Ed-tech company Wonderslate launches learning-from-gaming app Prepjoy to help aspirants crack competitive exams

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November 25, 2021

Providing a unique ‘learning-from-gaming’ experience, leading edutech company Wonderslate, an educational deliverance, digital publishing, and test preparation platform has launched first-of-its-kind, fun-filled app Prepjoy to help aspirants crack entrance and competitive exams in Hindi as well as English. The company with a vision of building the largest academic content store with superior learning experience believes in making learning fun and exciting and is offering 3 ways to learn and excel―watch it, read it and play it. The app is useful for current affairs, general awareness, general knowledge, general studies, Indian and global environment, national and international updates, and others.

“The unique learning-from-gaming experience with Prepjoy provides endless opportunities for learners in a fun-filled manner that not only helps them to achieve their career goals but also enhances their knowledge. The content is thoughtfully designed and carefully curated by a team of experts to give users a competitive edge in the exams. It also gives them a chance to daily challenge themselves to track their progress and be a better version. This is a first-of-its-kind experience and we believe that building a platform that makes learning fun and exciting will definitely help aspirants to focus on their growth and goals to achieve the desired results easily,” said Mr. Anand Achyut, CEO, Wonderslate Technologies Pvt Ltd.

Prepjoy gives a platform to its users to read about daily current affairs and keep testing themselves with the unique Current Affairs Game. On the app, they can play it as a challenge to see how much they actually learned to constantly improve and grow by accepting and excelling at various levels. They can also track and flaunt their success and challenge people from all over the country to see where they stand on their current affairs knowledge. They can take daily quizzes in the form of a fun-filled game and win the tasks, get points and badges to flaunt success on the leaderboard.

It provides an immersive and interactive learning experience for the preparation of entrance exams of banks, SSC, railways, civil services, MBA IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO, SBI Clerk, LIC AAO, UIIC AO, NICL AO, RBI Grade B, RBI Assistant but also for many other government recruitment exams. Everything is meticulously curated and carefully selected by a team of experts, keeping the exam needs in mind. Moreover, watching content seamlessly on the platform helps users to remember and understand things better. With the best user experience and interface, the learners can read and watch content on daily affairs, bookmark and save important articles for later and prepare by dates to boost exam preparation. All the above for free of cost with no hidden fees and charges.

Govt. approves continuation of National Apprenticeship Training Scheme for next five years

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November 24, 2021

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi today has accorded its approval for stipendiary support of Rs. 3,054 crore to apprentices who undergo apprenticeship training under National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) of Ministry of Education for the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26 (upto 31-03-2026).

Approximately 9 lakhs apprentices will be trained by industry and commercial organisations. NATS is a well-established scheme of the government which has demonstrated to enhance the employability of students who have successfully completed the apprenticeship training.

The apprentices who have completed graduate and diploma programmes in Engineering, Humanities, Science and Commerce will be given stipends of Rs.9,000/- and Rs.8,000/- per month respectively.

The government has approved an expenditure of more than Rs. 3,000 crore during the next five years which is about 4.5 times the expenditure made during the previous 5 years. This increased expenditure on apprenticeship is in line with the thrust which National Education Policy 2020 has given to apprenticeship.

In keeping with the government emphasis on “SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas, –SabkaVishwas, SabkaPrayaas”, the scope of NATS has further been expanded to include students from Humanities, Science and Commerce besides students from engineering stream. This scheme aims to raise the standards of skill level by strengthening the skill ecosystem and as a result, will provide employment to approximately 7 lakhs youths in the next five years.

The NATS will provide apprenticeship in the emerging areas under ‘Production Linked Incentive’ (PLI) such as mobile manufacturing, medical devices manufacturing, pharma sector, electronics/technology products, automobile sector etc. The scheme will also be preparingskilled manpowerfor connectivity/logistics industry sectors, identified under GatiShakti.

EdTech Company Extramarks unveils a refreshed brand identity and focusing on technology-based learning solutions

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November 24, 2021

Extramarks, India’s most trusted EdTech giant, announced the launch of its new logo, visual identity, and category positioning today. At the core of the branding are new visual assets, including a refreshed logo and the one-stop Learning App solution- – reflecting Extramarks values- ‘fun’ ‘engaging’, ‘integrated’ and ‘inclusive’ with a modern approach to digital learning. The new branding is already live across all internal and external communication channels. The latest version of the ‘The Learning App’ is available for both iOS and Android device users.

As a part of this launch, the company’s flagship product- Extramarks -The Learning App has undergone a complete experiential overhaul. Extramarks has integrated all its applications in the K-12, JEE, NEET segments and its school-based solutions like Assessment Center and Live Class Platform into a single Extramarks – The Learning App, making it a one-stop learning destination for students across segments.

The app leverages the proven pedagogy of Learn-Practice-Test which encourages students towards wholesome learning. Besides media-rich modules, live classes, and recorded lectures for learning, users will also have the ability to practice score boosters, high weightage questions, get unlimited doubt solving live sessions, create custom tests, and get access to many more exciting features for a holistic learning experience.

On the occasion, Ritvik Kulshrestha, CEO, Extramarks stated, “With the onset of the pandemic, the whole EdTech category has evolved further and attracted new-age learners. This presented us with the opportunity to evolve with changing times reaffirming Extramarks’ commitment to developing inclusive, intuitive, and holistic tech-enabled learning solutions. Our new identity is reflective of the vitality that the children bring, reminiscent of their enthusiasm for learning, their fascination for new concepts. The reboot of our logo and The Learning App is a clear reflection of the value we deliver to learners of all age groups— creative, multi-faceted, future-facing, and modern.”

With a legacy of 12 years, Extramarks has earned its position as a leading digital education solutions provider with solutions installed in 10000+ schools across India. With the refreshed identity, Extramarks aims to appeal to new-age learners with a gamified, storified, and interactive learning approach. Owing to its vast network of 9+ million learners and experienced in-house academicians, Extramarks has deeply made its presence felt across not just India but in regions such as the Middle East, South Africa, and Indonesia as well.

IGNOU extends the admission deadline for UG, PG Programmes again

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November 24, 2021

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has extended the last date for fresh admission to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes for the July 2022 session.

Students can now register for UG and PG programmes till November 30. Students can apply for the programmes through the official website ignou.samarth.edu.in, ignou.ac.in.

Earlier, the last date to apply was November 22. “IGNOU has extended the last date for Fresh Admission to PG and UG Programmes only (except Semester based programmes) for the July-2021 Session till 30th November, 2021. Admission to Certificate / Diploma and PG Diploma programmes for July 2021 Session is closed,” an official statement said.

Steps to register for IGNOU July session admission:

Visit the official website — ignou.samarth.edu.in or ignou.ac.in
Register the essential details and the course
Use enrollment number and login again
Fill the application form
Submit and pay the fee
Download the application
Keep a print out for future reference

Zyxel provides innovative solutions to education sector: Mr Gary Chen, President, Zyxel India

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November 24, 2021

Zyxel is providing innovative solutions to the education sector, said Mr Gary Chen, President, Zyxel India to Elets News Network and added the company is actively innovating products and services for transforming the education sector.

What is Zyxel doing to bring transformation in the education system?

Zyxel provides high-end solutions across industries and education is one of the main focused sectors, which Zyxel looks up to and keeps on serving with innovative products and solutions. We are actively innovating education solutions for the bright future of this country. We are bringing the latest wireless solutions for better connectivity since digital platforms are the future of education institutes. The top B-school IIM Raipur, Leading K-12 schools like Shri Ram Millenium School, top graduate school – BITS Pilani are using our solutions and helping the students to have bright futures.

The apps and technology-enabled solutions play a crucial role after the Covid 19 pandemic in the education sector. Can we meet the requirements of the education industry?

During COVID 19, online education has taken the front foot and offline education is still distant. I am sure that even after Covid-19 digital platforms and online education will continue to happen, giving a boost to the education industry. All the technology enabled devices are to be managed, monitored and controlled by the internet. The devices, which provide hassle-free internet connectivity to the students and also to whole premises, Zyxel is a leader in it. Similarly, our latest inclusion for the education industry is WiFi6 access point, which is the latest technology and provides the best bandwidth. Be it outdoor or indoor connectivity, Zyxel is the one-stop solution provider for all networking needs.

What kind of tech-solutions Zyxel is providing that is helping the education industry?

As mentioned above, we as a leading networking brand are providing wireless access points, network switches, network firewall security and cloud management portal NEBULA. Education industry doesn’t have to do the hassle of managing different brands at their site, they can simply control, manage all their Zyxel devices over the cloud with the help of Nebula Cloud Control Management Portal. Since, after COVID-19 online teaching is the new normal, we make sure that we are providing the best networking solution to the education institutes.

Do you think there is a challenge to implement smart and effective network solutions in schools? How can we mitigate this?

I would say that before COVID-19 it was a challenge to implement smart and effective network solutions but after COVID-19, education sector has understood the importance of smart education tools, online teaching, good internet connectivity, so now slowly and gradually the education premises doors are opening to welcome such new and effective network solutions which brings us in the picture and other education tools providers in the market. Also, beside the circumstances of covid-19, we have been continuously making efforts to implement smart network solutions in the education sector, to which we have been successful but the path is still long and we make sure that we continue to do the same in future also so that one day all the education institutes are on same page and our students are getting best facilities in terms of education and infrastructure.

Could you tell us about the Zyxel Network’s new e-learning platform – Zyxel Campus Academy?

Zyxel understands education is the foundation for any big thing. Our Zyxel academy provides a diverse curriculum to individuals and organizations. Zyxel’s network certifications offer network professionals the ability to become Zyxel-certified with proven experience and skills.

How secure is your AI and cloud-powered business solutions for users?

Cybercriminals are always quick to exploit the latest technology and AI is no exception. We are already facing a cybercrime pandemic, and the global cost has now reached $600 billion, according to a recent report from McAfee. To counter these more sophisticated threats, we need the advanced threat protection (ATP) that Zyxel is now building into all its firewall solutions. ATP uses AI to detect and silo potential threats before they have any chance to be deployed. The primary method used in ATP is sandboxing. This examines activity at the processor level, in real-time, detecting and blocking anything that looks like it could be malware and shutting it away in a protected area of the system before it can do any harm.

Our cloud-powered business solution is very effective for our users, you can access Nebula Control Center (NCC) from anywhere with an Internet connection and configure, monitor, and manage a wide range of networking and security devices from access points, switches, to security gateways and firewalls without the complexity of remote site access. We even have a dedicated app. The features that come along with Nebula are zero-touch efficient deployment, real-time updating and monitoring with historical data and best user experience.

Madhya Pradesh to reopen schools with full capacity

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November 23, 2021

Madhya Pradesh to reopen schools in full capacity soon. The government has allowed schools to reopen with 100 percent capacity for Classes 8, 10 and 12 and with 50 percent capacity for classes 1 to 5.

The School Education Department said that all schools can resume offline teaching and learning activities in full capacity for classes 1 to 12.

However, the parents’ consent is necessary for allowing students to go to the school, the school education department said.

All staff and non-staff, students and teachers should take both the doses of COVID 19 vaccines, the government order stated.

The order also said, the schools should also follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the Central and State government to control Covid 19 pandemic.

In fact, the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education MPBSE has declared Class 10 and 12 exam dates. Class 10 board exam will be held on February 18 and Class 12 exams will start on February 17.

Edtech platforms ImaginXP & OrangeSlates enter into a strategic partnership to upskill 50,000 educators using digital tools

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November 23, 2021

The Edtech companies like ImaginXP and OrangeSlates will upskill over 50,000 school teachers with the latest digital technology tools, teaching methodologies using new-age approaches.

OrangeSlates’ proprietary platform will be used to upskill teachers using a series of short-duration live training sessions by top experts and educators from the country. With this partnership, the edtech duo has also announced their ‘School Connect Program’, under which they will reach out to 5000 schools to enable both teachers and students with skills that will help shape a better future. The program will also provide live counseling sessions.

Furthermore, in line with their aim to upskill teachers, they are also launching long-term programs for educators in collaboration with some of the top universities of India. Using these courses, teachers can now participate in such programs that will enable them to be at par with the globally evolving edtech industry.

The following have been kept in mind while designing courses for educators:

Short Duration Expert Led Live courses – Courses that cater to the evolving skill needs such as Implementing Hybrid Learning in Schools, Digital Tools such as Augmented Reality, Google Workspace for Education.

Courses designed as per NEP 2020– The latest Education policy designed in 2020 lays particular emphasis on the development of an individual’s creative potential. It is based on a principle- education must develop not just cognitive capabilities but also focus on the foundational capacities to achieve a higher order of education and skill.

Live Instructor-Led Training by OrangeSlates – OrangeSlates will be offering all teachers from eligible schools Live short-duration training courses to elevate the learning experience for their learners.

Speaking on the strategic collaboration, Mr. Shashank Shwet, Founder and CEO ImaginXP, said, “At ImaginXP, we offer future skills degree programs and credit certification courses that are in line with corporate-led curriculums intending to provide students and aspirants with a coaching platform that helps them write their own successes. We have experienced a massive uptake of courses over time and have seen a huge number of student successes with our current offerings. We believe that our educators require a similar platform that enables their growth.”

“Our partnership with OrangeSlates will help us further define success for teachers who have not only been the backbone of the edutech industry but have faced difficulty in upskilling themselves in the recent past. With the short duration and live training programs, our educators now will have an equal chance to amplify their careers.”

Also commenting on the partnership, Mr. Pradeep Pillai, CEO & Co-Founder, OrangeSlates, said, “We had many (not all) educators who were getting used to teaching using new-age technologies like smart boards or smart classes. However, this adoption was slow and perhaps would have taken much longer. The COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns moved them to an online teaching space overnight with little or no gadget improvement, software support, or training in most cases. In the past one year and more, educators have faced challenges to keep their classes engaging and impactful owing to digital knowledge constraints.”

“We are delighted to have partnered with ImaginXP to empower over 50,000 educators and enable them to inspire, educate and engage their students.” “Using these short live duration training courses by selected top experts in the country, or the long term courses offered by top universities, our educators will now have the opportunity to learn the new age teaching methodologies, understand the importance of using the latest digital tools to upskill themselves and move towards career amplification.”

Reopening of Schools and Colleges: Delhi Govt to discuss on it on November 24

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November 23, 2021

Delhi Government will review the decision to reopen schools, colleges and educational institutions. The decision will be taken in a meeting on November 24.

Considering the air quality level in the state, the government will decide to reopen schools, colleges and educational institutions, said the Environment minister Gopal Rai.

Earlier, the education department had to shut down all schools and colleges due to the rising air quality index.

“The environment department has directed to close all the schools with immediate effect till further orders of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and adjoining areas. Therefore, all government and private schools will remain closed till further orders,” Additional Director of Education Rita Sharma said. “However, online teaching learning activities and the examinations for board classes would be conducted as per guidelines issued earlier,” the official said.

On November 13, the schools were shut down in Delhi following which the Haryana government also announced the closure of schools in four cities– Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhijar.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan focuses to implement National Education Policy in Northeast region

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November 23, 2021

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan ji

Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan has visited the Northeastern region recently and chaired the meeting of Ministers’ of Education of the North-eastern states in Guwahati.

During the meeting, Pradhan overviewed presentations on the school and higher education scenarios in the North Eastern region, including enrolment trends, outreach initiatives for ethnic students, access to facilities, penetration of centrally-sponsored schemes, steps taken to make education accessible, among others.

The meeting was attended by the Minister of State for Education and External Affairs Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh. The Education Advisors of the NE states and senior officials of the Ministry of Education were also present.

The discussion also focused on the way forward towards implementing the NEP 2020, strategies to strengthen the learning landscape in the NE states to transform the NE region into a knowledge-based economy.

Pradhan stressed on working together with the NE state education ministries in charting special initiatives for reducing drop-out rates and also research institutions planning in areas like, biodiversity conservation, promoting sustainable commercial cultivation of bio-resources.

Demand for education loans soar amid pandemic: Ankit Mehra, CEO & Founder, Gyandhan

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November 22, 2021

After the Covid 19 pandemic, there has been a dramatic growth in the user base of online education, said Mr. Ankit Mehra, CEO & Founder, Gyandhan to Elets News Network in an interaction and added that the borrowing and lending trends are changing and demand is increasing for educational loans.

How is GyanDhan helping students to fulfill their study abroad dreams?

GyanDhan was founded with a motive to make the education loan process meritocratic and easy. The foremost step was partnering with major lending institutions in the market. After a deep analysis of the market, we found the process riddled with procedural delays, archaic documentation processes, and limited products. To optimize the evaluation and application process, we built an in-house evaluation model called the GyanDhan Score that calculates the creditworthiness of the applicant and the risk involved. The score assigned helps in making an objective decision on the profile with no personal biases in the mix, giving every applicant an equal chance of securing funds. The initial focus was on abroad education financing needs. Recently, we also forayed into the domestic market financing school fees, college/semester fees, vocational and other upskilling courses. Our NBFC license was recently approved, which will enable us to handle the end-to-end customer experience.

Do you think students are facing challenges in studying abroad due to a lack of financial support?

Banks have become stringent in their profile evaluation because of the rising NPA. By the end of December 2020, the NPA registered in the education loan sector was 9.7%. Even though education is a priority lending sector, students do not find an appropriate lending source. The pandemic saw several borrowers defaulting on their loans as servicing the loan was not a priority when people were losing jobs and facing pay cuts.

Another reason is the product limitation. While lenders have expanded their product line, the requirement for loan eligibility still rests on the collateral they can pledge. We have tended cases where the borrower could not pledge any collateral and had retired parents as co-borrowers. We find them suitable solutions, but several students are still facing loan rejection.

What is the future of studying abroad and the changing dynamics?

COVID has changed the global education scenario with the introduction of the hybrid model of teaching. Though, it initially put a damper on the study abroad plans as there were issues regarding vaccination and travel guidelines. But since then, there has been an increase in the number of students traveling abroad to start their sessions. Owing to the post-study work options, travel guidelines, and vaccination rules, a shift is seen in the choice of country. The USA has consistently topped the list of popular study destinations. While it has retained its position, many students are looking positively at countries with longer stay back options, such as the UK and Canada. Other countries, like Ireland, Germany, and New Zealand have also turned up in the mix.

How much corpus has been funded by GyanDhan for education financing in India?

Since the inception of the company, we have disbursed more than INR 1500 crore to finance overseas education as the initial operations of the company focused more on abroad education financing needs. We have made a name for ourselves as the leading financing institution for the abroad segment. Coming to the domestic segment, loan amounts disbursed is more than INR 50 crore since we forayed into the market. It has been an invigorating experience to have a successful start to our endeavor, considering we began the operations during the pandemic. The domestic segment includes financing school fees, college/semester fees, and vocational and short-term courses.

Did the education loan borrowing trends change after the Covid 19 pandemic?

Both borrowing and lending trends have been impacted by the pandemic. The delinquency rate during the pandemic increased because of job and pay cuts, which resulted in a higher number of bad loans given by financial institutions. It led to stricter eligibility criteria to avail of loans. Though banks increased the moratorium period to give borrowers some respite, it did not help the NPAs. Another option is restructuring the loan. The RBI allowed one-time restructuring if the borrower had made regular payments till 31st March 2021. Despite the complications, the number of borrowers has increased as the EdTech sector boomed. There has been a dramatic growth in the user base of online education, which requires education financing.

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