Govt Announces Interest Subsidy on Education Loan
Ministry of Human Resource Development has formulated an Interest Subsidy Scheme to provide full interest subsidy during the period of moratorium on educational loans taken by students belonging to economically weaker sections. It can be availed from scheduled banks under the Model Educational Loan Scheme of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) for pursuing any of the approved courses of studies in technical and professional streams from recognized institutions in India. Students with parental income less than Rs 4.5 lakhs per annum and enrolled in recognised technical & professional courses, after class twelfth, in India are eligible under the scheme. Educational loans of such students disbursed from 1st April 2009, irrespective of date of sanction are eligible for interest subsidy.
World Bank Approves US$500 Mn credit to Education Project
The World Bank has approved a US$500 million credit to the Secondary Education Project to finance the Government of India’s efforts to make good quality education available, accessible and affordable to all young persons at the secondary level (grades IX and X).
The Project will support all activities as envisioned in the US$12.9 billion Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) programme, a flagship Government of India programme for gradual universalisation of secondary education.
The government has made great strides in the area of elementary education over the past ten years. Net elementary enrollment rate stands at 96 percent and girls are almost equally represented in elementary education as boys. Attention is now needed for secondary education where the gross enrollment rate stands at about 50 percent and quality of education is very low. Access is also unequal and many poor households cannot afford the direct and opportunity costs of secondary education, particularly in rural areas.
IGNOU, NHRC to train cops on Human Rights
The Indira Gandhi National Open University’s (IGNOU’s) School of Law (SOL) in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) organised the third three-day Training of Trainers programme (TOT) on Human Rights for police personnel at the IUC Lab, IGNOU, main campus at New Delhi.
The three-day training programme was attended by 26 police officials from all over the country. The main objective of this workshop was to sensitize the police functionaries on Human Right principles and values.
Transferable Officers’ Wards to get 60% seats in Sanskriti Schools
Guidelines for setting up Sanskriti type schools in the country have been framed with a provision of 60 percent seats for the wards of transferable officers of All India Service/Central Services. In case land is provided free of cost by the State Government, 10 percent (out of the above 60 percent) seats will be reserved for wards of State Government employees.
As per guidelines, the proposal to set up Sanskriti type School in any State Capital may be initiated by the State Government or Association of All India Services/Central Civil Services Officers in consultation with the Central Government employees Coordination Committee, justifying the need to set up such a school at that Station. A proposal to open a Sanskriti type school in Shillong, Meghalaya has been received. However, no decision has yet been taken on the proposal.
Canara Bank Develops Portal for Implementation of NSIGSE
Dr D Purandeswari, Minister of State for Human Resource Development has launched a web portal for implementation of the National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE). Also present were Smt. Anshu Vaish, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy and Shri A K Gupta Executive Director, Canara Bank.
The Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education” was launched in May 2008 with the objective to establish an enabling environment to reduce the drop-outs and to promote the enrolment of girl child belonging mainly to SC/ST communities in secondary schools.
The Canara Bank has developed a portal to implement the scheme. The portal will facilitate on line submission of data of the beneficiaries and on line disbursement of the amount on the day of the maturity into their accounts directly after certification by the State Nodal Officer that the beneficiary is 18 years old and has passed class X examination.
