Dharmendra Pradhan responded to students’ demand on 75% criteria for JEE Advanced

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January 9, 2023

Education Minister stated that the issue has been referred to the relevant department in response to Member of Parliament (MP) Karti P Chidambaram’s letter requesting a one-time exemption from the 75% eligibility condition for JEE Main and Advanced 2023.

Karti P. Chidambaram, a Lok Sabha member, requested the Indian government to reduce the JEE 2023 eligibility requirements during the first week of December. In a letter to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, he explained that some candidates saw differences in their response sheets and results last year as a result of technical issues and other irregularities in the JEE Main and Advanced exams.

His words in the letter were, “I would like to bring to your attention concerns raised by students who appeared for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) – Mains and Advanced in 2022. These aspirants studied hard to secure admission into India’s leading engineering institutes, however, several hurdles which were completely outside their control, denied them a fair opportunity at the exam.”

Karti P. Chidambaram took to Twitter to share the Education Minister’s response of his letter. He tweeted, “The Education Minister has responded to my letter requesting immediate relaxation in the eligibility criteria for #JEE2023. I hope the Govt will look into the requests and concerns of aggrieved students.”

Registration for JEE Main 2023 is currently open and will end on January 12. NTA is managing registration for the JEE Main 2023 Joint Entrance Examination. The JEE Mains test for the January 2023 session will be held on January 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31, 2023. However, in light of the upcoming board examinations, students are storing hashtags on Twitter to reschedule the JEE 2023 exam.

IGNOU launches 3 specialised post-graduation courses in journalism

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January 7, 2023

Three specialised master’s degree programmes in journalism have been introduced by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) as of the January 2023 admissions session. These courses are provided in open and remote learning formats.

MA in Development Journalism, MA in Journalism and Electronic Media, and MA in Journalism and Digital Media are the three newly introduced specialised master’s degree programmes. & PG Diploma in Integrated Communication and Advertising. Beginning in January 2023, these programmes will accept new students.

Learners can follow these programmes at their convenience because IGNOU offers flexible lateral exit and entry opportunities. Programs, according to the announcement, reflect the most recent media industry trends and aid students in developing a variety of skill sets.

Edtech unicorn Lead to acquire K-12 business of Pearson’s India

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January 7, 2023

Edtech unicorn LEAD said on Friday, January 6, that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Pearson’s K–12 learning business in India from the education company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

LEAD will use a combination of new fundraising efforts and internal accruals to pay for the purchase of Pearson’s K–12 learning business in India. The edtech firm said in a statement that with the acquisition, LEAD would immediately increase its reach to more than 9,000 schools and significantly strengthen its product portfolio to serve the full range of more than 5 Lakh private schools in India.

Sumeet Mehta and Smita Deorah founded LEAD in 2012 to give schools the ability to integrate technology, curriculum, and pedagogy into one cohesive teaching and learning system. According to LEAD, their integrated system is accessible to schools in more than 400 Indian towns and cities, serving more than 1.2 million students and more than 25,000 teachers.

The change occurs a few weeks after venture debt company Alteria Capital helped LEAD raise INR 35 Cr. The acquisition is anticipated to close by Q1 2023, subject to the usual closing conditions, according to LEAD.

Pearson India provides learning solutions via books and digital platforms for private, English-medium CBSE and ICSE schools, ensuring learning continuity at home. Additionally, it provides teaching aids.

Sumeet Mehta, Co-Founder and CEO, LEAD said, “School edtech is poised for sustained growth post-Covid and with the acquisition of the local K-12 learning business of Pearson India, we will be able to reach more schools and students in the service of our mission to provide excellent education to every child.”

The acquisition occurs in spite of the startup ecosystem’s financial crisis, which has caused numerous employment losses across all firms, particularly in the edtech sector. LEAD also terminated about 100 workers in August of last year, citing performance-related difficulties. Just a few months earlier, in January, LEAD raised $100 Mn at a $1.1 Bn value to join the unicorn club. Leading the Series E investment round were GSV Ventures and WestBridge Capital.

Despite significant reorganisation by startups in the Indian edtech sector, which resulted in the loss of over 7,500 full-time and contracted positions in 2022, a number of acquisitions have recently happened.

PM takes steps to allow Yale, Oxford to open campuses in India; India’s biggest education move

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January 6, 2023

As part of reforming the country’s higher education system, India has taken a step toward enabling prestigious foreign colleges like Yale, Oxford, and Stanford to open campuses and grant degrees.

On Thursday, the regulatory body the University Grants Commission presented a draft law for public comment that aims to make it easier for foreign universities to operate in the nation. According to the draught, the local campus may choose the admission standards for domestic and international students, the fee schedule, and the scholarship programme. The institutions will be free to choose who they want as faculty and staff members.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working to reform the highly regulated education system in order to make it cheaper for Indian students to earn foreign degrees and to promote India as a desirable study destination worldwide. Additionally, the measure will make it easier for foreign institutions to reach the nation’s young people.

Despite producing CEOs for firms like Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc., India’s institutions and colleges consistently do poorly in international rankings. To become more competitive and close the expanding gap between college curricula and market demand, the nation must expand its education sector. According to the Global Talent Competitiveness Index of 2022, which assesses a country’s capacity to develop, entice, and retain talent, it now holds the 101st place out of 133 countries.

Some universities have already formed alliances with Indian educational institutions, enabling students to do some of their coursework there and finish their degrees on the main campus abroad. The current action will encourage these foreign universities to open campuses without collaborating with local organisations.

The final version of the University Grants Commission bill will be submitted to the parliament for approval prior to becoming law.

UGC releases draft norms for foreign universities to set up campuses in India

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January 6, 2023

M Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman, University Grants Commission releases the draft regulations for foreign universities for setting up campuses in India, yesterday.

Jagadesh Kumar said, “No foreign higher education can set up campuses without the approval by the UGC.”

The UGC stated during a media interaction that foreign universities setting up campuses in India would have the freedom to create their own admissions procedure and that the draught regulations for “Setting up and Operating of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India” had been released.

He continued by saying that these universities cannot offer programmes for online or distance learning. They can only provide full-time physical programmes.

Speaking of UGC clearance, Kumar stated that initial sanction will be granted for ten years to international institutions establishing campuses in the nation. He continued by stating that the Foreign Exchange Management Act would govern the transfer of money across international borders.

Foreign universities must make sure the quality of instruction at their campuses in India is on par with that at their main campuses, he continued.

After considering feedback from stakeholders, the final standards would be announced by the end of the month, said Kumar, and he added that the approval given to international universities will be extended in the ninth year, provided certain requirements are met.

“Technological advancements have already made a great impact on education”

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January 5, 2023

Technological solutions are implemented into the education sphere in computer programs and applications for online classes and remote exams. These novelties have helped to support and enhance learning processes shared Prodipta Hore, Program Director, Aditya Birla Education Academy, Mumbai, Maharashtra with Sheeba Chauhan with Elets News Network (ENN). Edited excerpts:

Tell us about your achievements in terms of ‘Innovation in Education’ during the year 2022.

Training teachers to be 21st-century educators by learning, collaborating, and networking and introducing different types of online courses for professional development. By gaining access to online PD (professional development) courses and building an international network of educators.

“Adopting a Whole Child Approach” to education by improving social-emotional skills, cognitive skills, literacy, science and math understanding; Designing a variety of creative learning experiences, creating physically and emotionally safe spaces to promote independence and student-led decision making.

Transforming education systems by structural improvement, multi modal delivery, use of technology with strong pedagogy; exploring new roles of a teacher, showing flexibility in delivery instruction, emphasizing learning with or without technology.

How futuristic technologies are going to transform education in the year 2023?

Technology is quickly becoming a vital aspect of our daily lives as the world continues to evolve. Including education, new advancements have affected nearly all major industries across the globe. Technological solutions are implemented into the education sphere in computer programs and applications for online classes and remote exams. These novelties have helped to support and enhance learning processes. The greater accessibility through online courses has created unique learning opportunities. Personalised learning, better collaboration, use of online resources and game-based learning helps students learn more effectively when they are working towards particular objectives while also having fun. For teachers, technology can be advantageous to prepare for classroom teaching using artificial intelligence and then machine learning to deliver better experiences. By enhancing assessments teachers should be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their students. AI can also be utilised for effective assessments and other useful insights. Evidently, technological advancements have already made a great impact on education. We have yet to see just how much more productive and efficient learning experiences will be in the years to come with the continuous evolution of technological solutions.

What are the innovation that accelerated the transformation of growth in the education landscape in the year 2022?

Over the past two years, there has been an acceleration in the pace of digital transformation in the education sector. A shift towards online and cloud-based delivery platforms has taken place from primary to higher education as well as professional and workplace training. Building a growth mindset has been mandatory and a lifelong learning approach to teacher development has been made essential considering that teaching is demanding and the expectations of the staff. The use of AI, VR, ML, educational software, and interdisciplinary teaching is being implemented in class and teachers find its implementation interesting and it is also liked by students.

What is your mission and vision to impact the paradigm shift of the education arena in the year 2023?

The mission is to democratise education by making teacher training accessible and affordable to all. My vision is to see the education system working in the following structure in every educational institute in our country:

The teacher- A designer of learning, A facilitator of learning, and an assessor of learning.

Challenge: Are the teachers equipped with training and sufficient resources to facilitate a student-centered classroom?

Students- Lifelong learners- Responsible global citizens

Lesson Design-Student Centered-Critical Thinking, empathy and spiritual growth

Assessment –Skill Based

Byju’s founder in negotiation to buyback 15% of company’s stake

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January 5, 2023

Byju Raveendran, the creator of edtech giant Byju’s, is in negotiations to increase his ownership stake to almost 40%. Raveendran is in discussions to raise funds by using the shares as security to finance the buyback of an estimated 15% of the company.

The buyback may occur at a lower valuation, even though Byju’s was valued at $22 billion when it last raised capital in October 2022.

Though, according to an exclusive report, the discussion with the stakeholders and financiers are still in the initial phase and may not end up to a deal.

The founder of Byju’s has about 25 per cent stake in the country’s most-valued startup and the brand has other prominent investors like Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Sequoia Capital India, Blackrock, and Silver Lake. According to Tracxn data, Byju’s has till date raised more than $5 billion.

Byju’s had a turbulent year in 2022, which was characterised by several layoffs and criticism over the company’s late filing of its FY21 statistics. Byju’s finally submitted its FY21 figures in September after a delay of nearly 18 months, and it revealed that its net loss increased to ‘4,588 crore from ‘231.69 crore in FY20. The company’s overall annual revenues decreased slightly, by 3.32%, to $2,428.39 crore. Due to the postponement of 40% of income to following years, but not costs, there was a significant increase in losses throughout the year. Then, Raveendran stated that losses would be lower in FY22. He had previously stated that the company had brought in close to ‘10,000 crore in gross revenues for FY22.

In the upcoming quarters, Byju’s had stated that it will concentrate on increasing overall profitability. “As an established company that takes its obligation to stakeholders and investors seriously, we work to achieve sustainable growth in addition to rapid revenue growth. According to Mrinal Mohit, CEO, Byju’s India business, “These steps will enable us to attain profitability in the stated time period of March 2023.”

“Innovations are essential for the development of a nation”

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January 5, 2023

One of the most important emerging trends in education in 2022 is a stark shift from subject- oriented rote learning to a more skill-based learning method as envisioned in the National Education Policy 2020 shared Jaya Chetwani, Principal, Lokseva e School & Jr. College, Pune, Maharashtra with Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network(ENN). Edited excerpts:

Tell us about your achievements in terms of ‘Innovation in Education’ during the year 2022.

The future of India lies in innovation and creativity. Innovations are essential for the development of a nation.The key achievement of the year was the recognition as Innovation Ambassador given by MoE’s Innovation Cell, AICTE, CBSE, and Ministry of Education –Government of India. It has been a matter of great pride and privilege to be nominated for Science Technology Skill Development Committee, Pune District. To implement innovation in teaching and learning got an opportunity to be involved as a core committee member of an edu –tech company working to develop educational software and mobile application in social studies subjects for secondary grade students.

How futuristic technologies are going to transform education in the year 2023?

“Pedagogy is the driver, technology is the accelerator”

Recent times have seen teacher’s role shifting to “guide on the side” as students take more responsibility for their own learning using technology to gather relevant information. Education today is redesigning learning spaces to foster more interaction and use technology as an enabler. The future of technology in education is helping teachers to expand beyond linear, text- based learning and to engage students who learn best in other ways. The role of schools has evolved from a contained computer class into a versatile learning tool that could change how we demonstrate concepts, assign projects and assess the progress of a learner.

What are the innovation that accelerated the transformation of growth in the education landscape in the year 2022?

The future is about time frames. A year is a short time to experience the gravity of educational shifts, but large enough to spot the signals and drivers of change. The National Education Policy and its allied ideas of equity, quality and access remain popular forces for the future. One of the most important emerging trends in education in 2022 is a stark shift from subject-oriented rote learning to a more skill-based learning method as envisioned in the National Education Policy 2020. Gamification in learning has heralded new trends in education that aim to make learning fun. Game-based elements allow students to instantly gather new information and test that knowledge. The introduction of computer-based design and its inherent components can inspire students to develop their skills effectively in an enjoyable manner.

What is your mission and vision to impact the paradigm shift of education arena in the year 2023?

In 21st Century from “Books” to “Webpages“ we have evolved. With the paradigm shift in the education arena the vision for the upcoming year would be to effective implement. Immersive learning, which is a perfect blend of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in teaching learning process to make learning fun. Metaverse or mirror world, and the ‘spacial internet’, or even the AR cloud’, a virtual learning experience with enhanced physical reality, is the future of education in the coming years.

Looking forward to reading your achievements and your remarkable journey of 2022 and the future plans for the coming year.

Academician and reflective practitioner, currently associated with an CBSE school and Jr. College in the capacity of Principal in Pune district of Maharashtra. During pandemic she had contributed in the children’s well-being and learning survey conducted by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child’s Right (DCPCR) Government of NCT of Delhi for ‘Right to Education’. She has been invited as resource person and guest of honour at many state, national and international seminars, workshops and conferences. She is core committee member of Research Culture Society, an government registered international scientific research organisation. Her e-content is selected by Government of India under Vidyadaan initiative. She had rendered psychological support as a part of helpline that DCPCR instituted during the lockdown period providing emotional and psycho-social support to citizens of Delhi diagnosed with Covid-19 and has been recognised with Certificate of Exemplary Dedication for being Covid warrior by 13 state governments and 9 municipalities.

“The modern education industry is no longer bound by time or space”

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January 5, 2023

Various trends in the education sector have been deployed with varying degrees of success in the past, but the trends that have emerged in the last few years have completely altered the sector’s dynamics and are unquestionably here to stay for the foreseeable future said, Shikha Tripathi, Principal, Orchids The International School, Pune, Maharashtra in an interview with Nidhi Shail Kujur of Elets News Network (ENN). Edited Excerpts:

Tell us about your achievements regarding ‘Innovation in Education’ during the year 2022.

1. Green school program- CHANGING COLORS, GOING GREEN.

Initiatives are taken by the audit team of this program. The audit team members check the process and prepare a report card of the school in terms of electricity consumption, air quality, land usage, and water consumption.

At the end of the year, the report is shared with the CENTRE OF SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT, DELHI.

2. Vrikshabandhan- On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, children take a pledge to save the environment by tying knots to trees.

3. Sanskaarshaala- Students were trained in terms of etiquettes and values during assembly and special sessions were organised.

Storytelling sessions and activities are part of this program where children are groomed for personality development.

4. Muskaan- spreading smiles. Donation to those in need is a special activity which is for humans, by humans.

5. Sunshine call- Each parent of the school is contacted for feedback on the child. This may be virtual too.

How are futuristic technologies going to transform education in the year 2023?

Technology today is evolving at a rapid pace, enabling faster change and progress, causing an acceleration of the rate of change. However, it is not only technology trends and emerging technologies that are evolving, a lot more has changed this year due to the outbreak of COVID-19 making IT professionals realize that their role will not stay the same in the contactless world tomorrow. And an IT professional in 2023-24 will constantly be learning, unlearning, and relearning (out of necessity if not desire).

Artificial intelligence will become more prevalent in 2023 with natural language processing and machine learning advancement. Artificial intelligence can better understand us and perform more complex tasks using this technology. It is estimated that 5G will revolutionize the way we live and work in the future.

Computing power has already established its place in the digital era, with almost every device and appliance being computerized. Datafication is simply transforming everything in our life into devices or software powered by data.

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has already received a lot of buzz in the past decade, but it continues to be one of the new technology trends because its notable effects on how we live, work and play are only in the early stages.

Extended reality comprises all the technologies that simulate reality, from Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality to Mixed Reality and everything else in between.

However challenging the field is it also offers lucrative six figure incomes, and roles can range from offering a promising career path for someone who wants to get into and stick with this evergreen trending technology

• Ethical Hacker
• Malware Analyst
• Security Engineer
• Chief Security Officer

What innovation accelerated the transformation of growth in the education landscape in the year 2022?

Traditional education is no longer the centre of attention. The modern education industry is no longer bound by time or space. Various trends in the education sector have been deployed with varying degrees of success in the past, but the trends that have emerged in the last few years have completely altered the sector’s dynamics and are unquestionably here to stay for the foreseeable future. The digital transformation in the education sector has accelerated immeasurably, causing a shift toward online and cloud-based delivery platforms from primary to higher education.

Technologies that will upend the education sector:

1. Learning for life through subscription services
2. A combination of real, AI, AR, AND VR
3. Nano-Learning
4. Personalised learning.
5. Gamification

Learners can read text, view images, and watch videos all at the same time. As a result, youngsters have a strong desire to explore new boundaries. Collaboration and communication are also encouraged through digital learning tools.

Students may now exchange links, videos, and lecture notes on a single platform.

What is your mission and vision to impact the paradigm shift of the education arena in the year 2023?

“To learn is to change. Education is a process that changes the learner.” – George Leonard “Our mission is not instruction but producing learning with every student by whatever means works best.”

Principles that guide this change in learning include:

Student and teacher share responsibility for the quality of the student’s learning process (only indirectly and secondarily, the quality of the teacher’s teaching).

For both student and teacher, core motivation is the satisfaction derived from improving the quality of each student’s learning.

Our role as teachers is to be a “guide on the side” instead of a “sage on the stage.” We have moved from an instruction paradigm, in which an instructor transfers knowledge to students, to a learning paradigm, in which a teacher’s role is that of the coach. The result is a student learning how to learn and discovering knowledge with the coaching guidance of a teacher.

“Education is going to become more interactive and inquiry-based”

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January 5, 2023

Education is going to become more interactive and inquiry-based shares, Abhishek Bagchi, Director Academics, MIT World Peace School, Pune, Maharashtra in an interactive conversation with Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network (ENN). Edited excerpts:

Tell us about your achievements in terms of ‘Innovation in Education’ during the year 2022.

Innovation as per definition is an implementation of a new method or idea. At our institution MIT World Peace School, we have developed an ecosystem where new ideas are welcomed and experimented without the fear of failure. In 2022, we surely worked on several innovations and I am listing a few noteworthy ones below.

Our students of grade six onwards created a marketplace where they teamed up, used their own pocket money and created sellable products like toys, handicraft, food items, etc. and sold them to parents and teachers.
We abolished the summative examinations till grade five and introduced year-long diagnostic and formative assessments completely based of skills mapped with the curriculum.
We are one of the rarest of the schools in Pune that started creating the maker space lab for students to learn electronics, mechanics, robotics, gardening, pottery, carpentry, etc. using the latest technologies and applying basic science knowledge by solving problem-solving statements.

How futuristic technologies are going to transform education in the year 2023?

Technology in near future is going to revolutionise education for sure. Education is going to become more interactive and inquiry-based. One year may be a small time but we would notice the use of fewer textbooks and more interactive app based learning. Some schools like ours have already started encouraging makers mindset among students to develop problem-solving abilities. This will enhance the STEAM aptitude among students.

What are the innovations that accelerated the transformation of growth in the education landscape in the year 2022?

Majorly the introduction of some good quality digital applications supporting the text-based learning that is transforming the K12 education space. Applications are majorly helping in language development, creating interactive classrooms using augmented reality, providing options to the students to become more creative using latest means like vlogs, podcasts, etc.

What is your mission and vision to impact the paradigm shift of education arena in the year 2023?

The mission and vision are to empower my students more so that they take ownership of their learning. My students will become problem solvers and not photocopy machines. The vision is to see more students engaged in the joy of learning. The mission is to build an ecosystem where they are not afraid to ask questions and make mistakes, access suitable technology to apply the knowledge gained, and solve real problems.

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