Education Notes

ODISHA Achyuta Samanta felicitated Bhubaneswar, december 1. President Draupadi Murmu conferred the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar 2022 award of the Union ministry of youth affairs and sports on Dr. Achyuta Samanta, founder-promoter of Ka­linga Institute of Indus­trial Technology (KIIT). “This award recognises KIIT’s sustained focus on sports education for the past 18 years. Together with upgrading academic education, we have con­tinuously strengthened our sports and sports-related infrastructure. The encouragement and support of chief minister Naveen Patnaik towards sports has also inspired KIIT to transform Odisha into an athletics and field sports hub of India,” said Dr. Samanta, speaking on the occasion Over the past almost two decades KIIT has sponsored the education and training of several na­tional sports stars. Among them: Olympian Arjuna awardees Dutee Chand (athletics), C.A. Bhavani Devi (rapier fencing), Shivpal Singh (javelin) and Amit Rohidas (hockey). MAHARASHTRA Anti-ragging suspension Nagpur, december 1. Six interns at the Govern­ment Medical College & Hospital (GMC&H), Nag­pur, were suspended for ragging a junior student. The suspension order was issued after the first-year student sent a video clip of the incident to UGC’s anti-ragging helpline cell, said a college spokesperson. After viewing the video clip, the UGC cell directed the college administration to initiate action against the accused. Dr. Raj Ga­jbhiye, dean of GMC&H, immediately issued orders suspending internship of the students and also asked them to vacate the college hostel. HARYANA Exam prep bugle Chandigarh, december 25. In an initiative to im­prove pass percentages of class X-XII students of government schools, the education ministry issued a circular urging temple, mosque and gurdwara authorities to sound wake up calls through amplifiers to ensure students rise early to prepare for their board exams scheduled for March this year. In a letter to govern­ment school principals, and district education officers, Anshaj Singh, director of secondary edu­cation, also urged parents and teachers to suggest ways and means for stu­dents to get extra hours for self-study. “Mornings are most suitable as children’s minds are fresh and there is no noise of traffic. For this, every class teacher should request parents to wake their children at 4:30 in the morning so they can start study by 5:15 a.m. Teachers should advise parents through What­sApp group messages,” wrote Singh in his letter. ASSAM Dibrugarh ragging arrests Dibrugarh, december 1. On the recommendation of the university’s Anti- Ragging Committee, four students of Dibrugarh University have been expelled for three years for ragging a junior. Addressing a press conference, education minister Ranoj Pegu said a first year commerce Masters student suffered fractures in his spine after he fell from the second floor of the varsity’s hostel in an attempt to escape his tormentors.“Five students involved in the ragging incident have so far been arrested. Another person has been picked up for sheltering the accused,” Bitul Chetia, additional superintendent of police informed media person­nel. PUNJAB Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting Patiala, december 24. Un­der an education ministry initiative, over 1 million parents participated in a Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting (MPTM) si­multaneously organised in 19,259…