News
Ministry of Human Resource Development making education Available, Accessible, Affordable and Accountable.
In pursuance to Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision for ‘Transforming India’, Ministry of Human Resource Development took a leap forward in transforming education sector with the motto of “सबको शिक्षा, अच्छी शिक्षा ” (Education for All, Quality Education).
In pursuance to Hon'ble Prime Minister's vision for ‘Transforming India’, Ministry of Human Resource Development took a leap forward in transforming education sector with the motto of “सबको शिक्षा, अच्छी शिक्षा ” (Education for All, Quality Education).
Year 2017 has been a yet another landmark year in the field of education as 'Education For All & Quality Education' guided policy actions and decisions enabling transformation, that emphasized upon making education Available, Accessible, Affordable and Accountable.
Learning Outcomes
A frequent criticism against the RTE Act was that it did not adequately focus on issues promoting quality education in schools. Therefore, in a landmark step, the Rules to the RTE Act were amended in February 2017 to include, for the first time, the class wise, subject wise Learning Outcomes till Class VIII, thereby emphasizing the importance of quality education.
In this regard, Learning Outcomes for each class in Languages (Hindi, English and Urdu), Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Science and Social Science up to the elementary stage have been developed. These are the basic levels of learning that children should arrive at the end of each class.
Subsequently, 21 States and UTs, including Jammu and Kashmir, have incorporated the Learning Outcomes in their State Rules, while the remaining States have initiated the process, it is expected that this will be completed by the end of this year.
All the States and UTs have translated the Learning Outcomes document in their regional languages, and they are circulating these to all the teachers, and also providing them with the requisite training. Posters for display of Learning Outcomes on the schools along with leaflets on Learning Outcomes for reference of parents have been developed and circulated to all States and UTs. An amount of Rs. 91.20 crore has been released by the MHRD to all States and UTs for printing the Learning Outcomes documents, the Posters and the leaflets in regional languages, and for their distribution.
National Achievement Survey 2017-18
National Achievement Survey (NAS) which was earlier based on textbook content is now a competency based evaluation. As compared to only 4.43 lakh students who were earlier tested across Classes 3, 5 and 8, this time around 22 lakh students from around 1,10,000 schools across 700 districts of India (including rural and urban) were assessed in the year 2017-18 (November 13, 2017) making it one of the largest sample surveys of student learning achievement.
This survey is an improvement over the previous cycles of NAS as it will be completed in the one full academic year. It will reflect the scores of the students and will be able to suggest academic intervention in the same academic year. District wise Result will be generated within 2 months of test conduction. NAS Reporting will show if the students’ learning levels are as per the learning outcomes of a particular grade. It will also look for association of school, teacher and students’ background variables with students’ achievements while analysing the data.
Through NAS 2017-18, it will be for the first time that the teachers will have a tool to understand what exactly the child should be learning in various classes, how to teach this through activities and how to measure and ensure that children have reached the required level. This will also help agencies at the District, State, and National level to conduct achievement surveys and assess the health of the system to improve upon the policy directives. Adding to this, for the first time there will be detailed district-specific report cards for all the districts in the country.
Teacher Education
Major Reforms:
- Introduction of four year B.Ed. integrated programme with multiple pathways- with specialization for pre-primary, elementary, secondary and senior secondary teachers for enabling regulatory framework and orientation of all existing Teacher Education Institutions will be introduced from the academic session 2019-2020.
- Guideline on Strengthening of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs): As per the National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986, DIETs were envisaged for In-service as well as pre-service education. However, over the years, the focus had gradually shifted to pre-service education. Moreover, currently, there is no nodal agency with expertise in in-service training and thus to address this challenge, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has recently developed Guidelines on-strengthening of DIETs. Accordingly, States have been encouraged to do a district wise analysis before considering a reconceptualization of DIETs as per the models proposed in the MHRD Guideline on DIETs. This will also allow flexibility of getting more expertise into in-service teacher training.
- DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing): DIKSHA was launched on 5th September, 2017 by the Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri. M. Venkaiah Naidu.
DIKSHA will accelerate and amplify solutions, experiments and innovations that are underway, and is being attempted in the areas of teacher training and professional development. States and TEIs have the autonomy and choice to repurpose and extend DIKSHA to suit their own needs and purposes. DIKSHA is for the benefit of Teachers in Schools, Teacher Educators and Student Teachers in Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs).
- Amendment of the RTE Act for Training of In-service Untrained Teachers:
In another landmark achievement, the Amendment to the Section 23(2) of the RTE Act to extend the period for training of untrained in-service elementary teachers to 31st March, 2019 has been passed by both the houses of Parliament on 1st August, 2017. The same was notified in Gazette of India on 10th August, 2017. As per the above amendment all untrained in-service elementary teachers working in Government, Government aided, and Private unaided schools should acquire minimum qualification as laid down by an academic authority, authorized by the Central Government, by 31st March, 2019.
This would ensure an improvement in the overall quality of teachers and teaching processes, and consequently learning outcomes of children. Further, it reinforces the Government's emphasis on improvement of quality of elementary education.
The training for untrained teachers is being conducted through Online Mode by National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). The online D.El.Ed. Course has already been started from 3rd October, 2017. A unique feature of this initiative is that the study material for the course prepared by NIOS in self-instructional mode, is uploaded on the SWAYAM platform in four quadrants i.e. (1) Audio/Video lecture, (2) specially prepared reading material that can be downloaded/printed (3) self-assessment tests through tests and quizzes and (4) an online discussion forum for clearing the doubts. Three courses i.e., 501, 502 and 503 have already been uploaded on the SWAYAM Portal in 4 quadrants. The D.El.Ed. programme video lectures are also broadcast on SWAYAM PRABHA (DTH Channel no. 32).
A total of 14,02,962 in-service untrained teachers from Govt., Govt. Aided and Private Schools have registered on the NIOS portal and 13,58,000 admissions have been confirmed so far.
Distribution of tablets in Kendriya Vidyalayas
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan has initiated a pilot project for connecting students and their teachers through tablets preloaded with relevant e content to facilitate easy classroom transaction, creation of genuine interest among students and effective learning of the students.
The students of class VIII in 25 Kendriya Vidyalayas (one KV from each Region) shall be provided with good quality Tablets on pilot basis. Every child shall be given a tablet with pre-loaded content in Maths & Science. About 5000 students and teachers shall be involved in this project. Along with the students, their teachers of Maths and Science also shall be provided with tablets for transacting the subjects.
Introduction of e-material/courses for Principals/HMs, teachers and students –
The Department is placing a lot of emphasis on the development and provision of e-content for students and also training of teachers, head masters and Principals.
The CIET-NCERT is developing e-materials and online courses for teachers and students. So far 4524 e-materials (audios, videos, interactives, images, documents, maps etc.) have been developed. They are regularly being validated and uploaded on the NROER portal and e-Pathshala portal.
NUEPA has established the National Centre for School Leadership (NCSL), which is conceptualizing and designing the Online Programme on School Leadership and Management using Moodle platform for School Heads. This e-learning course is envisioned as a Basic course and in the years to come NCSL would be designing Moderate and Advanced courses.
Two Days’ National Workshop – Chintan Shivir
This was organized by the Department of School Education and Literacy on 06-07 November, 2017. More than 350 participants from various NGOs, Private organizations, individual experts, State officials etc. participated.
Deliberations were on six themes – Digital Education for Students, Digital Education for Teachers, Value Education, Physical Education, Lifestyle Education and Experiential Education.
Presentations were made on these 6 themes to the Hon’ble Human Resource Development Minister by the participants. The recommendations are being reviewed and a detailed road map has also been prepared.
Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat – National Level Camp
A Social Science Exhibition cum National Integration Camp was organized by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi from 31st October to 2nd November, 2017, to celebrate Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat. A total number of 1250 students of Kendriya Vidyalayas participated in this National level camp from all the 25 regions.
Enhanced allocation of funds under SSA for components promoting quality education
The allocation of SSA funds to States and UTs was revised and in 2016, 10% of the funds were allocated for components related to entitlements and promoting quality education in schools. In 2017 this was enhanced to 30%. It is expected this will further increase to around 40% by April, 2018. This is a huge departure from previous years when the funds were left untied and were utilised by States and UTs primarily for civil works and paying teacher’s salaries.
Annual grading of all States and UTs based on their achievements under the SSA and specific decisions taken during reviews by Hon’ble PM
The SHAGUN portal was launched in January 2017 to enable real time monitoring of the SSA components and various decisions on elementary education taken during the reviews by Hon’ble Prime Minister. The Online Grading of States and UTs, which measures their performance, was introduced in September/October 2017, and it will be expanded and refined further so that it is a valuable tool enabling States and UTs to assess and improve their performance.
NCERT to distribute over 6 crore textbooks
NCERT launched a portal in August, 2017 to facilitate individuals, schools, States and UTs to directly purchase textbooks. By 11th December 2017, NCERT has received orders from 3524 schools for 1.56 crore copies through this portal. Apart from this NCERT has received direct orders from NVS and other states/UTs for about 1.55 crore copies. Thus, so far (by 11.12. 2017) NCERT has received orders for about 3.11 crore copies. It is expected that NCERT will be printing and distributing over 6 crore textbooks by June, 2018.
Textbooks will be distributed through four Regional Production-cum-Distribution Centres already established at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Guwahati and Kolkata apart from Delhi HQ. NCERT has also empanelled 905 vendors across the country for distribution of textbooks.
Awarding cleanest schools under Swachh Vidyalaya
During June 2016, DoSE&L launched the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar to recognize, inspire and celebrate excellence in sanitation & hygiene practice in Government Schools in the areas of water, sanitation, hand washing with soap, operations and maintenance, behavior change and capacity building.
A total of 2, 68,402 schools applied online through web portal/Mobile App for the Puraskar. The schools were selected at the district, state and national level. 643 schools were evaluated at the national level and National awards were given to 172 schools on 1st September 2017 including elementary and secondary schools in both urban and rural areas.
For 2018 the Puraskar has been extended to aided and private schools also and till 2nd week of November, 5.33 lakh Government, Aided and Private schools have submitted their applications for the Puraskar.
All schools to rollout the Automated Monitoring System at the school level under MDM
This department has put in place an automated system of data collection for real time monitoring of Mid Day Meal Scheme. Such data is being captured from schools with no cost to school Head Master/ Teacher.
Under the automated monitoring system, States/UTs have set up a suitable system of data collection (i.e. Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS)/SMS/Mobile Application/Web Application) from schools on a daily basis and using it for purpose of monitoring and timely follow up action.
All the States/UTs are pushing data on specific field in a predefined format on a real time basis to the Central Server maintained by NIC. Based on the data collected, various drill down reports are made available for real time monitoring of the scheme at National/State/District/Block level.
Improving universal access, gender parity and quality improvement in secondary education in 3479 Educationally Backward Blocks
An Innovation Fund has been set up under RMSA in order to encourage local innovative interventions for ensuring universal access, gender parity and quality improvement in secondary education in 3479 Educationally Backward Blocks. The fund is likely to be operationalised by December, 2017 and its impact should be visible by December, 2018.
So far, proposals from 23 States have been received under the project and a Video Conference with the concerned States/UTs Governments has been held under the Chairmanship of Secretary (SE&L) on 08.12.2017 in which the proposals have been considered.
Capturing Aadhaar based data of all 25 crore school students and creation of a Students Data Management and Information System (SDMIS) –
The Department is creating a database of all students in the country along with their Aadhaar details, which will help in reducing drop outs, duplicate enrolments, improve planning process and ensure efficient utilisation of resources.
Till date, data of nearly 21 crore students has been captured. By April, 2018, it is likely that the SDMIS will have captured data of all the 25 crore students, which will be updated on an annual basis thereafter.
Providing gender segregated toilets in all schools
The Prime Minister of India on 15th August 2014 announced that all government schools in the country should have toilets with separate toilets for girls within one year. The Department of School Education and Literacy launched “Swachh Bharat: Swachh Vidyalaya” campaign as a collaborative effort of the Central Government which provided funding through Centrally sponsored schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, Swachh Bharat Kosh, and the States/Union Territories with Public Sector Undertakings and Private Corporates.
Under this initiative, 4, 17,796 toilets were constructed/made functional in 2, 61,400 schools in a period of one year up to 15th August 2015. With this, India achieved the target of providing 100% access to functional toilets in all government schools across the country.
The provision of toilet facilities in all schools has enhanced sanitation standards in schools leading to better health and hygiene among the children. ‘Swachh Vidyalaya’ was also recognized as one of the priority programmes for Prime Minister’s Excellence Award for 2016.
Scholarship:
- National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS)
- 3.80 lakh scholarships have been sanctioned for the last three years from 2014-15 to 2016-17.
- 3.59 lakh scholarships have been sanctioned for the current year 2017-18 as on 8.12.2017.
- National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Scholarship (NSIGSE)
- 9.71 lakh incentive to girls have been sanctioned for the last three years from 2014-15 to 2016-17.
- 7.12 lakh incentives to girls have been sanctioned for the current year 2017-18 as on 8.12.2017.
Other achievements of the Department of SE&L
- A Bill for amending the no-detention provision under the RTE Act and allowing States to detain a student at Classes 5 and 8 has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
- Board examinations made mandatory for 10th in all CBSE Schools.
- Mid Day Meal scheme offers food every day to 9.78 crore students in 11.40 lakh schools and 25.38 lakh cooks are employed in preparing it.
- 3 Crore illiterates became literate and passed the literacy test in adult literacy campaign.
- 93 Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) started during last 3 years and 19 KVs are to be started shortly.
- 62 new Navodaya Vidyalas sanctioned.
NEW EDUCATION POLICY (NEP)
In view of the vastly transformed landscape of education in India in terms of coverage, content and delivery systems, a New Education Policy is being formulated after nearly 30 years.
MHRD has embarked on an unprecedented collaborative, multi- stakeholder and multi-pronged consultation process. The consultative process has reached out to individuals across the country through more than 2.75 lakh direct consultations while also taking online inputs. The online consultation process was undertaken on www.MyGov.in portal from 26th January, 2015 to 31st October, 2015 and nearly 29000 suggestions were received on the 33 identified themes.
Over 200 thematic national workshops were held with a youth survey by the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace, Sustainable Development. With regard to School Education, 1, 10,623 villages, 3250 Blocks, 725 Urban Local Bodies from 340 districts of 19 States have uploaded their Grassroots Consultation Reports on www.MyGov.in portal.
Similarly, 2741 Blocks, 962 Urban Local Bodies from 406 districts in 20 States have done the same with regard to Higher Education. A Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy has been constituted to examine the outcome documents, recommendations & suggestions received and formulate a draft National Education Policy as well as a Framework for Action.
National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)
It was launched on 29th September 2015, ranks institutions based on objective and verifiable criteria. It has been made available separately for Engineering, Management, Pharmaceutical, Architecture, Humanities, Law and for Universities.
The first ranks were declared on 4th April 2016. More than 3,500 institutions have participated in the exercise, making it the highest participated ranking exercise in the World. The second India Rankings were released in April 2017.
SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds)
The Ministry of HRD, has embarked on a major and new initiative called ‘Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds’ (SWAYAM), which will provide one integrated platform and portal for online courses, using information and communication technology (ICT) and covering all higher education subjects and skill sector courses to ensure that every student in the country has access to the best quality higher education at affordable cost.
The SWAYAM IT platform is indigenously developed that facilitates hosting of courses, taught in classrooms from 9th class till post-graduation in a number of disciplines that can be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time. The three cardinal principles of Education Policy viz., access, equity and quality shall be achieved by providing high quality e-content to all learners in the country through SWAYAM.
Courses delivered through SWAYAM are available free of cost to the learners and are delivered by best of the teaching fraternity. Hon’ble President of India had officially launched SWAYAM, on July 9th, 2017. At present about 750 MOOCs (Massive open online courses) courses are listed on SWAYAM and about 330 MOOCs are running, wherein about 6 Lakhs (5, 92,178) students have registered for these courses.
(On the auspicious occasion of “Guru Purnima” on 9th July, 2017, the Hon’ble President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee launched the SWAYAM)
SWAYAM PRABHA
It is an initiative to provide 32 high quality educational channels through DTH (Direct to Home) across the length and breadth of the country on 24X7 basis. This would enable to deliver e-education in a most cost effective manner.
The Department of Space has allotted two Transponders of GSAT-15 for the same. The subscribers of free DTH service of Doordarshan (Free dish) would be able to view these Educational channels using the same set Top Box and TV. No additional investment would be required.
These educational programmes delivered over DTH shall also be made available at YouTube as archival data. The information related to channel schedules; subject, archival link etc are available on SWAYAM Prabha portal (https://swayamprabha.gov.in/) which is developed by INFLIBNET Gandhinagar.
(Launch Of “Swayam”, “Swayam Prabha DTH Channels” & “National Academic Depository” By Hon’ble President Of India During “National Convention On Digital Initiatives” organized By MHRD From 8th July to 10th July 2017 At Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi).
National Academic Depository (NAD)
The Government of India is committed towards bringing administrative and academic reforms using technology for delivery of efficient services to all stakeholders. A step in this direction is the initiative of digital depository of academic awards known as National Academic Depository (NAD).
The NAD has been launched by Hon’ble President of India on 9th July, 2017. NAD is an online store house of academic awards (degrees, diplomas, certificates, mark-sheets etc) lodged by the academic institutions / school boards / eligibility assessment bodies in a digital format.
NAD is on 24X7 online mode for making available academic awards and help in validating their authenticity, their safe storage and easy retrieval. As on 24th November, 2017, 74.81 lakh records have been uploaded on the NAD Portal
National Digital Library (NDL)
Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) is establishing the National Digital Library (NDL) under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT) with the objective to host a national repository of existing e-content available across educational institutions in the country and e-content developed under NMEICT. IIT Kharagpur has been entrusted to host, coordinate and set-up National Digital Library (NDL) of India towards building a national asset.
The objective of the project is to integrate all the existing digitized and digital contents across educational and cultural institutions/bodies to provide a single-window access to different groups of users ranging across the entire population.
NDL Portal (https: //ndl.iitkgp. ac.in) went live in February 2016 with users from selected CFTIs (Centrally Funded Technical Institutes), opened to all in February 2017 (with release of Mobile App), with daily website hits: ~30K. User base – Registered: 17+ Lakhs, Active: 7+ Lakhs, Content items, 72 Lakhs, Sources: 142 and IDR Sources: 85. Mobile App (Android): Launched in January, 2017, 3.5 Lakhs download and daily Android hits: ~20K. Training & awareness development IDR workshops: 19 and user workshops.
Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA)
The Cabinet considered and approved the proposal of establishment of HEFA in its meeting dated 12th September 2016. In order to give a big push for building up robust higher educational institutions, the Cabinet has approved creation of the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) with Government equity of Rs. 1,000 Cr.
The creation of HEFA will enable major investments for creation of high quality infrastructure in premier educational institutions. The HEFA would be formed as an SPV within a PSU Bank/Government-owned-NBFC (Promoter). It would leverage the equity to raise up to Rs. 20,000 Cr for funding projects for infrastructure and development of world class Labs in IITs/IIMs/NITs and such other institutions.
The HEFA would finance the academic and research infrastructure projects through a 10-yr loan. The principal portion of the loan will be repaid through the ‘internal accruals’ of the institutions. The Government would service the interest portion through the regular grant assistance.
All the Centrally Funded Higher Educational Institutions would be eligible for joining as members of the HEFA. For joining as members, the Institution should agree to escrow a specific amount from their internal accruals to HEFA for a period of 10 years. This secured future flows would be securitised by the HEFA for mobilising the funds from the market. Each member institution would be eligible for a credit limit as decided by HEFA based on the amount agreed to be escrowed from the internal accruals.
The HEFA would be jointly promoted by the identified Joint Promoter, Canara Bank and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) with an authorized capital of Rs.2,000 crore. The Government equity would be Rs.1, 000 crore.
The HEFA would also mobilize CSR funds from PSUs/Corporates, which would in turn be released for promoting research and innovation in these institutions on grant basis.
Canara Bank was identified and appointed as Joint Venture partner on 29.12.2016 for establishment of Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) to manage the financing agency incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 and also registered with RBI as NBFC. An MOU was signed on 9th February, 2017 between MHRD and Canara Bank for the same. Later, Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) was also signed between MHRD and Canara Bank on 16th March, 2017.
The investment in the equity of the JVC by MHRD, GOI and Canara Bank shall be in the following proportion:
|
S. No. |
Party |
Contribution (in Rs.)
|
Shareholding Percentage |
|
1. |
GoI |
Rs. 1000,00,00,000/- |
90.91
|
|
2. |
Canara Bank |
Rs. 100,00,00,000/- |
9.09 |
HEFA has now been incorporated as Section 8 Company under the Companies Act, 2013 on 31.5.2017. The following subscription of equity has so far been made to HEFA by MHRD and Canara Bank:
|
Name of the Subscriber |
Amount (Rs. In Crores) |
|
GoI, MHRD, Department of Higher Education
|
250 |
|
Canara Bank |
50 |
|
Total |
300
|
The first and second meeting of the Board of Directors of HEFA was held on 12-06-2017 and 11-8-2017 respectively. HEFA is now functional and institutes have accordingly been informed along with format of application to take the benefit of HEFA on 16 -8-2017.
The third meeting of the Board of Directors of HEFA was held on 29-11-2017 in which following loan applications to HEFA were considered:
|
S. No. |
Name of the Institution |
Proposed Loan amount (Rs. in Crore) |
|
1 |
IIT – Kanpur
|
391 |
|
2 |
IIT – Delhi |
200 |
|
3
|
IIT – Kharagpur |
500 |
|
4 |
IIT- Madras |
300
|
|
5 |
IIT- Bombay |
521 |
|
6 |
NIT – Surathkal
|
80 |
|
|
Total |
1992 |
INDIA SURVEY ON HIGHER EDUCATION
All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) was initiated in 2011 in which data for the year 2010-11 were collected. The survey was utmost necessary as none of the sources of data on Higher education gave a complete picture of higher education in the country. Also, there were many important parameters on which data were required for policy making but either no data was available or incomplete data was available.
For the first time all the major Stakeholders in Higher Education such as Medical Council of India, University Grants Commissions, All India Council for Technical Education as well as State Governments have participated in for the data collection exercise. The entire survey was conducted through electronic mode and a dedicated portal www.aishe.gov.in was developed for this purpose, thus making the exercise completely paperless.
The survey covers all the Institutions in the country engaged in imparting higher education. Data are being collected on several parameters such as teachers, student enrolment, programmes, examination results, education finance, infrastructure etc. Indicators of education development such as Institution Density, Gross Enrolment Ratio, Pupil-teacher ratio, Gender Parity Index etc. are calculated from the data collected through AISHE. These are useful in making informed policy decisions and research for development of education sector.
During AISHE 2016-17, 96.6% University, 92.1% Colleges and 72.4% Stand-Alone Institutions uploaded the data on the portal. Final report for the AISHE 2010-11 to 2015-16 are available on MHRD website. Survey for the year 2016-17 has been completed & Survey for the year 2017-18 will soon be launched.
SWACHHTA PAKHWADA
An exercise called ‘Swachhta Rankings” of Higher Educational Institutions were held on 14th September 2017. More than 3000 institutions participated in the online submission of their levels of campus cleanliness based on some key parameters like toilet adequacy, water purity & supply, hostel kitchen facilities & cleanliness, campus greenery, method of waste disposal, garbage cleaning systems etc. The best institutions in 5 categories were awarded.
To coincide with the Swachhta Pakhwada of the Department, under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan programme, District Collectors were asked to complete Open defecation free (ODF) with facility for solid and liquid waste management in at least 1 village adopted by the educational institution in their district. 5 Collectors of Ajmer, Warangal, Telangana, Jhabua & Indore were the top 5 Collectors who completed the task in time and were awarded at the function on 14th September 2017. More than 1400 families in the villages benefited from this campaign.
RESEARCH PARKS
Five new Research Parks at IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Hyderabad, and IISc Bangalore at a total cost of Rs.75.00 crore each have been approved by the Government. Approval has also been accorded for continuation of two already approved Research Parks at IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur at a cost of Rs.100 crore each.
The Research Park at IIT Gandhinagar at a total cost of Rs.90 crore is being funded by the Department of Science & Technology
IMPRINT INDIA
IMPRINT India is an effort to direct research in the premier institutions into areas of social relevance. Under this, 10 domains have been identified which could substantially impact the living standards of the rural areas: (1) health care technology, (2) energy security, (3) rural urban housing design, (4) Nano technology, (5) water/river system, (6) advanced materials, (7) computer science and ICT, (8) manufacturing technology, (9) advanced security and (10) environment/climate change. Each of these domains is coordinated by one IIT.
More than 2,600 research proposals have been submitted by scientists in the priority areas of these domains. These have been examined by eminent scientists and 259 proposals for Rs. 595.89 crore have been approved for implementation. 142 research projects costing Rs. 323.17 crore with joint funding by MHRD and various participating Ministries / departments are currently under execution under IMPRINT – I. IMPRINT-II is under process for approval.
UCHCHTAR AAVISHKAR ABHIYAAN
The scheme was launched to promote industry-specific need-based research so as to keep up the competitiveness of the Indian industry in the global market. All the IITs have been encouraged to work with the industry to identify areas where innovation is required and come up with solutions that could be brought up to the commercialization level.
Under the UAY, it is proposed to invest Rs. 250 crores every year on identified projects proposed by IITs, provided the Industry contributes 25% of the project cost. For the year 2016-17, (92) projects for Rs. 285.15 crore have been approved for implementation.
IIT Madras is the National Coordinator of the scheme. (160) proposals have been received of which industry has agreed to contribute Rs. 156 Cr, making this one of the biggest ever industry-academia partnership. These research projects are expected to result in registration of patents.
Other Initiatives
- Improving Gender Balance in IITs: For improving Gender Balance in IITs, the IIT Council in its 51st meeting held on 28.04.2017, on the basis of the recommendations of a JAB Sub Committee, and decided to increase female enrolment in B.Tech. programmes of IITs from the current 8% to 14% in 2018-19, 17% in 2019-20 and 20% in 2020-21 by creating supernumerary seats.
- Premier Testing Facility: The Union Cabinet in its meeting held on 10.11.2017 approved creation of the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization to conduct all entrance examinations for higher education institutions in the country.
- Several welfare measures viz. Anti-Ragging Cell, Anti-discrimination Cell, Gender Sensitization Cell, Internal Complaints Committee for prevention of Sexual Harassment & Barrier Free access for specially abled students in all places have been introduced.
- Six new IITs at Jammu, Bhilai, Goa, Dharwad, Tirupati and Palakkad were established and operationalized at a total cost of Rs.1411 crore.
- The proposal for construction of permanent campuses of these IITs was approved by the Union Cabinet in November, 2017 at a total cost of Rs.7002.42 crore for Phase-A.
- Global Initiative for Academics Network (GIAN): The GIAN programme brings together foreign and Indian faculties to teach an academic course that provides the credit to participating students selected from the world’s leading academic institutions. Under this Scheme, foreign schemes are coming and conducting courses, out of which 802 courses have been completed. In 2017-18, a total of 156 courses have been conducted till now.
- Smart India Hackathon 2017: First time India organized Smart India Hackathon 2017 with participation of more than 42,000 engineering students working on 600 problem statement to all digital solutions from 30 ministries. Second Smart India Hackathon 2018 has been announced and about one lakh engineering students are expected to participate.
- Wi-Fi under implementation in 38 Central Universities.
- University Grants Commission (Open and Distance Learning) Regulations, 2017 have been recently notified in the month of June, 2017 keeping in view the urgent need of appropriate regulations for monitoring of higher education through the open and distance mode. The open and distance learning system in India has emerged as an important mode for providing education to diverse sections of society. These regulations provide clear directions and instructions for HEIs proposing to offer UG and PG courses through the ODL mode, along with the mechanism of approvals, assessment and monitoring.
- UGC (Institutions of Eminence Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2017 have been notified to create a distinct category of Deemed to be Universities, called Institutions of Eminence Deemed to be Universities, which would be regulated differently from other Deemed to be Universities so as to evolve into Institutions of world class in reasonable time period. Also, in order to assist Indian Higher Education Institutions to get a rank within the top 100 in globally renowned rankings, UGC has invited applications under the Institutions of eminence schemewherein 10 institutions from the government and 10 institutions from the private sector are to be selected. Government Institutions will get financial assistance of 1000 crores over a period of five years in addition to the grant already being received. The institutions selected from the private sector will have complete autonomy to promote innovation and creativity expected to result in producing competent graduates for the development of the country.
Major Legislative Reforms
- IIT Public Private Partnership Bill – Lok Sabha passed the Indian Institute of Information Technology Public Private Partnership Bill 2017, on 26th July 2017, that seeks to allow 15 IIITs established on a PPP model to grant degrees
- The IIIT Bill 2014 was notified in the Gazette on 05.01.2015. The Bill which was approved by the Cabinet in August, 2012 and introduced during the Budget Session had lapsed with the dissolution of the Lok Sabha. The Bill, provides independent statutory status to the four existing IIITs in Allahabad, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Kancheepuram, which are funded by the Central Government, as also to declare them to be institutions of National Importance.
- National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) which was launched on 29th September 2015, ranks institutions based on objective and verifiable criteria. It has been made available separately for Engineering, Management, Pharmaceutical, Architecture, Humanities, Law and for Universities as a whole. The first ranks were declared on 4th April 2016. More than 3,500 institutions have participated in the exercise, making it the highest participated ranking exercise in the World. The second India Rankings were released in April 2017.
- Passing of IIM Bill, 2017 by Lok Sabha Indian Institutes of Management are the country’s premier institutions imparting best quality education in management on globally benchmarked processes of education and training in management. IIMs are recognized as world-class management Institutions and Centers of Excellence and have brought laurels to the country. All IIMs are separate autonomous bodies registered under the Societies Act.
Being societies, IIMs are not authorized to award degrees and, hence, they have been awarding Post Graduate Diploma and Fellow Programme in Management. While these awards are treated as equivalent to MBAs and Ph.D, respectively, the equivalence is not universally acceptable, especially for the Fellow Programme. Therefore, after approval of the Cabinet, IIM Bill, 2017 was introduced in the Lok Sabha, under which the IIMs would be declared as Institutions of National Importance and which will enable them to grant degrees to their students. Bill has been passed in both the Houses of Parliament.
Salient Features of IIM Bill
Apart from authority to grant degrees, the Bill provides for complete autonomy to the Institutions, combined with adequate accountability. Management of these Institutions would be Board driven, with the Chairperson and Director of an Institution to be selected by the Board. A greater participation of experts and alumni in the Board is another of the important features in the Bill. Provision has also been made for presence of women and members from Scheduled Castes/Tribes in the Board. The Bill also provides for periodic review of the performance of Institutions by independent agencies, and placing the results of the same on public domain. The Annual Report of the Institutions will be placed in the Parliament and CAG will be auditing their accounts. There is also a provision of a Coordination Forum of IIMs, chaired by an eminent person, as an advisory body.
Important Achievements of NCERT
- Inclusive Education: The Council has developed the Tactile Map Book in Geography for students with visual impairments, Barkha Reading Series for All consisting of 40 booklets with additional features to aid early reading in inclusive settings has been developed in print and digital forms.
- Performance Indicators: NCERT has developed a Framework for Performance Indicators (PINDICS) for elementary school teachers and shared with States/UTs. NCERT has made PINDICs on-line.
- Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA): NCERT has developed Guidelines for the creation of State Resource Group for RAA. This has been shared with the states/UTs.
- Textual Material on Yoga: The Textual Materials on Yoga for students of Upper Primary and Secondary stages in English, Hindi and Urdu have been developed by NCERT.
- Veer Gatha: NCERT has developed “Veer Gatha” highlighting the sacrifices and patriotism of the war heroes of the country.
- NCERT has brought out publications on Sanitation, Cleanliness, Hygiene and Environmental Protection for students and teachers.
- North East India-People, History and Culture- a publication has been brought out by the NCERT.
- Publication and Dissemination Textbooks- More than 4.25 million copies of various NCERT publications in English, Hindi and Urdu have been brought out.
- Vocational Education: Under NSQF, the NCERT has developed students’ workbooks and modules for various job roles in different sectors such as Construction, Organic farming, Floriculturist, Micro Irrigation, Junior Software Developer, Marketing and Sales Management, etc. The NCERT is also in the process of developing curricula and student’ workbooks for another 100 job roles.
- Contribution in Pre-service Teacher Education: NCERT’s innovative and integrated pre-service teacher education courses i.e., B.Sc. B.Ed. (four year), B.A. B.Ed.(four year) and B.Ed. (two year) have now been replicated across the country since 2015.
- NCERT has conducted Yoga Olympiad and also National Role Play, Folk Dance Competition and Youth Festival for promoting health, yoga and life skills. In these programmes students and teachers from most of the states/UTs took part.
- The Council organized 44th Jawaharlal Nehru National Science, Mathematics and Environment Exhibition (JNNSMEE) at Bhopal from 10 to 16 November 2017.
- Kala Utsav: It is being organized in January, 2018 at Bhopal
Specific Targets to be achieved period up to March 2018
- Implementation of learning outcomes across the States/UTs.
- Development of e-content and digital books in all the subject areas for all the classes.
- Conducting school achievement survey for class X.
- Conducting researches related to school education and teacher education.
- Offering pre-service teacher education programmes in all regions.
- Organising need based in-service teacher professional development programmes in different subject areas across the country.
- Organization of Audio-video Festival and ICT Mela.
- Establishment of a Centre for Popularisation of Science.
- Enhancing International Educational Cooperation.
- Organising activities for promoting innovative practices.
- Organising National Outreach Programme Workshop on Practices of Inclusion.
Initiatives taken by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan
- Union HRD Minister launches Swasth Bachche-Swasth Bharat Programme of KVS – Union Minister for HRD, Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the “Swasth Bachche Swasth Bharat” programme of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan at KV NAD, Aluva (Kochi) on 21st August 2017. The Minister unveiled the Physical Health and Fitness Profile card for more than 12 lakh students of KVS. The KVS had already done a pilot in Patna and Chandigarh Region during the academic year 2016-17. Looking at the positive results on health and fitness of School going children, the KVS decided to implement it in all the KVs of the country. Activities under this ambitious programme are selected to measure various components of physical fitness of all the students in the age group of 5 to 8 years and 9 to 19 Years. Balanced emphasis is laid down on- Diet, Personal Hygiene and Clean Environment, Suggested Daily Routine and Yoga for Peace & Harmony.
- Sh. Prakash Javadekar laid foundation stone of K.V. Shahdara – Hon’ble HRD Minister Sh. Prakash Javadekar laid the foundation stone of Kendriya Vidyalaya, GT Road Shahdara in North East Delhi on 23rd February 2017. This is the first K.V. in this area. Hon’ble Minister formally laid the foundation of the school and unveiled the plaque before the huge gathering. Hon’ble M.P. of North East Delhi Sh. Manoj Tiwari, Commissioner, K.V.S. Sh. Santosh Kumar Mall were the guests of honour on this occasion. KVS Additional Commissioner (Admin) Sh. G.K. Srivastava and Additional Commissioner (Acad) Sh. U.N. Khaware were present as the special guests on the dais.
Language evolves at a rapid pace, and the younger generation—Gen Z and the emerging Gen Alpha—are taking it to new heights. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become hotbeds for linguistic innovation, where abbreviations, slang, and newly minted words emerge faster than ever before. Words like “brb,” “slay,” “sus,” and even Oxford’s Word of the Year 2024, “brain rot,” are part of their everyday vocabulary. But amidst this linguistic whirlwind, one question arises: Are teachers catching up?
A Gap in Communication
Imagine a classroom where a student says, “brb! Wanna use the washroom,” and the teacher pauses, unsure of the abbreviation. Such scenarios highlight a communication gap. Research consistently shows that effective communication between students and teachers fosters trust, engagement, and better learning outcomes. According to a 2022 study by Education Week, students who feel understood by their teachers are 45% more likely to excel academically and 30% less likely to skip classes.
However, understanding Gen Z’s and Gen Alpha’s linguistic trends isn’t just about learning a dictionary of slang—it’s about bridging a generational divide and fostering mutual respect.
Tackling the Language Gap
- Training Teachers on Evolving Language
One way to address the gap is to provide teachers with targeted training sessions that focus on the language trends of younger generations. These sessions could include decoding popular abbreviations, slang, and even cultural references that dominate social media. This approach can help teachers stay relevant and avoid miscommunication. However, with mounting academic and emotional responsibilities, many educators might find such training an added burden. - Building Relationships Through Interaction
A more organic solution lies in fostering better teacher-student relationships. By engaging in informal conversations with students, teachers can learn their language naturally. This approach not only helps teachers understand evolving slang but also humanises them in the eyes of their students, fostering trust and relatability. Interacting with students on their terms creates a classroom culture of mutual respect and understanding.
The Role of Language in Education
Language is more than just a tool for communication—it shapes relationships and builds cultural bridges. The words of the year like “manifest” and “brat” represent not only linguistic trends but also cultural shifts towards empowerment, individuality, and self-expression. Teachers who understand this language can better connect with their students, appreciating the unique values and pressures they face.
The Words of the Year 2024—‘brain rot’, ‘manifest’, ‘brat’, and ‘demure’—offer educators a glimpse into the psyche of today’s youth.
For example, ‘brain rot’ reflects Gen Z’s awareness of digital overconsumption, while ‘manifest’ underscores their optimism and drive for self-improvement. A teacher who grasps these nuances can integrate them into lessons and discussions, creating a more engaging learning experience.
Ultimately, understanding the language of younger generations is a two-way street. While teachers can make an effort to decode Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang, students too can adapt to bridge the gap. The key lies in fostering dialogue and mutual respect, ensuring that language differences become a point of connection rather than a barrier.
As language continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, the classroom must remain a space where both students and teachers feel heard and understood. By embracing change and prioritising communication, education can keep up with the times while maintaining its core values.
Education
CBSE to Introduce Two-Level Structure for Science and Social Science in Classes 9 and 10 by 2026
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is set to introduce a two-level structure for Science and Social Science subjects in Classes 9 and 10, starting from the 2026–2027 academic session. This move follows the successful implementation of two-level mathematics examinations—Standard and Basic—for Class 10 students in the 2019–2020 session.
The decision aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates offering subjects at varying difficulty levels to reduce academic pressure and counter the coaching culture. The proposed structure aims to give students the option to study some subjects at a higher level while taking others at a standard level.
Key Details of the Plan
According to Hindustan Times, the CBSE curriculum council has already approved the proposal, and final approval from the Board’s governing body is awaited. The initiative seeks to empower students who demonstrate an aptitude for Science and Social Science to study these subjects in greater depth before transitioning to Class 11.
For Mathematics, which currently offers two levels, the syllabus remains the same for both Standard and Basic levels, but the difficulty and format of the question papers differ. A similar approach is likely for Science and Social Science, although details are yet to be finalised. Advanced-level students may be provided with supplementary learning resources, alternative textbooks, or the same textbooks with additional challenges and problems.
Implementation Framework
The implementation of this two-tier system depends on the development of updated textbooks by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). As part of the ongoing curriculum reform under NEP 2020, the NCERT has already released new textbooks for Classes 1, 2, 3, and 6, with materials for Classes 4, 5, 7, and 8 expected in the 2025–2026 academic year. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has indicated that all updated textbooks are likely to be available by January 2026.
Students will likely have a window to choose between the standard and advanced levels and may be allowed to switch within a stipulated timeframe. The advanced level could include longer study hours and distinct question papers for Board examinations.
By offering this flexibility, the CBSE aims to provide students with opportunities tailored to their abilities, enabling them to excel academically without undue stress.
Education
Jaipur History Festival 2024: India’s Biggest History Festival Returns with a Unique Focus on Financial Literacy and Folk Arts
The Jaipur History Festival (JHF), an annual event organised by the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, is set to host its 2024 edition from 3rd to 6th December at the iconic City Palace in Jaipur. Established in 2017, the JHF has become a flagship event in India’s cultural calendar, earning widespread recognition from educational institutions, policymakers, and media alike. This year’s theme, “Financial Literacy Through Folk Arts,” promises an engaging blend of tradition and modernity, offering innovative learning experiences for over 10,000 students and educators.
A Groundbreaking Theme: Financial Literacy Through Folk Tales
The 2024 festival theme uniquely integrates financial literacy into education through the rich tradition of Indian and global folk tales. Stories from the Panchatantra, Jataka tales, Akbar-Birbal, Sheikh Chilli, Mulla Nasruddin, Tenali Rama, and Munshi Premchand’s literary classics will serve as mediums to impart essential financial skills. Lessons on budgeting, saving, and understanding the distinction between needs and wants will be creatively woven into folk art performances, ensuring that students grasp these critical concepts in an engaging, memorable way.
Aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, this initiative emphasises values-based education while nurturing practical skills like wealth management and fraud prevention. The programme targets primary and secondary school students, fostering early financial literacy to help shape a generation of financially savvy individuals.
Festival Highlights
The four-day festival will feature a diverse array of performances, workshops, and exhibitions, including:
- Plays based on Munshi Premchand’s works like Nirmala, Kafan, and Gaban.
- Traditional art forms such as Dastan-e-Goi, Kathak recitals, and Rajasthani folk dances.
- Live music performances in Hindi, Marwari, and English, focusing on financial literacy themes.
- Craft workshops and installations, including kites, puppets, Kalighat paintings, and paper mache models.
- Interactive exhibits, such as Rashmi Rath (E-Car), bioscopes, and Jantar Mantar sundial paper models.
- Workshops on modern educational tools like AI-powered graphic generation and business plan incubation.
Morning cultural programmes will be followed by exhibitions and craft workshops, creating a holistic learning environment for attendees.
National Reach and Global Aspirations
The Jaipur History Festival 2024 will welcome participation from over 120 schools nationwide. Following the grand success of previous editions, this year’s festival aims to expand its footprint by hosting sessions in prominent educational hubs like Gurgaon, Delhi, Mumbai, and Jammu.
The Legacy of JHF
Since its inception, the Jaipur History Festival has aimed to revolutionise traditional education through experiential learning and cultural immersion. Themes from previous years have ranged from Gandhi’s Rivers of India to “Phad Se Padh,” focusing on Rajasthan’s Phad paintings. In 2023, the festival celebrated the “International Year of Millets,” showcasing the intersection of cultural heritage and global sustainability efforts.
With its steadfast commitment to innovation and inclusivity, JHF 2024 promises to be a transformative experience, inspiring educators, students, and parents to rethink the way history and life skills are taught in schools.
Looking Ahead
As India’s largest history festival, JHF exemplifies how education can be both meaningful and engaging. By merging traditional folk arts with contemporary financial literacy, the festival not only preserves cultural heritage but also equips students with life skills essential for the modern world.
This year’s edition is poised to set a new benchmark in interdisciplinary education, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and a deeper appreciation for India’s diverse cultural tapestry.
As political changes loom over the US education system, particularly with President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed dismantling of the Department of Education, questions arise about the ripple effects such reforms could have on global education, including in India and other parts of Asia. Historically, American education policies and practices have served as benchmarks for many countries, influencing curriculums, teaching methodologies, and educational reforms. This article explores how these proposed changes might shape the future of education worldwide.
Historical Impact of American Educational Practices
The influence of the United States on global education is well-documented. For instance, in the mid-20th century, the US pushed for science and mathematics education reforms after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. This emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) was mirrored in several nations, including India, which began integrating more technical education in schools. Similarly, the US-led push for standardised testing during the No Child Left Behind era inspired similar measures in Asia, where countries like China and India adopted rigorous assessment frameworks.
The idea of universal education access and inclusivity, championed in the US, has also resonated globally. The implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975 influenced India’s Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and similar policies across Asia. Therefore, if the US dismantles its Department of Education, transferring responsibilities to states, the resulting decentralised model may have implications for nations seeking inspiration from American education.
Comparing Trump’s Proposals with NEP 2020
Trump’s Agenda47 proposes greater parental control, cutting funding for initiatives deemed ideologically inappropriate, and emphasising local governance of education. While these ideas are specific to American politics, some parallels can be drawn with India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
NEP 2020 focuses on empowering schools and teachers to create tailored curriculums that meet local needs. Like Trump’s proposal to return control to states, NEP advocates for decentralisation, urging state boards and local authorities to implement flexible frameworks. However, the alignment ends here. NEP promotes inclusivity and modernisation, championing universal access to quality education and focusing on critical areas such as digital learning, skills-based education, and early childhood care.
In contrast, Trump’s proposals seem to focus more on limiting federal oversight and reducing regulations, which could result in inequitable access to resources—a stark difference from NEP’s vision of equity and inclusion. If the US adopts a more state-driven approach, India and other nations might evaluate its outcomes, particularly in balancing local autonomy with national educational standards.
A Roadmap for Global Education
The future of global education hinges on addressing universal challenges, including accessibility, inclusivity, and adaptability. Nations worldwide, including the US and India, are grappling with how best to integrate technology, emphasise STEM education, and prepare students for a rapidly evolving workforce.
A decentralised system, as envisioned by Trump, may encourage innovation and localised solutions but risks widening disparities. Conversely, global education roadmaps like UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4) advocate for inclusive, equitable, and quality education as a shared responsibility. In this regard, NEP 2020 aligns more closely with global goals than Trump’s vision, which focuses on reducing federal intervention.
If the US moves forward with dismantling the Department of Education, it will be crucial to observe whether this decentralisation fosters innovation or exacerbates inequalities. For countries like India, which are already navigating local governance in education, the American experience could serve as both a cautionary tale and a potential source of inspiration.
Hence, the relationship between American education policy and global education is undeniable. As the US contemplates radical changes, the impact on its own students and the broader world remains uncertain. For countries like India, which have often looked to the US as an educational blueprint, these developments offer lessons in balancing local autonomy with equitable access to quality education.
This unfolding story raises essential questions about the shared vision for education in 2025 and beyond. The world will be watching to see whether the US remains a pioneer or takes a step back from its global leadership in education.
In a significant step towards enhancing the skill development ecosystem in education, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 21 November 2024 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This collaboration aims to introduce and promote commerce-focused skill courses, particularly in the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector, to boost students’ employability and career readiness.
The ICAI, through its Committee on Career Counselling, will contribute its expertise in curriculum design, syllabus development, study materials, and training modules. Additionally, the organisation will play an active role in career guidance initiatives, participating in workshops and training programmes organised by CBSE.
Addressing the importance of the partnership, ICAI President CA Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal stated, “The signing of this MoU with the CBSE is a significant step towards enhancing the skill development ecosystem for students across the country. Through this collaboration, ICAI aims to promote commerce-based skill courses and ensure that students are equipped with relevant, industry-aligned competencies. This partnership reflects our commitment to bridging the gap between academic learning and professional requirements, and we are confident that it will open new avenues for students to pursue rewarding careers in accountancy and finance.”
The collaboration will also focus on raising awareness about career opportunities in accountancy and related fields, aligning educational frameworks with the evolving demands of the job market. CBSE and ICAI plan to conduct awareness programmes for principals, teachers, and school management teams in CBSE-affiliated schools across India. These programmes will highlight the importance of BFSI-related skill courses and their potential to enhance students’ career trajectories.
As part of this initiative, CBSE will organise capacity-building initiatives to upskill teachers in commerce-related subjects, ensuring they are well-equipped to deliver specialised courses effectively.
ICAI has already established similar collaborations with 85 universities, colleges, and educational institutions to promote academic excellence, research, and knowledge exchange. According to The Indian Express, these initiatives aim to create a workforce equipped to meet the challenges of a modern, dynamic economy.
This partnership underscores a growing commitment to aligning education with industry needs, preparing students for thriving careers in commerce and finance.
Khan Academy, the global nonprofit dedicated to providing free, world-class education, has launched its AI-powered tool, Khanmigo, free for all teachers in India. Starting this Children’s Day, educators can access this innovative teaching assistant at no cost, in both English and Hindi, through Khan Academy’s platform.
Khanmigo, designed to enhance both teacher productivity and student engagement, functions as an AI-powered teaching assistant and student tutor. By streamlining tasks like lesson preparation, generating curriculum-aligned assessments, and creating concise chapter summaries, Khanmigo allows teachers to focus on personalised learning experiences for their students.
Highlighting the importance of this initiative, Swati Vasudevan, Managing Director of Khan Academy India, shared:
“On this special occasion of Children’s Day, we’re thrilled to make Khanmigo available to all teachers across India at no cost. At Khan Academy, we believe teachers are the key to unlocking each child’s potential. By providing Khanmigo, we’re empowering educators to create impactful and tailored learning experiences. Our aim is to break down barriers to technology access, enabling teachers to inspire and support India’s children in achieving their full potential.”
Supported by Microsoft’s investment, Khanmigo is part of Khan Academy’s global rollout, now available in over 40 countries. Indian teachers can create an account on the Khan Academy platform to access this resource and benefit from its features, including interactive student tutoring and classroom management tools.
Khan Academy also emphasises that the implementation of Khanmigo remains a work in progress. Teachers and students are encouraged to engage with the tool thoughtfully, fostering digital literacy, critical thinking, and responsible AI use.
This launch marks a significant milestone in Khan Academy’s mission to expand educational opportunities through technology, making quality resources accessible to educators and students across India.
The Guthli Ad Fest 2024 launched in spectacular fashion at the iconic St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Day 1 was filled with high-energy sessions, insightful discussions, and inspiring interactions. Kicking off the day, Pratish Nair introduced the vision behind Miles and Miles SoBA (School of Branding & Advertising), explaining how their collaborative approach blends creativity with empathy. Nair emphasised that their unique curriculum, which includes scuba diving and Himalayan trekking, aims to equip students with life skills that go beyond the traditional classroom, fostering resilience, teamwork, and self-awareness.
The event began with a warm welcome and inauguration, followed by a captivating tribute and a fireside chat featuring advertising legends Piyush Pandey, KV Sridhar, and Prasoon Pandey, moderated by Devaiah Bopanna. Their discussion shed light on their journeys, offering a rare glimpse into the minds behind India’s most iconic campaigns.
The day continued with Cyrus Broacha, the 90’s poster child of Indian advertising, delivering a light-hearted yet insightful session, followed by Tanya Nambiar’s presentation on how emotional bonds can be forged using the power of voice.
The afternoon saw Shirsha Thakurta delve into the art of visual storytelling, followed by a hands-on workshop led by Dr Prateesh R Nair, who demonstrated how advertising can be used as an engaging tool in classrooms. A panel discussion with Miles SoBA students and a thought-provoking session by Josy Paul on creativity in classrooms wrapped up the day.
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Day 2 promises even more excitement, with an Ad Acapella, fashion shows, excellence awards, and a lot of fun activities to look forward to. Stay tuned for more!
Starting from the 2025-26 academic year, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), which oversees the ICSE and ISC board exams, will introduce substantial changes to its academic framework. These reforms align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and aim to impact over three million students across India, as reported by The Times of India.
Robotics and AI in Curriculum
A significant aspect of the reforms is the inclusion of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in the curriculum for Classes XI and XII. For younger students, elements of AI and coding will be integrated into their computer science courses, ensuring these technologies are taught in a simplified and engaging manner. The objective is to familiarise students with emerging technologies from an early age, equipping them with skills for the future.
Introduction of Competency-Based Exams
The CISCE will also introduce a ‘holistic progress card’, a 360-degree evaluation system to assess students’ development across academic and non-academic domains. This approach will provide a comprehensive view of student achievements beyond traditional metrics.
Changes in the board exam structure are also on the horizon. From 2025, 25% of exam questions will be competency-based, focusing on critical thinking and core skills rather than rote memorisation. This percentage will increase to 40% in 2026 and 50% by 2027, promoting deeper understanding among students.
Digital Assessments and School Improvement
To enhance educational standards, the council will roll out digital assessments for students in Classes III, V, and VIII from 2025-26. These assessments aim to identify students who need additional support or those excelling beyond their grade level. Additionally, a school improvement plan will be introduced, encouraging high-performing schools to partner with state governments to enhance the quality of education in government institutions.
The overarching goal of these reforms is to foster a balanced, skills-oriented learning environment that prepares students for real-world challenges and opportunities.
Education
Aditya Birla World Academy Hosts ‘The Happy Place’ an Interschool Festival to Drive Awareness on Mental Health
In a collaborative effort between Aditya Birla World Academy (ABWA) and Mpower, an initiative of Aditya Birla Education Trust the Happy Place Interschool Festival was successfully held to raise awareness about mental health, with this year’s theme being The Mindful Megabyte – Digital Wellness. The event saw participation from over 200 students across various schools in Mumbai across boards, engaging in a variety of creative and expressive competitions, including Solo/Duet Singing, Art, Photography, AD-Film Making, Drama, Slam Poetry, and Dance. Each event centered around the theme of digital wellness, focusing on the impact of technology on mental health and well-being.
The Happy Place Interschool Festival, introduced by Aditya Birla World Academy (ABWA), is built on the belief that mental health awareness is a crucial aspect of a child’s holistic development. At ABWA, students benefit from a robust mental health and emotional well-being curriculum that supports resilience alongside academic excellence. Under the leadership of Mrs. Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson of Aditya Birla World Academy and the Aditya Birla Education Trust, this vision has flourished. A passionate mental health advocate, Mrs. Birla firmly believes that mental health awareness and support should be accessible to all students, empowering them with the tools they need to thrive.
As an extension of this vision, the Mindsmatter program has reached 25 schools and over 40,000 students across India in the past year, with 318 teachers trained and 67 mentoring sessions conducted. The program has positively impacted behavior, self-esteem, and academic performance, with 83% of participants reporting improved communication skills and 61% noting reduced stigma around mental health.
For the last 6 years, The Happy Place Interschool Festival has expanded beyond ABWA, engaging students from schools across Mumbai to raise awareness on mental health through creative activities. This festival sustains the conversation on mental health, offering students a thoughtfully curated platform to explore these critical themes, express themselves creatively, and build empathy. Through themes like Digital Wellness, participants reflect on their emotional health, fostering a balanced and mindful approach to life.
Mrs. Radhika Sinha, Principal of Aditya Birla World Academy (ABWA), “highlighted the importance of such initiatives, stating, “The Happy Place interschool festival is not just a competition, but a mindful space for students to engage in conversations about mental health while expressing their creativity. The focus here is not only on winning but also on creating an environment where students can explore topics like Digital Wellness that are highly relevant to the challenges the youth face today. These activities help drive awareness, fostering a sense of empathy and mindfulness amongst our students.”
The competition’s theme, Digital Wellness, reflects the growing influence of technology in the lives of young people. While digital platforms provide numerous opportunities for connection, learning, and creativity, they also come with risks such as overuse, social media addiction, cyberbullying, and sleep deprivation. Striking a balance between the positive and negative impacts of digital media is crucial for the well-being of today’s youth.
Parveen Shaikh, VP Operations at Mpower, highlighted the urgent need for digital wellbeing support amidst the growing mental health crisis: “In today’s digital age, the constant use of technology is significantly impacting mental health, particularly among young people. Studies reveal that 1 in 5 individuals experience symptoms of mental health conditions, with excessive screen time and online pressures contributing to this rise. Alarmingly, 50% of mental health issues begin by the age of 14, and 75% by age 24. By focusing on digital wellbeing and creating awareness around healthy tech habits, we aim to provide timely interventions that encourage young people to seek help and maintain a balanced, mentally healthy lifestyle.
Research on digital wellness suggests that excessive use of digital devices can negatively affect mental health, particularly among students. Studies show that prolonged exposure to screens can lead to anxiety, depression, and social isolation. Initiatives like The Happy Place Interschool Festival play a significant role in bringing these critical discussions to the forefront, encouraging students to reflect on their digital habits and make informed choices.
As this year’s competition concludes, the collaboration between ABWA and Mpower continues to raise awareness on crucial mental health issues, ensuring that students are empowered to lead balanced, mindful lives.
Education
Department of School Education & Literacy Proposes October Activities to Honour Senior Citizens
In observance of the International Day of Older Persons, celebrated annually on 1st October, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, in collaboration with the Department of School Education & Literacy, has proposed a series of activities throughout October 2024. These initiatives aim to instil values of respect, care, and empathy towards senior citizens among students, fostering intergenerational bonding.
This month-long celebration focuses on connecting students with the elderly, emphasising the invaluable contributions, wisdom, and dignity of older generations. With life expectancy rising globally, and older persons expected to outnumber youth by 2030, the importance of fostering respect for senior citizens is more relevant than ever.
Educational institutions have been encouraged to observe Grandparents’ Day, featuring activities like storytelling and interactive games. Schools may also host pledge-taking ceremonies, where students and staff commit to respecting and supporting the elderly.
Morning assemblies or language classes will offer opportunities for students to recite poems and shlokas that emphasise respect for elders, drawing from India’s cultural heritage. Schools will also facilitate interactions between students and senior citizens, allowing for the sharing of stories, historical discussions, and the exploration of traditional crafts.
Students will be encouraged to engage in community service projects with senior citizens, strengthening intergenerational solidarity. Mentorship programs, where seniors share their expertise in arts, culture, and vocational skills, are also proposed, benefiting both generations.
These initiatives, rolled out across States/UTs and educational institutions, are designed to promote care and concern for senior citizens, creating a society built on mutual respect and understanding.
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