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 government schools across Punjab.
During the MPTM, chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia visited government schools in Patiala to interact with students and parents. “Our students aspire to become bureaucrats, technocrats, doctors and engineers. Therefore the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) government is committed to giving wings to their dreams, and will leave no stone unturned to enable them to realise their aspirations,” said the chief minister while inaugurating MPTM.
HIMACHAL PRADESH
Curriculum enrichment advice
Shimla, december 29. With cases of cybercrime rising statewide, the Himachal Pradesh police has written to the education ministry to integrate digital civics and cyber security into the curriculum of 15,380 government schools.
“Inclusion of lessons on cyber safety and digital civics in school curriculums will spread awareness on cybercrimes and ensure the safety of youth in the new digital world,” said Rohit Malpani, superintendent of police (cybercrime) in a letter addressed to the principal secretary (education). “Nowadays, school-going children start using computers and mobile phones from early age and it has become essential to sensitise them about cybercrimes,” added the letter.
According to Malpani, the number of cybercrime complaints in Himachal Pradesh has risen from 923 in 2017 to 6,207 in 2021.
Paromita Sengupta with bureau inputs
