Education
Early childhood development MILESTONES AND HOW TO ACHIEVE THEM
There are multiple programmes that can help a child achieve milestones and an early intervention always leads to successful outcomes, believes PARVATHY JAYAKRISHNAN
Children are beautiful just as they are and all we need to do is guide them to do develop and grow into individuals who can think clearly on their own. One thing we need to understand as parents and educators is that every child is unique and different from one another. Developmental milestones are indicators that tell you the abilities that an average child can achieve at a certain age. These milestones can involve physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and communication skills such as walking, sharing with others, expressing emotions, recognising familiar sounds, and talking.
The milestones can help identify potential delays in development and the parent can get help from a doctor, if needed. Delays can be identified by a parent, teacher or a caretaker who is closely involved in bringing up the child.
PHYSICAL MILESTONES
The first five years of a child’s life is most crucial in their overall development and it is important that he/she is observed very closely to understand their development and to see if they are achieving milestones. Children may be observed by their parent, caretaker or their preschool teacher and any gaps in development need to be discussed and tended to. Early intervention in any case can lead to much better results.
FROM 1 TO 2 YEARS
Children start becoming independent at this age and tasks requiring balance and hand-eye coordination begin to emerge. During this stage of development, most children are able to:
Pick things up while standing up
Walk backwards
Walk up and down the stairs without assistance
Move and sway to music
Colour or paint by moving the entire arm
Scribble with markers or crayons
Turn knobs and handles
FROM 2 TO 3 YEARS
Building on earlier skills, children become increasingly adept at activities that require coordination and speed. From two to three years of age, most children begin to:
Run in a forward direction
Jump in one place
Kick a ball
Stand on one foot
Turn pages of a book
Draw a circle
Hold a crayon between the thumb and fingers
FROM 3 TO 4 YEARS
Children develop better movement and balance skills. From age three to four, most kids begin to:
Ride a tricycle
Go down a slide without help
Throw and catch a ball
Pull and steer toys
Walk in a straight line
Build a tall towers with toy blocks
Manipulate clay into shapes
FROM 4-5 YEARS
During this period of development, children become increasingly confident in their abilities. Most children begin to:
Jump on one foot
Walk backwards
Do somersaults
Cut paper with safety scissors
Print some letters
Copy shapes including squares and crosses
It is important that a child is given a safe environment to explore, be it at home or in school. Parents and teachers can encourage a child by introducing them to new objects and letting them explore and grab and hold them. To aid proper physical development, nutritious and age-appropriate food is a must. Shelter, warmth, clean air and environment, health care and proper activity and rest are also mandatory for proper physical development.
COGNITIVE MILESTONES
Cognitive milestones are centered around the child’s ability to think, learn and react. Cognitive milestones are equally important and need to be observed for every child as they grow.
FROM 1 TO 2 YEARS
When a child turns one, his/her cognitive skills grow exponentially. They are old enough to observe adults and even emulate their actions. So it is important for parents and caretakers to set good examples to the child. Most one-year-olds begin to:
Understand and respond to words
Identify objects that are similar
Tell the difference between "Me" and "You"
Imitate the actions and language of adults
Point out familiar objects and people in a picture book
Learn through exploration
FROM 2-3 YEARS
Two-year-olds learn a lot from their experiences since they are old enough to explore on their own. With a little assistance and guidance, they can do wonders. Most two-year-olds are able to:
Sort objects by category (i.e., animals, flowers, trees, etc.)
Stack rings on a peg from largest to smallest Imitate more complex adult actions (playing house, pretending to do laundry, etc.)
Identify their own reflection in the mirror by name
Respond to simple directions from parents and caregivers
Name objects in a picture book
Match objects with their uses
FROM 3-4 YEARS
Children become increasingly capable of analysing the world around them in more complex ways. Since children are becoming much more active in the learning process, they also begin to pose questions about the world around them. At this age, the little explorers are able to ask “why” questions which is a sign of deep curiosity and that should be encouraged.
At the age of three, most kids are able to:
Demonstrate awareness of the past and present
Actively seek answers to questions
Learn by observing and listening to instructions
Organise objects by size and shape
Understand how to group and match object according to colour
Have a longer attention span of around 5 to 15 minutes
Asks "why" questions to gain information
FROM 4-5 YEARS
As they near school age, children become better at using words, imitating adult actions, counting and other basic activities that are important for school preparedness. Most four-year-olds are able to:
Rhyme
Name and identify many colours
Draw the shape of a person
Count to five
Tell where they live
Draw pictures that they often name and describe
Cognitive development can be boosted by being patient and answering your child’s queries. Although there maybe too many questions which your toddler may ask, it is important that the teacher or parent communicates and responds to them. It will make them sharper and more aware of what is happening around them. It is also important to give your child a chance to make a choice. For example, you can ask a child, “Would you like to colour the picture with blue or green?” – a question that will force the child to think and make a decision.
Singing along with your child and encouraging him/her to sing also boosts cognitive development. Practicing shapes, colours and counting are also great activities to involve your toddler in. Schools can take children to the post-office or the vegetable vendor to introduce new concepts to their preschoolers. Playing with everyday items like helping your toddler look at his own reflection on a steel plate or making music by banging hands on a table can be great exercises to boost cognitive ability.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL MILESTONES
This is yet another very important set of milestones. Social and emotional milestones deal with the child’s emotions, how they express themselves and how they interact and play with other children.
FROM 1 TO 2 YEARS
During this age, kids often spend more time interacting with a lot of people. They also start to gain a greater sense of self-awareness. At this stage, most can:
Recognise their own image in the mirror
Initiate play activities
Play independently, often imitating adult actions
Act pleased when they accomplish something
Start trying to help, often by putting toys away
Express negative emotions including anger and frustration
Become more self-assertive and may try to direct the actions of others
FROM 2 TO 3 YEARS
During the toddler years, kids become more and more creative and confident. At two years old, most kids begin to:
Become aware that they are a boy or girl
Begin to dress and undress themselves
Demonstrate personal preferences about toys, food, and activities
Start saying "No" to adults
Enjoy watching and playing with other children
Become defensive about their own possessions
Use objects symbolically during play
Often have rapid changes in mood
FROM 3 TO 4 YEARS
Because three-year-olds are becoming increasingly able to perform physical actions, their sense of confidence and independence becomes more pronounced at this age. During the third year, most children begin to:
Follow directions
Perform some tasks with little or no assistance
Share toys with other kids
Make up games and ask other children to join in
Begin engaging in pretend play
FROM 4 TO 5 YEARS
During the fourth year, children gain a greater awareness of their own individuality. As their physical skills increase, they are more capable of exploring their own abilities which can help lead to great confidence and personal pride. At this age, most kids begin to:
Understand basic differences between good and bad behaviour
Develop friendships with other kids
Compare themselves to other children and adults
Become more aware of other people’s feelings
Enjoy dramatic, imaginative play with other children
Enjoy competitive games
It is important that the parent or the teacher gives consistent rules to the child so that they get to know that the world is orderly and they also need to be aware of what happens when rules are broken. Children need to be given an opportunity to play with others and explore their own emotions. If you see a child giving an unsuitable emotional response to some event, he/she needs to be told that the reaction is unacceptable and an alternative response needs to be given so that they learn.
It is important to be caring and nurturing. Loving touches and encouraging words make your child feel that he/she is special. When they feel loved, they will learn to love others the same way. A child also needs to be helped in resolving conflicts in a healthy and appropriate way.
COMMUNICATION MILESTONES
Communication milestones involve verbal and nonverbal communication. Children go from making babbling sounds to saying their first word to speaking small sentences in a very short period of time. It is very important that the parent and teacher speaks to the child to encourage their speech. It is amazing how children can understand a great deal of language spoken to them even before they utter their first word.
FROM 1 TO 2 YEARS
During the first year, the use of language begins to grow considerably. Developmental researchers often refer to this period as the two-word stage because most kids begin to use simple, two-word sentences. Starting around the age of 18 months, children begin to learn estimated 9 to 10 new words each day. At one year of age, most children start to:
Understand basic commands such as "Eat your cereal"
Use "mine" to indicate possession of objects
Have a vocabulary that includes several words that are spoken clearly
Often use other words that are less clearly spoken and only family members can understand
Start to string together simple words in order to describe things or events
FROM 2 TO 3 YEARS
During the second year, children begin to use language in more complex ways. By the age of 24 months, approximately half of all a child's utterances are at least two words long. During this period of development, children also:
Have specific words to describe most things
Are understood by family members
Begin using adverbs and adjectives
Use two to three-word sentences
Can describe what happened during the day
FROM 3 TO 4 YEARS
At age three, children begin to develop more advanced language and communication skills. Most people outside the family are able to understand what the child is saying at this point and the child can carry on conversations using two to three sentences at a time. Other abilities that begin to emerge include:
Can understand and use sentences
Begins using the past tense and plurals
Able to follow a series of two to four directions
Can understand and use sentences that utilise time ("I'm going to the zoo tomorrow.")
Learn and sing songs
FROM 4 TO 5 YEARS
Between the ages of four and five, children become increasingly skilled at conversing. Not only are they able to talk about cause-and-effect, they are also able to use and understand different comparative language such as fast, faster, and fastest. Some other communication milestones that are achieved during this time period include:
Able to follow a string of up to three unrelated instructions
Enjoys listening to longer stories and can remember them with some accuracy
Uses sentences that average around four to five words
Can combine various thoughts into a single sentence
Asks questions about how, when, and why things happen
Can talk about imaginary or future things ("I wish that…" or "I hope that…")
To enable communication milestones, it is important to speak to your child and listen as well. Children are far more likely to share their ideas and feelings if they know they won’t be judged, teased, or criticised. You can empathise with a child’s experience, yet disagree with his behaviour. Encourage pretend play.
The above milestones are defined to catch any difficulties your child/student may be facing and to facilitate an early intervention to correct them. However, each child develops at his/her own pace and it is important to not jump to conclusions and give a chance to the child to achieve a certain milestone. Some developmental milestones build on one another. Achieving a milestone earlier doesn't mean that the child is gifted and achieving it late does not mean that your child is delayed. It is just an individual difference that simply asserts the fact that each child is unique and each child needs to be given individual attention.
Preschool teachers spend a lot of time with their students and are capable of finding differences in abilities at a much faster rate. If a child is failing to achieve milestones at an expected rate, it is important to take him/her to a healthcare specialist and get him/her evaluated. There are multiple programmes that can help a child achieve milestones and an early intervention always leads to successful outcomes.
In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the Right to Education Act (RTE) 2009, the Directorate of Education (DoE), Government of NCT of Delhi, has issued a directive mandating that children must be 6 years old to gain admission into Class 1 starting from the academic session 2026–27.
This move aligns Delhi’s education system with the restructured 5+3+3+4 school framework introduced in the NEP 2020. Under the revised structure, the foundational stage will now include three years of pre-primary education before Class 1: Nursery (Bal Vatika/Preschool 1) at age 3, Lower KG (Preschool 2) at age 4, and Upper KG (Preschool 3) at age 5. Class 1 will be open to children only upon completion of 6 years of age.
All Heads of Government, Government-Aided, and Recognized Unaided Private Schools have been instructed to adopt this change beginning in the 2026–27 academic session.
By standardising entry age norms, the move aims to promote uniformity and developmentally appropriate learning, ensuring children enter Grade 1 equipped with foundational skills from three years of early childhood education.
In a progressive step towards comprehensive health education, the Tripura government has announced plans to integrate sex education and HIV/AIDS awareness into its school curriculum, Chief Minister Manik Saha confirmed.
According to officials, the curriculum update aims to equip students with accurate knowledge about sexual health, disease prevention, and safe practices—key factors in curbing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the state. With around 5,000 active cases reported by late 2024, including a notable infection rate of 0.33% among adults and over 800 student cases, the move is seen as a timely measure.
The new content will be deployed through age-appropriate lessons, Red Ribbon Club activities, and sensitisation drives led by health and education officials. This initiative builds upon previous efforts, such as school- and college-level awareness programs, the involvement of key stakeholders, and information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns across rural and urban centers.
Chief Minister Saha emphasised the role of educators and community leaders in delivering accurate information and fostering a supportive environment: “Students from school to college level should be made aware of the dangers of this disease,” he remarked earlier.
The curriculum integration aligns with state-level action under the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP). It resonates with India’s broader public health mandate to move HIV/AIDS education from stigma to mainstream schooling. By addressing misconceptions and promoting prevention early, Tripura hopes to protect its youth and reduce dropout rates among vulnerable groups.
In a proud moment for Indian education, four schools from across the country have been named among the top 10 global finalists in the prestigious World’s Best School Prizes 2024, organised by UK-based T4 Education. These awards honour schools that are pushing the boundaries of innovation, inclusion, and community impact — and this year, India has made its presence felt in four out of five categories.
A Snapshot of India’s Global Finalists
From government to private, rural to urban — the diversity of India’s representation this year is striking.
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Government Girls Senior Secondary School, NIT 5, Faridabad (Haryana) – Supporting Healthy Lives
A government-run school is redefining what public education can achieve. By interweaving nutrition, mental health, and physical well-being into its core ethos, the school is transforming the lives of at-risk girls, ensuring that no student is left behind. -
Ekya School, JP Nagar, Bengaluru (Karnataka) – Innovation
Recognised for reimagining learning through a design-thinking framework, Ekya encourages student agency, interdisciplinary inquiry, and real-world problem-solving — a blueprint for future-ready schooling. -
ZP School, Jalindar Nagar, near Pune (Maharashtra) – Community Collaboration
A rural government school that has placed local communities at the heart of education. By building trust and ownership at the grassroots, it has created a model of sustainable, community-driven transformation. -
Delhi Public School, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) – Environmental Action
Known for its strong environmental initiatives, DPS Varanasi’s students lead from the front — managing waste, conserving energy, and creating a campus-wide culture of sustainability.
These schools are now among 50 global finalists, selected from thousands of applications worldwide. The shortlist highlights institutions not merely chasing academic results but actively shaping well-being, equity, and systemic reform in education.
What Happens Next
All 50 finalist schools are now competing for the Community Choice Award, determined through an open global vote. Winners across each of the five main categories — Supporting Healthy Lives, Environmental Action, Innovation, Community Collaboration, and Overcoming Adversity — will be announced in October 2024.
The celebration will culminate at the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi in November, where global education leaders will convene for a high-impact dialogue on best practices and policy influence.
The Broader Picture
Launched in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World’s Best School Prizes have rapidly emerged as one of the most influential accolades in global education. Powered by T4 Education, a platform that connects over 200,000 educators worldwide, the awards are more than just recognition — they are a launchpad for schools to amplify their voice, scale impact, and drive systems-level change.
For India, the presence of four unique schools among global changemakers is both a celebration and a reminder — that bold ideas, no matter where they are born, can shape the future of learning.
In a significant move aimed at streamlining school assessments and improving learning outcomes, the Ministry of Education has recommended that seven states—Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Kerala, Manipur, Odisha, Telangana, and West Bengal—adopt a common board for Class 10 and 12 examinations.
The recommendation follows a detailed analysis by the Department of School Education, which found that these states accounted for a staggering 66% of student failures across India last academic year. In total, over 22 lakh students failed Class 10, and 20 lakh failed Class 12 nationally in 2024, highlighting persistent challenges in retention and transition to higher education.
“Not having a common board leads to poor academic outcomes,” said School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, stressing that standardisation in assessment, curriculum, and evaluation is key to reversing this trend. “A common board is the way forward for ease of schooling,” he added.
India currently has 66 examination boards, including three national-level boards and 63 state-level ones. However, only 33 of these boards cater to 97% of enrolled students. The rest, often covering smaller student populations, contribute disproportionately to inconsistent academic performance.
The report also placed a renewed focus on the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), especially in high-failure states. While NIOS currently has a stronger presence in Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana, the ministry wants to see its footprint expand in the recommended states to engage unsuccessful students and prevent dropouts.
However, the report didn’t just stop at structural issues. It shed light on regional and linguistic disparities in student performance. For instance, students taking exams in Odia and Malayalam consistently outperformed peers writing in Kannada, Telugu, and Assamese. Interestingly, Kerala, with its integrated board system, recorded an astounding pass rate of 99.96%. Odisha and Manipur also showed success rates above 97%.
Meanwhile, Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs) and Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) continue to set benchmarks in academic excellence. The report found that 72% of NV students cleared NEET-UG, with strong showings also reported in engineering entrance exams. NVs, which cater primarily to rural talent, seem to be reinforcing the case for equity in access to quality education.
As conversations around NEP 2020 continue to push for holistic, inclusive, and standardised learning, the Centre’s recommendation serves as both a wake-up call and a window of opportunity. With the right reforms, these states could be on the brink of a transformative shift in student success.
Indian institutions continue their upward momentum on the global academic stage, with IIT Delhi emerging as the country’s top-ranked university in the QS World University Rankings 2026, securing the 123rd spot. It is closely followed by IIT Bombay at 129 and IIT Madras at 180, solidifying India’s footprint in the global top 200. However, no Indian university has yet broken into the top 100.
The latest edition of the QS rankings, released by higher education analysts Quacquarelli Symonds, evaluates over 1,500 universities across more than 100 countries. The rankings serve as a barometer of academic excellence, research output, and global relevance.
At the global level, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retains its crown, scoring a perfect 100. Imperial College London follows in second place (99.4), with Stanford University (98.9), the University of Oxford, and Harvard University rounding out the top five. Institutions from the US and the United Kingdom continue to dominate the upper echelons of the list, though Asia-Pacific universities are making notable gains.
Among the rising performers, Malaysia’s Sunway University recorded the most dramatic leap, climbing 120 places in a single year.
The QS World University Rankings 2026 place increasing emphasis on research impact, global engagement, and sustainability, alongside traditional indicators like academic and employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, and internationalisation.
Despite a vast student population and growing academic ambition, no Indian university has entered the global top 100—a gap that invites reflection. While the steady rise of institutions like IIT Delhi signals progress, it also highlights the need for sustained investment, deeper international collaborations, and a sharper focus on research and innovation. The QS rankings, then, are not just a recognition of how far Indian higher education has come, but also a gentle nudge towards how much further it can go.
The Union Ministry of Education has released the Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D) 2023–24, assessing how states and union territories (UTs) fared across critical school education indicators such as learning outcomes, equity, and infrastructure. The report places Chandigarh at the top, with Delhi and Punjab also emerging as strong performers.
The PGI-D ranks regions across ten performance levels, with Utkarsh being the highest possible grade, awarded to those scoring above 90% of 1,000 total points. However, no state or UT achieved that benchmark this year. Chandigarh was the only unit placed in Prachesta-1, the fifth-highest band, with a score between 701–760 points.
Ten other states and UTs, including Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat, Odisha, Kerala, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Haryana, Goa, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, were placed in Prachesta-3—the seventh tier on the index—with scores ranging from 581 to 640.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya stood at the bottom of the list with a score of 417.9, becoming the only state placed in the tenth and lowest category. Mid-performing regions included Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Himachal Pradesh.
According to officials, the PGI-D is designed to act as a catalyst for system-level improvements, offering comparative data to support evidence-based decision-making. By standardising assessment across a range of domains, the index aims to help districts identify learning gaps, infrastructural deficits, and policy blind spots.
While the top bands remain elusive, the data offers insights into where systemic support and targeted interventions are needed most.
Facing strong backlash, the Maharashtra government has rolled back its earlier decision to make Hindi compulsory as a third language in Marathi and English-medium schools. A revised resolution issued by the School Education Department now offers students the flexibility to choose any other Indian language in place of Hindi for Classes 1 to 5.
According to the corrigendum aligned with the State Curriculum Framework – School Education 2024, Hindi will be the default third language; however, alternatives are permitted if students prefer them. If at least 20 students in a class opt for a different language, a dedicated teacher will be appointed. For fewer than 20 students, the subject will be delivered via online mode.
The updated directive also reiterates that Marathi remains compulsory in all schools, regardless of the medium of instruction. In non-Marathi and non-English medium schools, the three-language formula will include the school’s medium, Marathi, and English.
The language policy for Classes 6 to 10 will continue under the framework of the State Curriculum Framework (SCF) 2023, which aims to enhance multilingual learning while respecting regional and linguistic diversity.
The revision comes after political and public criticism, including opposition from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and recommendations from the state’s language consultation committee.
As the world of education evolves, so must our approach to learning. This article explores how empathy, emotional intelligence, and inclusive values must take center stage in 21st-century education, especially within the Cambridge philosophy.
- Moving Beyond Traditional Teaching
The world has shifted from traditional teaching methods to a more humanized approach to imparting knowledge. As educators, we can no longer afford to practice a schooling model that focuses on rote memorisation, academic regurgitation, and a transactional approach to success. The time has come to restructure schools from stressful performance zones to sanctuaries where purpose, empathy, and identity take precedence.
In our ever-evolving world, there is a strong need to overhaul the way education is being imparted. As educators within the Cambridge International community, we understand that now is the time to cultivate learning environments that are havens of purpose, where empathy flourishes, and each student’s unique identity is celebrated.
The Cambridge philosophy, much like India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, encourages us to embrace a well-rounded, interdisciplinary education that instills strong values. This aligns beautifully with global aspirations like the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) and the growing global emphasis on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). Our aim as a visionary school extends beyond producing high achievers; we are here to nurture thoughtful individuals, proactive learners, and, most importantly, compassionate human beings.
- The Role of Purpose and Empathy in Learning
And when we talk about empathy, it isn’t just a desirable trait; it’s a cornerstone of transformative education. It fosters a respectful and inclusive classroom, bridging differences and creating a sense of belonging – a principle deeply embedded in the Cambridge approach. Initiatives from organizations like UNESCO, the OECD, and leading universities worldwide highlight the vital role of empathy in learning. Empathetic students become collaborative team players, ethical decision-makers, and engaged global citizens, embodying the Cambridge Learner Attributes.
- Cambridge & NEP 2020: A Shared Vision
In today’s intricate world, I believe that intellectual prowess alone is no longer the sole measure of success. It needs to be nurtured alongside – and often complemented by – emotional and social intelligence. The ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions, navigate social situations with sensitivity, and act with kindness are not just “nice-to-haves”; they are essential skills for thriving in the 21st century and are woven into the fabric of the Cambridge curriculum.
- How IPS Integrates the Cambridge Curriculum
The Cambridge curriculum at Indirapuram Public School, Indirapuram (IPS) is intentionally integrated both vertically and horizontally. As students get older, scaffolded concepts are built upon and nuanced while we work against a compartmentalized view of truth. Students, daily, engage with a host of interconnected ideas across the curriculum to prepare them for the complexity of discourse beyond the walls of our school. Beyond the traditional curriculum, Cambridge endeavors to socially integrate students across grade levels and foster meaningful relationships with their teachers.
As the Cambridge curriculum at IPS evolves, we continue to make it even more responsive to the individual needs of our learners, creating a supportive and welcoming atmosphere. Themes such as values, peace, sustainability, and diversity are integrated across subjects, becoming central threads in our teaching rather than isolated topics. From well-being initiatives to environmental projects like Climate Quest, we are helping the students connect academic learning with real-world empathy and action, especially through engaging, experiential learning.
Leadership within a Cambridge school plays a crucial role in setting this tone. Those who guide our schools shape their very essence, influencing the entire learning community. When leaders model empathy, authenticity, and a clear sense of purpose, our schools become more than just educational institutions; they become nurturing environments where humanity thrives.
“Your children are not your children… They come through you but not from you.”
—Kahlil Gibran
Let us reimagine education—not just as preparation for the future, but as a meaningful and purposeful way of living in the present.
This article is authored by Dr Ashish Mittal
Principal || CBSE & Cambridge Leader
INDIRAPURAM PUBLIC SCHOOL, INDIRAPURAM
In a significant initiative fostering international collaboration and scientific curiosity, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, flagged off 20 school students selected to participate in the Sakura Science Programme 2025. The ceremony was led by Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), alongside senior officials, including Smt. Archana Sharma Awasthi, Joint Secretary, and Prof. Prakash Chandra Agrawal, Joint Director, NCERT.
The Sakura Science Programme, initiated by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), aims to promote youth exchange in science across Asia. India joined the initiative in 2016. Since then, over 600 Indian students have experienced Japan’s technological landscape through this unique programme.
This year’s cohort—comprising 7 boys and 13 girls—represents Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and government schools across remote and diverse regions such as the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Ladakh, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. The programme runs from June 15 to 21, 2025, and includes participants from Malaysia, Taiwan, and Ukraine.
Speaking at the event, Shri Sanjay Kumar described the programme as a “golden opportunity to explore a developed nation like Japan,” urging students to fully engage with its potential to inspire innovation and global understanding.
Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which underscores experiential learning and interdisciplinary exploration, this initiative strengthens India’s vision of holistic, engaging education. Japan—renowned for its technological excellence and rich culture—continues to be a valued partner in shaping the next generation of Indian innovators.
In a renewed push for public health education, the Directorate of Education (DoE), Delhi, has instructed all government and private schools to actively observe June as Anti-Malaria Month, ahead of the monsoon season.
The directive, issued through an official circular on Friday, calls upon heads of government, government-aided, and private unaided recognised schools to implement proactive measures for malaria prevention and awareness. This follows an earlier advisory from April 15 on the control of vector-borne diseases, including dengue and chikungunya.
The circular reiterates the Ministry of Health’s national goal of eliminating malaria by 2030. “June is observed annually as Anti-Malaria Month to raise awareness, promote community participation, and sustain preventive efforts before the onset of monsoon,” the DoE noted.
Schools have been urged to conduct regular inspections to eliminate stagnant water and potential mosquito breeding grounds. The circular recommends that institutions display malaria prevention do’s and don’ts prominently on campus. An annexure with precautionary measures has been provided for this purpose.
The directive further encourages schools to sensitise their staff on the risks and symptoms of vector-borne diseases. It also suggests using social media platforms to disseminate awareness messages, alongside organising health talks and interpersonal communication sessions.
All departments, offices, and educational institutions under the DoE’s purview have been asked to actively participate in the initiative, ensuring a health-conscious start to the academic calendar.
This move underscores the growing role of schools as agents of public health advocacy, empowering students and communities with timely, actionable knowledge.
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SGEF2023 | Special Address by Rama Datt, Trustee, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Trust, Jaipur
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