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National anthem must be sung during morning assembly in schools, orders Karnataka education department

1 Comment / / Education Community

The Department of School Education and Literacy in Karnataka has issued an order making the singing of Jana, Gana, Mana mandatory in response to reports that several elementary and high schools in Bengaluru were skipping the national anthem during the morning assembly. According to a department official, complaints about particular private schools in Bengaluru not following the required protocol for performing the national anthem during morning assembly were filed to Education Minister B C Nagesh. The official stated that “some schools are avoiding singing the national anthem and some are singing only twice a week.” The department has mandated that schools require students to sing the national anthem in order to foster a sense of pride and respect for the country, citing the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ order on the issue. The responsibility of visiting the schools that are breaking the norm has also been given to officials of the Deputy Director for Public Instruction (DDPI). If there are space constraints during the morning assembly, the students may sing the national anthem in their classrooms, according to the instruction. “Last week, notices were issued to schools where students were not singing the national anthem. Now, they have assured that they will be singing the national anthem regularly,” said Lohithashwa Reddy, DDPI of Bengaluru North.  

National anthem must be sung during morning assembly in schools, orders Karnataka education department Read More »

First case of Japanese encephalitis is reported in Mizoram

/ Health & Wellness Community

Japanese encephalitis (JE), a viral brain ailment spread by mosquito bites, was first diagnosed in Mizoram on Thursday. Dr. Pachuau Lalmalsawma, the state nodal officer for the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), made the announcement in a statement. He stated that the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) had recently been notified by the state health department about the discovery of a suspected JE case at Trinity Hospital and requested a final decision as it would be the first JE case in the state. According to Pachuau’s statement, “after perusing the investigation reports of the suspected patient, the NCDC has confirmed the case.” Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a flavivirus that is spread by culex mosquitoes, which are also responsible for spreading dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile viruses. JEV is the primary cause of viral encephalitis in several Asian countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with an estimated 68 000 clinical cases each year. Even though cases of symptomatic Japanese encephalitis (JE) are uncommon, the case-fatality rate among those who have the illness can reach 30%. The safest approach to prevent getting sick is to avoid mosquito bites by using a mosquito net, insect repellent lotion, and insecticides like dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), as well as cleaning your surroundings to stop mosquito breeding, according to state health experts. Source: PTI

First case of Japanese encephalitis is reported in Mizoram Read More »

Kerala High Court asserts that an employee’s pension is a constitutional right 

/ Human Resource Community

The Kerala High Court asserted that a retired employee’s pension payment is a constitutional right, if not a fundamental right, and is not subject to the employer’s whims or fancies. According to Justice VG Arun, a pension is a “deferred salary,” and as such, it should be recognised as property under Article 300A of the Indian Constitution. According to him, pensions shouldn’t be viewed as a “bounty” that employers can withhold from their workers or pay whenever, whatever, and anyway they like. The Kerala Books and Publications Society (KBPS), a registered society owned by the State government and whose staff were eligible for the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), Miscellaneous Provisions Act, and Employees’ Pension Scheme, received the petitions from current and retired employees. Despite the fact that the Kerala government owned KBPS in full, the labour unions called attention to the significant disparity between the pay and pensions of KBPS employees and those of government employees. As instructed by the Labour Court, a special committee of experts was established to investigate the creation of a special fund for KBPS employees. The committee had recommended that the pension be paid in accordance with Part III of the Kerala Service Rules and that the government provide financial assistance in the form of a budget allowance. The KBPS Employees Contributory Pension and General Provident Fund Regulations, 2014 were later released after receiving state approval. The retired employees argued that, in accordance with the Pension Regulations, they should get a full pension beginning on the day they retired.

Kerala High Court asserts that an employee’s pension is a constitutional right  Read More »

Viacom18 takes legal action against the piracy of “Laal Singh Chaddha”

/ Media Entertainment & Art Community

The media and entertainment conglomerate Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd has filed a criminal complaint against an incident that occurred in Bengaluru involving the illegal uploading and distribution of its most recent film, Laal Singh Chaddha. According to a statement from Viacom18, such websites result in significant losses for producers, content owners, and creators as a result of their illegal activities. The company added that this arrest may pave the way for the exposure of larger pirate networks and the prosecution of those responsible. “Viacom18 pledges its continuous support in the fight against piracy. We shall continue our endeavour to create a secure and piracy free space. It is important to take proactive measures to prevent piracy or infringement,” Anil Lale, general counsel for Viacom18, stated in a statement. “We believe it is even more important to be involved and actively participate in the execution process to give effect to the larger interest we are trying to achieve,” he added. Digital piracy authority MUSO reports that online film piracy surged by 62% in India in the last week of March 2020 compared to the last week of February. According to MUSO, other countries had surges of 41% in the US, 43% in the UK, 50% in Spain, and 66% in Italy. Media experts point to messaging and voice services like Telegram and social networks like Helo, which acknowledge the concerns of filmmakers and owners of intellectual property rights but are also traffic-hungry and lack necessary safeguards. With 6.5 billion visits in 2021, India ranked third globally in the number of people accessing piracy websites, largely due to lockdown-induced norms of staying at home and the digital pivot. According to a survey by cybersecurity and cloud service provider Akamai Technologies, the US is ranked first, and Russia is ranked second. Source: Mint

Viacom18 takes legal action against the piracy of “Laal Singh Chaddha” Read More »

Ratan Tata backs Goodfellows, India’s first startup for senior citizen companionship

/ Human Resource Community

Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons and a prominent supporter of startups, recently announced an undisclosed investment in a start-up that offers senior citizens companionship as a service. The newest investment by Tata has been disclosed in Shantanu Naidu’s start-up firm Goodfellows. Naidu has been employed by Tata since 2018. He is a graduate of Cornell University’s Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management and a general manager in Tata’s office. Ratan Tata and Shantanu both adore dogs and stray animals, and Shantanu founded a company called Motopaws to cater to them. Naidu estimates that 50 million elderly people live alone and without someone with whom to share their life. Naidu refers to the 84-year-old industrialist as his boss, mentor, and friend. Startup Goodfellows hires young people with emotional intelligence and sensitivity to serve as senior citizen companions. In order to make their days easier, they assist them with any task. Presently, 20 senior citizens in Mumbai are being assisted by Goodfellows companions. They intend to provide services in Bengaluru, Chennai, and Pune. The senior citizens must be visited three times per week, and companions are expected to stay with them for about four hours each time. After a one-month trial period, the company charges Rs 5000 as the base subscription fee for a month.

Ratan Tata backs Goodfellows, India’s first startup for senior citizen companionship Read More »

Education minister appeals to the citizens to participate in the survey for National Curriculum Framework

/ Education Community

Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Education Minister, urged people to take the survey for the national curriculum framework today on Twitter. According to the minister’s tweet, “A dynamic National Curriculum Framework in line with the NEP 2020 will play a major role in achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat.” Development of a vibrant, dynamic, inclusive, and futuristic National Curriculum Framework is essential, he continued, in order to blend cultural rootedness with a global vision, free education from the legacy of colonialism, and offer our future generations a stronger sense of pride. To broaden the scope of consultations surrounding the ongoing revision of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), on which new school textbooks will be developed, the Ministry of Education launched an online public survey in July 2022. Visit the website ncfsurvey.ncert.gov.in if you’re interested in sharing your thoughts on the NCF revision. The NCF is a thorough framework that offers suggestions for the things that have to be covered in the classroom. Ten multiple-choice questions (MCQs) covering subjects such “best ways to ensure that learning in classrooms is made more enjoyable” and “primary issues regarding curriculum content in textbooks that a new curriculum framework must address” must be answered by survey respondents. A brief write-up on how to “make school education more relevant, effective, and meaningful for learners” can also be submitted as part of the survey by participants.

Education minister appeals to the citizens to participate in the survey for National Curriculum Framework Read More »

Omicron-specific vaccine being developed by SII could be released by the end of the year: Report

/ Health & Wellness Community

An Omicron-specific vaccination is apparently being developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII), according to an NDTV report. The vaccine is being developed in collaboration with Novavax, according to SII Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla, who spoke to NDTV. Poonawalla added that the vaccine would only protect against the Omicron sub-variant BA5. Poonawalla says that SII may introduce the vaccine in India within the next six months. “Think this vaccine is important as a booster. Trials of Novavax are in progress in Australia currently. By November-December should be in a position to approach the US drug regulator,” Poonawalla was quoted as saying by NDTV.  The COVID-19 vaccine from AstraZeneca is made by SII, the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, and is sold under the brand name Covishield. A new Covid vaccine that targets the Omicron variant was approved earlier today by the UK, making it the first country to do so. The bivalent vaccine from Moderna, which targets both the original Covid strain and the Omicron variant, has received approval from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), according to the Daily Mirror. The “next generation” coronavirus booster shot has been approved for use in adults and may only need to be given once a year. The Moderna vaccine, also known as mRNA-1273.214, is an updated version that is currently used for first, second, and booster doses. This dose will be the first one to be authorised in the UK that specifically targets two strains of the virus.

Omicron-specific vaccine being developed by SII could be released by the end of the year: Report Read More »

IRDAI organizes a hackathon and invites innovative tech solutions for the insurance sector

/ Governance Community

To safeguard policyholder interests, the insurance industry’s regulatory body, IRDAI, has issued an invitation to companies to provide technologically advanced new solutions for automated death claim settlement, reducing miss-selling, and other components of the insurance ecosystem. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is accepting applications for Bima Manthan 2022, its first hackathon, with the topic “Innovation in Insurance.” The regulator stated in a statement that the hackathon “invites participants to explore and develop ideas that have the potential to make insurance available to every individual in a seamless and quick way with the use of technology and protecting the interests of the policyholders. In order to stop the miss-selling of insurance products, IRDAI has looked for creative ideas and tech-based solutions for automating death claim settlement. The regulator is also seeking technologically enabled solutions to identify uninsured motor vehicles, assure the issuing of necessary motor third party insurance, and technology-based distribution of insurance products, including microinsurance in “difficult terrains and less penetrable areas.” Another area chosen for Bima Manthan 2022 is the use of technology to reduce or prevent fraud in motor insurance. Participants in Bima Manthan 2022 will get the chance to showcase their creative solutions in front of a distinguished jury and compete for enticing rewards, according to IRDAI. In addition, Bima Manthan offers the winner the chance to work with an insurer (or insurers) on the winning project/platform, demo-day in front of insurers/intermediaries and other stakeholders, or direct entry into the IRDAI Regulatory Sandbox regime. The regulator said that registration for the hackathon begins on Tuesday.

IRDAI organizes a hackathon and invites innovative tech solutions for the insurance sector Read More »

Govt. is currently seeking to merge accreditation and ranking bodies after proposing the merger of JEE Main, NEET with CUET

/ Article/Stories
Putting puzzle

The union government is now keen on combining the accreditation (NAAC) and ranking (NBA) bodies after making a strong argument for the merger of national level engineering and medical entrances with the Common University Entrance Test (CUET-UG). The National Board of Accreditation, or NBA, is entrusted with accrediting only institutions of technical education, whereas the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, or NAAC, is the only government agency authorised to accredit universities and colleges. NBA is also responsible for publishing the NIRF, an annual ranking of higher education institutions. A committee headed by Bhushan Patwardhan, chairman of the executive committee of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), has been established by the Ministry of Education (MoE) to begin the process of developing a single accreditation and ranking system, one of the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP). The move is significant since it follows the recent announcement by UGC chairman Jagadesh Kumar regarding merging the NEET, JEE Main with CUET-UG exams. The government is also planning to combine AICTE and UGC into the Higher Education Commission of India, or HECI, a single, all-encompassing higher education regulator. The National Accreditation Council (NAC) is a meta-accrediting body that should be established, according to the NEP 2020. Presently higher education institutions are accredited and ranked by a variety of organisations and systems that function independently of one another. Technical programmes are accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA), whilst non-technical or general programmes are accredited by the NAAC. According to a source, the National Institute of Ranking Framework (NIRF) ranks all higher education institutions in India. The source also stated that the NEP envisions the formation of the National Advisory Council (NAC), a body that will ensure the coordinated operation of these bodies and align them with NEP goals. The committee is led by Patwardhan, a former vice-chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), and includes Dr. Surender Prasad, the former director of IIT Delhi, Indranil Manna, the vice chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology in Ranchi, K. N. Ganesh, professor, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Tirupati, B. J. Rao the vice chancellor of the Central University of Hyderabad, and Dr. Manju Singh (joint secretary, UGC). Singh will serve as the committee’s coordinator. The six-member committee will study the NIRF ranking system, NBA’s process for accreditation, and NAAC’s methodology for accreditation. Along with developing a framework to align the three to create the proposed NAC, it will suggest a suitable mechanism to enable communication between the bodies. According to the NEP, “accreditation of institutions will be based primarily on basic norms, public self-disclosure, good governance, and outcomes, and it will be carried out by an independent ecosystem of accrediting institutions supervised and overseen by NAC.”

Govt. is currently seeking to merge accreditation and ranking bodies after proposing the merger of JEE Main, NEET with CUET Read More »