Hyderabad, July 23rd, 2020: Suchitra Academy, launched a scientifically designed comprehensive and first of its kind online Physical Education curriculum in India, the SUCHITRA FITKID, at the Suchitra Academy. The unique online curriculum was formally unveiled by the World Badminton Champion Ms PV Sindhu. Mr Praveen Raju, Chief Mentor; Ms Deepa Kapoor, Principal and Ms Trisha Chakraborty, Vice-Principal, Suchitra Academy; PV Sindhu's personal trainer and the author of the Suchitra FitKid, Mr Srikanth Varma, along with the physical instructors of the school were present on the occasion. Later Ms Sindhu participated in a live session of fitness.

The curriculum is designed by Ms Sindhu’s personal trainer Mr Srikanth Varma

The online fitness program Suchitra FitKid is designed to address the fitness needs of students from Grade I to XII. The program is integrated into the school curriculum and brings back the fun and fitness elements missing otherwise in the current monotonous online education. The initiative is unique as it blends physical fitness with a built-in assessment of specific goals planned at each level. Above all, it is compliant with CBSE norms, making it a result-oriented and success measured programme. 

Physical fitness has gained paramount importance especially in these unprecedented times of movement restrictions. Even though online education is effectively addressing the academic needs of students, the daily dose of physical activity, which is an indispensable part of the growing age, has been grossly neglected. Suchitra FitKid initiative hopes to bridge and address this concern.

Interestingly, it is framed to suit the needs of different growing age groups. The regimen incorporates key workouts to finetune mind locomotor skills and includes strength training, balance, flexibility and endurance. The exercise regime is combined with yoga, specific to each age group. The program incorporates four classes for students from Grade IV onwards and two classes for Grades I to III, of physical education every week. Mr Venkateshwar Rao, Sports Director, Suchitra Academy, with a rich experience of over twenty-five years in the domain, along with his team of five instructors will conduct the program at different levels.

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The plan is to share the curriculum with schools in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh so that the far-reaching effects of a physical education curriculum serving the mind, body and spirit reaches beyond Suchitra Academy benefitting countless children in the two states.

Nothing is more powerful than women writing their own curriculum and taking on the new chapters of their lives successfully. Seeking solutions with enthusiasm and embracing lessons head-on while fighting the social norms ruled by patriarchal approaches, many female powerhouses deserve a shout-out, especially in March when we celebrate International Women’s Day worldwide.

ScooNews reached out to two women heading their respective companies, that have taken the educational setting in India a notch up. We strongly believe that their ideas, investment plans, contribution in economy, ways to wipe out the sexist policies, and #BossBabe attitude have the power to set a benchmark in the field of education or any other business.

Scroll down and enjoy our rapid-fire rounds with Divya Lal, Managing Director, Fliplearn Education Pvt. Ltd., and Samriddhi Sharma, MD & CEO, HABA Learning & Playing Solutions Pvt. Ltd., as they take you on their respective work journeys, and give a sneak-peek into their Sundays and the books they’re currently reading.​

SAMRIDDHI SHARMA

Profile: MD & CEO, HABA Learning & Playing Solutions Private Limited, Gurgaon, India

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Past Experience: India – Head of Business Development, Habermaass GmbH, Germany

Active Years: 2009 – present

Lessons Learnt: One's belief in their calibre and what the Universe has in store for them is essential

Favourite Quote: The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep.

Memorable Success Story: Setting up a foreign subsidiary in India

Secret To Having-It-All: Perseverance

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Work Ethics: To be fair to others

Prejudice In The Industry: Age is directly proportional to business acumen

Current Read: Conquering the Chaos: Win in India, Win Everywhere by Ravi Venkatesan

Sundays Are For: Family

Let’s Put A Period To: Body-shaming

If Not This, I’d Be: A poet

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DIVYA LAL

Profile: Leading Fliplearn

Active Years: 2000 – present

Past Experience: 20 years in Ed Tech space, enabling teachers & students for better learning experiences using technology

Lessons Learnt:

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• People are your true power. Product and process follow.
• Perseverance is the true key to success.

​Leadership: Handling two teams of more than 370 people

Favourite Quote: The will must be stronger than the skill

Secret To Having-It-All: Staying happy and being the energizer for your team

Work Ethics: Respect everyone, stay unbiased, conduct a transparent operating process, and create a meritocratic environment

Prejudice Faced: Not much

Best Teaching App/Website: Fliplearn

Passion: Music, Dance, Boxing

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Current Read: The Boy, the mole, the fox and the horse

Sundays Are For: Self-love

Let’s Put A Period To: Making women achievements a big deal and letting it be a meritocratic society

If Not This, I’d Be: Wanderer & world explorer

Aren’t women like these, who’re independent and successful, the real key to developing our country? Their words sound confident and comfortable for they celebrate progress and self-love in both work and personal life. But more than that, we think it’s their ability to be unapologetic that makes them a brand in themselves. Do you agree?

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The history of Indian women in intellectual inquiry can be traced back to the Brahmavadinis of the Vedic age that disappeared during the later period only to resurface with the advent of the modern age. Today is National Science Day, marking the 92nd anniversary of the day when C.V. Raman discovered the Raman effect.

Interestingly, the Indian government has come up with the theme of “Women in Science” for this year’s National Science Day celebration to recognise the females who’ve their mark in the field of science. Scroll down to read about them:

1. Anandi Gopal Joshi

Anandi Gopal Joshi became the first female doctor in India in an era when women were restricted by strict social norms and denied an education. She left for America at the age of 18 and graduated in western medicine from the Women’s Medical College in Pennsylvania, hence becoming the first Indian women to do so.

2. EK Janaki Ammal

Ek Janaki Ammal was the first Indian woman to obtain a PHD made in Botany. she was responsible for adding extra sweetness to the Indian variety of sugarcane and contributed to genetics, phytogeography, evolution and ethnobotany extensively.

3. Asima Chatterjee

Asima Chatterjee was the first Indian woman to be elected as the General President of the Indian Science Congress and gave valuable contributions in the field of medicinal chemistry. She was also the first woman to receive the Doctor of Science Degree from an Indian University in 1944 and a recipient of C.V Raman award, PC Ray Award and Padma Bhushan award.

4. Anna Mani

Anna Mani was one of the most celebrated Indian scientists known for her contributions in the field of solar radiation, wind energy instrumentation and ozone.

5. Kiran Majumdar Shaw

A lady of high entrepreneurial spirit, Shaw is a technically skilled member of the Indian scientific elite class. She founded Biocon, which went on to become the largest biopharmaceutical company in India.

6. Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana graduated from Tagore School, Karnal, India, in 1976 and earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado in 1988. She was one of the many astronauts who passed away during the crash of space shuttle Columbia.

7. Sunetra Gupta

Sunetra Gupta is the professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at the University of Oxford. She has received the scientific medal from the Zoological Society Of London for her contribution in the field.

8. Aditi Pant

Aditi Pant is a celebrated Indian Oceanographer who was a part of the expedition team to Antarctica, becoming the first Indian woman to do so. She was inspired by the book “The Open Sea” by Alister Hardy and enrolled in MS with a specialization in Marine sciences.

9. Indira Hinduja

Indira Hinduja is the Gynecologist and Fertility Specialist based out of Mumbai. She was responsible for delivering the first Test tube baby in India and the development of Oocyte Donation technique.

10. Nandini Harinath

Nandini Harinath, a rocket scientist with ISRO, was the Deputy Operations Director for the Mangalyaan mission. With a career spanning over 20 years, she has worked successfully for a number of projects.

Do you have a favourite woman in science from India? Tell us about her in the comment section!

Image courtesy – Wikipedia, Google, The HansIndia

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NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Drona Aviation, an IIT Bombay start-up, launched the ‘ATL Drone module: Get, Set, Go’ for Atal Tinkering Labs at the ongoing Aero India 2019 in Bengaluru. The ATL Drone Module was launched by Dr. G Satish Reddy, Chairman, DRDO and Sanjay Jaju, Joint Secretary,  Department of Defence Production,, along with. Apurva Godbole, CEO, Drona Aviation and representatives of AIM. 

The idea of flying has always been a fascinating concept for all young as well as old. “With the ATL Drone Module, young students of India will learn how to create their own drones and use them for solving community problems in India”, said Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog.

“In the age of the Fourth industrial revolution, drones are one of the most promising technologies integrating the concepts of physics, maths, chemistry, engineering and sensor technologies creating a tremendous range of innovative solutions that can be developed using them”, said Mr R Ramanan, Mission Director, AIM. 

Drona Aviation is India’s first developer drone company, with a focus on drone innovation. The ATL Drone Module aims at building this open source community of tinkerers who will learn and buid on drone ideas to showcase their many possible application.  “Created with iterations and feedback from hundreds of students and teachers over the last three years, we hope that this module can be the spark and twig to start the fire of drone revolution in our country”, said Mr Godbole. 

Through the ATL Drone module, sky indeed is the limit for their creativity and innovation. Students will be able to connect this module to their academic subjects, especially physics and mathematics, and enhance their spatial problem-solving skills.  

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Atal Innovation Mission, housed at NITI Aayog, is Government of India’s flagship initiative to foster a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship across India. With the vision to empower our young generation with the 21^st century skills of design thinking, problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking and so on, AIM has selected more than 5000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) where young innovators get access to latest technologies of microelectronics, Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, robotics, drone technology, artificial intelligence and so on. Previously, an ATL Space Module was also launched to inspire young innovators to reach for the stars. The drone module is set to give further impetus to their ambitions in an imaginative way.

Now in its fourth year, the US$1 million award is the largest prize of its kind. The Global Teacher Prize serves to underline the importance of educators and the fact that, throughout the world, their efforts deserve to be recognised and celebrated. It seeks to acknowledge the impact of the very best teachers – not only on their students but on the communities around them.

As glorious and important this platform is for educators, it is a proud moment for India as Dr. Swaroop Sampat Rawal is amongst the Top 10 finalists for The Global Teacher Prize.

An inspiring educator, Swaroop never originally intended to become a teacher, but after becoming a mother and then returning to study at the age of 37, she realised that she had something unique to offer. She saw first-hand how some methods of teaching can create stress in children, which then makes its way into the family. Swaroop, therefore, went into teaching to accomplish two goals: to help make children more resilient through life skills education and to bring new methods to teaching that would help students and their teachers reflect, imagine and build their sense of personal worth and agency.

To make this possible, she also pursued a Ph.D., researching life skills enhancement for mental wellbeing, teacher education, and the arts as a tool for education.

Realising that she could reach more children by not being tied to one specific school, Swaroop has pursued an eclectic teaching practice that has allowed her to reach a diverse range of children – including children on the streets, in rural communities, in labour, economically and socially disadvantaged children, and elite school children. Each group has their individual challenges. In order to reach out to them, Swaroop uses drama in education – an active, learner-centred method which includes group discussion, brainstorming, debate, games, song, and drawing. At the forefront of this discussion is understanding the world and one’s own capabilities. This approach has had important concrete effects on the lives of those she has taught. To take two examples: after teaching in Bhadbhediya, peer-mentors subsequently discussed the issue of child marriage with the village committee and put measures in place preventing it. And in Sodvadra, pupils have helped put a stop to child labour in the diamond polishing industry and facilitated children’s return to school.

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Swaroop has also contributed to the understanding of teaching in modern India. She has become a teacher-trainer, presenting papers at more than 40 international and national conferences, and having articles published in international peer-review journals. She has given large numbers of workshops with audiences ranging from students and teachers to social workers and practitioners of psychiatry. In 2014 she carried out teacher training sessions for the government through a satellite link – an extremely successful program which brought about immense changes in teacher attitude in rural Gujarat. Swaroop also serves as the Non-Government Special Member on the Central Advisory Board of Education. In 2016, she was awarded Most Committed Person of the Year in Inclusive Education at the 4th International Early Childhood Conference of The Early Childhood Association.

Swaroop Sampat believes that if awarded the Global Teacher Prize, she would form a think tank to create and promote special curricula for pre-vocational education (PVE) in primary schools. This step will aim to ensure that children are informed about a variety of possible occupations wherever they live in India. This think tank would share findings internationally for use in other countries, where they are directly related to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Sampat vouches, “Teaching is my refusal to remain silent. Education is my way to make better the lives of the children. I perfect my practice so I can improve their schooling. I imagine new ways of teaching so I can teach them well to enable them to learn well….innovative and improved technique …effective curriculums …valuable research for a safer, beautiful world…It is about the children, always about the children.”

ScooNews congratulates the stellar educator for making the entire nation proud and sends all good wishes her way to win the prestigious Global Teacher Prize.

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Adding another feather in its cap Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan has bagged FICCI INDIA SPORTS AWARD-2018 for the category of Best Company Promoting Sports (Public Sector). The India Sports Awards ceremony would take place during TURF 2018 on 25th October 2018 at 7 pm at Federation House, New Delhi.

FICCI had invited nominations from leading organization under following categories supporting and promoting sports from April 2017 – March 2018. 

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·         Best Company Promoting Sports (Public Sector)

·         Best company Promoting Sports (Private Sector)

·         Best NGO Promoting Sports

·         Best Professional Service Company in Sports

·         Best Sports Start up

The eminent Jury, chaired by Justice Mudgal, selected Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan as the winner of FICCI INDIA SPORTS AWARDS 2018 for the category of Best Company Promoting Sports (Public Sector).

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These awards are an attempt by FICCI to acknowledge the contribution of sports in India and to felicitate the Sports Achievers, sports supporters and those who have been doing excellent work to promote Sports, which is ultimately bringing pride to the nation. FICCI has been organising India Sports Awards for several years.

It may be noted that KVS was provided ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar’ in 2017 by Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. The award was conferred upon Commissioner, KVS Sh. Santosh Kumar Mall by President of India Sh. Ramnath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

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Prof. Yadu Kul Bhushan. Senior Advisor and Campus Head, ICFAI Business School Mumbai, was awarded the Best Faculty Award for Institution Building (2017-2018) by the IBS Alumni Foundation (IBSAF) for the third time in five years.  In recognition of his relentless pursuit of excellence in the field of management education, this award was conferred on Prof. Y K Bhushan on Teachers Day, September 5, 2018, for taking IBS Mumbai to new heights.

Earlier, on August 1, 2018, Prof. Bhushan received the Global Gamechanger Award instituted by the World Education Congress, CMO Asia with CMO Council as its Strategic Partner and Stars of the Industry Group as a research partner at Le Meridien Sentosa, Singapore.

Prof. Bhushan also received the fifth Dr. P.N. Singh Memorial Award for Outstanding Academic Leadership, which was conferred on him by the Higher Education Forum, (HEF), Mumbai, on September 8, 2018.

He will also receive the Qimpro Platinum Standard 2018 (Education) Award, on November 16, 2018, in Mumbai.

The year 2017-2018 marks a significant milestone in the life and career of Prof.  Bhushan as he completed 6 decades in the field of education and teaching in July 2018. The awards are an acknowledgment of sublime vision for higher education and his resilience.  

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An Educator from Lucknow, India – Dr. Dheeraj Mehrotra, who has been awarded a National Award by the President of India in 2005 and is listed in the LIMCA book of records for developing over 150 Educational Applications for Mobile has developed and published over 101 UDEMY courses available free at UDEMY.COM.

These courses specialize in various sectors of education and development, audit, basic computers, activities like MUN and SQC and other soft skills based on NLP.

He holds a comprehensive knowledge of NLP that is practically applicable to the courses offered online. These courses provide all round development, practice and training for parents and students. Age is no bar at these courses and results are amazing as it provides education at leisure and comfort of home.

This education system is based on 21st-century skills, multiple intelligence, innovations in education, cloud computing, tips to enhance and inspire learning.

In about 161 countries, this system imparts classroom management strategies, solves screen addiction barriers, safety norms in schools, tips to enhance learning new technologies, C++ reprogramming basics, Computing  ethics, Java source codes explained with the help of about 80,000 free videos.

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This system aims at holistic education approach and prepares today's kids for tomorrow.

It cultivates leadership norms and tips to raise kids excelling in all areas.

A multifaceted course for teachers, students and parents, it is followed, liked and being used by students in 161 countries and has a vast repository of content for all-round development and innovative education techniques, skills, inside and outside the classroom.

To know more, log onto www.udemy.com/user/dr-dheeraj-mehrotra/

To interact with Dr. Mehrotra, please contact him on +91-9335358916.

Image used for representational purpose only.

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Arc Skills have been awarded Excellence in Skills Development Globally at the 3^RD Edition UAE-India Economic Forum (UIEF). Their international life skills and employability solutions top the shortlist to receive the Qadat Al Tagheer Award honouring organisations and leaders from various industries who have significantly contributed to the economies of their respective countries.

On November 8^th, 2017, at the UAE-India Economic Forum (UIEF), Dubai, UAE, H.E. Jamal Al Jarwan presented the award, accepted by Group CEO, Mithun Kamath.

“It is a tremendous honour to be receiving this award on behalf of our organisation, Arc Skills” says Kamath. “It is a privilege to be recognised for our continuous work in skills development across the globe by the UAE-India Economic Forum, which is one of the most respected forums in this region.”

Qadat Al Tagheer Award, meaning Leaders of Change celebrates the contribution of people in business from the UAE and India in the retail, financial, healthcare, construction, and education sectors.

In the Skills Development category, Arc Skills takes the award for their proven ability to bridge the gap between textbook knowledge and vocational/corporate success skills through their award-winning solutions; having trained over 55,000 people in 9 different countries.

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After receiving the award, Kamath said “This award is a reflection of our hard work and dedication to helping people all over the world become their best, through skills development. But our hard work doesn’t stop now; this award spurs us on to follow our ambitions and help more people through our innovative and effective solutions”.

The UAE-India Economic Forum (UIEF) is a respected platform for government leaders, policymakers, and businesses to discuss opportunities and frameworks to attract investors, sovereign wealth funds, large corporates and industries into the respective countries.

National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of India has received prestigious International Award of Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN) titled “APQN Quality Award 2017 for International Co-operation in Quality Assurance.”

In a special Award ceremony held in Moscow, Russia, on 26th May, 2017 Dr. Jagannath Patil, Adviser, NAAC received the award on behalf of Prof. D.P. Singh, Director, NAAC. The Award was presented by Prof. Dr. Jianxin Zhang, President, Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN), Dr. Judith S. Eaton, President, Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), USA and Dr. Galina Motova, National Centre for Public Accreditation (NCPA), Russia, on the sidelines of APQN Annual Conference.

APQN Quality Award are among the most prestigious International Awards in quality assurance of higher education. In the past, reputed organisations like QAA, UK, European Network – ENQA, HKCAVQ from Hong Kong, etc have received this award. In a congratulation letter on behalf of APQN Board, the president of APQN has mentioned that “As one of the founder agencies of Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN) and The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), the NAAC has played pro-active role in international quality assurance scenario. Similarly NAAC and its faculty have worked with UNESCO on various projects, events and publications. In the recent past NAAC has also joined hands with various European partners for collaborative projects sponsored by European Commission.”

NAAC faculty have held important position of presidency in Governing boards of Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN), Asia Pacific Quality Register (APQR) and International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) highlighting the acclaimed status of NAAC in International QA circle. Bengaluru Statement – 2016 on Next – Generation Quality Assurance of Higher Education facilitated by NAAC together with APQN and 16 global quality assurance bodies re-enforced global role of India in higher education quality assurance scenario. The Conferring of APQN’s International co-operation in QA award to NAAC is recognition of NAAC’s continued efforts as facilitator of quality culture and co-operation within and outside Asia-Pacific region.

About NAAC:

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an autonomous body established by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India to assess and accredit institutions of higher education in the country. It is an outcome of the recommendations of the National Policy in Education (1986) which laid special emphasis on upholding the quality of higher education in India. To address the issues of quality, the National Policy on Education (1986) and the Plan of Action (POA-1992) advocated the establishment of an independent national accreditation body. Consequently, the NAAC was established in 1994 with its headquarters at Bangalore.

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Source: Press Information Bureau, Govt of India