Education Community

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduates (NEET-PG), which is slated for April to May of 2023, may be the last of its kind because, according to officials, final-year MBBS students will now be admitted to PG medical programmes based on the results of the National Exit Test. The National Medical Commission (NMC) is believed to have informed the Union Health Ministry in a high-level meeting held on Monday that it aims to hold the National Exit Test (NExT) in December 2023, official sources stated on Wednesday. MBBS students from the 2019–2020 batch will be required to take the test if it’s held in December 2023. According to them, the exam’s results would also be used to determine admission for students in the 2024–2025 batch to postgraduate medical programmes. The NMC Act states that NExT will function as a common final-year MBBS qualifying exam, a licentiate exam for the practise of contemporary medicine, a merit-based admissions exam for postgraduate courses, and a screening exam for foreign medical graduates who wish to practise in India. The administration extended the deadline for conducting NExT until September 2024 by invoking the pertinent NMC Act provisions in September. Within three years of it going into effect, the commission was required by law to perform a common undergraduate final-year medical examination, known as NExT.  In September 2020, the Act became effective. The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences may conduct the test in place of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, according to the sources, although no decision has been made in this regard. Officials stated that in order to conduct NExT, preparations must be made, including developing the modalities, curriculum, type, and pattern of the exam. They also added that students must be given enough time to prepare. Before the main test, practise exams would need to be administered. According to officials, NExT is significant because it will be the same for everyone, regardless of where they received their training—in India or elsewhere in the world—and will thereby address the issue of mutual recognition for foreign medical graduates. Source: PTI

In order to maintain student interest in the school and ensure attendance, a government-run primary school in a village in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra has developed creative strategies. There are only 50 students and two teachers enrolled in the zilla parishad-run primary school in the Babuwadi-Chartha village. Nearly 45 kilometres separate the village’s location on a hill from the district office. The school, which serves students up to Class 5, has adopted a number of unique initiatives over the years to inculcate social responsibility in children, ensure that they take care of the school’s surroundings, and encourage them to do well in their studies. Children have grown to appreciate the school due of its initiatives, whether it is helping their teachers clean the school every morning, planting saplings, or enjoying “no bag” days. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted students’ study habits, according to the school’s headmaster Sudhir Tupe, who was speaking about the most recent “smile badge” initiative. To encourage children to complete their homework, the smile badge was launched. He added that a committee of students has been formed to examine the homework each day. Children who complete their homework win the badge and wear it during class. Every day at 9.30 am, school starts. To help teachers clean the premises, however, children arrive a half-hour early, according to Tupe, who spoke to PTI. ‘No bag’ days have been observed for the past four to five years in an effort to keep students interested in attending class. “On no-bag days, we do some gardening, yoga and other fun activities. This has helped improve attendance and children love to come to school because of it,” he said. According to Tupe, the school has also started a plantation programme to keep the area around the school green. Since 2013, we have planted over 60 saplings on the school grounds. Every day, students water the trees on their walk home after saving some water in their water bottles, according to Tupe. On the academic front, he said that 15 students have received scholarships since 2017, and three students from the school have been admitted to Navodaya Vidyalayas. The school’s initiatives, according to Zilla Parishad education officer Jayashree Chavan, were distinctive, and some of them were adopted by other schools in the district. Source: PTI

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s broader higher education policies are reflected in the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) today’s announcement of revised regulations for institutions that are deemed to be universities. Multidisciplinary institutions with at least five departments (either UG/ PG/ integrated/ research or a combination of these) or a cluster of institutions with at least five departments that are all located in the same city or town will be eligible to apply for Deemed University status under the revised regulations. The NAAC “A” grade with at least a 3.01 CGPA for three consecutive cycles, NBA accreditation for two-thirds of eligible programmes for three consecutive cycles, ranking in the top 50 of any given NIRF category for the previous three years continuously, or ranking in the top 100 of the overall NIRF ranking for the previous three years continuously, are additional requirements for eligibility. The “De Novo” category has been replaced with the “distinct institution” category, which exempts any institutes that qualify as “distinct” from having to adhere to NAAC requirements. In accordance with the new regulations, UGC, not the Ministry of Education (MoE), will henceforth approve any off-campus center(s). Deemed universities will now be able to create their own off-shore campus center(s), as long as they comply with UGC rules. It has been made clear, nonetheless, that admissions will be based on performance in the government-conducted entrance exam, and the fees will be set transparently while considering non-profit/non-commercial features. For any violations, a system of graded penalties has now been implemented. These include a public warning, a prohibition on expansion, and the shutdown of programmes, departments, or off-campus(es) locations. The status of considered university will be revoked in the event of continued violations.

On behalf of the Indian Ministry of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, signed an MoU with FIFA and the All India Football Federation for the “Football4Schools” initiative. Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, and Kalyan Chaubey, the president of the All India Football Federation, respectively, signed the Memorandum of Understanding. Nisith Pramanik, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Youth Affairs, and Sports, Deepak Kesarkar, Minister of School Education and Marathi Language in Maharashtra, Commissioner of the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti Shri Vinayak Garg, and officials of the All India Football Federation were also present. Speaking at the event, Pradhan said that the Football4Schools initiative upholds the NEP 2020 spirit and that sports have been given a prominent place in the NEP 2020. The Football4Schools programme is a step towards implementing Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s goal of making sports a way of life and creating well-rounded citizens, he continued. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has placed focus on mainstreaming sports with education. He expressed his happiness that FIFA, the All India Football Federation, and the Ministry of Education, GoI are working together to promote football and give the young students important life skills through this MoU on the sidelines of the U-17 World Cup. Football is a hugely popular sport, and the Football4Schools initiative uses it as a motivating tool to encourage children and assure their overall development, according to Shri Pradhan. He added that through sports-integrated learning, “Football4Schools” aspires to empower 25 million young boys and girls in India.

A certification programme on Public and Corporate Leadership in the VUCA World was been launched through a collaboration between the Indian Institute of Management, Indore and the edtech company Jaro Education. The IIM Indore faculty will deliver the lectures. A variety of lectures, case studies, projects, term papers, assignments, and other activities will be included in the certification programme. Applications for the course are currently being accepted, and courses will begin in December 2022 and end in September 2023. In order to lead in the VUCA world—vulnerability, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity—experts intend to upskill professionals and public figures through this programme. A wide range of social science disciplines, including psychology, political sociology, public policy, and international relations, will be emphasized in the programme, which will highlight various facets of public administration. Applicants must be entrepreneurs or working professionals with three years of experience. They must possess a diploma (10+2+3), a bachelor’s degree, or a postgraduate degree in any discipline with a minimum grade of 50%. The course intends to aid managers in comprehending the idea of political risks and areas, as well as their progress in the past and future, and to provide competent frameworks and methods for managing political risk. After completing the programme, managers will be able to evaluate political risks in various circumstances, identify blind spots, and take the necessary action to resolve the problem. The three-day immersive campus experience is part of the Corporate and Public Leadership Programme in VUCA World. Direct-to-device (D2D) mode will be used to deliver more than 75 hours of education at the same time through the Jaro Education learning experience platform. Interested candidates can register at the official website, landingpages.jaroeducation.com, for the eight-month certification programme.

The DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence was established in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur. Students can undertake focused research in a variety of fields with the aid of the recently established Centre of Excellence. In the presence of Rajnath Singh, the nation’s defence minister, Prof. Santanu Chaudhary, director of the IIT Jodhpur, and Secretary of the DRDO, exchanged a memorandum of understanding in Gandhinagar. The DRDO-funded Centre of Excellence at IIT Jodhpur will conduct directed research in the sectors that the two organisations have jointly identified. According to a statement released by the Institute, the research would be conducted by IIT Jodhpur faculty and students in partnership with various DRDO laboratories as well as industry, other academic/research institutions, and industry. Additionally, the Centre of Excellence will focus on doing focused research in the identified sectors, such as Artificial Intelligence for Information and Wargaming Technologies, Futuristic Omni Mobility Systems, and Desert Welfare Technologies. Additionally, the Center will carry out activities in science and technology that have been selected by DRDO. According to a press statement, the Director of the Center will be chosen by the Center’s Governing Council, which is co-chaired by the Director of IIT Jodhpur and is presided over by the Chairman of the DRDO.

According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the 5G telecom service will advance the nation’s educational system beyond “smart facilities, smart classrooms, and smart teachings” by utilising the most recent technological advancements. Additionally, he said that the New Education Policy (NEP) will free the nation from its “slave mentality” toward the English language. The Mission Schools of Excellence programme of the Gujarat government had just been unveiled in Adalaj town, Gandhinagar district, when the prime minister made his remarks. He emphasised that even though English is merely a language used for communication, it is still thought to be a sign of intellectualism. By constructing brand-new classrooms, smart classrooms, computer laboratories, and generally upgrading the infrastructure of schools in the state, the Mission will assist Gujarat in bolstering its educational infrastructure. “Recently-launched 5G service will go beyond smart facilities, smart classrooms, and smart teachings. It will take our education system to the next level,” the Prime Minister said. With the aid of the 5G service, he said, students may now experiment with virtual reality, the Internet of Things, and other cutting-edge technology in their classrooms. The PM also pushed for the use of regional languages to ensure that individuals who find English difficult are not left behind. “Earlier, knowledge of the English language was considered a criterion of being intellectual. In reality, the English language is just a medium of communication. This language barrier was a hindrance. Many young talents from villages could not become doctors and engineers because they were not well-versed in English,” he said. Young people now have the choice to pursue studies in different languages, according to the prime minister. “We aim to ensure that children of poor parents become doctors and engineers even if they are not educated in English (medium). We want to ensure that no one is left behind due to the lack of the English language,” PM Modi said, adding the “New Education Policy of the Centre will pull the country out from this slave mentality surrounding the English language”. Source: PTI

The “centenary chance examination” for college dropouts to finish their courses at Delhi University (DU) began on Sunday. D S Rawat, the dean of examinations at DU, said the tests are being held in two shifts and that so far, attendance has been “good.” Due to DU’s year-long centenary celebrations, which began on May 1, the dropouts have been given this one chance. “The centenary chance examination has begun. All the arrangements were made carefully and the exams are being conducted smoothly,” Rawat said. On the exam day, more than 1,850 students are expected to show up. For the examinations, more than 8,560 candidates had submitted applications. On Sunday, the exams would be given in two shifts. Both the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Sciences are conducting the exams. There will be 18 papers up for assessment in each shift, according to Rawat. The maximum number of papers for examinations administered annually is four, and the maximum number of papers for tests administered semester by semester is eight. It won’t be used for internal evaluation; instead, it will be used for a theory and practical examination. The exams will take place between October 16 and November 9. The DU had previously announced in May that students who left college in their final year could sign up for this one opportunity to take the exam and finish their course. The university will conduct further exams in March of the next year. Source: PTI

IISc retains its position as the top Indian institution in the 2023 THE World University rankings In the most recent round of Times Higher Education (THE) rankings, which the majority of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have boycotted for the third year in a row due to concerns about transparency, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has maintained its top spot among Indian institutions. The IISc is ranked in the range of 251-300, making it the top Indian institution overall. According to a statement released by THE, the University of Oxford has emerged as the top institution globally among 1,799 universities from 104 countries. The Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences (351-400 overall), which debuted in the rankings, has grabbed the second position among Indian institutions. In the universities category of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2022, the Himachal Pradesh-based private university is ranked 96th. However, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, another private university based in Karnataka, and Shoolini University share the same spot among Indian institutions. Algappa University, a public university in Tamil Nadu, placed third in India (401-500). IIT Ropar received the second place in the Indian category last year, but it has dropped to sixth place this year and to the 501-600 band globally from the 351-400 band last year. The parameters used to rate the institutions include teaching (30%), research (30%), citations (30%), international outlook (7.5%), and industry outcome (2.5 percent). A “reputational survey” has 15 percent weight in both teaching and research. Over 121 million citations from over 15.5 million research publications were analysed for this year’s ranking, which also includes survey responses from 40,000 experts worldwide. JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, and Alagappa University rounded out the top three Indian institutions.

In accordance with suggestions made in the National Education Policy 2020, the University Grants Commission (UGC) is streamlining the procedure by which colleges achieve autonomous status. Prof. M. Jagadesh Kumar, chairperson of the UGC, stated that the Commission has adopted draft regulations in this regard, which will be made available to the public for stakeholder feedback by Tuesday. The proposed changes are largely intended to speed up the process of obtaining autonomy status and link it to NAAC ratings. For instance, at the moment, proposals for autonomy are initially reviewed by expert committees through site visits. However, under the proposed changes, on-site visits won’t be necessary anymore. “A standing committee of the UGC shall examine the application of the college for conferment of autonomous status. The approval/rejection letters may be issued on the basis of the decision of the standing committee. The decisions may be ratified by the committee subsequently,” according to the draught regulations. Additionally, if the concerned college receives grade A accreditation from the NAAC, the autonomous status—which is currently awarded initially for a term of 10 years—will now be automatically extended for another 10 years. For at least three programmes with a minimum score of 675, technical colleges will need NBA accreditation. Colleges that have operated as autonomous units for a continuous period of 15 years will be granted the status permanently once the revised regulations are passed, and they won’t need to reapply as long as they maintain their high NAAC or NBA ratings. In the US, there are about 500 autonomous colleges. According to the NEP, “it is envisaged that over a period of time every college would develop into either an autonomous degree-granting college, or a constituent college of a university – in the latter case, it would be fully a part of the university.” According to Prof. Kumar, the proposed changes were made after an expert committee reviewed the existing regulations. “These regulations will also provide freedom to the autonomous colleges to determine and prescribe their own courses of study and syllabi, and restructure and redesign the courses to suit local needs, make it skill oriented and in consonance with the job requirements. Further, the autonomous college may prescribe their own admission rules, evolve methods of assessment,” he stated.