Right to Education quota admissions will be open from February 20 in Maharashtra

Times of India | 3 months ago | 13-02-2023 | 06:15 am

PUNE: The admission process under the 25% Right to Education (RTE) Act quota for students belonging to economically backward classes will start online from February 20, the state primary education department has said. There are over one lakh seats under the scheme in over 8,600 schools in Maharashtra. Officials stated that they had expected 9,230 schools to register this year, but the response was low ."It will take nine days for the verification of the schools registered. Parents have been requested to keep the necessary documents ready for the admission of their children," said Sharad Gosavi, chairman of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. He added that parents seeking admission need to visit this website: https://rte25admission.maharashtra.gov.in/adm_portal/There are 15,622 seats available across 931 schools in the Pune district. More than 400 schools are still due for registration, so the seats are likely to increase, said Gosavi.

Read more

Share:

Similar News

Chandigarh: Bhavan Vidyalaya crew complete Indo-Nepal cyclothon

The Indian Express | 17 hours ago | 09-06-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Indian Express

17 hours ago | 09-06-2023 | 12:45 pm

Written by Kairvi PunjChandigarh Bhavan Vidyalaya concluded ‘Maitree 2023,’ a cyclothon meant to mark World Bicycle Day, on June 8, and was welcomed by their school chairman, principal and other staff membersThe cycling contingent of seventeen students and five teachers began the 1,300-km journey from Chandigarh to Kathmandu on May 27. They cycled through Haridwar, Kashipur, Sitarganj, Kapilvastu, Bharatpur, and other locations.The main objective of this Indo-Nepal Cyclothon was to foster India-Nepal ties.Themed ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ the cyclothon was flagged off by R K Saboo, Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Chandigarh Kendra. Siddhartha English Boarding Secondary School, Butwal, and Daffodil Boarding School, Kathmandu hosted the cycling contingent in Nepal. The students were also invited to interact with the staff of the Indian Embassy in Nepal.Greeting the participants on completion of the trip, Vineeta Arora, Director Education and Senior Principal, appreciated the young cyclists’ passion for taking on this journey.The Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh, had organised this fifth expedition following their other successful ventures in the past. After the successful culmination of the Maitree 2023 Cyclothon, the students returned to the BVC campus.

New degree on table: Bachelor of Science for humanities, commercePremium Story

The Indian Express | 1 day ago | 08-06-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Indian Express

1 day ago | 08-06-2023 | 12:45 pm

Keeping in line with global norms and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the country’s higher education regulator is poised to introduce a new range of college degree names, including a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in disciplines like arts, humanities, management and commerce.Currently, the University Grants Commission (UGC) permits universities to offer a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in arts, humanities and social sciences, and the Bachelor of Science (more commonly abbreviated in India as BSc) degree is typically for science subjects.However, with the NEP 2020 advocating a restructuring of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, a committee set up by the UGC to review degree nomenclatures has recommended that the new four-year undergraduate honours (or honours with research) degree programme, irrespective of the discipline, can also be offered as a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree.Similarly, universities can adopt the Master of Science (MS) nomenclature for both the one and two-year postgraduate programmes, even for disciplines such as arts, humanities, management, and commerce.Although the committee has recommended using BS nomenclature for degrees across disciplines, it hasn’t permitted the use of BA and MA for science programmes.The UGC, The Indian Express has learnt, will soon share the five-member committee’s recommendations in the public domain for feedback, following which the Commission will notify the fresh set of degree nomenclatures.The use of BA and BS for undergraduate programmes across disciplines is a prevalent practice abroad, where universities often offer, say, BA and BS degrees in Psychology or Economics. In such a case, the programme curriculum sets the BA degree apart from the BS. While a BS degree gives a student a more specialised education in the subject, a BA degree (in the same subject) provides more flexibility. The latter is designed with a broader choice of courses allowing the student to tailor his/her education to his/her interests.SECTION 22 of the UGC Act empowers the Commission to notify degree nomenclature. The decision, which offers more flexibility to students, is in line with global norms and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.For instance, Harvard University offers both a BA and BS degree in engineering sciences. The BA engineering student is required to earn fewer credits than the BS student and has greater flexibility to pursue her interests outside of engineering. The BS degree, on the other hand, provides greater technical depth in the chosen engineering area.The committee’s report was discussed during the UGC meeting held in the last week of May. After discussions, the Commission decided to publicly disclose its recommendations for feedback before finalising the new degree names.The formation of the five-member panel was a direct response to the NEP 2020, which proposed the introduction of a four-year undergraduate degree programme offering flexible entry and exit options, along with a one-year master’s degree. Currently, undergraduate programmes, except for professional degrees such as engineering and medicine, typically are of three years, while master’s programmes extend over two years.The committee has also made the following recommendations:* The four-year undergraduate honours degree programme will include ‘Hons’ in brackets, such as BA (Hons), BCom (Hons), or BS (Hons). Additionally, a four-year honours programme with research components will have ‘Hons with Research’ in parentheses, like BA (Hons with Research) and BCom (Hons with Research).* The notification of new degree nomenclatures will be an ongoing process. Universities can propose new degree names that are relevant to contemporary and emerging societal needs to the UGC. Upon approval, the higher education regulator will notify the new degree nomenclature.* The committee recommends discontinuing the nomenclature of the ‘MPhil’ degree, as per the NEP 2020’s recommendation to scrap the MPhil programme.* If a student has earned all the required credits for a programme, she can be considered for the award of a qualification (such as a certificate, diploma or degree) even before the completion of the programme’s duration. For example, if a student has earned all the required credits for a four-year programme in 3.5 years, she should be eligible to receive her degree.However, the committee clarifies that the new degree names will only apply prospectively, and the old degree names will continue to be used even after the introduction of the new terminology. Therefore, the current three-year honours degree programme will continue alongside the four-year honours degree programme.

3 more automated driving test tracks for Pune district, will cover 2-wheelers & heavy vehicles too

The Indian Express | 1 day ago | 08-06-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Indian Express

1 day ago | 08-06-2023 | 12:45 pm

Pune district is all set to get three new Automated Driving Test Track systems as part of the Motor Vehicle Department’s plan to introduce ADTTs in 17 locations across the state to ensure more transparency and accountability in issuing driving licences.The new systems will be installed at the main testing facility in Alandi with two tracks for two-wheelers and one for Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) on a 5,500-sq-m plot; Hadapsar with one track for two-wheelers and one for LMVs on a 4,000-sq-m plot; and, in Saswad with one track for two-wheelers and one for LMVs and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) on a 14,031-sq-m area.Currently, there are two ADTT systems in the district, in Pune city and Pimpri Chinchwad, which were implemented on a pilot basis in March 2015 but solely for LMVs using eight-shaped tracks in a fully computerised system that has tested more than 3 lakh applicants so far.“The ADTT system will generate driving test results in real-time after completion of tests for each type of track. The system comprises video analytics cameras, workstations, servers and desktops to monitor the tests and record the results based on pre-defined test parameters,” an officer with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) said.The system will include smartphones placed inside vehicles for LMVs and HMVs, and cameras installed outside for two-wheelers, to track among other things facial recognition, use of seatbelts and mirrors, and navigation of traffic signals and zebra crossings. Besides, a Variable Messaging System (VMS) at the track’s exit will display whether the applicant has passed, failed or needs to take a re-test.Some of the key test formats are: eight-figure track, H-track, 3-point turn, zig-zag turns, gradient tests and two-wheeler serpentine tracks.Other than equipment to track driving skills, there will be eye-testing equipment, Aadhaar fingerprint verification devices, and a control room at each ADTT centre to operate and monitor the system.At present, driving tests are mainly conducted at about 50 Regional Transport Offices across the state with manual assessment of applicants.State Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar said, “The ADTT will remove the human element from driving tests. It will be faster and more accurate with no chance of manipulation. It will be completely based on cameras and a computer system.”Explaining the application system for ADTT, another official said, “The applicants have to book an appointment for driving tests through a system developed by the National Informatics Center (NIC) called Sarathi. The ADTT system will be integrated with Sarathi. The increase in the number of applicants over the years has placed considerable burden on motor vehicle inspectors. The manual evaluation also leads to allegations. Thus, the new technology based system will ease the service of issuing driving licences.”Besides, the official said that while there are multiple reasons behind road accidents, driving skills have been identified as a major contributing factor. “Therefore, drivers’ perceptual and motor skills remain a key factor in road safety. It is hence important to ensure that we only permit good drivers on the road by assessing them objectively and using the latest technologies,” the official said.Officials said the new system will also reduce the waiting time in the process of issuing driving licences while making the test stringent to improve awareness about traffic and driving rules as per the Central and State Motor Vehicle Rules.

Students from across India to be sent to Modi’s school for ‘prerna’Premium Story

The Indian Express | 2 days ago | 07-06-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Indian Express

2 days ago | 07-06-2023 | 12:45 pm

OVER THE next year, two children from each district in India will be taken to the primary school in Vadnagar, in Gujarat’s Mehsana district, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi received his elementary education, as part of a week-long study tour.Announcing this on Tuesday, the government said the school will be developed as an “inspirational” school called ‘Prerna: The Vernacular School’, where the students will be trained on “how to live a very evolved life”, as part of a joint initiative by the central and state governments.The late 19th century school, which was functional till 2018, has been restored by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as part of a mega redevelopment plan for Vadnagar, said officials.“There is a school in Vadnagar where our Prime Minister had taken his elementary education. It is a 19th century school… We are developing this school as an inspirational-experiential school,” said a senior official, adding that the school will get its first batch of students this year.Each batch will comprise 30 students who will be given residential training for a week. The cost of accommodation and transport will be borne by the culture ministry. “There are 750 districts in India and two children from each district (will be sent)… we will train a total of 1,500 children in the entire year on how to live a very evolved life…We want the first batch out in the current year itself,” said the senior official.The concept note for the project states: “Great leaders across the world have acknowledged their first school as a catalyst in their inspirational journey to cause change… Based on the vision of the Prime Minister, this first of its kind school redevelopment project ‘Prerna’ is being undertaken to inspire the youth of the county to become catalysts of change… It is envisioned to be a school of the future but with an impetus to education and values, imparted using various techniques and technologies.”While details like the age group of children are still being worked out, sources said it would mostly be for students of Classes 9-10.The selection process will start soon, for which the students’ “intellectual level, creativity and extra-curricular performance will be put to test,” said officials, adding that the training will be based on the concept of “Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat”. “It is not teaching. It is all experience,” said a senior official, adding that the training will include exposure to “virtues of life like courage and compassion through the lives and teachings of real-life heroes”.The school, originally called ‘Vadnagar Kumar Shala No 1’, was established in 1888 and was functional till 2018, when its restoration work began, said officials. “While it was being renovated, its students were shifted to the nearby kanya shala,” said a Gujarat education department official.“The old building has been restored using vernacular elements of architecture and by imagining the way the structure may have looked originally,” said a senior official, adding that the renovated school has eight classrooms, a cafe, orientation centre, souvenir shop and a community green space.Besides this, there is an extensive plan for “the overall development of Vadnagar town, funded by the Union government, and executed and overseen by the state government”, said officials. The plan to develop Vadnagar as the cultural centre of Gujarat includes a heritage site museum, being built at a cost of nearly Rs 200 crore.—With inputs from Ritu Sharma in Ahmedabad 

New York City records unusually high levels of air pollution

The Indian Express | 2 days ago | 07-06-2023 | 12:45 pm

The Indian Express

2 days ago | 07-06-2023 | 12:45 pm

New York City recorded an unusually high level of air pollution on Tuesday night, with its air quality index crossing 200 at one point.The poor air quality levels have continued today — as of Wednesday afternoon at 12 pm IST, it has a recorded Air Quality Index (AQI) of 173, with a PM2.5 concentration of 98.3µg/m³, which is 19.7 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value, reported air quality monitoring company IQair.The low quality of air was attributed to the ongoing wildfires in neighbouring Canada, where several provinces have been battling hundreds of fires for the past month. This smoke has been travelling across the border and has resulted in several air quality alerts from US authorities.New York City recorded the worst quality of air of any major metropolitan area Tuesday at 10 pm ET, said a CNN report, quoting data from IQair. New York City was only second to New Delhi in terms of levels of air pollution. Doha in Qatar, Baghdad in Iraq and Lahore in Pakistan were the other cities at the top of the list.As a result of the poor air quality, many schools in the city cancelled outdoor activities and events on Tuesday, said the report.The US Environmental Protection Agency had issued a poor air quality alert for New England, a day after parts of Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota received a similar advisory. Last week, US officials as far south as Maryland, Baltimore, Virginia and Pennsylvania reported being impacted by the wildfires, said an Associated Press report.If you live in a place with high levels of air pollution, authorities suggest the use of facemasks when stepping outside. An air purifier can be used indoor and it is recommended that you spend a minimal amount of time outside for gardening, exercise or other purposes. Close windows, doors etc to minimise exposure to dirty air.

More News

Latest News