IIT Guwahati launches Centre for Biomedical Device and Diagnostics Innovation

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August 2, 2022

To meet the technology demands of rural India with an emphasis on healthcare delivery to the last-mile population, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has established the ICMR-DHR (Indian Council of Medical Research-Department of Health Research) Center of Excellence (CoE) for Biomedical Device and Diagnostics Innovation and Commercialisation.

The National Education Policy 2020 of the Government of India aligns with this multidisciplinary initiative, which brings together professors, researchers, entrepreneurs, doctors, and students from various departments to promote research and innovation in the field of healthcare innovation.

The initiative has been led by the Departments of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biosciences and Bioengineering, Electronics and Electrical Engineering, and Design and Mathematics, among others.

According to the experts, the centre will be in charge of the creation of domestic tech-based alternatives, a few pilot-scale digital health kiosks, and the availability of essential diagnostic devices.

Sharing his views on the critical work underway at ICMR Mission Secretariat at IIT Guwahati, Director of IIT Guwahati, Prof. T.G. Sitharam stated, “This Centre is working towards realising the vision of Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister, that all IITs be involved in helping the nation in achieving the goals of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in the domain of healthcare technology development. The centre is envisioned to excel in the frugal innovations related to biomedical devices and develop a unique academia-industry model for product development related to med-tech innovation in the country.”

“The translational innovations proposed in the centre are expected to cater to the societal needs related to diagnostics and healthcare delivery, especially in rural India. The technologies innovated may also spur import substitution to materialise the dream of Make-in-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” Sitharam further added.

Commenting on the functioning of this Centre, Prof Dipankar Bandyopadhyay, Head, Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Sciences and Technology, IIT Guwahati, said, “Cutting-edge scientific inventions are the foundation of all modern-day technologies, which helps in improving the quality of life of a human being in a significant way. However, the benefits of such inventions are yet to reach the rural population of India. In the next few decades, especially keeping the post-pandemic scenario in perspective, the focus of healthcare innovation would be to develop frugal technologies to cater to the needs of the last mile population.”

The ICMR Mission Secretariat’s primary goals involve finding biomarkers using microfluidic and semiconductor nanobiosensors to detect various non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including chronic kidney disorder, post diabetic complications, liver or pancreatic malfunctions, cardiac illnesses, and urinary tract infections.

Additionally, it aspires to create inexpensive point-of-care diagnostic devices for the collection, storage, security, and analysis of data specifically relevant to rural India.

A further objective is to develop three indigenous products in the domain of healthcare that can be commercially successful in the near future. And to innovate indigenous alternatives to healthcare devices imported from other countries under the Government of India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.

Recently, the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-Guwahati) bagged the seventh rank among engineering colleges in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2022.

Telangana transforming the educational landscape

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August 2, 2022

Initiatives and impetus given to developing education in the state of Telangana are driving a noteworthy change.And these initiatives are spanning all classes, subjects, age groups, and streams, encompassing the entire education ecosystem. Garima Pant of Elets News Network(ENN) explores the various measures and their impact on the evolving education system in the state and how the educational institutions maintained academic continuity during the pandemic.

T he last few months have seen heightened activities in the state of Telangana under the education umbrella, with a slew of reforms catalysing a spree of change.Be it the reformative Professor Jayashankar Badi Bata programme that had directed the government and local body schools to increase the enrolment in their respective schools or undergraduates in the state engineering colleges getting an opportunity to study courses in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. These courses will be taught in autonomous government degree colleges in the state along with courses on gaming, creative writing, and animation.Sensing the need to reform the education system from the primary to the higher segment, extensive efforts have been undertaken, and measures have been introduced to create a well – rounded learning landscape.

The state government has been able to successfully understand & amp; identify the pulse of the present system and fill the gaps to accelerate the growth of the education sector to meet the current demands and also have an industry – ready workforce.Identifying the crucial role technology is playing today and in the times to come, the state government has been introducing relevant courses and programmes in the region to give students much – needed exposure.

Funding the basic need

As the country recovers from the massive pandemic blow that pushed every sector backward, including education, the Telangana government allocated Rs 16, 043 crore to the education sector for 2022 – 23, compared to Rs 15, 608 crore the previous year in the budget early this year to accelerate the growth of the segment.A total of Rs 13, 727 crore has been allocated for school education and Rs 2, 357 crore has been allotted for higher education, with a vision and mission to flow in reforms.Noteworthy to mention that to provide quality education to poor students, 1, 000 gurukulam schools were established across the state.Five lakh students were being provided education by spending Rs 6, 000 crore.Also, Mana Vooru Mana Badi programme was taken up with Rs 7, 200 crore to strengthen schools in the state.

Furthering the efforts, Rs 3.5K cr is also allocated for Mana Ooru Mana Badi scheme where schools across the state will undergo a revamp in three phases at a cost of Rs 7, 289 crore.As detailed by an official communication, almost 9, 123 schools under the scheme will be revamped in the first phase.As part of the scheme, the government will focus on development across 12 points — electrification, drinking water supply, furniture, minor repairs to schools, painting, green chalkboards, retaining walls, construction of kitchen sheds, extra classrooms, dining halls in high schools and toilets with water facilities.The budget had also allocated Rs 100 crore for a women’s university that will be established by converting the Koti Women’s College into a university.

According to another latest & noteworthy announcement, Gajwel constituency represented by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao(KCR) will have a massive educational hub with advanced amenities.The Telangana government has sanctioned Rs 126.28 crore for implementing this project.To be executed by the Telangana State Education Welfare Infrastructure Development Corporation, the hub would have classes from Class VI to post – graduation in English medium on a single campus, an official communication stated recently.

Listing more details, the official release said that there will be two separate educational hubs for boys and girls built on 40 acres and 20 acres, respectively.These hubs will accommodate spacious classrooms, dining halls, libraries, and laboratories to the highest standards.Additionally, an auditorium accommodating 1, 200 students will also be constructed and the entire project would have a total built – up area of 4.59 lakh sq ft.The government also plans to build similar educational hubs in some other districts, the release stated.

Effective measures

The measures taken by the state government have yielded positive results across segments.Government schools in the state recorded fresh admissions of 1, 60, 755 children, mostly from private schools, encouraged by the Professor Jayashankar Badi Bata programme and also the up – gradation of infrastructure by the government schools in the region.The rise in numbers can also be attributed to the introduction of English medium education in the schools and the basic amenities being provided by the state government under Mana Ooru Mana Badi programme.Prime Minister Narendra Modi too, had said that the Centre was trying hard to set up a science city in Hyderabad and encourage technology and innovation along with giving priority to education in the mother tongue.If people study technology and science in Telugu, it will create Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

Earlier this year, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had announced in the Assembly Session that the state government will bear the expenses incurred for the education of over 740 students who have returned from war – torn Ukraine to complete their medical studies in India.State government officials have also been looking to replicate the best practices in the field of education from across the globe.

Maintaining academic continuity

The global pandemic had disrupted the education sector across the globe, making a vast number of institutions to switch to the online mode of learning to maintain academic continuity.Proving to be an opportunity in adversity, the pandemic allowed for the acceleration of digital adoption across sectors including the education sector.

It is notable to mention here that the Department of Intermediate Education of Telangana had initiated a slew of measures at the time of the pandemic without losing any academic year.According to official statistics, 5, 300 Junior Lecturers were trained for 15 days by ICT Training Programme under CSR by Cognizant, Adobe & amp; Nirmaan(an NGO) to prepare Digital Lesson Content preparation and Online teaching methods, tools & amp; Apps, in July 2020. The digitised lesson content and all the classes were telecasted through Doordarshan and T – SAT. 70 % syllabus was tele casted through 3, 181 video lessons in theory & amp; practical during 2020 – 21. Further, 6 new courses started from the academic year 2022 – 23 onwards as per need in the industry and trend.Vocational courses were also introduced at the degree level by the department.

Riding on the progressive measures introduced by the state education department, the education landscape in the state is looking to touch a new horizon of growth in the times to come.

Achievements and initiatives in the department of education since the formation of Telangana

Department of Technical Education administers (54) Government Polytechnics in the State of Telangana, wherein around 12,000 Tenth Class-pass students, mainly hailing from rural backgrounds are imparted Diploma Level Polytechnic Education every year

The Department of Technical Education promotes Technical Education in the state to bring out efficient Engineers and Technicians with profound knowledge, skill, positive work culture, and improved efficiency and productivity

Significant Achievements and Initiatives:

After the formation of Telangana State in 2014, (17) New Buildings worth Rs.127.33 Cr have been completed
After 2014 in T-State, (12) New Government Polytechnics were established out of which (4) of the Institutions are Women’s Polytechnics and one is for ST boys.
E-Office has been established in the Department linking with all offices and Government Polytechnics for online speedy disposal of files and for transparency in the administration.
(1873) Laptops have been procured for SC / ST students in Government Polytechnics for helping them improve their skills and knowledge base.
Aadhar-Based Biometric attendance system (ABAS) has been implemented in all Polytechnics to infuse discipline among staff and students.
Syllabus (Curriculum: C-21) has been revised for Diploma-level students, effective from 2021.
Six months of Industrial Training for Diploma-level students in the Final Year has been introduced to provide them with internship and for skill development and hands-on experience.
Continuous Evaluation Scheme has been introduced for Diploma examinations in order to reduce pressure on students.
Grading System has been introduced in the evaluation of Diploma examinations, as it will minimize misclassification of students on the basis of marks, which will reduce societal pressure and provide the learner with more flexibility.
On-Screen Digital Evaluation System (OSDES) has been implemented in Diploma examinations in State Board of Technical Education & Training, for quick and errorfree evaluation of the answer scripts.
State Board of Technical Education & Training, has been instructed to adopt the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC) System from the academic year 2022-23 onwards.
Skill up-gradation activities in Diploma-level Institutions on a weekly basis to polish technical skills by putting theoretical concepts into practice

Commissionerate of Collegiate Education, Telangana

The Department of Collegiate Education runs 130 Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) in the state, of which 11 are autonomous and 83 are NAAC accredited. Fifteen colleges are also in the pipeline for getting NAAC Accreditation. Seven Model Degree Colleges are being run through the financial assistance of RUSA funding.
As of July 2022, in the Government Degree Colleges, out of 4098 sanctioned lecturer posts, 1243 Regular, 804 Contract and 1940 Guest Faculties are working. Similarly, out of 134 sanctioned, 54 Regular Principals, 21 Physical Directors and 48 Librarians are currently at work. Also, 595 out of 1548 regular and 341 outsourced non-teaching posts are currently in the function.
Academic Reforms of the Department

1) DOST (Degree Online Services of Telangana): For ease and transparency in admissions, online admission was started through DOST in 2016.
2) New curriculum: The Department has introduced a Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) across all the Universities and Colleges in the state since 2016.
3) Reorganisation of courses: In tune with the Choice Based Credit System, the department has initiated reorganisation of Courses in Government Degree Colleges from the Academic Year 2018-19. Also, reorganization of courses in the Bucket System has been extended to all Degree Colleges in the State from AY 2020-21.
Admissions & Students Strength: The reorganizing of courses has increased admission rate by 68% in government degree colleges over the last three years resulting in gradual strengthening of the Higher Education system.
Virtual Classrooms: To disseminate online education, Virtual Classrooms have been set up in 99 Government Degree Colleges.
Telangana Skills and Knowledge Centre (TSKCs): With an aim to increase the employability factors of GDC, the Department has established TSKCs for imparting the required skills.
Entrepreneurship Development (ED) Cell: To promote an entrepreneurship culture among undergraduate and postgraduate students, the Department aims to establish ED Cells in all Government Degree Colleges.

Administrative/IT Reforms of the Department:

e-Office: The Department has introduced a paperless
e-office system for an efficient governance mechanism
to streamline workflows for both intra-and
intergovernmental processes.

- Biometric attendance: Biometric attendance has been introduced in the HoD. Accordingly, an MoU is signed between the affiliating universities of GDCs and TSTSL.
- College Administration and Information Management System (CAIMS): An automated management system has been put in place which covers various facets like student information system, accounts and audit, and certificate management to capture error free data at one place.
- Qfix: For transparency and convenience in collecting admission and examination related fees, the Department has entered into an MOU with HDFC Bank.
- ISO Certification: As part of quality initiatives of the Department, ISO certification has been done for 96 colleges in 2019-20.
- Initiatives during Lockdown & Unlock period: As directed by UGC and instructed by the state government, the department has taken various initiatives for uninterrupted teaching in those cataclysmic times. Approximately 98 per cent of the teaching staff had conducted online and were easily accessible to the students.

Rashtriya Ucchathar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)

A centrally sponsored scheme funded by Central and State Government in the ratio of 60:40. Under the 12th Fiveyear plan, a Fund of Rs.174 Crores was approved towards infrastructure development in Universities and Government Degree Colleges. Also between 2018-20, It approved funding of Rs.254 Crores. State Universities like Osmania, JNTU and 58 GDCs have acquired additional infrastructures like new additional classrooms, toilet blocks, e-learning facilities like ICT equipment and virtual classrooms.

A grant of Rs.100.00 Crores was sanctioned for Osmania University under the component called ‘Enhancing Quality and Excellence’. The university has established Nine Centres of Excellence to encourage breakthrough research. Eleven mini centres have also been designed to facilitate research which will help these centres to gradually evolve into Centres of Excellence.
The entrepreneurship hub i.e. OUTBI (Osmania University Technology Business Incubator) was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2019 to hand-hold budding entrepreneurs and Start-Ups aiming to create a research and entrepreneurship ecosystem for the University
Kakatiya University was sanctioned a grant of Rs.50.00 Crores under Component-10 (Research and Innovation) for the establishment of K-Hub.

Commissioner of Collegiate Education

RUSA Telangana is changing the educational landscape

It was Napoleon Bonaparte who said, “An army marches on its stomach”. Similarly, quality education can be provided with state-of-the-art infrastructure. In the modern age, when information technology, the fourth industrial revolution, and cutting-edge research determine education, it is inevitable to provide good infrastructure.
The lack of proper facilities including buildings, labs and toilets has been plaguing the education sector for long. The Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a scheme under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India has come as a boon. RUSA State Project Directorate has availed the funding to the optimum and Telangana has the distinction of being one of the few States in India to have utilised the funds effectively. Dr. Soundarya Joseph, Project Officer, RUSA Telangana says, “Several colleges in different districts of Telangana were upgraded, thanks to RUSA.” She further adds, “There has been a shift in the mindset of people resulting in a rise in enrollments.”
There is a direct correlation between quality education and infrastructure. Capacity building is another aspect that helps in ensuring good education. RUSA Telangana has been able to reach out to all corners of the state in upgrading colleges and universities.
All this has been possible due to a strategic plan for developing the model based on equity, access, and excellence. To attain excellence it is paramount that equity and access are given. The Government of Telangana is leaving no stone unturned.

We are looking at significant expansion of our school network in the next five years – Aniruddh Gupta, Global Founder & CEO, Kido

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August 2, 2022

Stating the importance of education in the early years, Aniruddh Gupta, Global Founder & CEO, Kido talks with Elets News Network (ENN) about innovative pedagogical curriculum and the opportunities the segment holds in the coming times.

How do you see the present landscape of the early education scenario in the country?

The COVID pandemic has been quite a setback for the early education sector in India, but the events of the past two years have also presented the sector with an unprecedented opportunity. Because of the full closure of preschools during the pandemic (India was one of the few countries where preschools were closed for almost two years), almost 30-50% of the capacity in the sector has been destroyed. At the same time, parents have seen firsthand the importance of early year education with children staying at home throughout the pandemic.

Historically, preschools in India were seen as a replacement for daycare. The focus isn’t on quality education and it is not regularised, unlike full schools. We see this changing as more parents realise the importance of the first five years. In addition, post-pandemic, we expect parents to be more conscious of factors such as hygiene, cleanliness, number of children in a classroom, the design of the school, and the quality and ratio of staff – to ensure that children are not only well looked after,, but the school itself runs with the highest standards of operational care, so as to create a safe environment for children.

In short, we see significant opportunities for high-quality players in the industry going forward.

Kido is known for its innovative pedagogical curriculum. Could you throw some light on the thought and the process of creating this curriculum?

The fundamental premise of our curriculum is that high development outcomes (academic and non-academic) can be achieved through play-based learning. We differentiate between what children learn and how they learn it. And we recognise that each child might have a different preferred learning style. So the curriculum is designed such that high learning outcomes are achieved through learning styles that can be customised to each child.

To do this, we have set learning goals across different developmental areas (including goals for creativity, physical development, literacy, maths, STEM, art etc.) based on criteria adopted in the UK, USA, Australia, Singapore, and India. Our method of teaching is adopted from leading early childhood philosophies such as Montessori and Reggio Emilia. And we have integrated research done and techniques developed over the past twenty years, such as the theory of Multiple intelligences, Project based learning, problem-based learning, and thinking-based learning to ensure that children at our schools hit the learning goals (and exceed them) in a way that makes their journey fun, engaging and natural.

Finally, the curriculum is designed so that any teacher, anywhere in the world, can implement and conduct the classes with a high level of quality, with our training. So children in our schools in India have the same quality of education that children in the US and UK have.

What are the obstacles being faced by the early education segment in the country?

The main obstacles facing the segment in India are: (a) low (though growing) awareness of the importance and need for early childhood education among parents; (b) lack of effective regulation in the industry, which allows low-quality operators to run poor preschools, harming both the children and the industry; (c) shortage of high-quality teachers; and (d) not enough investment either by the government or the private sector to significantly upgrade the quality of the offering available to parents.

At Kido, we have a firm belief that every obstacle creates an opportunity for growth. We have developed one of the most advanced systems of early childhood education and preschool education anywhere. In addition to our high-quality schools in India, we are also trying to solve the problem of access to quality, affordable early years education at a mass-market level through our initiative on Kido Village. Through Kido Village, we offer our training, curriculum, and operational expertise to any woman wishing to set up a preschool at her home for children in her neighbourhood, at a low cost. We are also reaching out to parents who wish to spend more time with their children, educating them at home, through Kido Club. Kido Club is our online portal where we have distilled our curriculum and expertise into activities, videos, and events for parents and children at home, complete with a preschool at home program.

How has preschool education evolved post pandemic?

The most significant changes are (a) increased awareness among parents of the importance of preschool education; (b) increased focus on hygiene and quality of operations; and (c) an increased acceptance of some sort of online learning for specific activities.

Additionally, with several parents now working hybrid (at least in the west, and the situation is developing in India), there is increasing demand for hybrid preschool solutions where children attend school 2-3 times a week, and the learning can continue at home for the other days. We do see that as a growing trend.

At the same time, in India, government neglect of the sector has only increased through the pandemic and beyond, with almost the entire focus being on full schools.

What are your expansion plans for India?

With preschools in India restarting post-pandemic in 2022, and the opportunity we see ahead of us, we are looking at significant expansion of our school network in the next five years.

Our target in India is to open 100 owned and operated Kido Schools over the next five years and expand beyond that thereafter.

In addition to our retail centre launches, we are already working with corporates for on-site dedicated centres for their workforce, and both commercial and residential real estate developers for schools in upcoming projects, so that we can cater to communities in as many locations as possible.

Additionally, we will expand Kido Village significantly to enable access to quality, affordable preschools to the mass market across India over the next 3-5 years.

Making education accessible for all – Dr J Sundeep Aanand, Group President, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai

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August 2, 2022

Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research is taking commendable initiatives to promote inclusivity, outreach and access to education through their innovative intiatives.

It has been an illustrious journey for Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER). A recent feather in its cap included an award at the UK’s iconic House of Commons. BIHER President Dr Sandeep Aanand received the Asian UK Award 2022 for Best Edupreneur, for his impeccable track record in educating thousands of students and ensuring they get employment opportunities in the biggest companies the world over.

One of the oldest private institutes in Tamil Nadu, BIHER is known for its rapid modernisation and ramp-up of its educational pedagogy, cutting-edge research and ground-breaking community service activities. Recognising the efforts, Dr Sandeep Aanand received the Asian UK Award 2022 while being a key part of the Ideas for India conference that featured other well-known speakers such as AICC MP and former party president, Rahul Gandhi, former Union Minister Salman Khurshid and TIPRA Founder, Pradyot Manikya and many others.

The deemed-to-be varsity is providing multi-stream, multi-cultural and high-quality education to nearly 10,000 students from around the world. It is functioning in a sprawling area of 305 acres of land with 1.3 crore sq.ft buildings located in 6 Campuses both in Tamil Nadu and Pudhucherry with state-of-the art infrastructure facilities.

BIHR has been known for having one of the most robust systems for promoting industry-academia relations, as evidenced by their robust NIRF rankings over the past few years. While receiving the award, Dr Aanand also announced that the Bharath Group would create a program to fund and assist 100 deserving, underprivileged students to pursue research grants abroad and create intellectual growth for India and Tamil Nadu, over a period of time.

“No student studying in any of our group institutions should ever feel that they cannot do research overseas for lack of funds. We will help disadvantaged students with great ideas travel and conduct research and make us all proud,” he said. Currently, the Bharath Group of Institutions has MoUs with 100+ international universities including legendary citadels of learning such as the University of California, Berkeley, Cornell University, Harvard University, Auckland University of Technology and URAL Federal University, etc.

Reflecting on what the award, given by WBR Corp UK, meant to him, Dr Aanand said that this was merely the beginning of the grand plans they have for helping more of their students access global education through research collaborations. “I am truly honoured and blessed that a large UK-based combine has bestowed this honour on us. We have made great strides in the kind of research we are doing, despite working with some of the most rural and underprivileged students in the South of India. We do this by encouraging this kind of forwardthinking thought process to solve society’s problems as opposed to simply showing statistics. That is more important to us,” he said.

During the Ideas for India conference which was organised by Bridge India, Dr Aanand, was one of the key delegates and discussed business, start-ups, defence tech, clean energy, and how to tap the potential of students in rural areas.

Starting way back in 1984, what started as one of Tamil Nadu’s first private engineering colleges is now a massive educational conglomerate. Comprising BIHER (One of India’s most reputed multi-stream universities comprising Medical, Nursing, Architecture, Management, Agriculture, Pharmacy, Law, Management, Allied Health Sciences and Humanities and Sciences) the group also boasts of running the Bharath Medical College and Hospital and Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences. The institutions are widely regarded as among the most well-attended in India and are known for opening their doors to students from disadvantaged families to help them get a great education.

Turning people’s aspirations into reality

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August 2, 2022

Swami Atmanand was a renowned social reformer and an educationist belonging to Chhattisgarh. He established ashrams and libraries in Raipur and other districts. He was interested in the development of sports as well and also contributed to the growth of Panchayati Raj institutions. Chhattisgarh State Government has rolled out its dream project – Government English Medium Schools – SAGES in the name of a true Sage-Swami Atmanand.

Why the poor choose private schools

Millions of parents spend their hard-earned money to pay for their children to attend private schools, whereas they have the choice of availing the free education facilities in our government-run schools. The PROBE report (1999) has pointed out that poor parents perceive the quality of private schools to be higher than that of government schools. This is not restricted to perception and the quality is higher in terms of the level of teaching activity & time spent on teaching. The report also indicated that higher levels of teaching activity and closer attention to students, and the greater accountability of private schools to parents also result in a better quality of education.

When the present government came into power, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel decided to introduce government English medium schools in districts to fulfil the aspirations of poor parents by providing world-class quality education in English medium at no cost to them.

How these schools came into existence

To open these schools, a series of criteria were taken into consideration. These included having a functional school in the urban slum area locality; low enrolment with classes from primary to secondary; having another school nearby to accommodate the students and teachers of selected schools to continue their education in the Hindi medium; the school building should be where both Hindi and English medium students could continue their education on the same premises in different shifts. Further, the school administration to have exposure to nearby renowned private schools to learn the overall system of the functioning of a successful school model liked by influential rich parents and aspiring for not less than that in their proposed schools; school to have autonomy and take decisions at the local level, formation of a registered society for each school, with the collector as the Chairperson of the society, including educationists at the local level. There must be a pooling of resources and funds from DMF and other sources. The school building should be renovated, getting a beautification plan from an architect to have an attractive look on the school premises; school to provide a good world-class library, laboratory for Science, Maths, and computers, and a sports complex. Furthermore, the best Principals having schooling in English background were identified through rigorous screening process within the department and given training on school leadership and administration in State Administrative Academy.

Selection of students in these schools

Students studying in the base classes of selected schools were given first preference to continue in the same school accepting to change the medium of instruction
In higher classes, lateral entries were allowed to have students from Private English Medium Schools
These schools offered 100 percent free education from classes 1 to 12 in english medium
The students were selected through a lottery system to avoid unnecessary pressure on parents
50 per cent of reservations were given to girls and 25 per cent reservation for socially deprived groups
Orphan children who lost their parents due to corona were also given admission on a priority basis to support such children under Mahtari Dulari Yojna.

Ensuring the best teaching faculties

Teachers were selected from the department having English as their schooling background and interested to serve in such renowned schools

Society also recruited teachers from open market through proper screening to have the best teachers in these schools
Selected teachers were given induction training to provide quality education
All the posts of teachers and non-teaching faculties were filled at the earliest
SAGES Cell formed in SCERT to continuously provide academic support and monitor school activities
SAGES Hub system introduced with some schools to act as HUB and provide mentoring support to the nearby other five to seven schools.

Preparation and implementation of the academic calendar

Academic calendar for these schools were developed through a participatory approach and shared with these schools to follow
Academic calendar includes a month-wise break-up of academic events for the different sections. This calendar covers all the aspects of the curricular program such as celebrations and events, admissions process, vacations, teacher capacity development programs, examinations, staff meetings, exhibitions, seminars, field trips, and school events, etc.

Vision, mission, and objectives of SAGES

The schools were established with a vision of ‘Nurturing a mindset for excellence with Universal human values’. The mission focused on ‘To develop a creative, skill-based learning environment where our students feel motivated to discover their potential, scientific temperament, aim high, be competent and grow holistically with a mindset for excellence to become responsible and caring citizens with sensitivity towards their community and society thereby sustaining peace and harmony’. The objectives focused upon academic Excellence, value-based education, skill-based learning, inclusive education, opportunities and exposure.

Success factors of SAGES:

A number of factors have contributed in making SAGES attain success in the state. The primary factor is education being the state government’s top priority and in-person visit of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of every SAGES. Further, selection of school principals were done at the state level to get better quality and high performing enthusiastic principals, having English background throughout. Subject teachers who have their schooling in English medium and who were interested to work in such model schools were selected. The selection of contractual teachers was undertaken through a rigorous process as per gaps and demand of different subject teachers in different schools. Upgrading the infrastructure by providing good library, laboratory facilities, playground and quality furniture in schools helped in attaining success. Also, beatification of existing schools with the technical assistance of architectures to become centre of attraction and having better learning environment attributed to the popularity.

While acquiring admission, parents were required to give an affidavit that they will provide mobile and internet facilities to children to support online education of their children because of school closures. Further, principals and teachers were given quality training to support the education of children admitted in such schools. The government took initiative for establishing an autonomous society for the management of schools under the leadership of District Collector. Resources were pooled from different sources not depending exclusively on the school education department.

Views expressed by Dr. S. Bharathidasan, Secretary, School Education Department, Government of Chhattisgarh.

Skilling not only pertains to the physical skilling activity but also the communication skill sets – Andra Vamsi

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August 2, 2022

Skill Development Mission is a dynamic subject and its concepts are very fluid. Skilling is a continuous activity and people should use it as an institutional mechanism to get trained and skilled for the betterment of their lives, says Andra Vamsi, IAS, Mission Director, Uttar Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Mission, in an interview with Tarannum Manjul of Elets News Network (ENN).

When we talk about NEP, skilling is an important factor. How is the skill development mission contributing towards it?

Basically, the skill development mission takes care of the skilling aspect of the age group, ranging from 14 to 35 years. Earlier, we did have a framework arrangement in place for school dropouts or college dropouts of the other segments. We are now just making it universal that it should be a part of the curriculum as per the national education policy.

The dropout phenomena can now be hyphenated as we can actually go for a universal curriculum where skilling is a mandatory aspect for each and everyone to excel in their lives. Skilling is always an evolving sector. Today, the skilling drive is being imparted in almost 1600 plus job roles in nearly 36 sectors, but the quality is not that good. So, we must strengthen our skilling drive and improve its quality. It is the need of the hour because the mission is hardly eight years old and it is still in the evolving phase.

We are expanding ourselves towards women’s welfare also. We are even advancing towards the secondary education department. So, in the secondary education department, people will be given a choice to opt for the skilling mechanism. On a pilot basis, this financial year, we are targeting to train and skill around 20,000 people which will add value to their education. In this way, they will feel confident and move forward in life.

Skilling not only pertains to the physical skilling activity but also the communication skill sets. So, we are strengthening our base on communication skills where international employment can also be posted through these skilling mechanisms. And last but not the least, the market is always a variable related to the skilling mechanism because the market is fluid and dynamic and we also don’t know what sort of skill patterns are required from the workforce. So, that sink has to be established in the market and also in the corporate houses or the industrial setup in such a way that the skilling practice that we offer, remain on par with the National Skill Qualification Framework 6. These emerging challenges warrant our skilling drive to be of excellent quality. We have to borrow the best practices from various states of India and try to amalgamate them into our system to ensure that it is being used for the betterment of our people.

What are the courses that UPSDM is offering to dropouts, specifically as we talk about a skilled workforce?

As a part of an organisation, I have to ensure that since absenteeism is very high, we are working very much on preventing this absenteeism. We have ensured an Aadhaar enabled biometric system in the skilling centers. Second, we are increasing the number of centers and number of batches, and providing quality training partners. There are almost 750 training partners who are below the enrollment target of 40%. So, we didn’t even take them on board and we are awarding them for the best performance or see who is really doing 100% good. We are encouraging them to perform well. Not only this, we are opening our ideas in terms of pulling up the engineering training partners. For example, engineering colleges, the startup training partners for the newcomers who are not able to produce the experience or cannot submit their experience, but we are trying to open a browser saying that we will give you a chance of six months to prove yourself. If the performance is good, then we are ready to take you on board. We are also going for flexible training partners, it is nothing but a corporate house that can offer captive placements. Captive placements are really the need of the hour because employment is a huge challenge for all of us. Also, to mention, the dropout is not the correct word that we should use. Instead, we should use a universal curriculum of skilling that should be part of the present education policy.

When we talk about a universal curriculum in India, it has always been debated that ours is a text-based curriculum and this is the first time skilling has actually been introduced to it. So how is the skill development mission contributing to it?

I have to say in our school or college days, we used to have something called extracurricular activities. It can be sports, photography, music, dance, and many other ideas that can nurture the skills of a person or the personality development of a student. So, skilling can also be a variable added to those kinds of factors.

What are the major skills which UPSDM is providing especially in the rural areas?

There are 36 sectors in which 1600 job roles are functional in rural areas. There, we can go for construction-related activities, IT, apparel and electronics-related activities. Nowadays, we see housekeeping activity, beauty and wellness, banking and financial services, electronics and hardware, food processing, green jobs, plumbing, power sector, and retail works also emerging and expanding in rural settings. We are also advancing into sports and tourism and hospitality. So, there is no end to this thing. Let the market come to us, let them submit the request, and we are ready to offer them.

So far, a lot of these courses are being offered by the ITIs, so how does the Skill Development Mission (SDM) find relevance here?

The duration of courses is the primary thing that we should understand. ITI has a certain duration of its own curriculum. ITI can be a government training partner. Almost 280 ITIs have been our government training partner. There are private training partners whom we have encouraged apart from the mission itself. The mission can be a common umbrella to amalgamate all these things and ITI can be one of these in the subset.

So far which are the biggest corporate partners you have correlated with?

We are dealing with RSWM, Raymond’s, Apollo Medics, Wipro, and GE Healthcare. And we are trying to pull up more and more. Flipkart is in our pipeline.

Is there anything specific that you would like to say in regards to the NEP and skill development mission?

With respect to skill development, I have to be very clear that we were following a top-down approach which is not the need of hour anymore. We have to start from the bottom because the working force has to be identified at the district level itself. This is exactly the last mile where we can generate employment and the district authority needs to remain more focused to review the centers and batches in order to ensure attendance, and halt absenteeism.

Also, they need to ensure biometric attendance in such a manner that the authenticity of the skilling mechanism is not lost. Greater focus should be kept on qualitative training, induction of new age courses, and new technologies or technology-related skilling activity. I can say that there are a lot of infrastructure facilities in the private sector that is lying idle, so they can be pulled up and encouraged to come forward and do their best.

What do you think is the biggest challenge for our skill development mission especially in a big state like up?

The first is communication skills, the second is absenteeism, and finally the third is the bottom-up approach or the decentralised approach.

“Technology is the carrier of education in the days to come” – Syed Omer Jaleel

Interviews

By

digitalLEARNING Network

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August 2, 2022

Syed Omer Jaleel, Commissioner Intermediate Education and Secretary, Intermediate Board, Intermediate Education Department, Government of Telangana shares with Hemangini Rajput of Elets News Network how Telangana, the youngest state in the country has already carved a niche for itself in the field of education by sanctioning and creating state-of- the-art educational infrastructure and university-industry connect.

What are the initiatives being taken by your department to strengthen education in the State?

The Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) is always ahead in taking the initiatives to strengthen education, by working for all categories of students, i.e., academically poor, average and intelligent students. The TSBIE has been preparing curriculum and textbooks on par with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) & National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) by keeping in view all the National level competitive examinations like Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET). It really helps all the intelligent students and hence most of the rank holders are from Telangana state. At the same time, the TSBIE prepared Basic Learning Material (BLM) for the sake of the academically poor students to get through the Intermediate Public Examination (IPE). Further, the TSBIE has been giving online coaching for EAMCET (Engineering Agricultural and Medical Common Entrance Test), NEET & JEE.

The Department of Education is bringing about changes to ensure blended learning including classroom learning and online content. This way the students get a richer and more varied learning experience. The online content can give a better understanding as it can use 3D models to explain concepts. Further, slow learners can repeatedly view the content for a fuller understanding. Thirdly, online tests and evaluations help in understanding the learning trajectory of not only the students but also, the teachers. The online content from class 1 to degree levels is available on YouTube platforms of the department as well as telecast from the state education channel called T-SAT. Also, the latest advancements in technology like cloud computing, data analytics, artificial intelligence and biomedical engineering, etc., are introduced in the + 2 and other levels.

How do you see technology enabling education outreach?

Technology is the carrier of education in the days to come. With internet connectivity, education can reach the remotest parts. It can cover the absence of a lack of able teachers. It can help in timely & and accurate assessment of students as well as teachers, and it also helps the students to literally reach the sky in terms of availability of content.

The TS]BIE has become the digital platform by enabling Technology in Education. Almost all the (22) services viz. 16 students and 6 colleges are through online mode. Example, (1) Issue of Equivalency (2) Name Correction (3) Migration (4) Re-verification & Recounting (5) Pass Certificate Verification (6) Duplicate Memorandum of Marks (DMM), Duplicate Pass Certificate (DPC) / Triplicate Pass Certificate (TPC), (7) Attendance Exemption (8) Counter Signature on Transfer Certificate (9) True Extract of Marks Memo (10) Transcripts (11) Examination Fee (12) Group Change (13) Medium Change, Second Language Change (14) TC / Re-Admission. The TSBIE has been rendering its services with zero physical contact by providing Help desk, BIGRS (Board of Intermediate Grievance Redressal System) & Toll Free Number to avoid stress and strain among the students. Nine Clinical Psychologists are appointed to counsel the students before, during, and after the Examinations. Students can attend counseling through a Toll-Free No.

How are you ensuring skilling needs are being fulfilled by your department?

Telangana is a cluster of villages. Most of the students are from a rural and agricultural background. Vocational Education really serves the purpose for rural students to get early employment. In addition to regular vocational courses, short-term vocational courses were also introduced to attract rural students. On Job Training (OJT) is compulsory for all Vocational Students to have field-level knowledge and expertise. Recently, new vocational courses like Robotic Technology, Pharma Technology, etc. were also introduced to upgrade the vocational students for early employment.

The department runs twenty-two different combinations at +2 level in vocational education in varied fields like agriculture, engineering, commerce and business, computers and electronics, and paramedical fields. Recently, the government sanctioned six new courses in artificial intelligence, data analytics, biomedical engineering etc. In addition, short-term courses are also run in the above fields for three, six, nine, and twelve months. Additionally, the department is in MoU with the Government of India skill department as well as private enterprises for skilling internships for +2 students.

What are the challenges and opportunities of digitisation in the education system?

The TSBIE has addressed the COVID-19 Pandemic by taking on the task of digitisation of the content. The TSBIE has digitised entire textbook lessons and tele casted the video lessons through Doordarshan and T-SAT for the sake of all the Intermediate students to safeguard their academic interests of the students. In addition to this, all the digitised lessons were uploaded to the ‘You Tube Channel’ for the sake of the students who couldn’t attend through DD & T-SAT.

The basic learning material is also uploaded on the official website www.tsbie.cgg.gov.in of the TSBIE to make it available for all the students round the clock in addition to the physical material.

Your thoughts on making Telangana as a dream destination for education.

Ans: Telangana, the youngest state in the country, has already carved a niche for itself in the field of education by sanctioning and creating a state-of the-art educational infrastructure and university industry connections. The latest and best courses are on offer at top of the rung government and private universities. This is creating a knowledge society where the world’s top-most businesses are lining up to establish a business in Telangana. The TSBIE always takes a progressive path and the Board has many dreams and would like to take up more projects in the future to facilitate its stakeholders in all ways. On Screen Evaluation, computer-generated Question Paper (QP) is the futuristic plan of the TSBIE, and it is about to reach such milestones.

UGC dual degree programmes: Going beyond learning silos

Article

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

August 2, 2022

A As aspirational India undergoes a transformational overhaul, its education policy cannot remain static. It must respond to emerging demands and requirements of contemporary times. With the passing of time, everything changes for the better. Even Darwin’s theory of evolution suggests the survival of the fittest. That’s why, even our constitution-makers left the scope for amending the constitution to meet the aspirations of coming generations, whenever the need arises. Aligning with the objectives envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued guidelines regarding its recently launched dual-degree programmes.

The seed of inception

While the significant thrust of National Education Policy 2020 remains on making education more experiential, holistic, integrated, inquiry-driven, discovery-oriented and learner-centric, the double degree programmes by UGC will take the NEP’s mission forward. The programme was launched with the intention of making curricular structures more imaginative and innovative, to enable creative combinations of disciplines for study, that would offer multiple entries and exit points, thus removing currently prevalent rigid boundaries and creating new possibilities for life-long learning and centrally involving critical and interdisciplinary thinking.

Embedded avenues

The dual degree programme is certainly a future-oriented education policy launched with the sole purpose of taking our higher education segment to the next level. The dual degrees will certainly be beneficial for motivated students. According to the UGC Chairman, the decision on the double degree offering was made to allow students to acquire numerous talents. Now, students will have the opportunity to pursue two degrees simultaneously, and make themselves ready for the competitive world of the 21st century where specialised skill sets drive professional industry.

Dual degrees help in broad-basing an institute’s engagement with its partner institution. The degrees will allow for a more immersive experience, both academically and culturally. It allows students to study in an academic context that is equally rigorous, but different at the same time. They will get the opportunity to learn from and engage with specialised faculty members who may not be available at their first institute. They can also learn about new study practices, seek placement assistance from the partner institute, and gain a deeper understanding of global markets and their requirements. Upon graduation, they would be connected to the alumni networks of both institutes.

A combination of subjects will help students in their careers if they choose to pursue a double-degree offering. For instance:

Business and Computer Information Systems Almost every industry usually requires professionals who understand computer systems, programming and algorithmic processes, networks and data analysis. Computer science is responsible for the existence of the internet, digital photography, email and open-source software. Management information systems assist organisations in making data more accessible and valuable. So, this combination has great future prospects professionally.

Computer Information Systems and Accounting– An accounting information system collects data describing an organisation’s activities, keeps a detailed financial record of the organisation’s operations, converts the data into information and makes the data accessible to users, both inside and outside the organisation. People who have a degree in information systems have a wide range of career options. Jobs range from programmer analyst to business analyst, manager and chief financial officer.

Economics and Computer Science– Computer Science and Economics (CSEC) is a cross-disciplinary major for students who are interested in the practical and theoretical connections between Computer Science and Economics. Students who have done a masters in Economics and graduated in Computer Science can pursue careers such as data scientist, economic analyst and industrial economists.

The other way around

This decision will increase the load on universities. It also doesn’t increase the number of students enrolling in universities because the same student will study two courses. So, higher education’s gross enrollment ratio (GER) will not go up. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2019-20, GER for higher education is at 27.1 per cent. The NEP has set a target of raising this to 50 per cent by 2035.

It will also lead to a demand for teachers in universities, as thousands of vacancies for current needs have not been filled. Several subject experts and scholars have pointed out that the UGC’s decision to allow students to take up two full-time academic programmes simultaneously in physical mode may hamper the quality of honours courses at the undergraduate level.

According to some experts, the basic philosophy of honours courses is to provide comprehensive, intensive, and advanced knowledge to students. And even in honours courses, students can opt for discipline-centric courses. In courses where practicals are as important as theory subjects, students pursuing another course alongside will disturb schedules and will create chaos for both students and faculty. Allowing students to earn extra credits is an understandable concept, but allowing them to earn extra degrees will just dilute the quality of the degree programmes. Another challenge is in fulfilling the UGC’s stand that there should be no hard separations between arts and sciences, curricular and extracurricular activities, vocational and academic streams, etc, in order to eliminate harmful hierarchies, and silos between different areas of learning. ng.

The way forward

With the rapid increase in demand for higher education and limited availability of seats in regular streams, several Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have started a number of programmes in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode to meet the aspirations of students. It has also led to the emergence of online education programmes which a student can pursue within the comforts of their home. As per experts, as every good thing embeds in it some faultlines and missing points, so is the case with this dual-degree programme of UGC.

This isn’t merely a dual degree. The students will earn two degrees for full-time study. While the student’s choice of core disciplines is up to them, based on their interests, it also depends on the institution’s resources. The two programs must be of the same level. Students can only pursue two bachelor’s, two master’s or two diploma programmes at a time. So, to make this program truly viable, a thought-over methodology is required. All the apprehensions and scepticism of students, teachers, colleges and institutions must be addressed comprehensively.

Taking education forward being locally rooted and globally connected

Article

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

August 2, 2022

The role of the pandemic in preparing the education sector to implement plans for continuity in education cannot be underestimated. Throughout the disruption of the pandemic, challenges in delivering sustainable education for all and the need to create an education model which supports student-centred learning and teaching going into the future became of paramount importance.

International Baccalaureate (IB) education leaders have reported that the keys to ensuring the continuity of education during the pandemic were; the use of technology, focus on student-centred learning, collaboration, and the prioritisation of 21st century skills, aligning well with the core elements of the National Education Policy (NEP).

At the start of the pandemic, nobody expected that what was thought to be a temporary measure in closing schools would lead to a year of online, remote learning. Although thankfully, when this transition to all-remote learning began, most IB students were digitally equipped to be able to continue learning, this wasn’t the case for every school context, and certainly not for every student. In those circumstances, teachers relied significantly on their students’ ability to adapt and be resilient to periods of disruption and challenge. It quickly became clear that delivering learning purely online meant that extra consideration needed to be given to ensure that learning and teaching were relevant to students. For subjects that required interactive learning, moving to the online world meant that it was impossible for teachers to deliver the same curriculum content. Once the initial problem of connectivity was addressed, evolving curriculum content to be suited to the new learning delivery mode became the next most crucial step.

To do this, educators evolved the content to be suitable for solely digital and remote delivery through student-centred learning focused on developing 21st century skills. By prioritising opportunities for the students to practice their adaptability, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration skills, schools found they bolstered the motivation of their students to engage with the new ways of learning, and helped to achieve quality learning outcomes for students despite the disruptions. Many teachers and students reported greater demonstrations of agency and independent learning at a rate that could never have been predicted.

These experiences show that students and teachers do not need direct or face-to-face instruction as much as previously believed in order to have effective learning outcomes.

In a world where students were mostly learning from behind computer screens, it was clear that student collaboration needed to be prioritised. Thankfully, this was an easy task for IB World Schools due to the local and global networks that could be drawn upon. Throughout the pandemic, students learning digitally had the opportunity to collaborate with their peers from local schools and with those from across the world. They had a shared experience of the same or similar digital learning tools in a way that hadn’t been tried previously.

Both the NEP and the IB are aligned in prioritising the delivery of globally connected learning that is relevant to the local context. By examining local content through a global lens, students’ understanding is taken to new levels, and they emerge as internationally-minded people who can understand how their local context fits into the wider world stage.

When considering how best to protect the future of education, the lessons of the pandemic prove that many approaches to education have viability. There are schemes being considered that take advantage of non-digital resources: outdoor teaching and education, project-based learning that in parts can be conducted independently and at home, or collaborative home-schooling so that learners can share resources. Educators agree that while we are at the beginning of rethinking what ‘school’ looks like, the NEP is placing greater focus on the value of education by policy and decision-makers in India. As leading minds come together to construct the vision for the future of education following the disruption of the pandemic, the core tenet of student-centred learning should not be forgotten.

IB education leaders came together to discuss and reflect on their experiences, sharing key insights from their experiences, delivering education through the pandemic and how they are taking their learnings through to the future.

Register your interest for the full webinar recording via https://bit.ly/3utXcQD

Panellists:

Ms Prabha Dixit, Principal – Primary school, Akshar Arbol International School
Mr Rajesh Vasudevan, Head of School, Manchester International School
Ms Anu Monga, Chairperson, The Association of International Schools of India (TAISI)

Moderator:

Garima Pant, Senior Assistant Editor – Knowledge Resource Group, Elets Technomedia Pvt Ltd

CM Yogi inaugurates DBT; 1.91 crore children to enjoy benefits

News

By

digitalLEARNING Network

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August 1, 2022

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the direct bank transfer (DBT) process of Rs 1200 per student to parents of 1.91 crore children for uniforms, sweaters, shoes, socks, schoolbags, and stationery items.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion in Lucknow, the Chief Minister said, “Before 2017, government schools were in a dilapidated condition with grass and vegetation covering the school buildings, while there was an absence of teachers and students and children had no motivation to go to school. In last 5 years, dedicated efforts were made to improve the condition and as a result, the number of students has significantly increased.”

The CM also mentioned that there were about 60-70 percent of female students and a large number of male students, who used to walk to their schools barefoot. However, today, when these children are provided with shoes and socks, uniforms and sweaters, they are filled with pride and have new energy for going to school.

The aim of the UP government is to develop state-run schools at par with the convent and private schools, Yogi said, “We implemented a new academic schedule for children, introduced innovative modules to make their learning easier, and as a result, the number of students has gone up which is also an encouraging factor for the Basic Education Department.”

Urging all the principals and teachers to dedicate themselves to the holistic development of children, the CM said that a teacher plays the most important role after a parent in the personality development of the child. Hence, it is our collective responsibility to shape the future of our children and address their needs with sensitivity.

“Our educational institutions have made us what we are today, so now it is our responsibility to make our educational institutions fit for our children,” he remarked.

Maintaining that usage of technology-based learning is the need of the hogi Adityanathour, Yogi said that technology must be efficiently utilised for improving the quality of education, and at the same time all our learning values, morals, and ethics should be kept intact.

The Chief Minister added that countries that attained freedom with and before India are today seen breaking down while India is celebrating its ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava’, we must pledge to contribute towards making our country the most powerful nation.

“Our teachers and schools play a very important role towards the development of the nation, schools are the foundation unit for a strong and prosperous country and therefore, we must keep our schools as clean and pure as our religious places and must educate our children effectively,” he said.

Talking about the penetration of education to the grassroots, Yogi emphasised that every Gram Panchayat must be such that each and every child goes to school. Communication should be established with parents of children who are not coming to school and must be motivated to do the same.

The Chief Minister said that all schools must develop a schedule to conduct awareness sessions regarding the current events that are taking place nationally and internationally for a better understanding of children and for making them responsible citizens.

“No negative comments and negative feedback should be given to children. Teachers must take note of the weaknesses of the child and give constructive feedback and encourage a child to do better,” said the CM.

The CM also asked the teachers and principals to make children aware of the freedom fighters belonging to their respective regions to commemorate ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava’. “Teachers and Shiksha Mitras must also ensure that the money provided today to the parents of the children is also utilised for the purpose it has been given and that children now attend schools religiously,” he added.

Speaking about the ‘School Chalo Abhiyan’ re-launched by the state government to increase enrollment of children in schools, after the Covid-19 pandemic, the most-affected sector was education. Therefore, “we made all efforts ranging from recruiting new teachers on a large scale to developing basic facilities in schools — furniture, washrooms, libraries, playgrounds — under Operation Kayakalp to win the trust of people in the government schools and encourage their children to attain education through these schools.” he added further.

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