Kasturirangan: NEP aims to transform India into a knowledge society

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December 22, 2020

Lauding the National Education Policy 2020, eminent educationist K Kasturirangan said the NEP 2020 aims to transform India into a knowledge society with special focus on high quality of research work. K Kasturirangan was also the chairman of the committee who drafted NEP 2020.

The NEP was drafted after a gap of 34 years by the BJP-led Modi government.

Addressing the inaugural episode of E-content production on NEP by the Instructional Media Centre (IMC) of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Kasturirangan expressed his views.

Appreciating the efforts by MANUU to develop e-content on NEP, Kasturirangan said the University’s plan to create a video library was certainly a very important, critical and probably an imperative step, moving towards implementation of the NEP 2020 in the near future.

“NEP is the need of the hour. It is not just reading of the document, but understanding, analyzing, interpreting and getting a picture of it several steps we need to put together,” he said.

Also Read:- Pokhriyal: NEP 2020 upholds the reservation policy

Kasturirangan also highlighted the important features of the policy, which include flexibility, interconnectivity and religious diversity, among others, the release said.

Aditya Berlia: Safety of all stakeholders our priority

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December 21, 2020

The NEP 2020, in many ways, is a validation of the philosophy we have been espousing and following for decades, says Aditya Berlia, Joint Secretary, Apeejay Education Society in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).

Apeejay Education Society is one of the eminent groups in the country. How it has helped students and parents during the pandemic?

Within 48 hrs of the lockdown, we were able to resume virtual classes, and within a few days, we were able to run the full-time table and syllabus for our students along with all exams. These were difficult and harrowing times for all stakeholders, and we were fortunate to have parents, students, and alumni who support the creation of a learning environment and have a long-term vision of education. Our staff reached out to those who were struggling due to the digital divide, and we were able to provide them with access to technology in their homes. The mental health and well-being of our students have always been our number one priority, and we modified our syllabuses to be able to provide them with activities, including physical education virtually.

What will be the impact of NEP 2020 on school education in the long-run?

The NEP 2020, in many ways, is a validation of the philosophy we have been espousing and following for decades. We wholeheartedly support its immediate implementation. The policy, while revolutionary for India, essentially allows the country to catch up to best practices already in place across the world and lays the foundation for a new 21st Century education. The policy will not only allow students to access a higher level of knowledge; it will free educators from the shackles of cookie-cutter and narrow-minded thinking. The change has been more than three decades in the making, and it uplifts our entire education eco-system to being one of the most enlightened and progressive in the world. We are excited to be able to extend our world-class bench marked curriculum into higher classes and seamlessly fit into the greater regulatory eco-system.

Also read: Educators: NEP will be a great leveler, implementation will be challenge

After the pandemic, how the group is planning to bring back students to the classroom?

The safety of all stakeholders is our number one priority. We are working with experts, regulators, and the government to ensure we have an action plan that puts safety first and can manage and mitigate risk properly. We are delighted to see the worldwide positive results of vaccines and hope schools should be able to return to normal within six months or less.

How has the school employed new age innovations as modern learning aids?

Our focus on virtual learning and investments in innovative infrastructure allowed us to move entirely virtual within a few days of the lockdown. It has validated our digital backbone and digital-first strategy, as well as our continuous teacher training and development. The most significant development has been the new acceptability of digital learning and new pedagogy among our stakeholders. It has allowed us to accelerate the deployment of many innovative practices that earlier were taking time to gain acceptability. We measure success by looking at the outcomes, and we are optimistic, given the data on learning that has started to come in.

IILM focuses on innovation and technology

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December 21, 2020

As per our National education policy, the education system needs to give more focus on change and innovation to achieve the required GER, says Dr Sujata Shahi, Vice Chancellor, IILM University, Gurugram in a conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

As we know India has the third largest higher education system in the world, after the US and China, according to the World Bank. The growth of the higher education system in India is remarkable and especially in the post-independence period. As per our National education policy, the education system needs to give more focus on change and innovation to achieve the required GER. Universities have always been a paramount player in a global system increasingly driven by knowledge, information and ideas.

Keeping in mind the transformation of the education system, which is currently prevalent due to pandemic and new normal, IILM University holds onto its top spot year after year because it produces a steady stream of innovations that are cited by other researchers in academia and private industry. That sort of influence is a key measure of the success and growth of the institution. IILM understands that it’s almost impossible to mention the words ‘higher education’ without ‘innovation’ following closely behind. Despite the clichés, innovation in higher education isn’t just about staying ahead, it’s about staying relevant and sustainable in a globally unpredictable environment. At IILM, it’s also not about simply disrupting teaching and learning methodologies, but about strategically molding these methodologies in order to cultivate new ideas, enhance creativity, encourage collaboration, and promote inclusion and diversity.

Also read: Globus Infocom offers advanced technology solutions

As the leading national higher education institution IILM is a hub of strategic significance by conducting cutting-edge research in numerous fields and inculcating the spirit of discovery and entrepreneurship. The university contributes to entrepreneurship driven research and develops strong interdisciplinary programs in strategically selected priority areas. We are sincerely working towards fulfilling our dream of an institute where there is a synergy of user experience, mobility, digitalization, safety, artificial intelligence, and embracing cloud benefit.

Our innovation in education is focused on creating a framework that defines the knowledge and skills required for success in work, citizenship, and life and that can be used to guide students’ cumulative progress through college. An inquiry based exploration of subjects that the individual student identifies and defines, which is conducted over the course of at least one semester, and that involves substantial writing and reflection. Another significant innovative approach is rubrics to evaluate the work students produce across their diverse learning pathways and whose results inform efforts to promote student success.

Students cannot reach their full potential when impeded by issues affecting their safety, security and well-being. We help the students with timely information that empowers and informs their decisions. We have the best resources and information available on campus safety. Educational programs instituted across all components of the campus system, including students, faculty, staff, and safety officials are key. Bystander intervention and trauma-informed training programs at IILM foster a culture of safety, concern, and mutual responsibility for the campus community.

IILM University continuously works to build on innovative practices, leveraging emerging technologies to enhance the student experience. We understand that campus is the epicenter of all activity and therefore we leverage technology and strategies in a way that improves the experience of the students.

UP Board to introduce NCERT books for three more classes

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December 21, 2020

In a major development, the UP board will introduce new books based on NCERT syllabus for three more classes in the state from the new academic session (2021-22). In addition to commerce in class 12th, preparations have been started to introduce new books for English in class 10th and 12th. Tender for publication of these books will be released by January 2021 so that books can be available in the market by the third week of March.

In the last two years, UP Board has introduced NCERT books for 24 subjects. Apart from this, the board had introduced 31 books on 18 different subjects based on NCERT syllabus for students of classes 9 to 12 from academic session 2018-19 . Also in 2019-20, the board introduced some new books based on NCERT syllabus in high school (social science) and class 12 (history, geography, civics, economics and sociology).

Also read: NCERT inks deal with ISLRTC to develop sign languages

Recently, the board had planned to increase the number of centers by one and a half times for the 1 0th (high school) and 12th (intermediate) examination 2021. Apart from this, schools which do not have access to main roads or which are not 10 feet wide, will not be made an examination center.

Globus Infocom offers advanced technology solutions

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December 21, 2020

Our Digital Language Labs provide language proficiency in Hindi, English & Sanskrit languages, says Kiran Dham, CEO & Managing Director, Globus Infocom Limited in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).

How COVID-19 pandemic has affected your business?

The Covid 19 has drastically changed different industries past years, especially education. With the distinctive rise of e-learning teaching & learning has undertaken remotely & on digital platforms. Though the education technology industry was already showing high growth & adoption, there has been a significant surge noted during the covid-19 pandemic.

This phase has turned education & technology synonymous & has helped in the Education continuity during the lockdown. We have not only seen a drastic surge in online learning solutions but now schools are preparing themselves with advanced technology solutions in their classrooms too.

But lockdown certainly affected other aspects of different business with difficulty in project implementations & workforce collaboration & we were no exception.

Also read: Globus Infocom enabling smart learning in Goa’s govt colleges

How are your products better than others as there are many in the market?

Though every player in the industry is different in one or the other term but there are few points where we stand out in the industry.

We are a proud “Make in India” brand with our own well equipped manufacturing unit based here in India. Globus Infocom has the widest product/solution basket, offering advanced technology solutions in four different verticals of Education Technology, Collaborative Conferencing & Professional Display, Security & Surveillance & Healthcare & Wellness. Also, we are the only OEMs providing the most comprehensive & state of the art solution in which we offer learning content(K-12 & Language)along with all necessary infrastructure, technological tools & extensive training to create an integrated digitized learning environment under one roof.

Our Digital Language Labs provide language proficiency in Hindi, English & Sanskrit languages.

How will the use of technology change the aspect of the education industry in the coming days?

Technology has impacted almost every aspect of our lives & education being no exception has a greater impact transforming the traditional ways of teaching & learning. Involvement of technology in the pedagogical methods has made education more accessible & more engaging. It has evolved different forms of collaboration & communication among learners & teachers which has enabled them to explore different sources & avenues for better learning & sharing. Advanced tools, resources & technologies have enabled the teachers to make the classroom environment more engaging & interactive encouraging learners to participate more. Today, thanks to technology, education is not limited to location or time.

How gamification in education will change the future of learning?

The modern technology empowered classrooms have been implementing gaming as one of their effective pedagogical methods as it has been a proving source of increased engagement activities with visible retaining power & better understanding of the subject. Though it still is in its initial phase but it has better scope of being involved in an effective classroom environment.

What are future business plans?

We have plans to enter the app-based learning market and to keep on offering meaningful & affordable solutions to the market. After a successful journey in institutional sales, we plan to enter the consumer market soon. Also, we expect to see a growth of 25% in our existing customer base of 25000+.

IIT Kanpur launches programme on Earth Science

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December 21, 2020

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has announced the launch of a new diploma programme in geodesy, the science of measuring the Earth. The new D-IIT program will be open to candidates from different backgrounds including civil engineering, computer science, information technology, earth science, and other with requirements for the MTech / MS(R) program of geoinformatics specialization in civil engineering.

The D-IIT program will be offered by the department of civil engineering in three broad areas: geodesy, navigation and mapping, and remote sensing and GIS.

Also read: IIT Kanpur signs MoU with Alliance Francaise to teach French to students

For the D-IIT program, the GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) requirement has been waived for working professionals. As per a release issued by the institute, the geoinformatics specialization is supported by state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and well-defined course structure.

“The specialization also offers MTech, MS by research, and PhD programs that are steered by a group of experienced faculty members having wide-ranging research interests in geodesy, remote sensing, laser scanning, photogrammetry, GIS, and sensor integration,” it reads. The science of geodesy is applied in monitoring earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, and weather hazard recognition and response and dozens of other fields.

PM Modi proposes setting up of library of Buddhist literature in India

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December 21, 2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed setting up of a library in India dedicated to traditional Buddhist literature and scriptures, asserting that it would be a platform for research and dialogue.

Addressing the 6th Indo-Japan Samwad Conference via video conferencing, Modi lauded the forum for doing great work to promote the ideas and ideals of Lord Buddha, especially among the youth.

“Today, I would like to propose the creation of a library of all such traditional Buddhist literature and scriptures. We will be happy to create such a facility in India and will provide appropriate resources for it,” he said.

The library will collect digital copies of all such Buddhist literature from different countries, it will aim to translate them, and make them freely available for all monks and scholars of Buddhism, he said.

Also read: PM Modi to IIT alumni: Responsibility of post-COVID world huge

The library will not only be a depository of literature, it will also be a platform for research and dialogue -‘ a true ‘SAMWAD’ between human beings, between societies, and between man and nature, Modi said.

“Its research mandate will also include examining how Buddha’s message can guide our modern world against contemporary challenges,” he said and cited challenges like poverty, racism, extremism, gender discrimination, climate change among others.

“However, this light did not remain static. In each new place it reached, Buddhist thought continued to evolve further over the centuries. Because of this, great treasures of Buddhist literature and philosophy can be found in many different monasteries today, across many different countries and languages,” he said.

Rajasthan: New face of Higher Education with Private-Public Partnership

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December 21, 2020

The expansion of educational institutions in order to enhance Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) is essential which requires space, HR, and infrastructure, says Dr. Vinod K. Bhardwaj Nodal officer, Innovation & Skill Development, Commissionerate of College Education, Government of Rajasthan in a discussion with Elets News Network (ENN).

Higher Education: Overview

Rajasthan is a state where a larger network of Higher Education (HE), is engaged in imparting education. As per the AISHE report 2018-19 there were 39,931 Colleges, 993 Universities and 10,725 Stand Alone Institutions (SAIs) in India. The number of colleges went down from 40,026 in 2016-17 to 39,050 in 2017-18. This number has again risen to more than 40,000 in 2019. However, the existence of colleges is not depending only upon the number of admissions therein. Youth, entering in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) are much more cautious about their career and interested in gaining multiple degrees, diplomas or certificates in a shorter time. Apart from that, they prefer quality education, modernized facilities, up-to-date content and intriguing delivery of education. They avoid traditional methods of education and older looks of institutions, as these methods weren’t multidisciplinary in approach, nor did they cater to the all-round development.

The expansion of educational institutions in order to enhance Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) is essential which requires space, HR, and infrastructure. Opening of new colleges is a compulsion to facilitate youth offering “Siksha apke dwar” to assure access on one hand, while assuming for quality and facilities which are the genuine expectations of the beneficiaries. Therefore a humongous challenge is to deal with the aforesaid objectives- access and quality. In states including Rajasthan, where geographical diversity, economic disparity, and poverty are stronger constraints, the dilemma of ways to ensure access and quality magnifies significantly..

Also read: Higher education institutes to reopen in UP from Nov 23

Higher Education in Rajasthan: PPP initiatives

Observing the number of HEIs in Rajasthan, there are 12 Government Universities and 51 Private. Universities offering various courses in higher education. Besides 332 governments and more than 1800 private colleges are in the state. Colleges are imparting courses in arts, science, and commerce streams. More than 12 lakh students are enrolled in general higher education domain only with majority of students in private colleges (approximately 7.5 lakhs). Therefore, the immediate need is to assure better delivery, services, and effective higher education to the bulk which certainly is a challenging task. This can be achieved by associating private institutions, agencies and organizations through informal Private-Public Partnership (PPP). This association can help to develop infrastructure and facilities in the institutions while striving for qualitative upliftment through continuous training and such other programmes. Involving private players can reduce financial burden over the government as well.

Rajasthan: Partnership association and gains

Rajasthan has gained remarkably through such strategic partnerships. Engaging with educational fairs and summits organized by Elets Technomedia and others, the Department of College Education showcased its potential and requirements. This helped it to brief out the agenda and purpose of association to the private organizations with the domain of higher education. Starting in 2018, by signing MoUs with 19 government, autonomous and private organizations and agencies, the department of College Education entered into a new era. IGNOU, Microsoft, CEG, RISU, HIK Vision, Bodh Shiksha, Jaipuria Institute of Management Jaipur (JIMJ), Elets Technomedia, ICICI Academy for Skills, McGraw Hills, Morarka Foundation etc. were some organizations which came forward to get associated with the college education domain.

Various training and hands-on practice based programmes were started for students and teachers with the help of these partners. Programmes like Youth Employability Skills (YES), My College My Pride, Krishi Vandan, Athiti Bhasha, Higher Education Leadership Programme (HELP) and summer Camp 2019 “Koushal Unnayan” were some well recognized and successful initiatives. A notable aspect is that these initiatives had no additional cost bearing upon the government as they were borne by the organizations themselves either self financed or under CSR. As a result, intradepartmental faculty training, employable skill training to students, institutional assessment through Higher Education Leadership Programme could be initiated. Placement of students through a planned mechanism and some initiatives to promote entrepreneurship among youth were adopted on priority.

Following this pattern, the department has again signed 8 MoUs this year. The agencies/ organizations like Rajasthan ILD Skill University (RISU) Jaipur, Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Kota; Morarka Foundation, Bodh Shiksha, MANSA, USHA, Gurubhakti and Manav Nirman Sansthan have joined hands to assure quality education and enhance employability among the collegiate pupil. Besides, the College Education department has been implementing a programme to facilitate a larger number of students in association with the Rajasthan Skill & Livelihood Development Corporation (RSLDC) to train them with different employable skills through Mukhya Mantri Yuva Koushal Yojna (MMYKY), initiated by the RSLDC last year. Also it is hereby mentioned that any support from both government and non government agencies are heartily welcome.

Way forward

To sum up, there is a need to welcome the private players and have continuous and comprehensive dialogue with them in order to substantiate their involvement with higher education and help the government to change the face of higher education for a better and brighter Rajasthan.

Uttarakhand Class 9, 11 final exams likely to be scrapped

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December 21, 2020

With schools still closed in Uttarakhand for all except students of classes 10 and 12, the state government is considering cancelling the Class 9, 11 final examinations. The decision, if taken, would be for all government schools in the state. R Meenaksi Sundaram, Secretary for School Education, Uttarakhand said that the government was reviewing the progress of online classes.

While schools in U’khand had reopened for Classes 10 and 12 from November 2, the government had decided against reopening of schools for the remaining classes. Online classes were to be continued for the remaining year. This, however, has posed many concerns.

Also read: Uttarakhand Board declares UBSE 10th and 12th Results 2020

As for private schools, the decision on whether or not to conduct final exams was left with the school authorities. The schools would have to assess the extent of success of the online classes and take a decision accordingly.

Schools in Uttarakhand had reopened in November 2. Soon after reopening, however, as many as 85 teachers tested COVID19 positive within the first week. Following the same, the government had shut down the schools affected in the region. The schools are open only for student of classes 10 and 12. Attendance continues to be voluntary.

Sandesh Nayak: Institutional development our main motto

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December 21, 2020

We directed all our teachers in government colleges to get their lectures recorded and stored in electronic mode says Sandesh Nayak, Commissioner, College Education, Government of Rajasthan in an interview with Kartik Sharma of Elets News Network (ENN).

What new you are planning to restore the educational environment in colleges?

Yes, We took the bitter part of Covid-19 into account and started planning alternative strategies, keeping safety and security of our personnel in mind on one side, and academic assistance to students on the other. Of course, it was a giant task but yet by involving collegiate HR we could execute our idea and started focusing on e-content generation. Besides, we also motivated our faculty and staff to help other people in society and the system. The motto behind this initiative was to keep our HR academically engaged to divert them from the furiousness of Corona as well as to create some worth of their time and inputs. I am happy to mention, it has been a successful journey continuing till this date.

How colleges have helped students’ through new initiatives?

Yes, as mentioned earlier, we were ultimately concerned to help our students, bringing them out of the trauma of the Covid-19 and also to filling up the gaps and fears in their studies. We started creating econtents in all subjects, covering the entire syllabi in all streams. We directed all our teachers in Government Colleges to get their lectures recorded and store in electronic mode. These lectures have been uploaded on different YouTube channels.

Also read: Incremental fees to be utilised for institutional development, not for luxuries: Manish Sisodia

This year the Rajasthan government announced a skill oriented programme in the budget 2020-21 with the name Skill Enhancement and Employable Training (SEET),targeting to train 10 thousand collegiate youth with various employable skills. We have signed MoUs with different agencies and organizations for this purpose like IIIT-Kota for MOOC courses, Rajasthan ILD Skill University, Jaipur; Morarka Foundation and MANSA- an NGO for skill enhancement of collegiate youth. Still a few more agencies/ organizations are under process to get associated with us.

We launched games and sports oriented programme “Arjun Drishti” in previous year and organized very first time district, division and state level activities to our collegiate youth. It involved more than a thousand brilliant students who performed extra-ordinarily.

To help meritorious, regular in studies, needy and poor students to make course-books available in colleges at free of cost by establishing “Community Book Bank ‘’ through a mission programme “Donate a Book ‘’ across the state. More than 50 thousand books have been donated so far and more than 16 thousand students have been benefited by these initiatives.

We are very concerned about the safety and security of our students, especially the girls. We started programme “Girls Empowerment and Mentoring (GEM)” this year. We are training our young and dynamic female faculty members as master trainers and through them we are going to organize workshops for girls in colleges, awaking them about various provisions related to their safety and security. Besides, we have established a Girls Mentoring Cell in each Govt. College here in Rajasthan.

For empowering them through learning by doing and various training, we initiated a special programme for girls “Indira Priyadarshini Swarnim Udan Yojna” in 10 Govt. Girls Colleges. Various programmes and activities were organized there in colleges.

To aware the youth about health, our department just started a programme “Rajasthan Healthier Youth and Moral Education (RHYME)” in January 2020 to strengthen the Nirogi Rajasthan Campaign of the state Government.

Quality education is vital for students, what are the initiatives taken to ensure it?

Yes, we are highly concerned about the quality of education in our state. We are working on a 2 tier strategy. The first one is by imparting training to our faculty both on subject basis and also from administrative points of view. We have started a new state level short term programme “Gyan Ganga” to keep our teachers updated in subject knowledge and research in the same field along with training them by strengthening their classroom delivery. This programme we will carry out in all subjects, and are being organized by our own Govt. Colleges in collaboration with our Commissionerate office. We have organized such programmes in Chemistry, Geography and Home Science so far.

We also started a Faculty Development Programme to impart training to our teachers focusing on “How to create quality e-contents?” We organized seven such programmes in association with GAD-TLC, New Delhi, IIIT- Kota and a few more colleges covering almost 600 faculties from our domain.

Secondly, we are focusing on institutional development. Infrastructural development, developing facilities to students, staff and public, starting students’ welfare oriented programmes are our priority, and we have been working in this direction.

Has the state government taken any initiatives out of box to help students?

To help the youth, preparing for various competitive exams, we have started an online programme “Gyan Sudha- Sachcha Sathi” where we are sharing subject based e-lectures related to competitive exams. I am personally looking into this initiative and putting efforts to pop-up it among youth.

With technology the new tool, what are the new steps government is taking?

We have planning to inculcate qualitative efficiency and develop higher qualitative capacity to strengthen their placement. For that, we are welcoming ‘Private Public partnership’ to make abundant opportunities for our collegiate youth.

We have planned to transform our selective Govt. Colleges into ‘Smart Colleges’. We are working on it and soon will execute it.

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