution of a core group of teachers from across the state to suggest reforms in school education ...

Drawing teacher of govt school in Bathinda suspended

A drawing teacher of a government school in Bathinda's Bhaini village was suspended for alleged indecent behaviour with girl students, an official said today. "Drawing teacher Ramesh Kumar has been suspended for indecent behaviour with girl students," Bathinda District Education Officer (DEO) Maninder Kaur said. The matter came to light when a Class 7 student informed her mother about Kumar and her parents lodged a complaint against him with the DEO. In an inquiry conducted against Kumar, over 60 Class 7 and Class 8 students of the co-education school complained of indecency, the DEO said. Some of the girls were even reluctant to come forward to lodge a complaint out of fear, an official said. Kaur said the teacher was earlier transferred from another nearby school on the same charges.

AMU students urge Kovind to intervene to end Jinnah row

The Aligarh Muslim University Students Union (AMUSU) has written to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking his intervention to end the controversy over Muhammad Ali Jinnah's portrait on the varsity campus. In their letter to Kovind, the students alleged that no satisfactory action has been taken by the Uttar Pradesh government yet. They also said that the Aligarh district administration was yet to act against those who trespassed into the campus and indulged in acts of violence on May 2. The protest by the students against the trespass and violence entered its 11th day today. AMUSU leaders warned they would intensify their stir and start a relay hunger strike if their demands are not met. They are also demanding action against the police officers responsible for lathicharge on students on May 2. AMUSU leaders, including its president Mashkoor Ahmad Usmani, sought an appointment with Kovind over the issue. "We have high regard for the president and we hope his prompt intervention will ...

Project Nanhi Kali looks to deploy more 'Yellow Tablets' to reduce drop-out rate

Project Nanhi Kali, a non-government girl-child education programme jointly managed by K.C. Mahindra Education Trust (KCMET) and Naandi foundation expects to further deploy 25,000 more 'Yellow tablets' in the coming two-three years to improve training standards, overcome the shortage of teachers and reduce drop-out rate in the most backward districts of rural India.

Student hacks school website to change grades, arrested

A high school student in the US has been arrested for hacking into the computer system of his school to change his and other students' grades, media reports said on Saturday.

An alternative to Braille that both visually challenged, sighted can read

A Delhi-based social venture has claimed to have come out with an alternative to Braille books which the sighted people too would be able to read, understand and teach easily to the visually challenged students. Braille books have for many years restricted sighted persons from understanding or reading them easily. The new books with special embossing techniques can be read by a visually impaired person and at the same time do not disturb the readability of a sighted reader, which could go a long way in helping such children to be part of mainstream education, according to its creators. "They are an invention after research and development work done in-house for nearly five years.The books being introduced by us are integrated with special embossing technique which does not disturb the readability of a sighted reader and at the same time can be read by a visually impaired person by sensing the tactile braille and images through their fingers," said Puneet Arora, co founder of Inklude ..

17 lakh students take Maha aptitude test, commerce top pick:

As many as 17.36 lakh students who appeared for Class X examinations this year took part in the "kalchachni" (aptitude) online test and 21 per cent of them evinced interest in joining the Commerce stream, state Education Minister Vinod Tawde said today. The online aptitude test is conducted by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education in order check students' inclination towards streams like Arts, Commerce, Technical, Health Sciences, Agriculture and Fine Arts. Addressing a press conference here, Tawde said that a total of 17,36,104 students participated in the online test and 21 per cent wanted to join the Commerce stream. The test conducted in 2017 had thrown up Fine Arts as the preferred choice of participating students. Tawde said that the government, from the forthcoming academic year, planned to conduct the test earlier so as to help students in a better way. "It is an initiative of the State Education Board and the Shyamchi Aai ...

Salaries of 5 govt teachers withheld for unauthorised absence in JK

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district withheld salaries of five government teachers for being absent from duty and ordered two inquiries against them, officials said. Four teachers of government middle school Kiyar-Dacchan and one teacher of government high school Changer-Marwah were reported absent, they said. Taking serious note of the complaints, they said District Development Commissioner (DDC) Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana, withheld the salaries of all five teachers for remaining absent from duty, pending inquiry. Angrez directed the Kishtwar Chief Education Officer to conduct in-depth inquiries into the matter and recommend stern action against the defaulters, if found any, as warranted under article 128 of Civil Service Rules. The rule reads that unauthorised absence of government employee amounts to loss of appointment. The absentee teachers included Rahul Parihar, Jyoti Balla, Mashqoor Ahmed and Akhtar of government middle school Kiyar and Sajjad Husain Tapal of .

Class 8 book describes Bal Gangadhar Tilak as 'father of terrorism'

A reference book for Class 8 Social Studies has described freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak as the 'father of terrorism'.The book by a Mathura-based publisher is being used by private English-medium schools affiliated to the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE)."Tilak demonstrated a path towards national movement, therefore, he is called as the father of terrorism." reads page 267 of chapter 22 of the book.Tilak's description is part of sub-topic "Incidents of National Movement during 18th and 19th century"."Tilak clearly believed that we cannot achieve anything just by pleading the British officers. Through Shivaji and Ganpati festivals, Tilak aroused unique awareness in the country. He instilled the mantra of freedom among the masses, due to which he became a thorn in the eyes of the British," the book further reads.Reacting to this, Private School Association Director Kailash Sharma said, "Describing Tilak as the "father of terrorism" is highly condemnable. Before ...

HC quashes DU Law Faculty notice against supplementary exams

The Delhi High Court on Friday quashed the Delhi University Law Faculty notice for discontinuation of supplementary exams after the sixth (last) semester for candidates who failed to clear them in previous five semesters.

Suspect in custody after shooting reported at California High School

A suspect is in custody after a shooting was reported on Friday morning (local time) at a Southern California high school.According to Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy Charles Moore the authorities were called to Highland High School in Palmdale at about 7:05 a.m. PT, CNN reported.Palmdale is in Los Angeles County, about 40 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.Both Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Palmdale Fire Department said they had received reports of shots being fired - the first coming around 7am local time.The sheriff's office tweeted one suspect has been detained in connection to "the person with a gun...at Highland High school in Palmdale."The school's principal took to Twitter, appealing people to stay away from the campus."Law enforcement is working to assess the situation," the message from Principal Chris Grado says. "Please stay clear of campus. Will update as soon as have more information."Highland as well as three other schools in the local area have ..

HC orders action against college for admitting students sans affiliation

The Madras High Court has ordered registration of a police complaint against a private teacher training college in Puducherry for admitting students without affiliation. The court said the institute was commercialising education and cheating poor students by admitting them, though its affiliation to the Pondicherry University had been cancelled in the previous academic year. Justice S M Subramanian directed the university to register the complaint against Usha Lachumanan College of Education in Thirukkanur while dismissing a miscellaneous petition by aggrieved students of the institute seeking permission to appear for university exams. He said by permitting the students to write the examination, the court cannot allow continuation of the illegality which had already crept in. Observing that the college had cheated the students as well as the society, the judge directed the police to investigate the matter and proceed with further action, and posted the main petition to June 11 for ...

UGC nod for first railway university

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday announced signing of a Letter of Intent for the country's first railway university.

95% entrepreneurial attempts fail in India; Debroy questions education system

A big question mark is whether the Indian education system facilitates entrepreneurship, says NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy

Pb CM orders setting up of core group to suggest reforms in school edu

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today ordered the constitution of a core group of teachers from across the state, including border areas, to suggest reforms in the school education system. The core group, which will focus on bringing reforms in the existing curriculum to bring it on par with that of followed by private and convent schools, will submit its report by June 15, according to an official spokesperson. The Chief Minister issued the directions to the secretary of school education during a high-level meeting here to review the results of class 10 and class 12 exams conducted by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB). The meeting was also attended by state Education Minister O P Soni, along with top brass of the School Education Department, besides representatives of the teaching staff. The chief minister offered full support of the state government in providing necessary infrastructure and manpower for the development of government schools, the spokesperson ...