Uttar Pradesh: Defalcation scandal
Agra/Firozabad, August. A school principal and other employees of the basic education department of Firozabad district have been charged with defalcating Rs.11.46 crore, sanctioned for the state’s Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme for children.
The teacher used fake ration and ID cards to register an NGO and transferred Rs.11.46 crore sanctioned for the MDM scheme with the connivance of officials and staff of his department and banks. A case of corruption has been registered against teacher Chandrakant Sharma of the basic education department of Firozabad district.
According to the charge sheet, the principal had appointed his father president of the NGO, his mother manager and secretary, and his wife treasurer.
Odisha: Gender equity initiative
Bhubaneswar, August 8. A gender equity module will be integrated into the social studies syllabus of classes VI-X students in 18,000 government elementary and 5,000 secondary schools statewide.
The state’s school education ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-Pal), South Asia, and a Bhubaneswar-based women rights organisation Breakthrough. The gender equity module mandates interactive classroom discussions to encourage adolescent boys and girls to question culturally embedded gender norms, roles and discriminatory practices.
J-Pal will conduct independent monitor surveys to assess progress of the programme towards achieving its objectives. Breakthrough will work with the education ministry to contextualise and integrate the module into the syllabus, train teachers, receive feedback, conduct workshops and involve parents in this initiative.
Gujarat: Overt bribery ban
Ahmedabad, August 12. A class XII student has been debarred from writing the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) examination for a year. He attempted to bribe an examiner by adhering a Rs.500 note in his answer sheet.
Addressing a press conference, a Gujarat board official said: “When the examiner found the note, he complained to GSHSEB. After recording the student’s statement, the board exam committee withheld his result and banned him from appearing for the exam for the next one year.”
This boy is one of 22 class XII science stream students imposed punishments including ban from writing the board exam for a year, said an official spokesperson of the exam board. Results of the class XII board exam were declared in May.
Chhattisgarh: English medium colleges
Raipur, August 18. The state government is set to establish English-medium Swami Atmanand Model Colleges in all districts of the state over the next three years.
“The decision to set up these institutions has been taken after receiving a positive response to the Swami Atmanand English Medium Schools started by the state government earlier,” said chief minister Bhupesh Baghel in a note sent to the chief secretary.
“Initially, ten English medium colleges will be established in major cities from the academic year starting June 2023. Later they will be replicated in all district headquarters over the next three years,” added Baghel.
Assam: Zero pass schools
Guwahati, August 25. The state government has announced closure of 34 public schools after all their 1,000 students who wrote the class X state board examination held in March this year, failed to pass the exam. Assam’s statewide board exam results were the worst in five years with half the 400,000 candidates who wrote the exam, failing.
Addressing a press conference, education minister Ranoj Pegu said: “The prime duty of schools is to impart education. If a school cannot ensure that its students pass the class X exam, there is no point in keeping these schools operational. The government cannot spend public money on schools with zero pass percentage.”
Rajasthan: Distance education drive
Jaipur, August 24. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot flagged off Girls Distance Education Scheme by granting approval to reimburse tuition fees of girl and women students in distance learning higher education programmes.
Addressing a press conference, the chief minister said Rs.14.83 crore has been sanctioned to benefit 36,300 girls and women students enrolled in distance learning programmes annually. Under the scheme, women who cannot attend college and university regularly, will be provided higher education through distance learning media.
“The scheme proposes reimbursement of fees of Rs. 16,000 women in undergraduate, Rs.5,300 in postgrad, Rs.10,000 in postgrad diploma, Rs.3,000 in diploma, and Rs.2,000 in certificate programmes of the Vardhman Mahaveer Open University, Kota,” said the chief minister.
