Meghalaya: Salary arrears assurance
Shillong, March 3. Education minister Lahkmen Rymbui assured 12,451 teachers employed in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan — the Centre’s flagship programme for universalisation of elementary education — schools statewide that their pending dues of the past two months will be paid soon.
This assurance was given in response to protest marches staged by SSA teachers against the government for failing to pay their salaries since last October. According to the minister, Rs.145 crore is required to clear five months salary arrears of SSA teachers. “The government will clear the remaining three months’ pending dues after the Centre sanctions funds for this education scheme. Meanwhile we will make all efforts to resolve issues related to implementation of the SSA programme in the state,” he said.
Delhi: Delhi Teachers University
New Delhi, March 4. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia inaugurated the Delhi Teachers University (DTU) in the national capital. DTU will offer undergraduate BA-B.Ed and B.Sc-B.Ed programmes to school-leavers and conduct education research programmes.
“This is Delhi’s first-of-its-kind university which will offer a new age, integrated teacher education programme after class XII to produce a new generation of teachers. It will also focus on fundamental and applied research in education by collaborating with national and international organisations. The government wants to inspire today’s students to become tomorrow’s teachers,” said Sisodia in a Twitter message.
DTU students will acquire experiential teaching experience in Delhi’s government schools for the duration of their course, he added.
Haryana: Free digital tablets
Chandigarh, March 7. Education minister Kanwar Pal proposed distribution of free-of-charge digital tablets to classes X-XII students of government schools across the state. To this end, the state government has decided to purchase 500,000 tablets at an estimated cost of Rs.620 crore, the minister said during the budget session of the state assembly.
“Tablets with preloaded content and personalised and adaptive learning software and free Internet data will be provided to students in May this year. This scheme aims to bridge the digital education gap between children in government schools who are from economically weaker and deprived sections and unable to purchase devices like smartphones and tablets, and children in CBSE and CISCE schools,” said Pal.
Jharkhand: Women’s Day initiatives
Ranchi, march 8. On the occasion of Women’s Day (March 8) chief minister Hemant Soren inaugurated a vocational skills training centre in Dhanbad under the state’s Tejaswini project. The project’s objective is to provide skills training and secondary education to adolescent girls and young women in the 14-24 age group in 17 districts of the state.
“Considerable work is being done to empower women through various schemes. The government intends to extend all possible support to them. Rural women need special attention and we have to reach them,” he said, speaking on the occasion. The chief minister also honoured anganwadi workers of West Singhbhum district.
Uttar Pradesh: English exam cancelled
Lucknow, March 30. The class XII English exam of the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shikshak Parishad state examination board was cancelled in 24 districts after the question paper was reportedly leaked. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath — who recently took oath for a historic second term in office — invoked the National Security Act (NSA) to cancel the exam which is rescheduled for April 13.
Addressing a press conference, additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said the Ballia district inspector of schools and 16 others have been arrested and cases registered against the accused.
“The incident was accorded great seriousness by the chief minister and a Special Task Force has been asked to investigate the matter,” he added.
Telangana: NALSAR’s liberal initiative
Hyderabad, March 27. NALSAR University of Law has allocated one floor of its main admin building as a gender-neutral space with rooms allotted to students of the LGBTQ+ community. Simultaneously, an interim policy has been formulated to address inclusivity concerns of the LGBTQ+ community, and the university is in the process of finalising the policy, said an official statement issued by vice-chancellor Faizan Mustafa’s office.
“I have involved students in my administration and their creative ideas have helped me to come up with several progressive, liberal and futuristic initiatives,” said Mustafa. Earlier in 2015, the NALSAR Law University had issued a gender-neutral graduation certificate to a student who did not wish to be identified with the honorific Mr or Ms, but with ‘Mx’.
