Education Community

Despite continuous claims of the Centre imposing Hindi, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu backed education in the mother tongue. Naidu, speaking at Delhi University’s centenary celebrations, stressed that the local language must be the primary means of communication in administration and judiciary. “Every gazette notification and government order should be in the local or native language so that the common man understands it,” he added. Naidu also praised the NEP-2020’s emphasis on providing basic education in the mother tongue. When the policy is implemented in schools and colleges, Naidu says it will be a game changer and revolutionise the Indian educational landscape. Last month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah sparked outrage when he remarked that citizens from other states should interact in Hindi. Following response from numerous non-Hindi-speaking states, Shah reiterated that Hindi, not the local language, should take the role of English. At the 37th Parliamentary Official Language Committee meeting, Shah stated that 70 percent of the Union Cabinet agenda is written in Hindi, and that Prime Minister Modi has opted to run the government in Hindi. The Vice President also called for expanding higher education to rural areas while also ensuring that it is accessible and equitable. He stated that equal access to education was vital for human development, nation building, and the creation of a prosperous global future. Naidu said the ultimate goal of research should be to make people’s lives happier and more comfortable, emphasising the need of colleges coming up with novel ideas to address society’s challenges. He also cited India, which has the world’s largest youth population, as an example of how human resources may be harnessed for nation-building. Naidu also highlighted his desire for Indian universities to be among the top ten universities in the world, and urged all stakeholders to work together to achieve this goal. He also noted that education was not solely for the purpose of gaining employment, but also for the purpose of expanding one’s knowledge and enlightenment. He went on to say that education is a lifelong process that does not finish with the acquisition of a degree.

The board exam results for Classes 10 and 12 were declared today by the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE). Girls outperformed boys in both classes, with a higher pass percentage. The overall pass percentage for class 12 was 72.72 percent, but the pass percentage for class 10 remained low, with slightly more than half of the students passing the examinations. This year’s overall percentage of students stayed at 59.54 percent. In contrast to last year, the MP board held offline tests in February and March of 2022. Nancy Dubey and Suchita Pandey topped the Class 10 board, while Pragati Mittal topped the Class 12 board with a score of 494 out of 500, according to the results announced today. Lakshdweep Dhakar came in second and Ayush Tiwari came in third, respectively. This year’s top three scorers are all from the science stream. The MPBSE class 12 exams had a total of 6,97,880 students this year. The pass percentage for regular students was 72.72 percent, while the pass percentage for self-study students was 32.90 percent. The pass percentage for girls in class 12 is 75.64 percent, while the pass percentage for boys is 69.94 percent. This year, 1,19,851 students failed their class 12 exams. In Class 12, a total of 93 girls and 60 boys (153) have attained a place in the merit list.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has started the Class 10 and 12 term 2 exams from today, 26 April. For Class 10 students, the exam began with Painting, Rai, Gurung, Sherpa, Tamang, and Thai papers while for Class 12 students, it commenced with the Entrepreneurship, and Beauty and Wellness papers. The CBSE Class 10 and 12 papers began at 10:30 a.m. and ended at 12:30 p.m., according to the schedule. CBSE described exam preparations and the roles of functionaries in a live webinar on Monday. Students who missed either the term 1 or term 2 exams will receive a grade based on their performance (in one of them), according to the Board. Even if a student has missed one or both of the two-term exams, they will calculate and release the results for Class 10 and 12. In the wake of the COVID-19 concern, CBSE has made all necessary preparations to ensure that the examination runs smoothly. Exam Guidelines for CBSE Term 2: Students are advised to carry their CBSE term 2 admit card to the exam venue. Students can enter the examination hall at 10 am. No student will be allowed to enter the hall after the stipulated time. Candidates are requested to carry their own hand sanitiser in transparent bottles. It is mandatory for all students to wear masks. Students will also have to follow social distancing norms. Keeping the heatwave conditions in mind, students are directed to be properly hydrated. They can carry a bottle of water along with them Before appearing for the exam, 15 minutes of reading time has been allotted to the students More than 35 lakh students are appearing for the term 2 board exams this year. According to an NDTV report, Class 10 CBSE term 2 exams will be held in 7,406 centres throughout the country, while Class 12 exams will be conducted in 6,720 centres.

Instagram has released a guide to assist students adjust to the new environment of offline classes following two years of the Covid pandemic. The purpose of this guidance is to assist students with readjusting to offline school, preparing for in-person exams, and managing exam stress, particularly for students taking board exams in classes 10 and 12. Fortis National Mental Health Program, Fortis Healthcare, Sangath’s It’s Ok To Talk initiative, and Instagram collaborated on the guide, titled “Readapt and Readjust: Back to the Classroom.” Students will discover how to manage study and exam priorities, as well as learning strategies to cope with associated stressors and study techniques to boost focus, in this handbook. In addition, this course will provide relaxing techniques for immediate relief as well as crucial self-care practises for long-term mental health management. This guide includes advice and recommendations on a variety of issues, including ‘putting your best foot forward,’ ‘readapting and readjusting,’ prioritising and task setting, study environment and time management, and much more. In recognition of the importance of time management, Instagram has introduced a new feature called ‘Take a Break,’ which allows users to make more informed decisions about how they spend their time. People who have been scrolling for a specific amount of time will see the feature.

Varsha Gaikwad, Maharashtra’s school education minister, has urged the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) to offer an urgent clarification on the vaccine mandate for board exams beginning April 25. “Some students for the ICSE board have reached out to me regarding an advisory, dated January 4, 2022, issued by the CISCE, mandating Covid vaccination for all those appearing for the board exam. Some schools are citing it to say that unvaccinated students will not be permitted to sit for exams. This despite the Centre’s affidavit in the Supreme Court that vaccines are not mandatory,” Gaikwad tweeted, adding that her office had already contacted the CISCE. “The said mandate was issued in January,” Francis Joseph, President of the School Leaders Network, who has reached out to the CISCE on behalf of the Minister, said. Until a new advisory is published, schools will continue to follow the existing one. As a result, schools began giving their students instructions. Then some parents came to the Minister’s office to express their concerns.” “While vaccines are a lifesaver against Covid, not allowing unvaccinated students to take exams will be discriminatory,” Minister added. I would therefore urge the CISCE to issue an urgent clarification in this regard.”

The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) have inked an agreement to introduce a plumbing course in engineering and architecture institutes across India, according to officials. The MoU was signed by AICTE Chairman Anil D Sahasrabudhe and IPA National President Gurmit Singh Arora. Students majoring in engineering, architecture, or interior design, as well as graduates with a “major” degree in civil, environmental, or mechanical engineering, architecture, or interior design, will be eligible to take a four-credit course in “Plumbing” (Water and Sanitation) according to the agreement. Plumbing is a strongly felt requirement in engineering and architecture courses since plumbing is linked to a building’s health. At the signing of the MoU, AICTE Chairman said, “The IPA and the AICTE have collaborated to create a 50-hour plumbing course that would be 80 percent theory and 20 percent practical.” All educational institutions accredited by the technical education regulation should offer a plumbing (water and sanitation) programme to educate students for careers in the sector, according to the IPA and AICTE. IPA will train institutional faculty to administer the plumbing course through AICTE’s faculty development programmes. “This is a tremendous opportunity for all stakeholders in the plumbing industry because plumbing will become more organised and structured as a result,” said Arora. “One of IPA’s goals is to educate and instruct engineers, architects, and students in these fields on the characteristics of excellent and proper plumbing techniques.”

On April 22, 2022, the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) will hold the national launch of the Dr. Ambedkar Centre of Excellence. Virendra Kumar, India’s Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, will inaugurate the centre. The centres are being opened to provide coaching to students from the scheduled caste (SC) for the Union Public Service Commission’s civil service examination (UPSC). The proposed centre will be established in 31 central universities across the country, including Banaras Hindu University. The launch ceremony will be held at the Shatabdi Krishi Prekshagrih, Institute of Agricultural Sciences. Vice-chancellors from all of the other universities where the centre will be established will also be present. The Dr Ambedkar Foundation and implementing universities will also sign two MoUs to establish the centres and Dr Ambedkar Chairs. Each centre will have 100 seats, with over 33% of the total sanctioned seats going to eligible female candidates from the scheduled caste (SC) category. In each centre, up to three faculty members will be appointed. Separate classrooms, a library, high-speed WiFi connectivity, and other necessary infrastructure are recommended for the centres’ smooth operation. Candidates must pass an entrance exam in order to be admitted to the centre and get coaching.

Skill-Lync, an engineering edtech startup, announced on Tuesday that it has built an in-house electric vehicle to help its students gain insights into the automotive industry’s future. The vehicle was created by a team of six in-house experts at Skill-Lync in collaboration with professionals from the country’s leading OEMs. The EV, which would be built over the course of nine months at a cost of approximately Rs 5 lakh, would provide students with practical knowledge of what goes into building an EV. The EV currently has a top speed of 45 kilometres per hour and a range of 40 kilometres. It has a five-person carrying capacity and can accelerate from zero to top speed in six seconds. “The automotive industry is undergoing significant change, which is being driven by sustainability and an increasing base of conscious consumers.” “Skill-Lync cofounder SuryaNarayanan PaneerSelvam said in a statement. “In addition to our coursework, we offer first-hand experience building an EV from the scratch, providing a holistic view of the automotive industry’s future.” The company stated that it intends to release a series of masterclass videos that will visually depict the EV building process, and that it aims to build more such EV prototypes.  “EVs are a major part of the global sustainable journey and there is a pronounced need for a new crop of automotive engineers that can design, develop, and test these vehicles that are built on newage, sophisticated systems,” Sarangarajan V Iyengar, cofounder, Skill-Lync, said.

According to Ministry of Education sources, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to return to the pre-pandemic single-exam format beginning with the next academic year, which means that the Class X and XII board exams will not be divided into two parts. For the 2021-22 academic year, the CBSE has instituted a bifurcated format with two terms: the Term-I board exams were held in November-December last year, while the Term-II exams will begin on April 26. It has been learned that the Term II exams will be weighted more heavily. Following the cancellation of board exams for the 2020-21 academic year due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the decision was made. Previous exam results, practical exams, and internal assessments were used to grade students. According to a senior official, the board decided to reinstate the single-exam pattern after hearing from schools. “The CBSE has never stated that the two-term exam format will be continued in the future.” It was a one-time formula. Now that schools are fully operational, the decision has been made to stick to the one-time exam format for the time being,” said the official. However, in terms of syllabus rationalisation, CBSE will stick to the policy it implemented over the last two years, which saw the syllabus reduced by 30%. “The NCERT will send us the rationalisation details, upon which an announcement will be made.” “The existing books can be used to teach the reduced syllabus in schools,” said the official. To “eliminate the high stakes aspect of board exams,” the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 proposes allowing all students to take the board exams up to two times in an academic year — “one main examination and one for improvement.” “While Grades X and XII board exams will be continued, the current system of board and entrance examinations will be reformed to eliminate the need for coaching classes.” According to the NEP, board exams will be redesigned to encourage holistic development in order to reverse the harmful effects of the current assessment system.