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Assam Making Big Strides in Tele-Education : Kamal Jyoti Gogoi, Secretary, AHSEC

Kamal Jyoti Gogoi

There has been a constant rise in the trend of commercialization in the school education scene of Assam. With the prevalent competition between states to excel in the education space, the state of Assam is not far behind when it comes to imparting quality education to the students. It is no brainer that today, every state is striving hard to outperform in the education sphere, thereby integrating technology in the classrooms, curriculum and innovating new educational methodologies for better outcomes.

“As far as the education system in Assam is concerned, we are improving our quality of education in terms of new methodologies wherein we have introduced the tele-education system from Guwahati to the rest of the places in Assam”, said Kamal Jyoti Gogoi, Secretary of Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC), in conversation with Elets News Network at the 14th World Education Summit 2019.

For students, learning becomes more effective and impactful when it is made interactive. “Tele-education or virtual education is the need of the hour and we accordingly are covering over 350 schools through virtual education”, Gogoi said.

Moving further, the state of Assam has been facing challenges in the government schools due to the rising trend of commercialisation where the focus has shifted towards private schools with the rising enrollment numbers. To make things better, the state government is making rigorous efforts to reduce this rivalry.

When asked about the same, Gogoi said, “We are facing competition with the private sector when it comes to the education system in private and government schools. But we are dedicated towards providing quality education wherein our teachers are becoming trained now. Teachers play a key role in the education sector in providing quality education and in order to train them, we organise workshops and trainings for them to be able to communicate and teach in a better manner.

Apart from teaching, Gogoi was also of the opinion that infrastructure for that matter is equally important in providing quality education to the students.

Moving ahead, there has been a lot of initiatives taken in the state of Assam as per education is concerned. Commenting on which Gogoi said, “Presently, we have the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan schemes running in our state. We have imbibed technology within our examination conducting system where, for the first time, cctv cameras are being introduced in all our examination centres. In some cases, we are also introducing digitalisation process in subjects like Mathematics.”

With technology grabbing eyeballs in the education space, the state of Assam is not lagging behind. “In education, and particularly in Central Board of Secondary Education, Gogoi continued, “Technological methods are being used in the state which includes all the educational documents being digitalised and with tele-education in the picture, students can get hold of any information, guidance, sessions through online learning.”

“Without educational environment, nobody will succeed. Success of any state will come from social, economic and educational environment”, Gogoi further added.

When asked about his experience and takeaway from the 14th World Education Summit, 2019, Gogoi said that it is a proud moment for him to be a part of WES. “There were fruitful discussions on school education and how the quality of education should be improved and accordingly imply it in the state of Assam.”

IITs, IIMs in Uttar Pradesh to implement Yoga as a part of curriculum

Yoga

In a recent development, premier management and technical institutes in the state of Uttar Pradesh will now implement Yoga as a part of the curriculum.

All IITs, IIMs in UP will be incorporating yoga, spirituality and human values to help future managers evolve as healthy individuals and professionals who are able to maintain level-headedness in difficult situations.

Speaking with IANS, a senior faculty of IIT Kanpur said, “Though most of the IITs and IIMs have incorporated Yoga already in their curriculum, the aim is to cover all the other institutes as well.”

“The students and faculty members in these premium institutes face extreme stress conditions. The students are anxiety-ridden and this, often, makes them take steps like suicide. Yoga will help all of us to cope with the pressures and also focus on our work,” said the faculty member who wished to stay anonymous.

As per the sources, Dr H.R Nagendra, who is also Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Yoga guru, is being roped in to curate packages for these leading institutes.

Dr Nagendra is a Yoga therapist, writer, mechanical engineer by profession. He is also the founder VC of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, a deemed university situated in Bengaluru.

Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai and Delhi have already incorporated yoga into their curriculum with results highly noteworthy.

On the similar lines, IIM Ahmedabad, in the past year, has been known for its effort to impart lessons from Bhagavad Gita to assist students in coping with the corporate world.

Recognising the Game Changers of Education

Game Changer in Education

Indian education system has witnessed numerous transformations over the past few years. The country has embraced innovative teaching-learning practices, adapted to advanced technologies and the concept of international collaborations, with open arms. All this has resulted in India emerging as the biggest pool of talent and competitive global citizens, across the world.

The New Education Policy, which is likely to be introduced soon, will be a step forward towards making India a global education hub. All this would not have been possible without the efforts of country’s educationists and educators, who with their policies and path breaking initiatives have reshaped the way education is being perceived and imparted in the country.

In line with this, our cover story “Game Changers in Education” is a sincere effort to put the spotlight on all the dynamic game changers in the field of education – be it education ministers, bureaucrats, vice chancellors, school principals and education philanthropists. The story talks about their journey of accomplishments and contributions in renovating the education ecosystem.

On the other hand, our special story – “Impact of Technology in Educating Gen Z: Global Perspective” is a take on the role of technology as an enabler in educating the next generation. It features the views of top school and higher education leaders on adopting the latest technology for holistic development of Gen Z.

Apart from this, our special feature carries the rich legacy of World Education Summit – the biggest summit on innovation in education. In the past 13 editions, the summit has witnessed the participation of 6,000+ Schools, 3000+ Higher Education Institutes, 400+ Government Speakers, 1500+ Edu- Corporate & Start-ups and 15,000+ overall footfalls.

Interestingly, the 14th edition, scheduled to take place on 9-10 Aug, 2019, will be a confluence of some of the leading thinkers in the education fraternity from around the globe. The summit will present a golden opportunity to all the stakeholders to understand the education ecosystem’s challenges and their solutions through a different lens.

The magazine also carries the interviews of Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Minister for Higher Education, Government of Rajasthan; Vaibhav Galriya, Secretary, Higher & Technical Education, Government of Rajasthan; Pradeep Kumar Borad, Commissioner, College Education and Special Secretary, Higher Education, Government of Rajasthan; Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE; Biswajit Saha, Director (Training & Skill Education), CBSE and Major Harsh Kumar, Secretary, NCERT. Valuable inputs shared by other eminent government dignitaries in form of interviews and a wide variety of articles likely to help our esteemed readers gain significant insights into the Indian education system.

Haryana to set up separate department to provide employment to youth: CM Manohar Lal Khattar

Manohar Lal Khattar

In an attempt to provide employment to the youth of the state, Haryana Government has declared to set up Human Resource Department to fulfill the employment demand.

On Monday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced this move while addressing a public gathering of the ongoing ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ at Shahbad near Kurukshetra.

“This department would not only provide proper guidance to the youth but also work towards providing them employment,” he said as per an official release.

Earlier while at a gathering at Ladwa, Khattar mentioned that converting the town into a sub-division has enabled government in providing the people with the benefits of government schemes.

Also, nine more colleges would be opened for making higher education available to women in the state.

On Sunday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had flagged off BJP’s ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ from Kalka.

EWS quota to be implemented in higher education institutions, UGC issues notice

UGC

The University Grant Commission (UGC) on Monday has issued a notice, asking all the higher education institutions of the country to implement the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota reservation for the academic year 2019-20.

UGC has stressed upon all the institutes to bring the scheme into effect soon. Not just institutes alone, the EWS quota is also available for the government jobs.

In the recent past, many of the educational institutions have implemented the EWS quota.

Also Read: Implementation of EWS quota likely to cost Rs 5,600 crore to Government

In this regard, the UGC has issued a letter which reads as, “Kindly find the enclosed herewith a copy of the MHRD Office Memorandum dated January 17, 2019, regarding the implementation of reservation for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) for admissions in Higher Education Institutions, in accordance with One Hundred and Third Amendment of Constitution of India, for its immediate implementation and compliance.”

Recently, the state of Andhra Pradesh has implemented the EWS quota in the jobs of the state government, as requested by the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee(APCC) to the Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Registration for CBSE CTET December 2019 begins: Apply now

CTET 2019

The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) will be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education on December 8, 2019, registration process have begun.

The examination will be conducted in 20 languages in 110 cities across the nation.

In addition to this, CBSE has also released the information bulletin for CTET on the official portal, ctet.nic.in and it will remain open till September 18, 2019.

For registration, candidates are required to fill in details like state, identification type, candidate’s name, and date of birth and gender. After submission, a registration number/application number will be generated.

The CTET exam is divided into two papers:

Paper I- Primary stage (for classes 1 to 5) teachers

Paper II – Elementary stage (for classes 6 to 8) teachers.

Candidates can use the following details to apply online:
Visit the official website of CTET- ctet.nic.in

Go to the link that reads “Apply Online”

Fill in the online application form and note down the registration number/application number

Upload scanned images of the latest photograph and signature

Make payment

Download and take a print out for further reference.

What is CTET?

The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is the minimum qualification assessment test required for any person to apply for a teaching vacancy . In order to avail the teaching certificate, candidates must achieve the minimum cut off marks. Once the candidate gets the certificate, he/she can apply for teacher vacancies released by different schools like KVS, NVS Army Teacher, ERDO, etc.

Leveraging technology to provide high-quality coaching online

Anuj Tiwari, CEO, Aakash Digital

The vision of Aakash Digital is to scale the number using our program to a million paid users. It also envisions leveraging technology to drive higher student engagement and measurable student outcome, which has already started with the successful result of 2700+ students in NEET and JEE Main, says Anuj Tiwari, CEO, Aakash Digital, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

What is the idea behind starting Aakash Digital?

The idea was conceived when some distant schools expressed the need for high-quality content. Since there was a shortage of good faculty at these schools, we realised the need for quality coaching in regions where these schools were located. Such coaching could prepare students for competitive entrance exams. We brainstormed how to take our 30 years of academic excellence and our expertise in preparing students for competitive exams to a larger audience beyond the traditional classroom and came up with the idea of online courses through live online classes and recorded video lectures.

What makes Aakash Digital different from other E-Learning platforms?

Aakash Digital combines the best of digital and traditional teaching to ensure students grasp concepts under the guidance of experienced teachers. With the online courses offered by Aakash Digital, students can now get the 30+ years of Aakash’s academic legacy and discipline at their home. It provides programs for individual students as well as for schools that want to provide quality education to students preparing for entrance exams like NEET, JEE, AIIMS etc. with the right combination of live online classes, recorded video lectures, online tests, printed books and e-Books. Along with this, we also offer a smooth and effective learning experience by adding new features regularly like online PTMs to help parents stay updated with the progress of their child.

Unlike other e-learning platforms, we believe in bringing the parents, students and faculty together for the best student outcome.

Recently we have seen the advent of many Ed-Tech platforms in India, how has it impacted the education sector?

These new and advanced ed-tech platforms have made education accessible to all beyond geographical and economical constraints.

How Ed-Tech platforms are empowering students; especially the ones coming from tier- 2, and tier-3 cities?

In India, students in tier 2-3 cities are mostly underserved because of the unavailability of basic educational resources, poor or no physical infrastructure, and the absence of committed teachers and reading materials. Ed-tech can help change this grim picture by being akin to a ray of hope for students living in such cities. Ed-tech platforms like Aakash Digital are helping students get high-quality coaching from experienced teachers at the convenience of their home. Students now have access to well-researched content and guidance of teachers at their home.

What is the brand vision of Aakash Digital?

The vision of Aakash Digital is to scale the number using our program to a million paid users. It also envisions leveraging technology to drive higher student engagement and measurable student outcome, which has already started with the successful result of 2700+ students in NEET and JEE Main. Using Aakash Live, which provides live online classes, we want to accelerate growth as the same model has already received wide acceptance in countries like China, Korea, etc.

How do you see this era of ‘Edupreneurs’?

A rapidly growing economy like India requires an abundant supply of accountable and quality educators. Past trends among numerous independent schools indicate the need for a consolidated network of schools that deliver a high standard of education under a unified framework. The current education market is filled with innovative ideas and well-defined goals and actions that match the expectations of the public. At the same time, Education- based startups – led by tech-savvy edupreneurs, have been at the forefront of this movement, and their contributions have helped shape the way young people are taught in the digital age.

Where the Indian education industry does stand vis-a-vis the world?

India holds an important place in the global education industry. Data reveals that the number of colleges and universities in India grew to 39,050 and 903, respectively in 2017- 18. India had 36.64 million students enrolled in higher education in 2017-18. Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education reached 25.8 per cent in 2017-18. The country has become the second-largest market for e-learning after the US.

MHRD’s teacher training project “NISHTHA” to train 42 lakh teachers

NISHTHA

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is all set to launch world’s biggest project for teacher training on August 22 (Thursday). The project, titled NISTHA, (National Initiative on School Teachers Head Holistic Advancement) will train over 42 lakh teachers across the country.

In an official statement, Rina Ray, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, MHRD, said, “On August 22, the MHRD will launch the world’s biggest project for teacher training called ‘NISHTHA’ under which more than 42 lakh teachers will be trained”.

“Around 19,000 teacher-training institutes across the country were mapped and put on Google Earth. Users can go online not only to see the geographical location of these institutes around the country, but also to check their report cards and give their feedback,” she said.

“Today, there are 8.5 million teachers in India, which is more than the population of Finland. We need to take care of our teachers and solve their problems. We need to focus on their welfare,” she further added.

Also Read: HRD Minister stresses on improving educational quality and efficiency

HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, who recently attended the silver jubilee celebration of the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE), said, “India has traditionally been known for leadership in education and teacher preparation. For thousands of years, Indian teachers were considered as vishwa guru.”

He also inaugurated the International Conference titled “Journey of Teacher Education: Local to Global” in New Delhi. The two-day event is being organized by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) as part of silver jubilee celebration of its establishment in 1995.

Smart School Policy for Government School, said Punjab Education Minister

Smart School

On Wednesday during an inauguration of the Government Smart Primary School at village Machhiwara Sahib and the Government Senior Secondary Smart School at village Mundia Kalan, School Education and Public Works Minister of Punjab, Vijay Inder Singla declared that the state government will be implementing a smart school policy. This policy aims to revamp all the government schools of the state.

He also put the foundation of One Stop Center to assist women at Civil Hospital Ludhiana.

Addressing the media, Singla said the policy is being introduced by the education department, with the aim of the development of all 19,000 schools in the state.

Under this policy, 50 percent of the funding will come from the government and 50 percent will be by the local people. With this proposal, the Department of Education will ensure focus on the education and holistic development of students.

Under this policy, all schools will be equipped with solar energy panels which will not only enable the school to meet electricity demands but also return the surplus power as a source of income, said Singla.

The schools will also see the installation of a biometric system to ensure attendance.

The minister highlighted the fact that the online transfer policy has been quite successful. Under this policy, 6200 transfers have been carried out in two rounds, whereas the third round is in process.

He also said that in an attempt to prevent the financial loot of parents and students, the school administration has been instructed to prevent the monopoly of any particular shop to buy school books, uniforms or stationery, etc. There will legal actions against any such violations of guidelines.

The Minister also encouraged students to give away their old books to their respective schools after the completion of their session which can come handy for the students in need. A similar campaign is being launched to promote sports culture in schools.

Singla also stated that the repair work for three roads in the Machhiwara Sahib will be done in the next four months for which Rs 28 crore is being funded by the Punjab Government. He also mentioned that the One Stop Center at Civil Hospital will cost Rs 45.5 lakh for which the tender process has been completed.

UGC directs all universities to provide data on financial transactions

UGC

The University Grants Commission (UGC) directed all universities and educational institutions of India to furnish the data of their digital financial transactions for the past year.

In June this year, UGC had advised all higher education institutions across the country to abstain from any cash mode of payment for fees from the upcoming academic session.

Also Read: UGC acknowledges 14 new higher education institutes for open and distance learning

“The universities have been asked to share data about the number of digital transactions generated in a year through fee payment by students, vendor payments for services and salary payments to teachers and staff,” a senior official said.

In a communiqué to vice-chancellors, UGC Additional Secretary PK Thakur said, “As this matter is being monitored at the highest level in the HRD ministry your indulgence at a personal level is solicited in the matter”.

Also Read: UGC to scrutinise legislations for maintaining education quality

The commission had also asked all universities to make sure that all payments and receipts including exam fees, student fees, salary/wage payments, and vendor payments be carried out through online or digital mode only.

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