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The Lok Sabha was informed on Monday that there is no lack of principals and teachers in Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country. According to the Ministry of Education, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), an autonomous body that operates KVs across the country, has carried out a rationalisation effort to ensure the availability of an adequate number of regular teachers in the school. Annapurna Devi, Union Minister of State for Education, provided the information in a written reply in Lok Sabha. “There is no such shortage of principals and teachers as teachers are regularly engaged on contractual basis pending regular recruitment, for which advertisement has been issued recently. Also, KVS has carried out a rationalisation exercise for ensuring availability of adequate number of regular teachers in the school,” she said. Responding to a question about whether there was no scheme for career progression or a transfer policy, which resulted in many employees spending five to seven years at distant locations and complaining of “policy paralysis,” Devi stated that there are notified schemes for career progression and transfer guidelines for all categories of employees in KVS. “There is no policy paralysis and KVS has been actively making special efforts to address learning loss arising from the pandemic. Such learning recovery measures, depending on the requirements of the students include remedial measures taken to address the problem and difficult areas of each student, extra classes, assigning expert teachers for personalised attention, parental engagement, use of technology and specific instructional material and worksheet and workbooks to address the specific learning requirements of students,” Devi stated. The Minister also denied that some principals were bitter and frustrated, and alleged that there was “employee unrest” because some of them were forced to work double shifts.  “No such matter has been reported,” she stated. Source: PTI

According to the draft guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC), students would be able to obtain an undergraduate “honours” degree after completing four years rather than three. On Monday, the draft ‘curriculum and credit framework for four-year undergraduate programmes’ prepared in compliance with National Education Policy is expected to be notified. “Students will be able to get a UG degree in three years on completion of 120 credits (measured through the number of academic hours) and a UG honours degree in four years on completion of 160 credits. “If they wish to go for a research specialisation, they will have to undertake a research project in their four-year course. This will get them an Honours degree with research specialisation,” the draft read. “Students who have already enrolled and are pursuing a three-year UG programme as per the existing Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) are eligible to pursue a four-year undergraduate programme. The university may provide bridge courses (including online) to enable them to transition to the extended programme,” it noted. Students currently receive an honours degree after completing three years of undergraduate studies. The Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) also provides students with several entry and exit points. If they leave before three years, they will be allowed to return within three years of their leave and must complete their degree within a seven-year term. According to the document, the FYUP curriculum should include major and minor stream courses, courses from other disciplines, language courses, skill courses, and a set of courses on environmental education, understanding India, digital and technical solutions, health and wellness, yoga education, and sports and fitness. Students can choose to continue with their present major or change their major at the end of the second semester. Students will also have the option of pursuing a UG with a single or double major. “A student has to secure a minimum of 50 per cent credits from the major discipline for the 3-year/4-year UG degree to be awarded a single major,” the document stated. Source: PTI

Delhi University has decided to increase the number of students in a lecture by around 50 to 60% per batch, a move that has been opposed by teachers. According to the university’s new plan, the number of students in tutorials would triple. The resolution was passed by the university’s Executive Council on Thursday, with two EC members dissenting, claiming that the effort to raise the student-teacher ratio will have an impact on the quality of education. According to EC member Seema Das, the DU has set a cap of 60 students each batch for lectures, 30 for tutorials, and 25 for practical classes in undergraduate programmes. Previously, the number of students in lectures in graduate courses was set at 40, while the number of students in tutorial and practical sessions was set at 8 to 10 and 15 respectively. Postgraduate courses have 50, 25, and 15-20 students per batch, accordingly. On November 11, the university issued a notification to colleges in this regard. “The Executive Council accorded its approval regarding uniformity in the teacher-student ratio in all the programmes and courses being offered by the university and its colleges, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels vide the notification,” Das added. Several teachers’ bodies have spoken out against the notification, citing “bigger-than-ideal” batch sizes. The dissenting members have stated that the November 11 notification will have a negative impact on the quality of learning at colleges and university departments. Registrar Vikas Gupta stated in the notification that the regulation was created to provide uniformity in teacher-student ratios across all of the university’s programmes. According to the dissenting members, increasing the tutorial group size to 30 students for UG courses and 25 for PG courses “negates” the concept of small group interaction and denies students the ability to gain a deeper knowledge and clarify their doubts. Source: PTI

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan invited students, teachers, and parents to the sixth edition of “Pariksha Pe Charcha” on Tuesday. Pariksha Pe Charcha will be held in a town hall format this year at the Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi in January 2023. The Union minister tweeted that “exam warriors” would be given a mantra to help them relax and succeed. दूर होगा #ExamWarriors का परीक्षा का डर, मिलेगा तनाव से मुक्ति और सफलता का मंत्र। परीक्षा के लिए और अधिक तैयार होने के लिए बनिए प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी की परीक्षा पे चर्चा 2023 का हिस्सा। आज ही रजिस्टर करेः https://t.co/mmOSAxKl4Q #PPC2023 pic.twitter.com/wtanwlNjsX — Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) December 6, 2022 Students interested in participating in Pariksha Pe Charcha should register at innovateindia.mygov.in/ppc-2023 and compete in the creative writing competition based on the following themes: Know your freedom fighters Our culture is our pride My book my inspiration Save Environment for future generations My life, my health My startup dream STEM education/ education without boundaries Toys and Games for Learning in Schools To be a part of the PPC 2023 programme, teachers and parents must participate in a creative writing competition. Five themes are for instructors, and three are for parents. Around 2050 students, teachers, and parents chosen through MyGov competitions may get PPC Kits and a certificate of appreciation from NCERT’s director.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi had its 10th convocation, with 462 students graduating (348 male and 114 female). This year, the institute granted 64 PhDs, the greatest number of PhDs conferred in an academic year at IIT Mandi to date. The institute has experienced an increase in the number of female students graduating from various programmes. This year, IIT Mandi graduated 33 female students in undergraduate programmes, 49 in postgraduate and master’s programmes, 28 in PhD programmes, and four in iPhD programmes, exceeding prior years’ numbers. The chief guest was Prof Stuart R Hameroff of the University of Arizona in the United States. The honorees included Akhilesh Gupta, Secretary, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), New Delhi; Kingshuk Banerjee, Director, Hitachi India Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru; and Woochan Chang, Director, KOICA India, New Delhi. “I wish my heartiest greetings to all our graduating students,” stated Prof Laxmidhar Behera, Director of IIT Mandi. “They will become the torch bearer of the Institute. I am sure that their professional competencies and uncompromising character will empower them to lead the society in various ways. Their success will also be the success of IIT Mandi.” “In the coming years, my focus will be to encourage faculty members and research scholars to publish impactful research works that are at par with the best Universities across the world. We must be solving real-live problems around us that will impact the lives of the people around. To encourage the research ecosystem, we have raised the seed grant to faculty members from 5 lakh to15 lakh,” he said.

M Jagadesh Kumar, Chairperson of the UGC, said that India has begun its G20 presidency with a programme called ‘University Connect,’ in which students from universities around the country would engage with one another. “During India’s G20 presidency, students of several universities will create awareness about the importance of the G20 presidency and how India can be a role model for the rest of the world through its G20 Presidency of healing, harmony, and hope,” Kumar said. “It is wonderful that India began today its G20 presidency journey with “University Connect” by engaging with students of universities across the country, he added. On December 1, India formally assumed the G20 presidency, with a focus on counter-terrorism and “unity” in addressing global concerns such as the economic slump and climate crisis. Read: India’s G20 Presidency begins today with focus on forging unity “Our students will also be ambassadors of our country in showcasing to the visiting G20 members the rapid, inclusive developmental progress that India is going through,” the head of the University Grants Commission (UGC) stated. The G20, or Group of 20, is an intergovernmental forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union comprise the group. Source: PTI

Following in the footsteps of the last five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha,’ an interactive session with students taking board examinations this year. The ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ programme was announced on the Ministry of Education’s official Twitter account. The registration process for participating in the interaction is now open, with the deadline of December 25. Students who are interested can register at innovateindia.mygov.in/ppc-2023. In addition to students, parents and teachers are welcome to attend the event. The most-awaited interaction is here! Get ready for #ParikshaPeCharcha2023. Participate in #PPC2023 activities and have a chance to connect directly with Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi. Visit: https://t.co/PpA2Mja27s #ExamWarriors pic.twitter.com/q30yKFYRYX — Ministry of Education (@EduMinOfIndia) November 28, 2022 “Know the mantra to overcome your fears & celebrate exams like festivals! Take part in #PPC2023 activities & stand a chance to interact directly with Hon’ble PM,” the Twitter notification reads. Students from grades 9 to 12 are eligible to take part. The Ministry of Education will provide PPC Kits to around 2050 students, teachers, and parents who are chosen through competitions on MyGov.

Punjab will become a global hub of medical education, said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday after inspecting the site of a new medical college in the district. According to an official announcement, he stated that the medical college, which would be built on 20 acres of land at a cost of 428.69 crore, will be named after Guru Nanak Dev. The design has been finalised, and work on this huge project will begin soon, according to the chief minister. He stated that since a large number of students from various states will attend this college, a hostel facility as well as a 300-bed hospital will be built. The Punjab government has decided to build 16 medical colleges over the next five years, bringing the total number of such institutions in the state to 25, according to Mann. The foundation stone for the Sant Attar Singh State Institute of Medical Sciences in Sangrur’s Mastuana Sahib had already been set, and work on two medical colleges in Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur will begin soon, he said. Students wishing to continue medical education would no longer have to travel to nations such as Ukraine, according to the Punjab chief minister, because they will receive quality medical education here. He accused previous governments of not paying attention to medical education and claimed that the AAP government’s primary focus areas are health, education, power, and clean water. Mann reiterated that the state government is entirely dedicated to maintaining Punjab’s hard-won peace, and that strenuous measures are being taken to discourage gun culture, and that police personnel have been told not to spare anyone uttering hate speeches. Mann later visited the site of a future medical college in Hoshiarpur, which will be named after martyr Shaheed Udham Singh. He stated that the medical college will be built on around 23 acres of land at a total cost of 418.3 crore.

In a first-of-its-kind project in the country, as many as 240 government schools in Kerala will soon install weather stations, recording daily variations in weather conditions in the state. The project is part of an effort to train the next generation about climate change and how to take the required precautions in the wake of frequent natural disasters such as floods in the southern state. On Friday, General Education Minister V Sivankutty inaugurated the unique project at the district level in Kozhikode at the Kayanna Government Higher Secondary School. During the occasion, he stated that the General Education Department has already begun the process of installing weather monitoring stations in 240 schools around the state, which is a first-of-its-kind effort in the country. Students would gain firsthand experience and understanding of what they had learnt in weather textbooks through such centres. “Daily changes in atmospheric conditions will be monitored and recorded through the school weather stations. Thus, every child can be made a weather observer… the data collected will be used for further research,” he said. Each school weather station would include 13 instruments such as a rain gauge, thermometer, and weather data bank. Weather stations are being installed in 18 government higher secondary schools in Kozhikode, where geography is an optional subject. Children would record the amount of rain that fell in the area, the wind speed, and the atmospheric pressure in a special chart. The data gathered from the school weather stations would be recorded by the students themselves in a separate chart. The ministers also stated that special training would be provided to geography students and teachers as a part of the project.

Amazon India announced on Thursday that less than two years after its inception, it would discontinue its online learning platform for students in the country’s high schools starting in August 2023. The Amazon Academy platform was launched in January of last year to assist students in their JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) preparation. Those enrolled in the current academic session will receive a full refund, according to the e-commerce giant. The platform was introduced at a time when virtual learning was experiencing a boom due to the coronavirus pandemic. The JEE exam, which grants admission to the best engineering colleges in India, was one of the competitive exams for which Amazon Academy provided coaching. The largest online retailer in the world announced in a statement that it has determined to stop Amazon Academy “in a phased manner to take care of current customers” based on an assessment. Customers will get access to the entire course material online for an additional period of one year, or until October 2024, according to the company. For those preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), the company also partnered with the education group Sri Chaitanya to introduce full syllabus courses. The winding down comes as numerous edtech companies are struggling to keep up with the demand as schools and coaching facilities reopen across India following lockdowns brought on by the coronavirus. Byju’s, a key player in edtech, announced in October that it would layoff 2,500 employees as it works to become profitable. Earlier this year, layoffs were also announced by a number of other players, including Unacademy, Toppr, WhiteHat Jr., and Vedantu.