Page 402 - Education

This Russian varsity aims to tap S&T talent from across borders

In a move that can be seen as an attempt to correct the mistakes of the past, top officials of a Russian university say that the country wants to leave the "closed" system of Soviet-era universities behind and embrace increased internationalisation in its system of education, including in science and technology.

Restrict students from using plastic covers for notebooks: Delhi govt tells schools

The Delhi government has directed all schools in the national capital to restrict students from using plastic covers for their notebooks or books. The order by the AAP dispensation comes following the orders of the Delhi High Court banning use of plastic bags and other such material. "All principals are directed to ensure that students in their respective schools do not use any kind of plastic cover or film for their books or notebooks," said an order by the Directorate of Education (DoE). "This is of immediate importance in view of the upcoming new academic session when students purchase new books and notebooks for their new class," it added. Following certain grievances in this regard shared by environment activists, the Delhi government's environment department wrote to the DoE to issue a directive to schools.

Complaint filed against UP teacher for using casteist words against Dalit student

A complaint was registered against a teacher over charges of using casteist words against a Dalit student, a police official said. The incident took place yesterday when the teacher allegedly used casteist words against the Class VII student and then asked her to sit in the last row, said SHO Kapil Kapervan. "The parents of the victim, who belonged to a Balmiki community, have registered a complaint against the teacher," Kapervan said. Meanwhile, the teacher categorically denied the allegations.

Hindu Jagaran Manch objects to auction of cows by veterinary varsity

The district unit of Hindu Jagran Manch today demanded cancellation of auction of cows to be held on Thursday by the Deendayal Upadhyay Veterinary and Animal Sciences University here, even as the vice chancellor of the varsity clarified that the institute makes sure that farmers get the animals. "A memorandum was submitted to the district magistrate demanding cancellation of the auction of cows by the Deendayal Upadhyay Veterinary University," state president of Hindu Jagran Manch Ghanshyam Lodhi said, adding it is against the order of the Governor who is the chancellor of the university. He suggested that the cows can be transferred to government daily farms. Prof K M L Pathak, the vice chancellor of the university, however said, "During auction of the cows, we ensure that it is given to farmers in order to enhance their income. Final auction is not given green signal in favour of people engaged in cow slaughter business, even if their bid is higher." "Also an affidavit is taken from

DU professors collective oppose UGC worshop on autonomy move

A DU professors collective today opposed a UGC workshop scheduled for April 27 on its scheme to grant autonomy to select colleges, claiming the workshop has been called in "gross violation" of the Delhi University Act. "The workshop on the autonomous college scheme in the UGC on April 27 at 10 am, for which more than two dozen college principals of DU have got direct invitation from the UGC is gross violation of the autonomy conferred by a century-old DU Act," Academy for Action and Development member Rajesh Jha said in a statement. He said "imposing autonomous college scheme is a design to pave the way for privatisation and contractualisation.

Budget private schools

India would do well to remember that for merit goods (education, health) there is only a case for govt financing but not for their production

Dental college hands over fee to Iranian student in open court

An Iranian student, who was admitted to a dental college near here without the mandatory NEET qualification and subsequently removed from the institution, got an interim relief with the management handing over Rs 5.5 lakh paid towards tuition fee, in the Madras High Court today. When the vacate stay petition by Naseer Hamidavi Zegheiri came up before Justice PN Prakash, the counsel representing the college produced a demand draft for Rs 5.5 lakh before the judge, who in turn, handed it to the student, who was present in the court with his counsel. In his brief order, the judge said as undertaken, the college has given the demand draft for Rs 5.50 lakh to Naseer Hamidavi Degheiri and it has been handed over to him. The judge then posted the matter to April 26. The matter relates to a police complaint lodged by Degheiri against the management of Asan Memorial Dental College for removing him without paying him back Rs 25 lakh taken for admission, despite knowing that NEET was compuslory .

CBSE papers leak: Suspended CBSE official quizzed

On the eve of Class 12 economics paper re-test, police today questioned the CBSE official who was suspended for laxity in supervising an examination centre in outer Delhi's Bawana area, from where the paper was leaked. Investigators say at least two modules were involved in leaking the CBSE question papers - other than the Class 12 economics paper, the mathematics paper of Class 10 had also surfaced online before the scheduled examination. Police busted the second module in Una town in Himachal Pradesh earlier this month. A woman was among the six persons arrested in connection with leaking the CBSE question papers. In the Bawana module, three persons, including two teachers of a private school, were involved. The teachers - Rishabh and Rohit - had taken photographs of the economics paper and sent it Tauqeer, who gives private tuitions. Tauqeer circulated the paper among his students about an hour before the examination commenced, police said, adding, he had received the paper via ...

Odisha announces summer vacation for schools

The Odisha government on Tuesday announced summer vacation in schools from Wednesday in view of the blistering heat wave conditions across the state.

Two minor girls sexually assaulted in Assam

Two minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted in Assam's Sonitpur and Dhubri districts today following which a Home Guard and a school teacher were arrested, police said. In the first incident, the Home Guard allegedly attempted to sexually assault his colleague's minor daughter at their training centre in Parua under the jurisdiction of Tezpur police station in Sonitpur district, Additional Superintendent of Police Numal Mahanta. The incident happened at the girl's residence around 7.30 am today. The accused, a 59-year-old man attempted to molest her, Mahanta said. The girl's family members lodged a complaint with the Tezpur police station and the police accused the arrested under the POCSO Act, the additional superintendent of police said. The accused has been sent to judicial custody after he was produced at Tezpur court, Mahanta said. In another incident, a school teacher was arrested for allegedly molesting a minor girl in Dhubri district today, police ...

Stone-pelting students detained, released after counselling

Police today detained scores of students who were indulging in stone pelting to disrupt law and order in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, and later handed them over to their parents after counselling. "A group of students of Government Degree College (Boys) in Khanabal, Anantnag, instead of joining their classes disturbed the peace and forced other students out of the classrooms. Thereafter, they began pelting stones and bricks towards the Dak Bungalow, District Police Office and main road from the college campus," a police spokesman said. The students also smashed several civilian vehicles plying on the main road, windowpanes of Dak Bungalow and District Police Office buildings, the spokesman said. Responding to the situation, police tried to chase away the students who attacked the policemen with bricks and stones, injuring several policemen, he said. "After hectic efforts, the situation was brought under control and the students indulging in violence were detained," he ...

SC declines relief, orders admission in medical PG courses as per MCI norms

The Supreme Court today declined any interim relief to a government doctors' association and said the Tamil Nadu government will have to grant admission in post-graduate medical courses to in-servce doctors as per amended regulations of the Medical Council of India. Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association and others have assailed two amended provisions of MCI's Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations, which provide the criteria for granting quota or incentive marks to government doctors, either serving or have served in rural or remote areas, in admissions to PG courses. It was submitted that instead of granting incentive marks to government doctors, serving in remote and difficult rural areas, in PG admissions, the state government should be allowed to continue with its own quota policy. "We are unable to accede to the request," a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said. The bench, also comprising Justices A K Sikri, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud

UGC calls vice chancellors' meet on Guru Purnima

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has convened a national meet of all university vice chancellors on the occasion of Guru Purnima on July 27. The meeting will be chaired by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar. Besides vice chancellors of various universities across the country, the meeting will also be attended by renowned educationists, heads of statutory professional councils and directors of inter-university centres of the UGC. "The main agenda of the meeting will be digital initiatives in higher education and necessary measures for increasing research productivity of universities," a senior UGC official said. Improving the quality of education by universities, best practices adopted in this regard and imparting vocational skills to students in higher educational institutions are also on the meeting agenda besides discussing the action taken on recommendations made during the last Vice Chancellor's conference on July 9, 2017. "It would be an excellent opportunity to exchange .

CBSE Class 12 economics paper re-test tomorrow

The Central Board of Secondary Education will conduct a re-test of Class 12 economics paper tomorrow, nearly a month after it was leaked triggering widespread outrage and confusion among students across India. After reports of the leak surfaced on March 28, the CBSE announced it will re-conduct the examination on April 25. Then, there were also reports of the CBSE's Class 10 mathematics paper being leaked, but the board decided against a re-test of the Class 10 paper, saying the examination was "largely an internal segment" of school education system. "The candidates will appear (for the exam) from the same allotted centres using the same admit card," a board official said today. For conducting the re-test of the economics paper, the board had said "Class 12 exams are a gateway to higher education and various professional competitive exams which have limited seats... Therefore, giving undue advantage to a handful of beneficiaries of the alleged leak of the economics paper would not be

RPP Infra bags Rs 84 cr order for Kerala schools

RPP Infra Projects today said it has bagged Rs 83.7 crore order from Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE). The contract is for modernisation of schools to international standards and betterment of infrastructure facilities in 10 schools, RRP Infra said in a BSE filing. The work is to be completed within nine months, it said. Stock of RPP Infra Projects closed 2.34 per cent up at Rs 275.20 on BSE .

UGC releases list of 24 'self-styled', fake varsities in country

The University Grants Commission has released a list of 24 "self-styled" and fake varsities across the country including eight in the national Capital. "Students and public at large are informed that at present following 24 self-styled and unrecognised institutions are functioning in contravention of the UGC Act in various parts of the country," a notice issued by the UGC read. "These universities have been declared as fake and are not entitled to confer any degrees," it added. The fake universities which have been found functioning in Delhi include Commercial University, United Nations University, Vocational University, ADR-Centric Juridical University, Indian Institution of Science and Engineering, Viswakarma Open University for Self-employment, Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya and Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya. Other universities which have been identified as fake include one each from Pondicherry, Aligarh, Bihar, Rourkela, Odisha, Kanpur, Pratapgarh, Mathura, Kanpur, Nagpur, ...

Six lakh CBSE students to give economics exam again on Wednesday

Harried over re-reading the syllabus and anxious whether they will match or improve their previous performance, about 600,000 class 12 CBSE students across the country will appear for their re-exam for economics paper on Wednesday.

Beyonce partners with Google for USD 25K HBCU scholarships

Following references to historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) in her explosive Coachella performance, Beyonce had pledged to donate USD 25,000 through her BeyGOOD foundation to four qualified students from Tuskegee University, Wilberforce University, Xavier University and Bethune-Cookman University. And now search engine Google is teaming up with the pop icon to match her USD 100,000 grant for four more scholarships. According to Billboard, the scholorships will benefit students from Texas Southern University, Morehouse College, Grambling State University and Fisk University. "Partnering with organizations like Google.org in support of HBCUs is our way of elevating cultural touchstones that paint a clear picture of excellence and opportunity through diverse education. "We challenge other businesses across the country to join us in this commitment to higher education and investment in the future," said Ivy McGregor, Director of Philanthropy and Corporate Relations at ...

States like UP, Bihar holding India back: Amitabh Kant

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said that the states in India's eastern region like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are keeping India backward especially on social indicators.Speaking at the first Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Memorial Lecture at Jamia Millia Islamia University, Kant said, "Eastern part of India particularly states like Bihar, UP, Chattisgarh, MP, and Rajasthan are keeping India backward especially on social indicators. While we have improved on ease of doing business, we have remained backward on human development index."Kant further said that India is still 131 out of 188 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI).Reacting to 'Challenges of Transforming India' he said that the part of southern and western India was doing well and growing speedily."And when the country's HDI has to improve and we have to focus on these social indicators. We are working on these things through Aspirational Districts Programme," he added.Stressing ...

Three missing film students confirmed dead in Mexico

Three Mexican film students who went missing five weeks ago were kidnapped, tortured, killed and likely dissolved in acid, investigators have said, a gruesome end to a case that triggered vehement protests. The students -- Salomon Aceves Gastelum, 25; Daniel Diaz, 20; and Marco Avalos, 20 -- went missing on March 19 as they returned from shooting a film project outside Guadalajara, Mexico's second city, where they attended the University of Audiovisual Media. Witnesses said they were intercepted by a group of six to eight men who forced them into another car and fled. The case drew outraged protests from their fellow students, backed by Mexican film luminaries such as Oscar-winning directors Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuaron. There are currently more than 33,000 people missing in Mexico, a number that has exploded along with the murder rate as the country struggles to rein in brutal violence linked to drug trafficking. Missing persons cases often go unsolved, in a country where ...