AP signs MoU with TISS

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September 8, 2015

Andhra Pradesh government and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for implementing programme activities of ‘Andhra Pradesh University Students Employability Skill Development Programme,’ a flagship initiative of the state government.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Minister of HRD Ganta Srinivas Rao were present during signing of the MoU, said an official release. “We aim to transform Andhra Pradesh state into a knowledge hub by providing quality education and giving opportunities for students to develop employability skills among the Universities and Colleges in the state,” said Naidu.

The MoU has strategic partnership with civil society organisations, public sector bodies, private sector institutions and social entrepreneurship organizations, etc. to complement the efforts of the AP state Knowledge Mission. TISS will be working for the implementation of National University Student Skill Development Programme (NUSSD), which aims to enhance employability skills of students. The skill development model develop by the institute will have elements of English, communication and soft skill, digital/computer skills, financial literacy, legal literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership development. The model will help to make the graduating youth employable.

International Literacy Day

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September 8, 2015

**On the occasion of International Literacy Day President Pranab Mukherjee and Union Minister of Human Resource Development Smriti Irani gives Saakshar Bharat Awards for best performing institutions.**

President gives Awards to best institutions

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September 8, 2015

8^th September has been proclaimed as the International Literacy Day by the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), with aim of highlighting the importance of literacy among communities, societies and individuals.

To confer the academies, President of India, Pranab Mukherjee and Union Minister of Human Resource Development Smriti Irani along with Minister of State for Human Resource Development Upendra Kushwaha and Dr. Ram Shankar Katheria, awarded Saakshar Bharat Awards for best performing institutions to mark the occasion of International Literacy Day.

More than 3.65 crore adult learners were certified as literates and more than one crore beneficiaries mobilised and facilitated to avail benefits of social security and financial inclusion schemes of Government of India.

On the occasion Smriti Irani “The International Literacy Day is not only an occasion to reaffirm our resolve to eradicate illiteracy but also to acknowledge the crucial role played by adult education functionaries and volunteers in helping us to move towards our ultimate goal of creation of a literate and sustainable society.”

In the last one year, efforts for propagation of literacy have been intensified. As a result a record number of 1.91 crore learners have appeared for assessment of their literacy skills in the tests held in March and August 2015.

Besides, the scope of literacy has been widened to include empowerment especially of women through special initiatives undertaken for their financial inclusion and social security. The strenuous efforts made by the literacy functionaries in undertaking mass campaigns to take these initiatives to the doorsteps of our target groups are commendable. These efforts have yielded notable results in facilitating opening of over 1 crore Bank accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna and mobilisation of around 93 lakh persons to avail benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojna.

Smriti Irani lauds Punjab girls

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September 8, 2015

Lauding the indomitable spirit of skill, courage, resilience and dedication inherited by the Punjabi girls, the Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani called upon them to play a proactive role in women empowerment at the national level.

Addressing the gathering during her visit to the Dashmesh College for girls, the Union Minister said that the Union government was organising National Arts and Craft festival in the month of December with ‘Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao’ as its theme. She said, “The students from the state must participate in this national level festival to make their presence felt in the country by showcasing the rich cultural heritage of their state.”

Irani said that besides cementing the bond of unity amongst the students of various states this festival would be also instrumental in perpetuating the cultural legacy of the country amongst the students.

It is the need of the hour to eliminate social maladies like female foeticide. She said, “Keeping this in mind the Union government has also decided to hold the national arts and craft festival on the theme of ‘Beti bachao, beti padhao’. It was must for ensuring women empowerment in the country.”

Emphasising on the need for imparting quality education to the girls, the Union Minister said that educated girls could prove to be important pillars of a democratic country like India thereby fairly contributing in its economic, social and political development.

Laying thrust on the all-round development of the girls by equipping them with quality education, she said, “Given an opportunity the girls could do any stupendous task and easily achieve their target due to which the need of the hour was to provide them more and more opportunities to showcase their ability.”

Prominent amongst other present on the occasion included Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister KJS Cheema, Inspector General of Police BK Bawa, Deputy Commissioner Jaskiran Singh, Circle President Avtar Singh Vanwalla and Member Women Commission Veerpal Kaur Tarmala.

Foundation laid for Central University in Punjab

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September 8, 2015

Central University to come up within 18 months, Union Education Minister Smriti Irani lays the stone with Chief Minister PS Badal.

Massive growth in education facilities in Punjab in the recent past has made the state a hub of education in the country. Addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone of the Central University of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab said that the Punjab government has taken unprecedented steps to boost the education sector in the state.

He said, “Apart from setting up 10 new Universities and 17 Degree Colleges, the state government has also given due emphasis on strengthening the infrastructure in government schools across the state.”

The Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal while addressing the gathering said, “Today is a historic day for the Malwa region, especially Bathinda, as a novel beginning has been made in the field of education. On the completion, the university would impart quality education to 18,000 students who would be given every possible facility. A budget of Rs. 2,000 crore has been earmarked for this purpose.”

Divulging more details about the development initiatives of the State Government, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “1 lakh government jobs would soon be advertised and every assembly constituency would get Rs. 25 crore for carrying out the development works.”

In her address the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Zubin Irani said, “Central University of Punjab was one of the best universities of the country. Punjab must take the lead of introducing farm techniques, water, rural and food processing management courses in the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) set up at Amritsar so that the rest of country should follow it.”

Irani also mooted a proposal for possible tie-up between the Union HRD Ministry and Food Processing Ministry chalking out a roadmap for expansion of food processing industry in the state by imparting education to the students.

The Union Minister also announced that the new campus of the Central University of Punjab would be ready within 18 months. She said, “The university would act as a catalyst of education in the entire region as world renowned experts from across the globe would be roped in to deliver important lectures to the students.” Irani hoped that this university would play an instrumental role in checking the brain drain of the region by opening new vistas of employment in education sector for them.

Development and parity in education, puts Bengal back in the league

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September 7, 2015

Bengal, the state known for its intellect and art and culture and breeding ground of some of the internationally acclaimed universities and colleges has always been the front runner in the fast evolving field of education. Over the years, the state has produced some of the most acclaimed teachers and academicians and students who later registered their contribution in the all round development of the nation.

Critics believe that, the educational Renaissance in West Bengal started before independence and later slowly with passing time it bloomed into a massive academic revolution which created a massive pool of intellectuals and academicians in the state. But during the left regime level of higher education was low and restricted within the urban periphery of the state. This left a massive impact on the development of the schedule caste and schedule tribes and also affected the academic growth of the minorities of the state of West Bengal. In the last three years, under the governance of Mamata Banerjee, the state has witnessed significant growth at different levels of education. The state took some striking steps to bring back the balance in the academic domain and made education susceptible to all.

The state took over specific steps in last four years to bring back the backward class into the mainstream of education. More than six universities were constructed in different, less developed areas of the state of West Bengal. Universities were set up in the small towns like Bankura, Diamond Harbour, Asansol and Raigaunj. The government special focus on these backward areas will help a massive population of students to get into the mainstream education system and it will also help them to procure a proper and apt career. A slew of private universities also set their bases in different parts of the state. Several well known brands such as AMITY, JIS and ADAMAS created state of the art engineering and management colleges and universities in the state. The Netaji Subhash Open University also opens the doors of the new campus to students of the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.

The government has taken extra care in establishing a robust system which will help in creating a proper ambience for the higher education. During the regime of Mamata Banerjee several stalled educational projects within the state were mobilised and also a plethora of new colleges established in different districts of the state. According to the official data, more than 34 government colleges were opened in the Bengal during this new regime. The state government gave special attention to the Maoist affected areas of the state and more than 12 colleges were opened in these areas. Statistics reveal that there has been a steep rise in the number of colleges in the backward areas of the state. Jangalmahal, once well known for Maoist related activities has multiple well built government colleges. The response from the residents is also overwhelming; more than 500 students enrolled themselves in different government colleges spread across these areas.

This massive educational Renaissance within the state not only helped in developing the ailing educational infrastructure of the state, it also helped in creating a mammoth pack of skilled workers for the state, which is an asset. This educational cavalcade driven by Government of West Bengal has generated massive employment for several youth. More than 700 teachers were taken on board in the government colleges and also more than 2000 teachers’ fetched jobs in the state aided colleges. The district of Jalpaiguri also ushered the first Hindi medium college of the state. More than 700 students enrolled themselves in this new built Hindi medium college.

In the year 2013, 17 per cent seats of the Higher Education was secured for the students of the OBC (Other Backward Caste).Government of West Bengal took this remarkable step to bring back parity in the field of education. The state government will be recruiting teachers of Santhal language and they will teach the language in different government universities. The recruitment procedure will be rolled out very soon.

The government has revamped the entire educational infrastructure of the state. To keep transparency within the system, the state government promoted and implemented e-admission throughout the state of Bengal. Admissions were done via e-admission procedure. As per the government data more than 6.5 lakh students got admission in varied streams of education through online. The central aid was properly utilised in the field of education by state and librarians and graduate laboratory instructors were elevated to the status of teachers in different colleges. As per the HRD Ministry report, there has been a considerable hike in the enrollment percentage of the students in higher education, which is again a great achievement for the state of West Bengal.

Delhi CM concern over commercialisation of education

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September 7, 2015

Addressing the gathering of teachers at the Award ceremony for Delhi Government school teacher, Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal expressed concern over the commercialisation of education. He said, “Commercialisation of education is the biggest drawback for any education system. It is one such sector which should not be turned into a business as the profit motive often gives platform for many irregularities.”

He further added, “We get complaints about fee hike in private schools, demand for donations for admissions, irregularities in nursery admissions etc. while we are trying to improve the standard of education in public schools. We are seeking suggestions about how these complaints can be tackled and the profit motive can be kept away from the sector.”

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the Delhi Government is exploring big reforms in the education system and education should not merely offer degrees but dignity too. He said, “We will allocate 25 per cent budget to education, conversion of 54 government aided schools into pilot schools where the atmosphere is more lively and appropriate for learning. But these are just indicators and not achievements.”

It is to be noted that the Delhi Government has announced 25 per cent reduction in the syllabus for primary classes upto VIII standard from October onwards to introduce more skill based education and extracurricular activities. The government is coordinating with CBSE to work out how a similar reduction in the syllabus for the classes 9 to 12 can be done.

BankersChoice Mobile App launches to facilitate learning

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September 7, 2015

Youth seeking career in banking can now learn on the go with a click on their smartphone. TalentSprint has launched two nation-wide initiatives that will help youth to prepare for banking careers. The company has launched a BankersChoice mobile app for Android smartphones to facilitate social learning and for the Hindi speaking population, a Hindi content programme has also been developed.

These initiatives are part of its disruptive BankersChoice product line that offers 100 per cent virtual, self-service learning options that are highly convenient and affordable. Shantanu Paul, MD and CEO of TalentSprint said, “With deep penetration of smartphones among the youth not only in metros but also in tier-2 and tier-3 locations, and given the increasing consumption of mobile and social content by Gen Y and Gen Z, the BankersChoice mobile app offers job seekers an engaging format in line with their learning style preferences. The objective is to provide access to a world-class virtual platform that offers non-metro learners all the same advantages as their metro counterparts.”

The BankersChoice mobile app offers features such as flash quizzes to help improve speed and accuracy, expert tutorial videos, challenge and response options, and leader boards. The app is a daily workout to hone skills and enable continuous learning, and is available for free download on Google Play.

Sridhar K, Senior Vice President, Online Services, further added, “Public Sector Banks recruit fresh talent for the post of Clerks, Probationary Officers and Specialist Officers through various entrance exams (IBPS and SBI) and are expected to recruit over 5 lakhs fresh graduates over the next 5 years. The BankersChoice online programme’s launch of its Hindi content is an important step towards meeting the career aspirations of the Hindi speaking population competing for these jobs. Over 66 per cent of our students are from non-metro locations which encouraged us to develop the special Hindi content programme.”

Education liberates from narrow world view says President

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September 7, 2015

Education helps in liberating a person from narrow world view and the boundaries of caste, community, race and gender. Entrusting the teachers with the responsibility of moulding the young minds to understand the world, teachers in schools, colleges and universities need to define to themselves what effort can make their performance meaningful to achieve this aim. This is a high time for introspection.

While conferring the National Award 2014 to teachers on 5^th September, President Pranab Mukherjee said, “Education empowers and enables a nation. A sound education system is the bedrock of an enlightened society. To build India of our dreams, the foremost task before us is to improve the quality of education infusing modern technologies and addressing the concerns of equality.”

Welcoming the move of the President of India, Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani said, “The government was able to achieve the 100 per cent target of completing the construction of separate toilet for boys and girls in schools under Swachch Vidyalaya Abhiyan within one year of the announcement made by Prime Minister Narerndra Modi to this effect on Independence Day last year. The minister said that we have provided physical infrastructure but it is teacher who instill and inculcate the importance of cleanliness among children in their lives.

She further added that the Kala Utsav would be celebrated each year showcasing every State’s culture and tradition which would be theme based. The theme of Kala Utsav this year would be ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.’ While mentioning about the flagship scheme Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat, she expressed her views on the declining standards of mathematics and science for classes VI to VIII and exhorted the teachers to help children in basic understanding and comprehension of these subjects. She also made an appeal to the Ministry of HRD to collect best practices in teaching along with identifying best teachers from across the country and disseminate the same for the benefit for one and all.

Minister of State for HRD Upendra Kushwaha while welcoming the President of India and other dignitaries present at the function said that to impart quality education to the countrymen and bring about reforms in the education is the primary task of the Ministry of HRD. He added that the teachers are expected to pay special attention to students coming from economically backward section of society.

Minister of State for HRD Ram Shankar Katheria said that the actual wealth of the nation is not in the Banks but in the schools in the form of students. They are the human resource available in the country who are an asset to the nation. The teachers are the depository of this wealth. India’s stature will be measured by the achievement of its students and the responsibility of attaining that rests on the teachers.

The Award to Teachers carries a Silver Medal, Certificate and Rs 50,000 as award money. 338 teachers were awarded the National Award 2014. These awards were instituted in 1958. From mid sixties onwards, 5th of September has come to be the date of investiture to accord public recognition to meritorious teachers working in elementary and secondary schools.

MBD Disha focuses on teacher capacity building programme

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September 5, 2015

From L to R - Renu Anand, Lokesh Mehra, Anita Satia, Dr. Hukum Singh, Dr. Usha Dutta launching MBD Disha — From L to R – Renu Anand, Lokesh Mehra, Anita Satia, Dr. Hukum Singh, Dr. Usha Dutta launching MBD Disha

Taking a leap forward in the education sector, MBD in partnership with Imagine Education (UK) has launched a programme MBD Disha for teachers, Principals and school educators in India. The programme aims to help not only the teaching fraternity but also the students at large.

Facilitation of effective education to the vast population of learners is one of the biggest challenges. Producing educated and skilled citizens is the ultimate goal and this can be realised only when the teachers take up this responsibility. The programme will train the teachers to enhance their skills and talent in terms of capacity, holistic knowledge, motivation and self-esteem.

Large scale efforts are being put up for capacity building for school teachers and administrators at the government level, private institutions, corporate, international organisations and NGOs. However, there is a big gap between the huge demand and miniscule supply. MBD Disha aims to take up the initiative of comprehensive teacher training taking into fold multiple subject areas as well as various curricula followed in the schools.

Monica Malhotra Kandhari, Senior Director, MBD Group said, “MBD Group has been in education industry since 1956 and has been organising workshops for teachers since 1973. MBD Group has taken a new leap into capacity building by announcing the launch of MBD Disha, a new initiative designed around research based practices to enhance the skill set and knowledge base of the teachers. It is aimed at providing appropriate training and assessment. It will monitor, review, and give feedback that will foster teacher’s commitment for effective teaching and learning process.”

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