Education News
Odisha Matric Exam State orders probe into viral audio on malpractice deal for matric examination
A widely circulated audio clip purportedly featuring a deal between a teacher and guardian to allow matriculation students to indulge in malpractice at the examination centre at Nimapada in Puri district forced school and mass education minister Samir Ranjan Dash on Saturday to order an inquiry into the matter. Dash said he has already discussed with Board of Secondary Education (BSE) president Ramashis Hazra to probe the matter and submit a report on this issue within three days. “We need to verify the veracity of the audio clip and also find out the people behind this,” he added. Coincidentally, the examination centre comes under the minister’s assembly constituency Nimapada. Opposition may take up this issue if the truth behind this viral audio clip does not come out. In the audio clip, which went viral on social media, a guardian talks to a teacher of the examination centre at Nimapada over phone. The guardian requests the teacher to allow a student to do malpractice in the examination centre. The teacher asks the guardian to contact other students who have struck a deal on the matter before.
Education News
PM Modi Inaugurates Permanent Campus Of IIT Dharwad
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the permanent campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad. IIT Dharwad is an Institute of national importance established by the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India in 2016, under the mentorship of IIT Bombay. The permanent campus is located in Dharwad, on a 470-acre land allotted by the Karnataka government. Developed at a cost of over Rs 850 crores, the institute currently offers 4-year B.Tech. programs, inter-disciplinary 5-year BS-MS program, M.Tech. and Ph.D. programs. Academic activities at IIT Dharwad commenced in July 2016 in the transit campus, located in Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) next to the Dharwad Bench of Karnataka High Court, here. The permanent campus is located in Dharwad, on a 470-acre land allotted by the Karnataka government, officials said. The GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) Council has given a 5-star rating to IIT Dharwad campus. IIT Dharwad has progressed steadily and currently there are 856 students, 73 faculty members who have more than 400 publications, R&D Sponsored projects worth Rs 30 crores and 32 MoUs to their collective credit. The campus is said to be the first Smart and green IIT campus in the country. Energy and water self-reliant, human comfort with sustainability, zero-debris construction, preserving the ecology and historical origins are some of the key features incorporated in the construction of the permanent campus of IIT Dharwad.
Education News
IIT Roorkee researchers discover new antibacterial molecule ‘IITR00693’
The research was led by Prof Ranjana Pathania, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Mahak Saini, and Amit Gaurav of the same institute; Ashish Kothari and Balram Ji Omar of AIIMS, Rishikesh; Varsha Gupta of Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh and Amitabha Bhattacharjee from Assam University. “The molecule, discovered after a rigorous screening process, has shown potent antibacterial activity against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including some of the most problematic drug-resistant strains. With many bacterial infections becoming resistant to existing treatments, the discovery of this new molecule offers the potential for more effective and targeted therapies. IITR00693 acts like a dual sword; it not only strikes down the most stubborn bacteria but also prevents the emergence of resistance, ensuring that it remains effective for generations to come,” IIT Roorkee said in a press release. Findings of this research have been published in the American Chemical Society Journal – ACS Infectious Diseases, it added.
Education News
Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma seeks exemption of CUET for state students
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has written to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urging him to exempt the state from conducting Common University Entrance Test (CUET). In a letter dated March 7, the Chief Minister said, “The State of Meghalaya has recently undergone a Legislative Assembly Election the results of which have been declared last week. This has resulted in the delay of State Board examination and in this regard, students are facing unprecedented challenges to attempt the CUET for the State level undergraduates institutions.” “In light of the above, and as most of the colleges in the state are affiliated to the North Eastern Hill University, I request your good office to kindly exempt the State of Meghalaya from conducting the CUET,” he added. Sangma further said that he is grateful that the National Testing Agency (NTA) as a premier autonomous and self-sustained testing organization is conducting an entrance examination (CUET) for admission/fellowship to higher educational institutions to assess the competence of candidates for admissions which has always been a challenge. “Last year we had requested the Ministry of Education your good offices to kindly exempt Meghalaya from the purview of the CUET through letter DO.CM/PER-UM/2022/48 dated Shillong, the 25th of April 2022, to which you had graciously agreed through your letter DO.No.65-4/2020-CU. dated 11th May 2022,” Sagma said.
Education News
Himachal government adopts ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards use of unfair means in exams
The Himachal Pradesh government has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy towards use of unfair means in examinations and all educational institutions have been directed to take strict action against those found guilty, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said on Sunday. “Malpractice in examinations is a matter of serious concern as it undermines the whole purpose of conducting exams, and upholding the sanctity of examinations is top priority of the government to encourage honest and hard-working students,” he said in a statement issued here. Asserting that it was duty of the state government to ensure free and fair examinations and take all proactive measures to prevent the malpractice, Thakur said directions have been issued to constitute a special high-level committee at the university or educational institution level to check and prevent the use of unfair means in examinations. “The committee would be held accountable, in case any such malpractices are found,” he added. Directions have also been issued to the vice-chancellors of all the private universities to ensure prevention of unfair means in examinations and the students involved in unfair practices will face the strictest action possible, the statement said. “The number of flying squads would be increased to make surprise checks at examination centres and senior officers of the education department have also been directed to keep a vigil,” the minister said.
Education News
Karnataka HC Quashes Circulars Mandating ‘Board’ Exams for Students of Classes 5-8 in State Syllabus Schools
The Education Department’s notices were challenged by the Organisation for Unaided Recognised Schools and the Registered Unaided Private Schools’ Management Association. A single judge bench of Justice Pradeep Singh Yerur today set aside the circulars dated December 12, 2022, December 13, 2022, and January 4, 2023, issued by the Commissioner of Public Instructions and the Department of State Education. The High Court said that the circulars are contrary to the intentions of the Right to Education Act under which they were issued. “Such circulars issued can only supplement the Act or rules but under no circumstances can supplant the rules. In situations when such circulars are issued to supplant the rules, which is in the guise of rules, the prescribed procedures and process have to be followed as contemplated under Section 38(4) of the Act,” the High Court said. Quashing the circulars, the High Court Judge in his judgment said, “Under the circumstances, I find force in the arguments put forth by the respective counsels for the petitioners as a new format for assessment and evaluation implemented by the State Government is contrary to Section 16 of the RTE Act and the procedure prescribed under the Act. Therefore the Writ Petitions are allowed.” The High Court found that the State Government had not followed the procedure and placed the issue before the State Legislatures before issuing the circulars.
Education News
Maharashtra Govt Reinstates Fees of RTE Quota Students to Pre-Covid Levels
The government of Maharashtra has increased the fees of children admitted to private unaided schools under the Right To Education (RTE) quota. This changed fee structure marks a return to the expenses the central and state administrations bore for the studies of such students in pre-Covid times in the state, reported a leading news daily. The state had brought down the annual fees of RTE quota students to Rs 8,000 after schools closed due to the March 2020 lockdown. This followed in the academic year 2021-22, as well. Prior to the pandemic hitting, in the academic year 2019-20, the fee was Rs 17,670. The RTE Act requires that private unaided schools reserve one-fourth of their seats for children belonging to marginalised and economically poor sections of society. The mandate applies from entry-level up to class 8. The government pays the fees of these students. A provision in the RTE Act states that all reimbursements have to be borne by the Centre and state governments in a 60:40 ratio. However, in Maharashtra, as in many other states in India, the reimbursements have been slow to come. As per reports, ever since the RTE Act was first enforced in the state in 2011-12, the state government has only sent payments in chunks. This has rendered the finances of several schools across Maharashtra messy.
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