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Monday, July 7, 2025 7:58 AM

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Pratima Sinha, CEO, DSR Education Society Hyderabad shares her views on the impact of NEP 2020 on the School education sector

It’s time we understand that change is inevitable and the need to change our mindset is very vital says Pratima Sinha, CEO, DSR Educational Society Hyderabad, with seven Birla Open Minds International and Preschools under its aegis in an interview with ArdorComm News Network (ANN). What initiatives did your prestigious schools carry out to enhance teaching training to deal with learning in the new normal? Teachers are the backbone of the school and imparting the right kind of education totally depends upon them. With the responsibility of giving unconditional support and guidance to a child, the teacher needs to be always on her toes, forward thinking, in touch with new practices, creative and innovative and ready to face any challenges. The humungous, unexpected and unprecedented challenge that the teachers faced during the pandemic shook the core of the Education System. Every School scrambled to ensure that the learning process shouldn’t get affected and on priority and at the top of the to do list was training of the teachers to teach them the use of technology to teach. For this we had to counsel the teachers very closely to change their mind set for the major change of shifting from physical to remote teaching. Motivate them to relook, review and change the curriculum, the lesson plans for smooth conduction of online classes. New strategies and tools to be adapted to give more and more authenticity to the teaching learning process. Every day there were sessions with the teachers to understand their improvement as well as any further challenges they may be facing. It was an intensive and constant monitoring process that was followed. Further on the need to give emotional stability to the teachers became a must. Teachers were working from the confines of their houses and managing home as well as work front. To give them the emotional strength, the confidence to feel that they are doing a wonderful job we initiated many webinar sessions By the teacher and For the teacher. These sessions made our teachers experts in researching, making presentations, conducting sessions using the best of technology. We ensured that teachers were part of pedagogical sessions that stressed on quality education through remote teaching. We also encouraged our teachers to participate in online competitions initiated by various organizations. This ensured that their competitive spirits remained high. Today I feel proud when my teachers are invited as speakers in various webinars and are conducting successful online classes with such elan and confidence. How do you think schools can utilize technology to face the challenges of the pandemic? Schools have absorbed the use of technology for remote teaching in totality and will continue to do so. New and more sophisticated tools are regularly introduced by tech companies which are being used to enhance teaching. These tools are used for better explanation, more experiential experience, interactive and integrated teaching, holding debates, discussions, giving assignments, conducting formative and summative assessment. As students are very comfortable in using technology, teachers are using it to their advantage by encouraging students to do self-directed learning through flip learning, project and problem-based learning. Students are encouraged to do research and make presentations. The activities mentioned in the school calendar whether it is Literary Fest, MUN, Science fares, competitions, hobbies, parent orientations, PTM to name a few have been conducted with great success using technology. Connecting students with their peers from across the globe, participation in competitions held globally, sharing best practices, their cultures and traditions have made the students more empathetic and open minded. Bringing in experts from various fields placed in different locales to interact with the students and give them an insight about their work has been possible only because of the use of technology. The possibilities are extensive and we understand the great need to invest in the use of technology in the teaching learning process not only during the pandemic but otherwise too. It is here to stay. How do you think the NEP will impact the school education sector? NEP has laid down very progressive plans for the school education sector and if implemented in the real sense and with sincerity we will be in par with any education system across the world. As educators we need to deeply look into the present system and reflect whether we are imparting the right education to our future generation. What we are teaching right now will it help them to sustain as confident individuals. It’s time we understand that change is inevitable and the need to change our mindset is very vital. The overall development that the student requires in terms of inter, intra and cognitive skills, conceptualized knowledge and its application, the life values, the aesthetic exposure is what we are looking at for our education system to provide. Education will take on a new meaning when we put aside the bookish knowledge, the rote learning, the grades and marks which are a huge burden on the student. I am looking forward to the positive approach in our school education system based on the NEP. What are the changes, do you think on the academic and operational side of school after the pandemic? Schools are reopening slowly offering both offline and online option to the students. Lot of preparations and backend work has gone into the reopening. Planning for COVID safety and prevention has been extensive as this is the prime concern. Schools have associated with corporate hospitals for emergency. Have created safety committees in the school to monitor and check the sanitizing facilities and regular sanitizing process. School infrastructure has been prepared as per government safety norms for reopening of schools. SOP created for safety measures keeping the WHO safety guidelines in mind. Lot of investment has gone into upgrading the technology available, safety material, posters and banners. All the staff members have been trained according to the COVID norms and the process to be followed in case of emergency. The School transport system also to follow detailed SOP

Pratima Sinha, CEO, DSR Education Society Hyderabad shares her views on the impact of NEP 2020 on the School education sector Read More »

Dr. Shrihari Prakash Honwad, President, Sir Padampat Singhania University, on Digital transformation of the Higher Education.

The “Sages on Stage” who transformed themselves into the “Guides on the Side” influences me the most says Dr. Shrihari Prakash Honwad, President, Sir Padampat Singhania University in an interview with ArdorComm News Network (ANN). How can Higher Education institutes leverage digital technologies to improve the employability of students? Employability is a net outcome of knowledge and skillsets. However, attitude, aptitude, and enterprise play a crucial role. Digital Technologies is a very generic term of a sea of technologies. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) have an important task of ensuring the employability of their graduates and making them global citizens. In both these tasks, I would say the digital world has been more than useful. In the future, it will play an important role. Students today can learn in diverse groups (albeit from home) and ensure a better learning environment. Today all transferable life skills and a few technical abilities are available online (synchronous and asynchronous), and with AI assistance, they can be personalised. How will companies of the future integrate technology into their operational systems to cater to a techno-centric workforce? The future is forcing all of us to be digital. Compared to academics, the industry has been welcoming to digital technology. Even in yesteryears, no-contact or remote working technologies such as SCADA and IOT have been adopted readily by the industry. The techno-centric workforce has tasted work from home, and the GIG-projectized groups find it a convenient model. All industries, with the exclusion of manufacturing, would prefer their workforce to be technologically connected. It saves real estate costs for the company. Very soon, going to an office will be unconnected phrases. Homes, on the other hand, may become more technologically integrated to accommodate the futuristic world. How can industry and academia collaborate to fulfil the goals set out by the NEP? Kindly share your valuable views. Several areas of collaboration exist. The NEP envisages a higher GER ratio, and in India, the cost of higher education is likely to increase. In the future, the education industry can collaborate and invest in either academia or students to create a workforce for its use. The education industry foresight and forecasting abilities can be made available in curriculum design and skill set deliveries. NEP foresees outcome-based education, and it can define and ensure the building of relevant outcomes in the future citizens and leaders. NEP emphasises vocational education, and the overall education industry must join hands with academia in realising this dream. The policy envisages banking of credits and intermediary exits (even if temporary). It is the education industry that can make such an exit meaningful and effective. Industry academia collaborations can be a boon for creating start-ups in campuses that feed into industry goals. Collaborations for research in campuses and training of faculty is old rhetoric that would never lose its relevance. What are some of the initiatives your prestigious university has implemented to build a connection between the students and industry? Sir Padampat Singhania University, Udaipur, has had a strong industry connection with Hitachi of Japan, where our students have gone in the past for internships. Our placement cell brings placements for the glorious success of our students. We are constantly co-creating and co-delivering curriculum, faculty immersion, student internships, new program developments, etc. thereby, enhancing student experiences. Our collaboration with Ecosol has given rise to ane-cycle giving our students and faculty an innovative experience. Several industries and entrepreneurs mentor our business incubator funded by the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises. In addition, we continue to have insightful expert sessions by industry leaders for our students. What influenced you the most in higher education in this challenging year? Kindly share your views. The year has seen many challenges with the most critical interface between students and faculty, the classroom, becoming inaccessible. Due to the positive attitude of all teachers, we overcame challenges such as technological illiteracy, lack of technological penetration, and in many cases, the inability to afford the technology. Our parents sacrificed a lot in overcoming these challenges in their fashion. Our students shifted their focus from Facebook and Instagram to adapt to a new way of learning. The medium for fun and entertainment suddenly became a medium for learning, arguably a less liked activity. Those who recognised the change successfully created a learning environment through multiple connections and engaging students in active learning. The “Sages on Stage” who transformed themselves into the “Guides on the Side” influences me the most. It is the resilient students who did not lose focus in these difficult times. It is the society at large which fought both pandemic and technological challenges that affected the future of our children that has been the elixir of my inspiration.

Dr. Shrihari Prakash Honwad, President, Sir Padampat Singhania University, on Digital transformation of the Higher Education. Read More »

Moulshree Dubey, CEO, PIETech emphasizes on the key learnings from the pandemic for the Higher Education.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are playing a major role in higher education learning says Moulshree Dubey, CEO, PIETech in an interview with ArdorComm News Network (ANN). Entrance exams play a very important role when it comes to technical education, what are the changes in admission patterns that can help students in simplifying admission in the coming time? The entrance examination and admission pattern in engineering education have already been altered by the AICTE in 2021, and according to the new rule book, it isn’t compulsory for students to have a physics and mathematics background in 12th grade. This new rule has created wider scope for engineering and for students to explore their capabilities in the technical field. But the various entrance examinations conducted at the state level or national level still account for physics, chemistry, and mathematics as the main topics for examination and admission process, this needs to be changed over a period of time to properly bring the new rule into action. The entrance examination now needs to provide freedom of selecting any three subjects of the following: mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics, computer science, business studies, engineering graphics, information science or entrepreneurship skills, etc. so that no barrier is imposed and the multidisciplinary outlook of the AICTE will take a proper structural alignment in the higher education sector. What are the research areas in technical education that needs to work upon in the coming time? In technical education, there are a lot of virgin areas that still need to be explored in a sustainable manner. We need to look beyond the traditional practices of various industries like construction, where we concrete bred people need to look beyond concrete and work on sustainable materials as the present scenario has already indicated us to find solutions that can combat climatic challenges and environmental issues. The other industries might include information science, graphics, mechatronics where we need to work in developing bridge courses to fill the gap between industry and academia. Research-based learning programs should be compulsorily run in technical institutions at the undergraduate level to hold their validity and relevance. Do you think research and development are getting required efforts by educational institutions and universities to meet up the market requirements? Research and development is the important driver of the growth of an institute which exponentially affects the economy of the country. We are still far behind the idea of getting proper acceleration to R&D at the institute level. The universities are putting varying efforts across the country which needs to be properly shaped in accordance with AICTE. R&D at the technical institute level can be split into applied and basic research areas at undergraduate programs, this will work towards bridging the gap and meeting the market requirements. At present, the R&D at the institute level doesn’t match up with the R&D at the industry level. The productivity of research at the institute level will greatly enhance its productivity at the industry level. Presently we rely on case studies from various industries in our research practices. What are the key learning from pandemic for higher education and what are new strategies you are planning to implement for your prestigious institution? Higher education has seen a wide range of innovative practices in online teaching and learning experiences. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are playing a major role in higher education learning. The faculties engaged themselves in finding creative solutions to impart learning with utmost care to hold the attention span of students online with still so much to offer towards creating best learning practices in technical institutes. Higher education comes with its own challenges as everything cannot be taught online especially engineering courses that includes practical exposure. I have strategized to create a new curriculum with a defined space framework and technical structure and segregate the applied learnings and abstract learnings.

Moulshree Dubey, CEO, PIETech emphasizes on the key learnings from the pandemic for the Higher Education. Read More »

Dr. Niyati Chitkara, Director-Schools, Chitkara International School, on the Digital transformation of Schools

CIS has been adopting various digital platforms, as a result of which even during the disconcerting pandemic situation, the school was able to provide unhindered education to its students says Dr. Niyati Chitkara, Director-Schools, Chitkara International School in an interview with ArdorComm News Network (ANN). What are the steps your school is taking to complement NEP 2020? Chitkara International School has instituted a functional system that is in line with the New Education Policy. In light of foregoing, for Secondary Stage, the school’s unique curriculum necessitates the amalgamation of co-curricular, technology with academics and for Middle Stage, multi-disciplinary education remains central. Further, a special emphasis is given towards imparting interaction based learning (to grades 3-5) and experiential learning (to pre-school to Grade 2) respectively complimenting the Preparatory Stage and Foundational Stage of NEP. Following a reversed integrated learning model i.e. University to Kindergarten & reverse Gamut of Education (PhD to Playway) and incorporating Theme-based Classrooms, Knowledge Walkways, Vocational Clubs, Green Windows, Career Walls, Fact Windows, Value Windows etc., CIS aims at making students Industry 4.0 ready. Various NEP2020 and SDGs orientation sessions are also conducted by school to acquaint the stakeholders with this policy and goals respectively. The school mechanisms also effectively ensure the constructive integration of Teacher Education, Student Education and Hybrid Education (a point strongly highlighted by the NEP 2020) through Chitkara University’s unique B.Ed Programme. How can educational institutions leverage Edtech tools to create more personalized learning experiences? Stretching from curriculum to infrastructure to Edtech tools, all the means should be merged towards the attainment of the unified aspiration of providing every student with individualized learning environment where the students learn at self pace and attain mastery in learning. In line with the same, CIS pays due heed to personalized learning and uses host of Edtech tools like Online Time table for ever student for home learning programme, Customizable App, Goal graph, Performance Planner, 24/7 Redressal System for Parents, Chitkara’s e- Teachware, BOOKtique App (a virtual reading space with range of exciting books to cater students), Padlet (an interactive learning tool that provides real-time collaborative platform to students to upload/ share content), Mentimeter (a tool that allows teachers to get real-time input through Live Polls, Quizzes, Word Clouds, Q&As and much more), Kahoot (a game-based learning platform, where “Kahoots” are the user-generated multiple-choice quizzes), Digital Behavioural Track, Career Trajectory, D etc. What are the benefits of digital media during online classes? Digital Media is an important part of education as at CIS we believe that the students should engage with the tools of their generation to collaborate, communicate and be the fabricators of technology and information. Since inception, CIS has been adopting various digital platforms, as a result of which even during the disconcerting pandemic situation, the school was able to provide unhindered education to its students. The school’s nervous system, SchoolPad enables the parents to watch their child develop social and academic skills day by day and know how well their child is being nurtured and inspired during online classes. For providing constant support and motivation, the outstanding achievements of the students, during the online classes are highlighted on the school’s social media handles under “Chitkara Gems” &“Moment of the Day”. Moreover, the school also conducts academic lessons, co-curricular activities, health sessions, counselling sessions, notebook checking sessions, celebratory events and squad lessons, utilising digital media. What strategic EdTech/ Industry/ Global partnerships have you led this year? Staying mindful of the need of instilling technology, research, professional and scientific skills in students, Chitkara International School leveraged its technological, industrial and international connect by organising various enlightening online events such as Coding Sessions (for Coding Skills), Skill-Building Boot Camp (for Soft/Professional Skills), Socialising Across Culture sessions with Italy and Australia, Educational & Industry Visits such as virtual visit to Korea’s Maruti Showroom, Diamond Challenge (for Entrepreneurial Skills) and Change-the-Game Sessions (for Industrial and Research Skills) for its students on the digital platform. While the Diamond Challenge enabled students to refine and exhibit their entrepreneurial skills via creativity and research, the Change-the-Game Sessions apprised them of latest Career trends. Further, the school also collaborated with Microsoft for the smooth conduction of online classes on Teams. What are the long-term objectives that you have planned for your school? The long-term objective of Chitkara International School is in line with its vision & mission statements and quality objectives. These all unanimously stand on providing quality skill-based education to Generation-Alpha and Generation-Z that is underpinned with innovative assessment framework, resourceful infrastructure, assuring learning and growth prospects, efficacious online communication system, hygienic learning environment, strong university, industry and global connect, thereby promising the inculcation of core employability and life skills. The school further aims at being a contributor to building a skilful society by promoting research, innovation and entrepreneurship in collaboration with industry, research laboratories and academic institutions of global repute. With the cumulative effect of an elaborate in-campus academic infrastructure; strong national and international collaborations; we further wish to open a chain of schools in furtherance of our vision and mission of imparting quality education and nurturing environment that enables every student to achieve his/her very best.

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Singapore Govt. amends retirement age to 65

On November 2, the Singapore government passed a bill to correct the Retirement and Re-employment Act, raising the retirement and re-business ages to 65 and 70, separately. The move will permit more seasoned individuals to work for additional years, however doesn’t compel them to do as such. It is altogether up to the actual specialists how long they wish to function prior to resigning. This correction comes after a suggestion by the Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers in 2019, for the retirement and re-business ages to be expanded by three years, by 2030. As declared before, the legal retirement age and re-business age will be raised to 63 from 62 and from 67 to 68, individually, on Jul 1, 2022. The public area has effectively carried out it on Jul 1. Like in China, there will be a steady augmentation in these ages, in stages. The legal retirement age is, notwithstanding, needed to ensure against bosses firing matured workers. Bosses should propose to re-enlist laborers as old as 68 in a similar foundation. Managers who wish to permit their representatives to fill in as long as they wish will be free to do as such. The normal powerful retirement age has gone up quicker in Singapore than the Organization for Economic Co-activity and Development (OECD) normal. In ten years’ time, it is anticipated that one of every five residents of Singapore will be over 65, on account of the low fruitfulness rates and expanding future. Source: HRKatha

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Hybrid Learning: The Future of Education

With the ascent of education technology, schools have embraced instructing techniques that veer from the average classroom environment. Distance learning is being utilized at a worldwide scale, and numerous educational foundations are beginning to carry out hybrid learning models. What Is Hybrid Learning? Hybrid learning is an educational model where a few students go to class face to face, while others join the class basically from home. Instructors show remote and in-person students simultaneously utilizing apparatuses like video conferencing equipment and programming. Sometimes, hybrid classes incorporate non concurrent learning components, as online activities and pre-recorded video guidance, to help eye-to-eye classroom meetings. At the point when arranged well, hybrid courses join the best parts of face to face and web based learning while at the same time making education more feasible for some students. For hybrid learning to be fruitful, the components of your hybrid course should be custom-made to the learning design, regardless of whether it be face to face or on the web. Hybrid versus Blended Learning Hybrid learning and blended learning can regularly be confused with each other, and both contain a large number of similar informative components. Notwithstanding, both are two particular learning models. Blended learning joins face to face educating with non concurrent learning strategies, where students work on web-based activities and watch informative recordings during their own time. Hybrid learning is a showing technique where educators train face to face and far off students simultaneously. In hybrid learning models, non concurrent showing techniques can be utilized to enhance simultaneous, up close and personal guidance. Hybrid Learning Consortium The Hybrid Learning Consortium is a worldwide learning local area of free schools that creates online courses for center and upper school students. The HLC accepts that web based learning is setting down deep roots, however up close and personal learning won’t ever stop to be pertinent. By making on the web academic encounters that are similarly pretty much as open as classroom illustrations, HLC accepts the undiscovered conceivable outcomes of hybrid learning. With joining forces schools all throughout the planet, students are presented to instructors and cohorts with a generally impossible perspective. Advantages of Hybrid Learning Both up close and personal and web based learning have their advantages and shortcomings. The objective of hybrid learning is to consolidate the two arrangements to make a particular learning experience with practically no shaky areas. The advantages of hybrid learning are: An adaptable learning experience: Many schools change to hybrid learning for adaptability: an adaptable learning plan, adaptability in showing modes, adaptability in how students draw in with their learning materials, and adaptability in joint effort and correspondence among peers and their educator. For students who can’t go to classes face to face, the hybrid learning environment permits them to gain from a distance from home. Simultaneous correspondence openings: Not many learning encounters match the instantaneousness and closeness of in-person academic conversations. The eye to eye part of hybrid learning benefits from the chance for continuous commitment between peers. This time is best utilized for coordinated gathering work, introductions with a Q&A piece, and profound discussions. Exploit the in-person time you have together to shape significant, academic connections, and afterward take those connections on the web. The opportunity of free academic investigation: Web based learning accompanies numerous opportunities. Those students who dominate at self-administration and autonomous learning will flourish under these opportunities: the opportunity to gain from the area fitting their personal preference, the opportunity to return to materials quite a few times at any speed, and the opportunity to foster an inside and out non concurrent talk with your friends. More productive utilization of assets: Very much like when you go to a gathering that you know might have been an email, it tends to be disappointing to go to an in-person class where every one of the students are accomplishing individual virtual work. When arranging your prospectus and planning which classes will occur on the web and which are eye to eye, consider what assets you will require for every illustration and plan appropriately, streamlining the utilization of assets. Hybrid Learning Model Class Structure While organizing your new hybrid course, make certain to give yourself plentiful opportunity to design your materials and exercises. The focal point of preparation a hybrid class is to ensure that every task is done in the right configuration, rather than a stringently face to face or online class where you know the mechanism of every task.

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India and World Bank signs a deal to strengthen health systems in Meghalaya

The Indian government and the World Bank have signed a $40 million project to improve the quality of health services in Meghalaya and strengthen the state’s capacity to handle future health emergencies, including the covid-19 pandemic. The Meghalaya Health Systems Strengthening Project will enhance the management and governance capabilities of the state and its health facilities; expand the design and coverage of the state’s health insurance program; improve the quality of health services through certification and better human resource systems; and enable efficient access to medicines and diagnostics. The finance ministry in a statement said, “All 11 districts of the state will benefit from the project. It will also benefit health sector staff at the primary and secondary levels by strengthening their planning and management capabilities and building their clinical skills. The project will enable women to better utilize healthcare services at the community level,” The finance ministry further said strengthening and expanding health care systems is a priority for the government and the project will enhance the management and quality of health services in the state. “It will also help expand the coverage of health services and make it accessible and affordable to the poor and vulnerable in the state,” it added. The agreement was signed by Rajat Kumar Mishra, additional secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the government of India, Ramkumar S, Joint Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare on behalf of the Government of Meghalaya; and Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, India on behalf of the World Bank. The project will help strengthen the effectiveness of Meghalaya’s health insurance program known as the Megha Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) – which currently covers 56% of the households. With its merger into the national Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY), MHIS now plans to offer a more comprehensive package and cover 100% of the households. “This will reduce barriers to accessing hospital services and preventing catastrophic out-of-pocket costs for poor families,” the finance ministry said. Improved health services may also lead to an incremental increase in bio-medical waste. Any improper management of wastes including bio-medical waste and other hazardous wastes such as plastic waste and e-waste poses environmental risks. The project will invest in improving the overall ecosystem for bio-medical waste management (both solid and liquid waste). It will include segregation, disinfection, and collection while safeguarding the environment and improving the quality of health service and patient safety. Source: Mint

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Good governance must percolate down to the lowest level: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday emphasised that good governance must percolate right down to the bottom level, according to an official statement. Presiding over the 67th annual meeting of general body of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) here through video-conferencing, he said that the govt. has been making policies and designing programmes that are intended to enhance the standard of living of the people by fast-tracking development. Naidu said the IIPA, as a premier institution dedicated to the idea and practice of public administration, must play a pivotal role in bridging the capacity gaps within the delivery system, said the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry. “IIPA is a fit organization to catalyse the new wave of governance reforms in the country,” he added. Referring to the varied initiatives by the govt., like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Ayushman Bharat and also the recently announced 100 lakh crore national infrastructure master plan ‘Gati Shakti’, Naidu said India is clearly on a transformative path. “We are focusing on people, their hopes and aspirations, their needs and entitlements, their duties and responsibilities. We are making each Indian an active agent of social change,” he added. The government is involving the private sector and also the civil society in a very big way as partners in shaping the India of tomorrow, he said. In his address, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said that during a landmark decision, the IIPA membership, which was earlier open only to retired officers, has now been thrown open even to the serving officers. The government, he said, will train 2 crore government servants from top to bottom and not only the top civil servants for capacity-building of civil servants. He said that despite the crippling effects of COVID-19, IIPA has not only being successful in conducting 66 training programme in 2020-21 and trained 8,353 officials, but it’s also completed 60 research studies and conducted 46 webinars on topics of current relevance, the statement said. Source: PIB

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Delhi schools reopen for all classes with 50 pc capacity from today.

The schools in Delhi resume for all classes with 50% limit from Monday after the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be less serious. As per the Directorate of Education circular, heads of schools ought to guarantee that students go to the school only with parental consent. It is to guarantee that close to 50 percent of the students to be called to schools. As the circular mentioned, the time table is to be made as per the capacity/occupancy limit of the classrooms/Labs following COVID appropriate behavior. Since the circumstance differs from one school to another, the school timetable might be stumbled to try not to swarm in the study halls and at the school’s fundamental passageway/leave door. The mid-day breaks may likewise be stumbled to abstain from swarming. The blended mode of teaching learning process (online and offline) ought to be proceeded, according to the circular. Coronavirus Appropriate Behavior (CAB) ought to be completely continued in all schools, as indicated by the circular. “District Administration should be requested to properly cordon off the area of the vaccination/ration distribution/ testing centres running in schools to prevent intermingling of students with persons visiting these centres. In case, it is not possible to segregate such centres from the school, the District Authorities may be requested to shift such centres to any other suitable location. Further, the District Administration may be requested not to deploy teachers in COVID duties as they will be required in teaching-learning activities,” the circular said. Schools in the national capital re-opened for classes IX to XII on September 1 after a drawn out conclusion because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: Hindustan Times

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Nawazuddin Siddiqui quits OTT platforms says it’s become a dumping ground for redundant shows.

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui will quit working in productions made for the OTT platforms. He called the online platforms ‘a dumping ground for redundant shows’. In the past few years, there has been a surge in content on streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime, Hotstar and Netflix. Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who was recently nominated in the Best Actor category at the International Emmy Awards for his role in Netflix’s Serious Men, has quit OTT platforms. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, the actor revealed the same and said, “The platform has become a dumping ground for redundant shows. We either have shows that don’t deserve to be seen in the first place. Or sequels to shows that have nothing more to say.” Nawazuddin further talked about why he decided to not work in shows on digital platforms and what changed post he starred in Netflix’s Sacred Games. “When I did Sacred Games for Netflix, there was an excitement and challenge around the digital medium. New talent was being given a chance Now that freshness is gone,” said the actor. He added, “It’s become dhanda (racket) for big production houses and actors who are now so-called stars on the OTT platform. Major film producers in Bollywood have cut lucrative deals with all the big players in the OTT field. Producers get whopping amounts to create unlimited content. Quantity has killed quality.” Nawazuddin Siddiqui now finds shows on OTT platforms ‘unbearable’. “When I can’t bear to watch them how can I bear to be in them? Yeh star system bade parde ko kha gaya (this star system killed the big screen). Now we have so-called stars on OTT claiming big money and throwing tantrums like Bollywood A-listers. They forget content is king. Woh zamana chala gaya when stars ruled. Before this lockdown and the digital domination, A-listers would release their films in 3,000 theatres across the country. People had no choice but to see them. Now they have unlimited choices,” concluded the actor. Source: India Today

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