Drug free India

In his third broadcast of Mann ki Baat programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dealt with very important theme of youth and drugs. Unfortunate as it is, the curse of drug addiction has afflicted our youth at various levels thereby causing utter devastation of families and the youth itself. The curse of drugs and narcotics came from developed countries of the west, where affluence among upper class became catalyst to drug menace.  In our country, first the youth from affluent class took to drug addiction but gradually it took serious dimensions and spread among the college and university going youth. Most of the youth thought it a fashion and style paving the path for others to imitate them. We don’t have the data to compute the number of addicted youth in the country, but from the seizure of illegal drugs across the country and the number of addicts under reformative treatment we come to a very disappointing ground situation.

The Prime Minister said that for effective control of the menace, it was important that contribution came from a number of segments of society, the parents, the police, law enforcing authority, intelligence organization, judiciary, medical organization and the addicts as well. In the first place, much responsibility devolves on the shoulders of parents who need to keep constant watch on their wards and watch their movements. There has to be discipline in the home and the impress of social and cultural values has to be maintained by elders and parents. The youth have to be instilled with the urge for purpose of life, a destination that is honourable and rewarding. If life is allowed to flow down like a rudderless ship, it is bound to get lost. A life that could be made beautiful and purposeful by adopting the right course of service to humanity and to one’s own interests is want only left to destruction and devastation.

The Prime Minister has hinted at a very subtle but very important dimension of drug addiction. He has asked the addicts to understand that the money they are spending on drugs could be diverted to the terrorist organization who are shooting our soldiers and policemen just because they on their own have no purpose of life and as such attach no value to the lives of others. Prime Minister is right is saying that if the youth are left idle and with obscured vision, they will be prone to going astray. That is why the Government attaches great importance to bringing various skills to the youth so that they feel pride in labour and honest earning. It is the responsibility of parents to look for opportunities for their wards which would help them earn a living. The Prime Minister said for long he had been feeling unhappy on the misfortune to which our addicted youth are subjected. But he said that the drug is bad not the youth who use it. And those who do not take full precautionary measures to keep the youth away from drugs are equally culprits in the process.

While Prime Minister’s analysis of drug menace is pragmatic and the measures that the Government is likely to consider are welcome, it remains to be said that the Prime Minister will need to come out with his Government’s commitment to take stringent action against drug peddlers who have established widespread nexus across the country and have even established international links. This is not a small network and its dismantling is not that easy. Drug peddlers have made dent in political segments of our country. Drugs and narcotic trade involves incredibly large amounts of money. Part of this money percolates down to swindlers and charlatans many of who boss political parties in the country.   This aberration adversely affects the health of our society. It degrades our moral values.

Of late our State has also become a hub of drug peddling. We are also threatened by drug peddlers from across the border. State police have, from time to time, seized large quantities of narcotics which were destined for conduits in Delhi and Mumbai. Even some narcotics were seized from cross-border traders in J&K. This being the case, we have yet to hear that any drug peddler, fallen in the dragnet of police, has been given exemplary punishment. It is this part of the issue that shall have to be taken up very seriously for proper handling. If there is no deterrent, drug mafia will continue to enjoy the bliss of making enormous money and threaten social fabric of our society.

Sibal to dilute the IIT entrance exam

HRD minister Kapil Sibal encompasses a knack of staying within the news. it's a knack that comes in terribly handy for an officer. when pushing through ‘reforms’ in education, like creating promotions up to category eight automatic, doing away with board exams in school ten, or a minimum of create it optional, he has currently forced yet one more, highly visible proposal through. From next year, there'll be one entrance take a look at for admission to IITs,NITs and IIITs. To cap it all, the category twelve board exam results would conjointly realize weightage in his new, reformed proposal that's being done ostensibly to scale back the burden and stress on engineering aspirants.

I am no educational. i'm no knowledgeable in education either, however this proposal doesn't appear to form sense to me. IIT’s joint entrance examinations up to now are the important take a look at of any prospective engineer’s ability. they need a name of being therefore robust that it ensures solely the simplest get through. indeed it's usually said that getting in IITs in India is harder than getting in the other engineering establishment within the world, together with within the USA, a minimum of at the undergraduate level. This filtration method is therefore fool-proof, or nearly there, that the scholar, once he gets through, is asked for the globe over. it's stressful positive, however once through, the rewards are immense too. And what's wrong in inquiring some stress to urge recognised among the simplest within the world.

Sibal says this move can facilitate relieve stress among the scholars which consultants too have suggested that stress levels among students got to be brought down. Now, none will argue in favour of stressing out students and aspiring engineers, however this can be not identical, really! Some conjointly say that together with category twelve result would guarantee individuals don't ignore the board exams to focus on competitive exams alone. True, this will happen to some extent, however that's a choice that the individual and his/her family have taken, as a result of they apprehend what's valued a lot of within the final context.

In any case, if the necessity is to confirm that category XII exams aren't ignored, i'm positive there can be higher ways that of doing it. Where is that the got to dilute a time-tested, and proven system to incorporate results from an exam whose efficacy and credibility varies in line with the board, or region or numerous different things? No manner will the standard and different controls exercised over IIT entrance exams be replicated for the board exams. Tales galore of how lax the complete board exam method is, particularly in bound components of the country and the way cheating is rampant. It merely can't be as closely monitored and administered because the JEE.

I am personally attentive to IT firms in India, together with transnational, that enforce choosing an IIT graduate notwithstanding he/she is from a non-IT stream, say civil engineering. Why? as a result of all recruiters apprehend by currently that these guys have the raw material and it's easier to coach them than the so-called degree holders from most different institutes. This confidence another time comes from the initial method that separated wheat from chaff. and that we wish to tinker with that?

And I haven't even mentioned this proposal to form everyone pass automatically until category eight. it's ridiculous. one amongst the explanations Indian youngsters who go abroad do well is as a result of the grounding of our system. One could say it's bookish, forcing to be told by rote and every one that, however the very fact is it readies them for the robust days. will we wish our youngsters to be those that cannot tell their own nation on the map or those, when asked what's Strawberry in its original type, drew a box out of that it came? As I said, I don't claim to be an educationist nor an knowledgeable on education, however my good judgment tells me of these changes can impede, not facilitate the standard of our human resources.

Nagpur Universitys examination section works below huge burden

The Nagpur University's examination section, already facing the warmth over a series of paper leaks initial exposed by TOI, is showing signs of crumbling below the massive pressure from mushrooming faculties and workers shortage. some of years ago, the department was the pride for the university and had got accolades from all quarters for declaring ends up in fast time.

a look at the numbers reveals the pressure they're below. Over 800 faculties having over four lakh students and 10 colleges come back below their purview. thirty two new faculties would be added from the new educational year beginning in July and it'll solely add their woes.

consistent with NU sources, it conducts over one,000 exams and sets up nearly eight,000 question papers and additionally will their valuation once a year. Its officers additionally take care of declaration and distribution of results, issuing photocopies and their revaluation, creating seating arrangements for examinations, and sending registered mails to students and faculties among others.

to try to to all this work, the university has but two hundred workers, of whom eighty are clerks, to run the show. Not one employee has been recruited within the section since the last 5 years even if the amount of schools has grown. Till 2002, NU was having solely 250 affiliated faculties, in 2007-08 it had been 600, in 2009-10 they grew to 775 and in 2011-12 it crossed 800 mark - the very best among all universities.

Sources revealed that it had become even harder for them to conduct exams of skilled courses like engineering, MBA and law. attributable to semester pattern, these are conducted twice a year and thus are different formalities like results, analysis and revaluation. However, exam section officers were never consulted whereas granting new faculties or beginning courses. they do not even have an area on the necessary bodies like management and educational councils. If they protested, they were accused of being "inefficient".

The signs of crumbling were evident from the actual fact that series of paper leaks were happening and revaluation results were being delayed. Sources said shortage of approved academics for analysis was additionally hampering their work and ongoing strike by the academics for his or her sixth pay commission arrears was creating matters worse.

Though Controller of Examinations (CoE) Siddharth Kane couldn't be contacted as he had instructed the media to speak to professional workplace, a senior official on the condition of anonymity admitted that their section was indeed heavily burdened. Registrar Mahesh Yenkie had recently informed that NU had sent a proposal to the state government for filling from 391 posts.

Exam Section while not automation

Another disturbing undeniable fact that came out to light-weight was that the complete exam section was still operating manually. during this year's budget, NU had sanctioned Rs five.80 crore for modernization/computerization of this section, however no progress has been created.

IGNOU launches new programmes in health care

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Nagpur centre, has activated new centres and programmes within the health care and foreign languages. This includes - postgraduate diplomas in maternal and kid health, and geriatric medication along side certificate courses in Ayurveda, AYUSH nursing, French language, and home-based care suppliers. every of those courses, ranging from July, can offer 30-40 seats with completely different admission criteria.

National level specialists have formulated these programmes that are place within the curriculum of IGNOU to succeed in each nook and corners of the country for providing opportunities within the field of education.

Dean of AYUSH (Ayurveda) faculty, Ganesh Mukkawar, says, "Nagpur centre can facilitate to increase skilled coaching in Ayurveda to lots." individuals come back from Pune and Mumbai similarly to attend categories within the Nagpur region because it is that the instructional hub for Central India, he adds. Last year, 7,000 students had taken admission in IGNOU for the varied courses and a pair of,000 had enrolled within the MBA course.

Moreover, IGNOU can begin new centres like Sadabai Raisoni Women's faculty and Kaushlyadevi Maheshwari Mahila Mahavidyalaya within the town and one centre in Gondia from the new educational session. "Every university is making an attempt to realize one objective that is to expand the scope of education within the country. we have a tendency to additionally aim that education ought to reach the grass root level and each citizen ought to be well-qualified," says Nagpur regional director P Sivaswaroop.

31000 students in Indore to appeared for AIEEE Exam

About 31,000 students can seem for the eleventh All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) 2012 offline take a look at to be held at around fifty one completely different centres within the town on Sunday. Last year, nearly 26,000 students had appeared for the exam at thirty four centres.

SK Joshi, city-coordinator of examination and principal of Vidyasagar college told ToI that when IIT-JEE, AIEEE is that the preferred exam within the country. "In the past ten years, the amount of scholars showing for AIEEE has increased manifold. we have a tendency to had started with 5 centres within the town. This year, there'll be over fifty centres within the town," added Joshi.

Country-wide, near eleven lakh aspirants are expected to seem for the exam that's considered the gateway to thirty National Institutes of Technology (NITs) besides 5 Indian Institutes of knowledge Technology (IITs), central- and state-funded establishments and self-financed deemed universities and different establishments. Indore is one in every of the 5 cities within the state where the offline exam are going to be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The exam are going to be conducted simultaneously in sixty three completely different cities across the country.

However, Indore doesn't figure among the list of cities where on-line exam are going to be conducted. This year eleven lakh students can seem for the AIEEE, that is fifty,000 over last year. additional establishments are expected to admit students through AIEEE. a choice during this regard are going to be taken by the CCB, which is able to be constituted by HRD ministry, and an inventory of tentative establishments joining the CCB are going to be placed on the website: www.ccb.nic.in.

the doorway examination options 2 papers - Paper-I consisting of 3 components of Physics, Chemistry and arithmetic of equal weightage with objective kind queries for B.E/B.Tech courses and Paper-II consisting of arithmetic, Aptitude take a look at and Drawing for B Arch and B designing. The aptitude take a look at is intended to guage candidate's perception, imagination, observation, creativity and architectural awareness.

Chandigarh education department told to clear teachers salary arrears

The UT bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) directed the Chandigarh education department to unleash the arrears of enhanced consolidated salary of contractual academics of assorted government colleges of town.

These arrears are pending since 2007 and therefore the tribunal has currently set a deadline of 2 months for the funds to be released to the beneficiary academics, operating below numerous capacities in UT government colleges. The directions were glided by a division bench of CAT headed by Shayama Dogra.

CAT directed the U T Administration to unleash the improved consolidated salary with result from 2007 in pursuance to UT administrations policy call, inside a amount of 2 months. the problem was argued before the bench on behalf of the petitioners that the U T Administration has taken a policy call through a circular dated March thirteen, 2007 to revise the consolidated monthly salary of contractual masters/mistresses from Rs eight,000 to Rs nine,900 with result from January one, 2007.

Similarly, vide subsequent policy circular dated January ten, 2008 and March five, 2009 the said salary was more enhanced to Rs ten,500 and Rs eleven,200 respectively. Similar pay enhancements were created with regard to contractual JBT academics and lecturers.

Gujarat Secondary Education Board tests teachers

academics of standards IX and X appeared in an exceedingly first-of-its-kind exam on Saturday conducted by the Gujarat Secondary and better Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) to check their subject data.

whereas the test's results won't be declared, the exam is being conducted to relinquish the board an interior reality check on the topic data of academics in order that coaching modules may be planned accordingly.

On Saturday, 4,000-odd academics appeared for the exam in Ahmedabad that had 2 modules - a general ability and pedagogy, and a subject-based exam. The papers had multiple-choice queries.

It wants mention that GSHSEB is enterprise a significant overhauling of syllabus of secondary and better secondary sections and plans to own coaching sessions specializing in key areas for all academics.

There are some forty three,000 academics teaching standards IX and X in government colleges everywhere the state. The board acknowledges that sure academics might not be utterly abreast with the chapters and curriculum taught in textbooks which can be affecting the standard of teaching in colleges.

"We wish to grasp the areas where the academics are lacking in order that targeted coaching modules may be planned. this can facilitate us improve the standard of teachers", said board chairman R R Varsani.

District education officer of Ahmedabad R I Patel said that the exam was conducted at twelve centers and there was no case of copying reported.

Delhi University undergraduate courses

Delhi University's undergraduate courses might bear a ocean modification from 2013. Another year are going to be added to the prevailing three-year undergraduate courses - BA, BCom and BSc - and therefore the courses are going to be restructured to supply an exit choice midway, with another to rejoin later and complete the course.

Students will have the choice of knocking off one or 2 papers and instead use credits earned through sports or different extracurricular activities to end the courses. what is additional, students will earn 3 degrees through this four-year programme.

"We propose to launch the four-year courses from the 2013-14 session. it'll be a transdisciplinary course with multiple exit choices. As we have a tendency to are simultaneously revamping our open learning system, undergraduate students at faculties are going to be allowed to complete a semester through open learning and therefore the credits are going to be counted," said DU vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh.

consistent with DU administration, the blueprint is prepared and consultations with academics and different stakeholders are on. The administration additionally plans to bring the proposal up for discussion at a teachers' congress in June. "After taking teachers' input, the set up are going to be place up at a teachers' congress. Finally, the proposal are going to be placed before the educational and government councils of DU," said Singh.

The programme can supply students 2 exit choices throughout the course - at the top of second and third years. If a student decides to opt out of the course when completion of the primary 2 years, he/she can get an associate degree. At the top of third year, the scholar will opt out with a bachelor's degree. If the scholar completes four years, an honours degree are going to be awarded.

"Even the two-year associate degree are going to be embedded with enough coaching to enable a student to become an elementary teacher. Students who opt out when finishing second and third years can get ten years to come and complete the course," said Singh.

"In future, we might prefer to supply credits to students travelling within the Gyan Uday specific and doing comes," Singh added.

500 apply online for PhD entrance

Nearly five hundred candidates have registered themselves on-line for the PhD entrance take a look at to be organized on April twenty nine. Monday was the last day for filling up the applications forms on-line for the take a look at.

Officials said that the candidates have registered themselves for doctoral analysis in engineering, pharmacy, MBA and MCA subjects.

There are 9 branches in engineering within which students will pursue their PhD thesis. The GTU has conjointly identified branches in pharmacy and management where students will pursue analysis.

Last year, exam varieties of two hundred students were withheld as that they had attendance but what's mandated by the GTU. Later, the GTU had offered the scholars an choice to submit a study paper and form up for attendance shortage.

GTU officers said that this year, the scholars are going to be offered no grace and can need to attend the mandated categories.

Classroom realities

The Supreme Court judgment on April twelve, 2010, upholding the constitutional validity of the proper of youngsters to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 (the RTE Act) has been hailed by some as a 'landmark judgement towards building a cohesive society' whereas others have critiqued a similar as 'a judgment that enables the govt to pass away its responsibility to the personal sector, while not applicable compensation.' 

The essential purpose that's being overlooked is that the RTE Act was created with a wider purpose to confirm that each one youngsters get access to an equitable, quality elementary education that might be kid centred. 

The judgement by creating all personal aided and unaided colleges (with the exception of Madrasas and Vedic pathshalas) adjust to twenty fifth reservation for economically disadvantaged youngsters, spells the thanks to making heterogeneous school rooms that as per the judgement can facilitate 'strengthen the social cloth of democracy through provision of equal opportunities to all'. 

As some extent of principle, nobody can contest that it'll be sensible for all youngsters to be a part of inclusive school rooms, where they're going to learn to measure and respect diversity. However, this judgement has to be seen within the backdrop of the education context because it exists within the country these days. 

There has been a growing shift towards personal schooling within the past few years. National statistics reveal that 187,872,996 students are enrolled in elementary categories in India, out of that sixty nine.5% of the kids are enrolled in government or public colleges and shut to thirty fourth are enrolled in either personal aided or unaided colleges, that represent nineteen.4 a little bit of the entire range of elementary colleges within the country (DISE 2009-10). 

The current discussion following the SC judgement and focussing on the twenty fifth reservation alone, looks to forget that personal colleges don't seem to be homogeneous in nature and vary from terribly low fee charging colleges in rural and concrete slums of India to internationally competitive high fee charging colleges in urban areas, catering to made students. 

While personal aided colleges are to an outsized extent monitored by the state, personal unaided colleges frame their own admission rules and fee structure for college students and tuition fee could vary from Rs thirty to Rs fifteen,000 per month, reckoning on the situation and services provided by the college. 

hough public colleges still enjoyed the most important share (80.3%) of elementary colleges, (even before the SC judgement), virtually one-third of the scholar population selected to pay and enrolled themselves in personal colleges. 

The reasons for this are several amongst that the existence of multi-grade categories and fewer time on task are the foremost important factors owing to lack of adequate range of lecturers in public colleges. 

This has been sadly ratified by the RTE Act, that allocates PTR consistent with college population (1:30) rather than PTR consistent with individual grades. so public colleges, with increasingly declining student populations, owing to exodus to non-public colleges could have primary colleges with say eighty youngsters in Grade 1-VIII with solely 2 lecturers and can still meet the RTE norms. 

Even once the enactment of Act, share of single teacher primary colleges within the public sector remains a high twelve.26%, with states like Arunachal Pradesh having sixty five.12% single teacher primary colleges. 

Low learning levels of youngsters as demonstrated by ASER 2010, whereby solely fifty three.4% of youngsters enrolled in Grade V will scan text of Grade II level and proportion of ordinary I students who will recognise numbers (1-9) declining from sixty nine.3% in 2009 to sixty five.8% in 2010 are ample proof of low quality standards prevailing in public colleges. 

With the SC judgment ratifying twenty five p.c reservation in personal aided and unaided colleges, one can witness an extra exodus to not solely elite personal colleges, however conjointly to low fee charging colleges in slums and rural areas. 

The most vital implication of the judgement lies in Para eight that proclaims that 'State is additionally expected to 1st weed out those colleges that are non-performing, or under-performing or non-compliance colleges and upon closure of such colleges, the scholars and also the teaching and non-teaching employees thereof ought to be transferred to the neighbourhood college.' 

Will this then sound the death toll of public colleges that have already got tiny student populations? conjointly how can colleges make sure that the foremost disadvantaged youngsters e.g. SC, ST and kids with disabilities don't seem to be denied equal chance to enrol within the college of their choice- which can somewhat be the personal college within the neighbourhood? because it is, a lot of ladies are learning in public colleges, how can we tend to make sure that this trend of sending boys to non-public colleges and keeping ladies in public colleges is stalled, since it doesn't support gender equity? 

Undoubtedly, a sturdy regulatory mechanism has to be immediately established in each state to confirm that each public and personal colleges follow the norms and standards directed within the RTE Act. so as to get rid of all money and psychological barriers that a baby belonging to the weaker and disadvantaged cluster could face, a 2 pronged approach can got to be adopted. 

On the one hand, public colleges can got to invest in improving quality of teaching through enhancing pedagogical content data further as accountability frameworks for teacher appraisals. this is often very important, notably in light-weight of the 'no detention policy' that is currently translating into a 'no learning policy'. personal colleges on the opposite hand can got to invest in facilitating a amendment management, since this culture in colleges primarily based on homogeneous category composition, has to embrace diversity and adopt a culture that fosters belongingness and acceptance of all youngsters notably those from economically weaker sections. 

This will involve 'unlearning current practices and culture' prevailing in these colleges. All the higher than can represent a 'paradigm shift in education' and needs immense quantity of investment in amendment management. 

The government at the Centre and state would conjointly got to make sure that the funds needed for extra twenty fifth reimbursement to non-public colleges is formed obtainable primarily based on projections of consecutive eight years, when youngsters from economically weaker sections are going to be gift in each elementary grade. 

The judgment has to be hailed as a step towards furthering social inclusiveness, however a lot of has to be done if we tend to are progressing to implement it in true letter and spirit, with the onus on all stakeholders for upholding the rights of each kid to an equitable quality education.