Education | Business Upturn

Top colleges in Goa

Jennifer Philip — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 04:33:33 +0000

Goa, the picturesque coastal state known for its stunning beaches, rich cultural heritage, and laid-back lifestyle, is also home to several prestigious educational institutions. While the state may be small in size, it boasts a diverse array of top-ranked colleges and universities that cater to various academic disciplines. From renowned management and hotel management institutes to esteemed engineering and pharmacy colleges, Goa offers a wealth of educational opportunities for aspiring students. Let’s take a look at some of the top colleges in Goa.

Here are the top colleges in Goa:

The Goa Institute of Management (GIM Goa)

The Goa Institute of Management (GIM Goa) is a renowned business school that offers a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) as its flagship program. This B-School is often regarded as an excellent alternative for individuals seeking an MBA degree from institutions that are not as highly selective as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other top MBA colleges, while still providing similar returns. According to the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2023, GIM Goa is ranked 33rd. Admission to the institute is facilitated through entrance exams such as the Common Admission Test (CAT), XAT, or GMAT, with the majority of aspirants gaining admission through the CAT, making it the most preferred examination for prospective students.

The Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition

The Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition in Goa is an independent institute established in 1984. It is affiliated with the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology in Noida (NCHMCT). The institute offers various undergraduate, diploma, and certificate courses in different specializations related to the hospitality industry.
To get admitted to the B.Sc. courses, students need to clear an entrance exam called NCHM-JEE (National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination). However, admissions to the Craftsmanship courses are based on the student’s academic merit and performance.
The primary objective of the institute is to provide education and training to students interested in pursuing careers in the hospitality sector, such as hotels, restaurants, and related services.

The Goa College of Pharmacy

The Goa College of Pharmacy has a long history dating back to Portuguese times when it was initially a pharmacy department within a medical college called ESCOLA MEDICA de GOA. In 1963, it was renamed the Goa College of Pharmacy and given its dedicated campus under the governance of the Government of Goa. Since its establishment, the college has been on a mission to educate and nurture top-quality pharmacists. Throughout its journey, GCP has focused on enhancing human resources by producing world-class pharmacists. The alumni of this prestigious institute have distinguished themselves in various roles such as industrialists, entrepreneurs, innovators, educationists, and leaders of renowned organizations, as well as practising pharmacists. The Goa College of Pharmacy has become a renowned brand name and is currently ranked among the top 25 pharmacy colleges in India according to the recent NIRF ranking conducted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

VM Salgaocar College of Law

The history of VM Salgaocar College of Law can be traced back to its establishment by the Devi Sharvani Education Society, registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. Originally named Mahadevrao Salgaocar College of Law, it commenced operations in 1973, thanks to a substantial contribution from its benefactor. In 1997, the Governing Council decided to change the name to V.M. Salgaocar College of Law.
The college offers various law programs to students, including Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Master of Laws (LLM), LLB (Honors), and Doctoral programs. Additionally, the college organizes orientation and refresher programs for its faculty members.

St. Xavier’s College of Art, Science and Commerce

St. Xavier’s College of Art, Science and Commerce is one of the pioneering institutes in Goa. It aims to mould students into well-rounded intellectuals who can stand independently and contribute positively to society. This Catholic institution has maintained excellent academic standards over the last 50 years and is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Goa University.
The college offers a wide range of professional and academic programs across various streams, at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and higher levels. This premier institute of Goa has made a mark on its alumni and the state through its quality education and spiritual guidance.

NIT Goa

NIT Goa is an autonomous technical university located in Concolim, South Goa. It is one of the 31 National Institutes of Technology in India and is recognized as an Institute of National Importance. In the NIRF 2023 rankings, NIT Goa is ranked 90th among top engineering colleges in India.
The institute offers 5 B. Tech courses, 3 M.Tech courses, and 5 Ph.D. courses. The flagship program is the B.Tech degree, and admission is based on the candidate’s rank in the JEE Main examination. Seat allocation for B.Tech courses is done through the JoSAA (Joint Seat Allocation Authority) counselling process.

The ICAR – Central Coastal Agricultural Research

The ICAR – Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute is a research institute established under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), which is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.
Initially established in April 1976 as a regional centre under the ICAR Research Complex for the Northeast Hill region in Shillong, it later became a regional centre under the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) in Kasaragod. Considering the importance of agriculture in Goa, ICAR upgraded this centre to an independent institute in April 1989. Further, in April 2014, it was elevated to the status of the ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute, falling under the Natural Resource Management (NRM) division of ICAR.

From premier management and engineering institutions to renowned colleges in hospitality, law, and agriculture, Goa offers diverse educational opportunities, fostering academic excellence and professional growth for students across various disciplines.

(This article has been modified using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.)

UK government invests £1.1 billion to train thousands in future technologies

Tushar Aggarwal — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 16:16:36 +0000

The Science and Technology Secretary announced a groundbreaking investment of more than £1.1 billion. This initiative aims to equip thousands of individuals with qualifications in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and 6G, which are poised to transform industries like medicine and telecommunications.

This plan was unveiled at the Maths Summit at the Science Museum in London, seeks to position the UK as a hub for innovation, boasting the most skilled and well-trained workforce in future technologies globally. The investment will facilitate the training of over 4,000 talented students across the UK, spanning from Edinburgh to Bristol, in 65 Centres for Doctoral Training. This move is expected to provide exciting opportunities for the UK’s brightest minds to realize their ambitions in their home country.

One of the key highlights of this initiative is the UK’s largest-ever investment in engineering and physical science doctoral skills. With over £1 billion contributed by the government, businesses, charities, and academia, this investment will drive advancements in critical technologies like engineering biology, semiconductors, and future telecoms, thereby giving the UK a strategic advantage in these fields.

The investment also includes a significant focus on geographical diversity, with the majority of opportunities being led outside the south-east of England. Cities like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol, Sheffield, and Manchester will benefit from a substantial number of places for students, ensuring that talent is nurtured and retained across the country.

The investment includes over £60 million for new quantum skills programs running until 2034, addressing the urgent need for skilled professionals in the field of quantum technologies. This includes funding for 100 quantum PhD studentships, early career researchers, and apprenticeship pathways into quantum, aimed at creating a workforce capable of driving innovations in healthcare, materials science, and machine learning, among others.

The government’s commitment to upskilling the workforce extends beyond quantum technologies. A £7.4 million AI upskilling fund has been announced to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Professional and Business Services sector unlock the potential of AI. This initiative is expected to fuel growth across the economy and increase UK GDP by up to 10.3% by 2030.

In addition to the aforementioned measures, further initiatives were announced, including the establishment of a medicines manufacturing skills centre of excellence, a Science & Technology Venture Capital Fellowship Programme, and a Future Telecoms Skills Taskforce, all aimed at ensuring that the UK has the skills necessary for a connected and innovative future.

The UK’s commitment to investing in skills and backing businesses in future technologies is a testament to its ambition to become a science and tech superpower, driving economic growth and prosperity for years to come.

Enhancing Educational Environments: Extron’s AV Solutions elevate learning at Utah Tech University

Tushar Aggarwal — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 16:45:05 +0000

Extron, a leading provider of AV technology solutions, recently collaborated with Utah Tech University to enhance the audiovisual infrastructure of its new Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) building. This 15,000 square meter facility required advanced AV systems in 35 classrooms, labs, lecture halls, and conference rooms. Shaun Hayes, the university’s senior AV administrator, partnered with local integrator Marshall Industries to install cutting-edge AV switching, distribution, control, and audio amplification equipment.

In addition to outfitting the SET building with state-of-the-art AV systems, Utah Tech University embarked on a comprehensive AV standardization initiative. This initiative involved retrofitting 175 rooms across 31 buildings with Extron technology to create standardized systems. According to Hayes, Extron’s AV system control and remote support models were instrumental in streamlining the design, configuration, and management of complex rooms.

The SET building features various AV assets, including single-screen classrooms, large lecture halls with multiple screens, and anatomy labs with multiple dissection tables, each equipped with a camera and display for group viewing. The standard classroom setup includes a DTP CrossPoint 4K Scaling Presentation Matrix Switcher with a built-in audio amplifier and control processor, an 86″ flat-panel display or projector, and a 7″ TouchLink Pro touchpanel for input selection. Wireless microphones and ceiling speakers enhance audio quality, while video and audio are fed through an Extron MediaPort 200 USB scaling bridge to the instructor station PC for conferencing applications.

The larger classrooms and lecture hall deploy similar AV systems but with additional projectors, flat-panel displays, and ceiling-mounted directional mic arrays. These spaces feature up to 12 ceiling speakers, driven by an XPA amplifier, and a presentation matrix switcher with more input and output ports for increased functionality.

The anatomy labs are equipped with video cameras above each dissection station, allowing video to be viewed on 86″ flat-panel displays and 43″ screens. ShareLink Pro 500s enable wireless content sharing, while MediaPort 200 USB scaling bridges deliver audio and video to remote students. Each lab also includes wireless microphones, a directional mic array, and 10 ceiling speakers for clear audio delivery.

Overall, Extron’s AV solutions have significantly enhanced Utah Tech University’s AV capabilities, providing instructors with a dependable and uniform AV experience across all classrooms and labs. This standardization initiative has not only improved teaching efficiency but also maximized AV system uptime, ensuring a seamless learning environment for students.

Check out these top 6 last minute memorizing techniques for students

Dixita Hazarika — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 21:55:43 +0000

When it comes to students giving exams, you can say there are 2 types of students. One who prepares everything in advance and the other who always prepares at the last moment. But, you might have noticed that even after last minute exam preparation, some students still are able to score good marks. But how?

Well there are few memorization techniques that can help one even during last minute studies to score well or at least to pass the exam. So, let’s go through some of these techniques that can help students at last minute exam preparation.

1. Active Recall – The active recall is a technique in which you need to create questions based on the topic and repeatedly test yourself. This forces the brain to retrieve information, making it easier to memorize.

2. Visualization – In this method, you need to picture the things you are studying and understand it. Eg: If you are studying about how Newton discovered gravity when an apple fell on his head, you will have to create a mental image of a man sitting under a tree and an apple falling on his head. Visualization also makes it interesting to study as well as helps memorize stuffs faster.

3. Teaching someone else – Have you ever tried explaining a topic to a friend minutes before an exam and found that you were less likely to forget that? Well that’s because the more you teach something to others, the more your brains recalls the same information and thus, helps in memorizing.

4. Writing – For some people, writing notes by hand works as a memorization technique. Preparing notes can help in understanding and recalling information better.

5. Using flashcards – Flashcards are cards where there is information on both sides. On one side there are questions relating to the topic and on the other side, the answers. You can easily create your own flashcards.

6. Relaxation and taking breaks – Taking short breaks of 3 to 5 mins after completion of a topic is also a method by which your brain can function effectively for recalling stuffs. Stressing too much and without any rest, the brain might not able to retain information effectively.

But, remember that everyone’s study method is different. And you need to find your own study method. Also, it’s better to prepare beforehand for an exam than preparing at the last minute with stress.

World Bank approves $255.5 million loan to improve India’s technical education

Dixita Hazarika — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 12:22:02 +0000

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors have approved a $255.5 million loan to help India improve the quality of its technical education and provide more career opportunities to students. Over the next five years, the project will support around 275 government-run technical institutions in selected states across the country, benefitting more than 350,000 students each year.

India, in terms of tertiary education has grown steadily from 29 million enrolled students in 2011-12 to 39 million enrolled students across 40,000 institutions in 2019-20. While India’s tertiary education sector is among the largest in the world, recent studies have observed increased gaps in both technical and non-technical skills such as reasoning, interpersonal communication, and conflict resolution.

The Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education Project will support the improvement of student’s skills and employability by focusing on better research, entrepreneurship, and innovation; and improve governance in technical institutions. Students will get access to upgraded curricula including emerging technologies in communication and climate resilience. They will also be benefiting from better internship and placement services, including opportunities to network with professional associations.

Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Bank’s Country Director for India said, “India has one of the largest and fastest-growing tertiary education systems in the world. The project will support the Government of India’s National Education Policy 2020, which calls for modernising this critical sector to better prepare students for emerging jobs and business opportunities.” She also added that improving the participation of females in technical education will receive special attention.

The project will support participating institutions to organize outreach programs providing prospective female students, parents, and guardians with more and better information on technical education program options, build sensitivity to gender issues, and address misconceptions about women’s capabilities in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Women students will also be encouraged to connect with mentors and alumni to promote completion of their course, and gain early exposure to the world of work.

Studies have pointed to the need of improving India’s research and innovation linkages with industry and society. Out of 9,581 technical education institutions, only 504 have incubated at least one startup, and 525 founded two to four startups in the past two years. The project will be supporting research and innovation in sectors like climate change and sustainable energy.

According to Nina Arnhold and Namrata Tognatta, Task Team Leaders for the project,” The project will also help participating institutions strengthen their governance and internal quality assurance mechanisms by building their capacity for self-assessment, developing institutional quality policies, and preparing for accreditation. At the state level, the project will help set up quality assurance cells to support the country’s goal of providing greater empowerment and autonomy to educational institutions while also holding them accountable for delivering on learning and employability outcomes.”

This loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a final maturity of 14 years including a grace period of five years.

Here’s why online learning is going to be the future of education

Avinash Ram — Tue, 09 May 2023 12:32:04 +0000

Over the past few years, the number of students turning to online learning platforms to get education has increased significantly. These platforms offer a wide range of courses and learning materials, all accessible from the comfort of one’s home. This trend has accelerated further since the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many schools and universities to close their doors, and students turned to online learning as a viable alternative.

Online learning platforms have several advantages over traditional classroom learning. For one, they offer students the flexibility to learn at their own pace, with the ability to pause, rewind, and re-watch lectures as many times as needed. This is especially beneficial for students who struggle with certain subjects and need extra time to fully comprehend the material.

Another advantage of online learning platforms is that they offer a wider range of courses and subjects than traditional classrooms. Students can choose from a vast selection of courses that are not offered at their schools or universities. They can also enroll in courses that are outside of their usual academic discipline, enabling them to broaden their knowledge and skills.

Online learning platforms also offer several tools that can enhance the learning experience. For instance, they can provide quizzes, interactive games, and discussions to help students engage with the material and retain what they have learned. These tools can make learning more fun and interesting, thereby increasing the students’ motivation to continue learning.

However, it’s important to note that online learning is not a replacement for traditional classroom learning. Both methods have their pros and cons, and students need to choose the one that best suits their learning style and preferences.

Teaching has evolved significantly over the years. From the early days of the one-room schoolhouse, where a single teacher taught multiple subjects to students of all ages and levels, to the modern classroom, where teachers use a wide range of tools and technologies to engage their students and enhance their learning.

The advent of the internet and online learning platforms has opened up new avenues for teaching. Teachers can now create and deliver engaging and interactive lessons that are tailored to each student’s individual needs and preferences. They can use videos, graphics, and other multimedia tools to illustrate concepts and engage their students.

Furthermore, online learning has made education more accessible to students from all walks of life. Students who live in remote or underprivileged areas can now access high-quality education, and those who cannot afford traditional college or university tuition can enroll in online courses at a fraction of the cost.

In conclusion : Online learning platforms have revolutionized the way we learn and teach, providing students with more flexibility, access, and engagement than ever before. While traditional classroom learning still has its place, the future of education lies in the integration of both methods to create a hybrid model that provides the best of both worlds.

HPBoSE Class 10 2022 results declared; Check details here for official link

Dipankar Ray — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 11:12:02 +0000

Himachal Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (HPBoSE) had declared the results of the Class 10th board examinations today, June 29th, 2022 at 11 A.M. Student who had appeared for the secondary examination can check their results through the official website – https://hpbose.org/. This year the exams were held in an offline pen and paper mode. Hence, across the state from March 26 to April 13, 2022.

This year the board has recorded the highest pass percentage in terms of offline exams with 87.5% of students crossing the mark. Although the pass percentage was almost 99.7%, the mark was achieved on the basis of an internal assessment.

Steps to follow to get to your scores:

1: Visit the website – https://hpbose.org/

2: Go to the tab named “Examination” and click on the “Results option”

3: Choose latest “10th Regular 2nd Term Theory Examination Result, March-2022 “

4: Enter your roll number

5: Download the result for future reference

Karnataka PUC II Results announced today; Check details here

Dipankar Ray — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 08:30:24 +0000

The results for the Pre-university course (PUC) II 2022 will be announced by the Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE). Also, the results of +2 results will be announced on Saturday, June 18, 2022, at 12 noon. with the help of the Press conference. All students who had appeared for the examination could check their respective results on the official website – karresults.nic.in

The PUC examination from Karnataka Board was conducted from April 16 to May 4, 2022, in an offline centre-based mode. Moreover, the government had earlier decided on the results when they decided to give 35 per cent grace marks to candidates. Who were repeating the board exam. Over 76000 candidates have registered for the exam in 2021. Hence, which will fall under the grace marks category. Last year, the board examination was cancelled due to Covid-19 which resulted in an overall pass percentage of 100 per cent.

Therefore, students are needed to have their registration number and date of birth to check the Karnataka Class 12 result 2022.

Steps to check the website result:

Visit the official website for the 2022 PUC: karresults.nic.in.
Now go to the ‘2nd PUC Results 2022 Karnataka‘ page and click the link.
Fill in your registration number and birthdate.
Submit the form by clicking the submit button.
The Karnataka 2nd PUC result 2022 will then be displayed.

Assam Board of Secondary Education (SEBA) HSLC results out, check direct link for results

Dipankar Ray — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 08:12:34 +0000

The Assam Board of Secondary Education (SEBA) released the results for the High School Leaving Certificate on June 7. (HSLC). Students can check the results at the link below – https://sebaonline.org/

Raktotpal Saikia from the district of North Lakhimpur took first place in the Assam HSLC examinations 2022 with a score of 597/600, followed by Bhuyashi Medhi in second place with a score of 596. Three students, Mridupawan Kalita, Labeeb Mujib, and Partha Pratim Das, tied for third place with 595 points.

The competition this year was fierce as the students had to come to an offline mode of examination after struggling during the covid pandemic. This year a total of 419887 candidates had applied food the Assam HSLC exams. The class 10 examinations were attended by a total of 217012 girls and 188570 males. A total of 56.49 per cent of students passed the exam.

According to the official result gazette. 65176 students received first division in the Assam Board SEBA HSLC 10th Result 2022, 99854 students received second division. And 64101 students received third division.

MP government plans to introduce Bhagavad Gita in colleges

Dipankar Ray — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 06:56:31 +0000

Madhya Pradesh government plans on bringing the moralities of Bhagavad Gita into the curriculum of the colleges. As an elective subject for the second year students across the 1306 colleges present in the state, from the next academic year.

Mohan Yadav the state higher education minister had said. That the initiative is being taken to imbibe ethics and the skills of management in their lives. When he was asked for a comment. He also said that “The purpose…is to make students understand the values of life. Under the New Education Policy, students should get modern education. As well as learn about the rich Indian history. The Gita and the Ramayana are not only religious books but teach us values of life.”

He further went on to comment about how the Gita is going to teach the students. The various qualities needed to lead a proper healthy life, lead a fearless life etc. Madhya Pradesh can’t be accredited with the change in curriculum as other BJP ruled states. Such as Karnataka, Gujarat etc have also taken similar steps in the direction.

Bhagavad Gita in colleges

The officials of the Madhya Pradesh Higher education department make it clear that the syllabus committee had also considered the teaching. That famous personalities like Annie Besant had received and would try to incorporate them into the syllabus. And that none of the shlokas was to be added to the syllabus. They reiterated the topic of how the Gita is needed to make the youth of the country mentally strong.

The state government also intends to make philosopher Chanakya’s works available. As an optional course for third-year college students. In 2021 the poems written by renowned poet Tulsidas known as Shri Ramacharitmanas were also incorporated into the syllabus. As an elective subject for the first-year students.

Questions were asked to the Chief Minister on why was the Bhagavad Gita used. He replied that “Bhagavad Gita is a wonderful scripture and I have been reading Gita since childhood”. Said Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Courses on Jain religion, Ved Shastra, Ramayana, and Mahabharat have been added to the state’s Bhoj Open University, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University, and Vikram University. Only 100 students have registered in Bhopal’s Bhoj Open University’s one-year Ramayana diploma programme.

KCET admit card published: Here’s your guide to download the admit card

Dipankar Ray — Fri, 03 Jun 2022 12:42:31 +0000

Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has released the latest admit card for the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET) for the year 2022. The same may be found at kea.kar.nic.in or cetonline.karnataka.gov.in/kea on the KEA’s official website.

The KCET Hall Ticket 2022 for the forthcoming UGCET test on June 16, 17, and 18, 2022 has been issued. Please be aware that the hall ticket can only be obtained online and will not be sent to you.

KCET is the entrance test needed for entering all professional courses such as engineering, pharmacy etc, into any Karnataka Government college.

Steps to follow to download the admit card:

Candidates must go to kea.kar.nic.in, which is the official website of the Karnataka Common Entrance Test.
Click on the ‘UGCET 2022 – Admission Ticket Download Link’ link on the webpage. (A direct link is provided below.)
A new page will appear, prompting you to input your login information, such as your application number or any other information requested.
Your KCET Hall Ticket 2022 will appear on your computer screen.
Make a copy for future reference by downloading and printing it.

Centre approves Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan scheme

Vineet Jain — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 14:17:26 +0000

The Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) initiative has been authorized for continuance till 31.03.2026 or until further review, whichever comes first. The plan calls for total spending of Rs. 12929.16 crore, with the Central Share amounting to Rs. 8120.97 crore and the State Share amounting to Rs. 4808.19 crore. Under the new phase of the scheme, it is planned to assist around 1600 projects.

The Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a Centrally Sponsored Plan (CSS), is an umbrella scheme that operates in mission mode to fund state government universities and colleges in order to fulfil the goals of fairness, access, and excellence.

The next phase of RUSA aims to reach unserved and underserved regions, as well as remote/rural areas, challenging geographies, LWE areas, NER, aspirational districts, tier-2 cities, places with low GER, and to help the most disadvantaged areas and SDGs.

The scheme’s new stage has been created to execute some of the suggestions and goals of the New Education Policy, which proposes several fundamental reforms to the present higher education system in order to overhaul and re-energize it and so offer excellent higher education with fairness and inclusion.

State governments would be assisted under the scheme’s new phase for Gender Inclusion, Equity Initiatives, ICT, and Improving Employability via Vocationalization and Skill Upgrading. States will also receive assistance in establishing new Model Degree Colleges. State universities will be aided in their efforts to provide multidisciplinary education and research. Grants would be made available for the improvement of both authorized and non-accredited universities and colleges in order to carry out various activities such as teaching and learning Indian languages.

CISCE releases guidelines for ICSE & ISC semester-I exams

News Desk — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 06:57:44 +0000

The instructions for the first term test for ICSE, ISC board exams 2021-22 have been announced by the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE). The ISC Semester 1 exam will begin on November 22nd, and the ICSE Term 1 exam will begin on November 29th. The guidelines can be seen on the official website, cisce.org.

According to the instructions, any candidate who has enrolled and been confirmed for the ICSE Year 2022 exam will be required to sit for both the Semester 1 and Semester 2 exams, which will be held in November/December 2021 and March/April 2022, respectively. It is necessary for a candidate to take both of these tests in order to be eligible for certification for the ICSE year 2022 exam.

For both Semester 1 and Semester 2 exams, candidates must offer the same number of subjects. Before the tests, candidates should obtain their admit cards from their respective heads of schools. Candidates must be at the examination hall/room five minutes prior to the specified start time of the subject’s examination.

On the top-sheet of the question paper-cum-answer sheet, candidates should clearly write their Unique ID (Unique Identification Number) and Index Number in the area provided. Only a black/blue ink pen should be used to fill out the question paper/answer booklet.

Candidates will be given question paper-cum-answer sheets to solve their papers because the Semester 1 test is in MCQ format. Candidates should only write on these booklets and hand them to invigilators at the end of the exam; they must also read the directions.

CBSE awards 22 Teachers for excellence in education

News Desk — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:55:48 +0000

Today the Minister of state for education Annapurna Devito awarded 22 teachers and principals for excellence in education at CBSE Awards. “CBSE Honour for Excellence in Teaching and School Leadership” was started by the Central Board of Secondary Education in the year 2000 to give public recognition to all the meritorious teachers of a school affiliated with it. The awardee gets a merit certificate, a shawl and a cash prize of Rs 50,000.

Eligibility criteria for the CBSE excellence in education award are that a working teacher with at least 10 years of teaching experience in CBSE affiliated schools and 10 years of regular teaching working experience for principals and CBSE affiliated schools. A principal with 5 years of teaching experience was eligible to apply.

At the CBSE excellence award, Minister Annapurna Devito congratulates the teachers for their enthusiasm in teaching and learning and excellence in work and innovation and their efforts in a different situation during the COVID-19 pandemic and the way they combat pandemic challenges and continue their students learning.

The Central Board of Secondary Education introduced the CBSE reading mission across 25,000 Schools affiliated to CBSE it has been launched with the motive to increase the readability among students and this initiative will be offering several students enrichment activities that are focused on language English and Hindi literature for students from class 1st to 8th for building the reading skills in students.

Uttarakhand Government to reopen primary schools from 21 September

News Desk — Sun, 19 Sep 2021 06:02:22 +0000

As per the news agency PTI, from September 21, Primary schools in Uttarakhand are going to reopen for classes 1-5 after remaining closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Saturday, according to the order issued by the department of school education, the classes will run only for 3 hours and students will not be allowed to bring food to school.

Schools must have to follow proper COVID-19 protocol and guidelines, it should be ensured that the entire premises are sanitized properly, including the classroom, office, libraries, and toilets. With staff and students both wearing masks and following social distancing. in each school, there will be a Nodal officer who will be appointed to check the proper COVID-19 protocol and guidelines are followed properly.

Same as Uttarakhand, Schools in Haryana are also going to reopen from September 20, for classes 1-3. Kanwar Pal Education Minister of Haryana said, “Classes, will be held while strictly adhering to COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the education department.”

Kerala Government plans to reopen colleges from 4th October

News Desk — Sat, 18 Sep 2021 06:08:08 +0000

After a gap of over one year colleges in Kerala is going to reopen on 4 October with the following health protocols, as the state gets relief from COVID-19 restrictions. The final semesters of degree and post-graduate courses will be started, strictly adhering to COVID-19 health protocols said Sajukumar Higher Education Department Joint Secretary. All institutions under the Higher Education department shall start functioning from October 4, Sajukumar added.

The final year PG course will start with full attendance of students, whereas final year degree courses will start with 50 percent of students. As per the space available in the institution, the timing will be decided by the college council.

According to the order given by Higher Education Department Joint Secretary, in Science subject, the importance must be given to practicals, and other semesters classes will continue to run online. Proper sanitizations must be done in the classrooms, libraries, and laboratories before the classes begin, the college could take help from local self-government bodies concerned, health workers, or NGOs. It should be ensured by the institute that through offline classes every student should follow strictly COVID-19 guidelines.

“The institutions should ensure availability of a sufficient number of masks, sanitisers, and hand wash facilities. Social distancing must be followed” said the order.

Vaccination drives are to be arranged for the students and the staff. It was being announced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on September 7, that all higher educational institutions, including technical, polytechnic, and medical, would be allowed to function from October 4 for final year students. The decision to open the college was taken as the Total Positivity Rate in the state, got decreased to 17.91 in the first week of September in contrast to 18.49 percent in the last week of August.

IIT-Delhi Board sanctions the commencement of the Bachelor of Design course for undergraduates

Sneha Sengupta — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 12:23:25 +0000

On September 13, The IIT-Delhi Board of Governors sanctioned the admission of the ‘Bachelor of Design (B.Des)’ course for the undergraduates across the country, for the academic session 2022-23, reported the Indian Express. The course will be conferred by the Institute’s Department of Design, which was established in 2017. This will be a four-year integrated program that will possess only 20 seats and can be availed by students of all streams (science, arts, commerce etc).

Aspirants for the B Design programme will have to undergo an Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination to opt for Design ranks. Students can register for the UCEED examination through the following link:

http://www.uceed.iitb.ac.in/2022/

Prof V Ramgopal Rao, Director of IIT Delhi said, “We are delighted about starting this new Bachelor’s programme in design as this is the first time IIT Delhi would be admitting undergraduate students (B.Des) from other than Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. We expect that the students who graduate with a B Design degree from IIT Delhi would take up leadership positions in industry, academia, government, consulting, and entrepreneurship over a period of time.”

Commenting on the scope of the programme, he further added, “Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) programme and other programmes in design, which are in pipeline at IIT Delhi will bridge the huge demand-supply gap of quality design professionals, which our country needs to excel as a creative economy.”

Taliban: Women in Afghanistan can continue to study in gender-segregated universities

News Desk — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 09:08:23 +0000

On Sunday, the higher education minister in the new Taliban government said Women in Afghanistan are allowed to study in universities, including at post-graduate levels, but classrooms will be gender-segregated and Islamic dress is compulsory as per the report by AP.

The minister, Abdul Baqi Haqqani, announced the new policies at a news conference on Sunday, several days after Afghanistan’s new rulers formed an all-male, all-Taliban government. Haqqani said, “the female university students would be required to wear a hijab but did not elaborate on whether this only meant a compulsory headscarf or also mandatory face coverings.”

The world has been watching closely to see how the Taliban might act differently as when it was last in power from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban imposed harsh rules and often punished people with public floggings, amputations, and executions. According to the Taliban, they have changed their behaviour towards women, but it was also seen in recent days that they have used violence against women who were protesting for their equal rights.

Haqqani said the Taliban did not want to turn the clock back 20 years. “We will start building on what exists today.” However, female university students will face restrictions under the Taliban, including a compulsory dress code. Gender segregation will also be enforced, he said. “We are not going to allow boys and girls to study together, We will not allow co-education,” Haqqani said the subjects being taught in universities would also be reviewed but did not elaborate.

DDMA issues SOPs for reopening of schools in Delhi-NCR from September 1

News Desk — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 08:31:10 +0000

Schools in New Delhi will reopen from September 1, 2021, onwards for Classes 9 to 12. The decision of reopening was taken by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, because of the continuous decline in the covid-19 cases. The Delhi government said schools will be opened from next month in a phased manner.

For classes 6 to 8 school will reopen from September 8, 2021, onwards. An official SOP has been issued by DDMA for the reopening of schools from September 1.

Following Guidelines are Issued by DDMA for reopening of schools:

A maximum of 50 per cent of students per classroom may be called for classes.
Every Classroom will follow different timetables following Social Distancing.
Between the Morning and Evening shifts, there will be a gap of one hour.
Students are not allowed to share their food, books, and other Stationery items with each other.
Lunch breaks should be held in open areas to avoid crowding.
The seating arrangement should be made with a gap of one bench between students.
Parents/guardians’ approval is must be required, if a parent doesn’t want to send his child they will not be forced.
Students, teachers living in Covid containment zones are not to be allowed to come to schools.
School Common area should be cleaned regularly. Thermal scanners, sanitisers, and masks, etc. are customary in school.
All teachers and staff coming should be vaccinated.
The distribution of ration and Vaccination part should be kept separate. Different entry and exit points will be made and civil defence staff will be bought into effective action.

Delhi University to implement NEP from session 2022-23

Shivya Kumar — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 06:24:18 +0000

The varsity teachers from DU are on a strike, due to the implementation of the National Education Policy by the University authorities.

This new policy was approved by the standing committee that handles the academic involvements. Which is to be implicated from the year 2022-23. This policy introduces a four-year undergraduate programme along with the facilitation of multiple entries and exit options for students. The organisation talked about introducing Massive Open Online courses which shall be discussed further in the meeting on Tuesday.

A 42 member high powered committee was formulated by the university to control the matters of the NEP. The committee suggests continuing the three-year programmes along with attribution of the four-year degree programme and also to structurise one year and two-year postgraduate programmes. Which was set to be agreed upon in the meeting.

The committee also said “the quality of the degree conferred by the university should not be compromised”, therefore the “existing structure and workload should continue along with the addition of various courses”.

Ranveer Singh supports the sign language initiative in schools

News Desk — Sun, 08 Aug 2021 07:42:21 +0000

Actor Ranveer Singh included in his praise and statements that he’s proud that India has taken a progressive step towards fostering inclusivity by introducing Indian Sign Language (ISL) as the 23d official language of India.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that ISL will be added to the school curriculum and students can opt for it, it became official that ISL is now the 23rd official language of India, no one was more thrilled than Ranveer Singh.

The actor had been urging the authorities to consider the ISL for the same and also signed a petition in 2020 aimed at implementing awareness for the cause.

His opinion was along the lines that this step will initiate a ripple effect in providing equal access for the differently-abled community and empower them to conquer the world.

In addition to that, he laid down the stats stating that it will help move three lakh people in the country who are solely dependent on sign language for learning at this point.

The actor’s independent record label IncInk which he created in collaboration with Navzar Eranee released music videos with sign language and this was the first and the only record label to do so.

The deaf community expressed their heartfelt appreciation for the video, last year in September.

The Gully boy (2019) actor said that he was delighted that the government took such a prominent and positive stand.

He expressed his gratitude towards the citizens who took part in signing the petition and urged the authorities to recognise the language.

He acknowledged their effort and said that everyone had their own role to play and this is a solid start towards raising as much awareness as possible in the days to come.

Ranveer’s record label partner Navzar shared that their song Vartalap allowed them to feel beyond their senses and this lead them to include the deaf community and to be educated about their struggles.

He was ecstatic that he had a chance to use this platform for a greater cause and was able to urge the supremacy to recognise the language in the nation.

New MP guidelines says students with criminal charges won’t get admission to universities or colleges

Abhinay Talkhedkar — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 17:04:43 +0000

Before doing any official thing, police verification is necessary. Police verification gives an idea of whether an individual is a criminal or not. The admission process will begin on August 1 and by the upcoming event, Madhya Pradesh’s higher education department has released rules blocking students with illegal charges from getting entries into educational institutions.

According to predictions, 1.17 million students will apply for admissions to higher establishments. If students submit the declarations of no pending cases against them, then only, they will get a chance to compete for seats. Colleges have got instructions about taking on the undertaking of students. If students offend teachers or administrative staff then too they will be thrown out of the institution.

On July 15, a new rule book for admissions was circulated in colleges. 48 pages have been utilised for establishing new processes and regulations. Students Federation of India’s State Secretary, Ajay Tiwari said, “First they banned direct student union elections and now this rule is to stop students from participating in the protests against the government.” Tiwari further mentioned that many students across the state were a part of protest against inflation, three farm laws, and corruption.

Students wing of RSS and ABVP called the rules to be bizarre and can’t create leaders. State secretary of ABVP said, “This will definitely end student politics and is against one’s right to education.”

Former HC judge AK Gohil called the rules to be discriminatory. He suggested that the colleges could give “provisional or conditional admission” to such students and if they are proved guilty, their admission should be cancelled.

National Education Policy 2020 becomes a year old, 10 more schemes declared by PM Modi

Abhinay Talkhedkar — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 13:25:24 +0000

The National Education Policy was the recent & beneficial approval given by the Government. On the successful completion of one year of NEP, PM Modi has announced ten more schemes on Education.

In July 2020, the Government approved the policy. The Ministry of Human Resource Development was renamed the Ministry of Education. This policy is special because it got released after a huge gap of 34 years.

On this day last year, India took a monumental step ahead in the education sector by introducing the National Education Policy.

The aim of this policy was #TransformingEducation sector and placing it at par with world-class systems which bring out the best in our students.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 29, 2021

Vidya Pravesh was launched for childhood education. The most intriguing element of this policy is the right given to a student to experience multiple entry and exit. confinement to one stream is over.

Today students have the chance to break the bondage of doing a career in just a single stream. If someone isn’t interested in something then he/she can leave that and attain something more triggering. Diksha platform is created for students to attain study material and it is open for students, teachers, etc. Daily, almost 5 crore people are exploring Diksha. Scanning the QR codes and downloading the books is the only task for attaining information.

These days, Foreign education is attracting people and so, 250+ universities have been designed to establish offices of international education.

Teachers will become Teacher Pro with the help of a new version of coaching known as NISHTHA 2.0. Teachers must get integrated training to develop students. Hereafter India will give birth to satisfied generations. National Education Policy facilitates freedom of choice. Many of the people talk about failed decisions about career and the reason behind it was compulsory subjects. Hereafter students will have various options for selection.

Education Minister proposes a conference for Class 12 board exam concerns in Assam Board Result 2021

Aryan Jakhar — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 16:42:11 +0000

Assam’s Education Minister, Ranoj Pegu, has proposed a forum to address any issues or grievances over the Assam Board results for class 12 in 2021. This forum has been created to assist people with any questions they may have after the results have been announced.

The Education Minister have announced today, July 1, 2021 that the board will also provide an option to the students to take an optional tests in order to improve their grades as a result of this.

The Education Minister, Ranoj Pegu made this announcement on his social media handle too. It said, “The Government of Assam forms a Grievance redressal forum to provide for proper redressal of any grievance or dispute of the students after [the] declaration of Higher Secondary Examination results.”

The Assam Board even have announced the evaluation criteria for both the classes, class 10 and 12 board exams earlier today. This criteria was announced after a committee was devised it over a period of many days. The Assam Board of Secondary Education (ASSE) results for classes 10 and 12 are expected to be released around July 31, 2021. However, allaying the curiosity of the students, the government has given an option to appear for the special board exams to be held around September 15.

Google Meet downs in India, students faces issues in online lectures

Govindraj Muttepawar — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 16:35:03 +0000

Google Meet is presently down for users in India. There are a number of stories of users unable to entry Google Meet for video calls. the Google Meet outage is unfold throughout completely different cities in India. Users have additionally crammed Twitter with complaints about Google Meet not working since morning.

Google Meet outage stories began early at round 7:00 am in the present day. By round 9:00 am, the outage noticed a spike amongst users, and it’s nonetheless excessive. The most reported drawback in keeping with the location is incapacity to hitch a meeting which is by 64% of the users. Users are additionally unable to login with round 19% of users going through this challenge. Around 16% of users are unable to begin a meeting on Google Meet.

The outage appears to be affecting India largely with the difficulty unfold throughout completely different cities. Cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru are witnessing the best variety of Google Meet issues.

Users are additionally tweeting about the Google Meet outage. Some users are getting kicked out of conferences immediately after becoming a member of the meeting, and in some circumstances the audio and video aren’t working

Maharashtra government postpones state board exams for class 10, 12 amid COVID-19 surge

Nitin Anand — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 11:44:03 +0000

On Monday, April 12, Maharashtra Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad announced about postponing the state board examinations amid spike in COVID-19 cases, as according to her, postponing the exams is the most pragmatic solution.

Maharashtra Education Minister shared a video message on her official Twitter handle and said, “Imp Announcement: Given the current COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, we’ve postponed state board exams for class 10th & 12th. The present circumstances are not conducive for holding exams. Your health is our priority.”

📢 Imp Announcement: Given the current #COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra, we’ve postponed state board exams for class 10th & 12th. The present circumstances are not conducive for holding exams. Your health is our priority. #PariskhaPeCharcha #HSC #SSC #exams (1/5) pic.twitter.com/cjeRZAT7ux

— Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) April 12, 2021

“Keeping in mind the schedule of entrance exams for professional courses,class 12th exams will be held by end of May, while 10th standard exams will be in June. We’re closely monitoring the health situation. Fresh dates for these exams will be announced accordingly,” Gaikwad adds.

“The decision is the outcome of consultations with various stakeholders-students, teachers, parents, elected representatives from across parties, academicians & tech giants- in the wake of rising coronavirus cases. I also thank CM of Maharashtra for his guidance & approval,” Gaikwad further adds.

In a series of Tweets, Maha Education Minister Gaikwad further writes, “During the consultations, various alternative assessment options were evaluated keeping the health, well-being and future of our students in mind. Postponing exams seemed to be the most pragmatic solution.”

Gaikwad also tells that the state government will request other boards also, like CBSE, ICSE, IB, Cambridge boards to reconsider their exam dates.

We'll also be writing to the CBSE, ICSE, IB, Cambridge boards, requesting them to reconsider their exams dates. (5/5)

— Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) April 12, 2021

Yesterday, on April 11, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with the Covid-19 taskforce in the state and all stakeholders were agreed on a “need for lockdown” in the state to contain the spread of Coronavirus infections.

Uddhav Thackeray will also hold another meeting today with state departments to discuss the imposition of lockdown in the state. The focus of today’s meeting is likely to be on standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for the lockdown.

In the last 24 hours, India reported 1,68,912 new COVID-19 cases and reached the milestone of highest single day surge

Leverage Edu obtains Rs 47 crore in Series A fund raise

Sanah Shah — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 12:17:38 +0000

Leverage Ed-tech Private Ltd, which functions LeverageEdu.com, UniValley.com, Ivy100.com and virtual fair platform UniConnect, has completed its Series A fund-raise of ₹47 crore in led by Tomorrow Capital, it said Thursday 18th February.

Tomorrow Capital has invested ₹26.5 crore and existing investors Blume Ventures and DSG Consumer Partners have put in an extra ₹20.5 crore in this round, half of which had been instilled couple of quarters ago. With this, the company has raised about ₹60 crore in total of the three rounds.

Four-year old Leverage Edu aids students find the correct program, destination and think via college education with an employability lens.

Outbound student mobility has increased by multiples in the past decade, helping Leverage Edu to progress. It has assisted over 3000 students this season.

“India is one of the largest global suppliers of international students and yet the biggest brands helping students in their admissions come from destination countries like USA, Canada and Australia, who don’t understand the unique perspectives and problems that the Indian student faces. We believe it is inevitable that the next stellar brand in the global cross-border education space will be a home-grown one,” said Rohini Prakash, CEO, Tomorrow Capital.

Leverage Edu has two main components of its business. It advises students to select the right program, country based on their mentoring workshops, helping them apply to universities and colleges across the world through its student platform OneView, and following this provides them value-added services like education loan, VISA, forex, accommodation options. Secondly, on the university side, it has a SaaS-enabled platform called Univalley.com, which helps Universities find best-matched talent for their various programs.

Amazon Academy, edtech platform launched to help students prepare for competitive exams

Devanshu Singla — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:49:08 +0000

Amazon India has launched an Amazon Academy to help students preparing for the JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) for entrance to engineering colleges. “The online preparation offering will equip students with in-depth knowledge and practice routines required for the JEE, through the curated learning material, live lectures and comprehensive assessments in Math, Physics and Chemistry,” the company said.

The beta version of Amazon Academy will be available free of cost on the web and the Google Play store.

“Amazon Academy will offer students a range of JEE preparatory resources at launch, including specially crafted mock tests by industry experts, over 15,000 handpicked questions with hints and detailed step by step solutions for practice”, the statement said.

In a statement, Amazon said that the learning material and exam content has been developed by expert faculty from across the country and the content is currently available for free and will continue to be for the next few months. Content resources available will also be beneficial for those preparing for BITSAT, VITEEE, SRMJEEE, and MET exams.

Amol Gurwara, Director, Education at Amazon India, said, “Amazon Academy aims to bring high quality, affordable education to all, starting with those preparing for engineering entrance examinations. Our mission is to help students achieve their outcomes while also empowering educators and content partners to reach millions of students. Our primary focus has been on content quality, deep learning analytics and student experience. This launch will help engineering aspirants prepare better and achieve the winning edge in JEE.”

23,000 Indian students to continue with online classes as China denies permission for flights

Arjun Kalia — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 09:33:07 +0000

While 23,000 Indian students in Chinese universities wait for institutes to open up, China has denied permission for India to operate chartered flights, citing reinforced strict Coronavirus measures with the ongoing pandemic situation globally, Livemint reported.

“In fact, with reports of resurgence of COVID-19 cases in China, authorities have further reinforced epidemic controls and restrictions on travel and entry into China. The suspension of visas of Indian nationals issued before November 2, 2020 is an instance of these enhanced controls,” the Indian Embassy said.

“Chinese authorities have denied permission for the operation of any chartered flights between India and China, citing their strict control measures,” it added.

Amongst 23,000 Indian students, most of them who belong to the medical stream are stuck in India as they await permission for their colleges to reopen while the Embassy continues to follow this issue keenly, it has been repeatedly advised by Chinese authorities that the “restrictions in place are not likely to be relaxed in the coming months and that students studying in China should be advised accordingly with respect to their studies for the next semester, which are likely to continue only through online means,” the statement said.

“Indian students to monitor its websites and social media channels to remain updated about the evolving situation with respect to the prospects of their return to China” Embassy advised.

Kyt Edtech raises $5 million in Series A funding round

Devanshu Singla — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 07:33:01 +0000

Kyt, an online education platform announced that it has raised $5 million in a Series A funding round. The investment is led by Alpha Wave Incubation (AWI), a venture fund managed by Falcon Edge Capital and saw participation from Sequoia Capital India’s Surge, January Capital, Titan Capital and other angel investors. Kyt claims to be the first Indian company to receive investment from Singapore-based January Capital.

Kyt in a statement said it will use these funds for expansion Abu Dhabi and setup the Emirates as its regional headquarters for targeting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Middle East/North Africa and other global markets. Kyt is also planning to build a world-class team of data scientists, product managers and engineers located in Abu Dhabi.

Kyt was launched in June 2020 by former Uber Eats India head Bhavish Rathod and wife Tripti Ahuja. Kyt offers online workshops and courses in dance, music, chess, musical instruments, yoga, public speaking and creative writing courses by combining live classes with video-based revision materials for children from ages 5 to 15 years, in a full-stack model.

Bhavik Rathod, co-founder and CEO said, “With Kyt, we are going beyond the conventional academic learning by building an academy that nurtures holistic and all-round development of children. It is essential to foster children’s interests and encourage learning that equips them with creative and real-world skills; thereby moulding their individual strengths and making them more confident. This new investment will greatly boost our efforts in providing a well-structured curriculum, designed by pedagogy experts and education consultants to help each child realize his/her potential.”

Kyt is looking forward to scaling its operations in the US, Canada, UK and Australia as it already has students from India, UAE and Singapore.

The platform provides a proper mix of training, assessment, feedback, and encouragement. With animated videos and games, the platform encourages kids to practice more and learn better.

“Extra-curricular learning is a critical aspect of a well-rounded education. Kyt has made it possible for students from every corner of the world to access quality learning from best-in-class teachers and practitioners in each field,” said Utsav Mitra, Investor at Falcon Edge Capital.

Kyt plans to increase the teacher strength from 20+ to about 500 and add more courses in the upcoming year.

Surge funding: Edu-tech platform, Kyt secures capital of USD 2.5 million

Shalmali Bhagwat — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 09:07:42 +0000

Edu-tech platform Kyt on Monday said it has managed to secure capital of USD 2.5 million (about Rs 18.5 crore) in funding from Sequoia Capital India’s Surge to further branch its online-first global academy for extracurricular learning.

Founded in June this year, Kyt works with technology to provide online-only live lessons to children from 5 to 15 years old. With head offices in India and Singapore, Kyt was founded by husband-wife duo Bhavik Rathod (former Uber India executive) and Tripti Ahuja. To date, over 1,000 students have associated with Kyt, and the platform has recruited more than 20 teachers.

The company plans to increase its teacher base to 500 over the next 12 months and include more subject courses, including chess, various musical instruments, public speaking, creative writing, and how to be a content creator, a statement said.

Kyt acts as the medium of contact between students and global educators, including Indian Chess Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, Philippines’ hip-hop legend Ruel Varindani and celebrity yoga instructor Sabrina Merchant.

“After speaking to several parents, we realised that there is a much larger need to provide high-quality courses that focus on the holistic and all-round development of the child, beyond just academics. With a strong team of curriculum designers, pedagogy experts and education consultants, we embarked on this vision to build an online-first, global academy for extracurricular learning for kids,” Kyt co-founder and CEO Bhavik Rathod said.

The future of education is a mix of online and offline learning, and the market size for primary and secondary extracurricular learning is pegged at USD 10 billion in India alone, and around USD 200 billion globally, Rathod added.

“While most learnings used to happen in physical spaces, there will be rapid adoption of online learning even beyond COVID-19, as these well-structured curriculums will build strong global communities, encouraging children to remain engaged over time,” he added.

Kyt is part of the group of companies united by Surge, a bi-annual rapid scale-up programme run by Sequoia Capital India for startups across Southeast Asia and India.

ICSE and ISC Compartmental result 2020 declared

Anu Jain — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 12:53:34 +0000

Results of ICSE and ISC Compartmental and Improvement Examinations 2020 have been announced on the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) official website. The council had conducted the compartment and improvement exams for the 10th and 12th standard from October 6 to 9, 2020, across the country.

Students who have appeared for the examinations can check their result online at cisce.org.

In July 2020, the council had announced the results for class 10 and 12 exams. The pass percentage of 99.34 per cent for class 10 exams has been recorded for this year which is up by 0.8 per cent year on year and the pass percentage for the class 12 exams stood at 96.84 per cent with a marginal increase.

How students can check their ICSE and ISC Compartmental and Improvement exam results 2020:

Visit the official website at cisce.org1(Direct link to the results page)

Click on ‘Results 2020’ then, select the class and login with your credentials.

Delhi: registrations for academic year 2020-21 under Non-Plan Admissions open till October 3 for class VI – IX & XI

Agatha Boustin — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 11:19:19 +0000

The Government of Delhi today announced the commencement of the second phase of registrations for the academic year 2020-21. The registrations will be for classes VI-IX & XI under the Non-Plan Admissions.

The Non-Plan Admissions, intended for transfers from private to government schools, usually happen every April, Indian Express reports.

Delhi Government issues a circular for the second phase of the Online Admission Process of Classes VI to IX & XI under Non-Plan Admissions 2020-21. The registration has been reopened today and will last till 3rd October: Delhi Government

— ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2020

UGC: New regulations make online and distance educational programmes easier to launch

Pravin Suryawanshi — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 07:08:39 +0000

New Delhi: On September 5, the University Grants Commission (UGC) finalized its integrated online and distance learning regulations to provide easier access to students. Under these regulations, the top 100 universities in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) or those with 3.26 or above National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) grades will be permitted to provide online courses without prior permission.

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ tweeted on this:

On #TeachersDay, @ugc_india integrated distance & online regulations notified in the gazette focusing on access & equity on one side and quality-centric autonomy to the universities on the other.#OurTeachersOurHeroes #TeachersFromIndia

— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) September 6, 2020

The decision to relax regulations for launching online programs was announced in the Union Budget 2020 and reiterated in July as part of the measures taken to offer relief during the crisis brought on by COVID-19.

UGC Chairman DP Singh previously told Careers360 that the commission is considering a blended learning option for institutes when they are allowed to reopen post-COVID-19.

“Keeping the changing environment in mind we are revising the regulations, we will allow universities having 3.01 grade in NAAC,” Mr. Singh said.

Institutions with a NAAC grade of 3.26 and above and feature in the top 100 in NIRF’s university rankings will not need separate permission to launch degree courses. The rest will need to seek permission, Mr. Singh added

Under the integrated regulations, more universities will be able to start ODL and Online programs, Mr. Pokhriyal said.

“The integrated regulations are student-centric. Many quality provisions have been made to ensure mobility, equivalence among different modes of education, complaint handling mechanism,” Mr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said on social media.

The minister further added that the integrated distance and online regulations are compliant to budget and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat announcements made by the government.

Only tuition fees to be charged by private schools: Delhi government

Anjana Krishna — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 05:30:30 +0000

The Delhi government on Monday extended its April 18 order that directed private unaided schools to not charge any fees except the tuition fees.

“All the private unaided recognised schools have directed no fees, except tuition fees will be charged from the parents during the lockdown period. Annual and development charges can be charged from the parents on a pro-rata basis and only on a monthly basis after completion of the lockdown period,” the order from the Delhi Education Department to the private school read. Schools can only demand fees on a monthly basis not quarterly or yearly and no hike in fees is permitted either. They were also warned of legal action against then under section 24 of Delhi School Education Act and Rules, 1973, or other applicable law if they violated the order.

Schools are also liable to provide online learning material without any discrimination to all students. The extension of the order comes as a huge relief to many parents facing a financial crisis during the lockdown.

Rajasthan Pre Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed ) exam to be held today

Anjana Krishna — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 05:50:30 +0000

The Rajasthan Pre D.El.Ed exam for admission to the Pre-D.El.Ed. (Pre Diploma in Elementary Education) course or Basic School Teaching Course in the Teacher Training Institutes in Rajasthan is going to be held today from 2-5 pm.

Over 6 lakh candidates are preparing to appear for the exam, last year over 7 lakh people took the entrance. The exam will be offline and had been postponed multiple times due to lockdowns.

Meanwhile, another teacher recruitment exam, Rajasthan Pre-Teacher Eligibility Test (PTET) which was scheduled to be held on September 6 has been postponed. Dungar College, Bikaner will conduct the exam.The PTET is held for admission to 2 year B.Ed. and 4 year BA-B.Sc. B.Ed. course.

NEET (UG) exam centers cannot be overseas, NTA tells Supreme Court

News Desk — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 07:39:27 +0000

Regarding the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test (NEET) Undergraduate (UG) 2020 examination, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has told the Supreme Court that conducting the exam overseas is not possible. Their affidavit filed on 11 August, stated that the exam needs to be conducted in a single shift at the same time on the same day to maintain uniformity. Further, the mode of the exam is a paper book format. Hence for the aforementioned reasons, overseas centres will not be feasible.

“Further, the question papers and other exam materials are to be transported from NTA headquarters to a large number of examination centres in various cities, which would require meticulous planning for safe and secure delivery of the same at the examination centres on time”, the affidavit stated.

The statement of the NTA comes after due consultation with the Medical Council of India (MCI). The MCI also clarified from its end that as the exam is conducted through Multiple Choice Questions in paper book format given to all candidates and, uniformity has to be maintained for all, therefore, NEET (UG) cannot be conducted in online mode for candidates abroad.

The affidavit also explained that while for JEE (Main) the question papers can be delivered to the examination centres half an hour before the examination in password-protected online mode, the same cannot be expected for NEET (UG).

Scheduled on 13 September 2020, the affidavit of the NTA was filed on a plea seeking directions to hold NEET centres in Gulf countries.

The plea, which was first dismissed by the Kerala High Court on June 30, was filed by parents of nearly 4,000 NEET (undergraduate) candidates. The plea wished for a postponement of the exam until the COVID-19 pandemic normalizes.

The parents of these candidates appealed against the High Court order in the Supreme court. The general secretary of Kerala Muslim Culture Centre in Qatar, Abdul Azeez said that the NTA had the capability and willingness to open exam centres in Gulf countries as they had been doing so for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) (Main).

The petition contended that the NTA has said it would open examination centres abroad only if the MCI approved the proposal.

The MCI, in its communication dated May 21, said that the online test for NEET is not possible, the plea in apex court stated.

“During these exceptional circumstances, the MCI and the Union government need to be flexible so as to facilitate these students to sit for NEET”, the plea said.

It said most students had registered with Indian embassies in Qatar, Oman, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia to travel to India on Vande Bharat mission flights and appear in the examination for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses in medical colleges, but they could not get seats on the flights as priority was given to other categories of passengers stuck abroad.

UGC vs Students : Twitter trends with students requesting on exam cancellation during the COVID-19 Pandemic

News Desk — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 13:49:07 +0000

With the decision on final year examination still on hold, the students have took to social media to write about the scenario. Many social media accounts seem to have been created calling the unity of the final year exam candidates. The tweets have gone trending with #politicsoverexam #studentsinSCforjustice #cancelfinalyearexam and so on.

https://twitter.com/students_unity/status/1292709939014561792

Students across the nation who were to appear for final semester examination in the month of March this year, are in dilemma of the status of conduct of the examination. Initially, the state government of Maharashtra and Delhi had given a green signal to the cancellation of the examination amid the pandemic. Later, this decision got overruled. The uncertainty has led to a prevalence of confusion and stress in the minds of students.

Social media has seen many expressing their concern on the topic. They are disappointed about the adjournment of the apex court today, which was to pass the final statement on the UGC guidelines and cancellation of the university examination.

😣🙁☹
Taarek pe taarek… Decision yet pending ! https://t.co/z86VQo0XL8

— swarna srikanth || स्वर्णा श्रीकांत (@SSwarnaSrikanth) August 10, 2020

Karnataka SSLC 10th results 2020 declared, here’s how to check

Muskan Jain — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 12:32:56 +0000

Karnataka KSEEB SSLC 10th Result 2020: The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) announced the result of class 10 or SSLC board exam today. Over 8 lakh students will be able to get their results today at the official websites – karresults.nic.in, kseeb.kar.nic.in and results.nic.in. The result was declared at 3 pm and this year’s pass percentage is 71.80 per cent. This year, six students scored 625/625 marks. These are Sannithi Mahabaleshwara Hegde from Sirsi, Chirayu from Bengaluru, Nikhilesh Murali from Bengaluru, Dheeraj Reddy MP from Mandya, Anush from Dakshina Kannada and Tanmayi from Chikkamagaluru.

Karnataka SSLC result 2020: How to check

Step 1: Visit the official websites – karresults.nic.in, kseeb.kar.nic.in and results.nic.in.

Step 2: On the homepage, click on the result link

Step 3: Enter your roll number and click on submit

Step 4: The result will appear on the screen

Karnataka is among the few boards which have announced the result based on all the exams. For most of the boards, the exams were cancelled but KSEEB opted to conduct exams amid the pandemic between June 25 2020 and July 4 2020 at various centres across the state. The state government claims to have held the exams amid strict norms to ensure the health and safety of students.

Haryana to enroll students through WhatsApp for education

Chittesh Dalmia — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 06:51:42 +0000

Haryana to enroll students through WhatsApp for education.

In a major relief for students who have passed class X from Board of School Education Haryana and want to enroll in class XI in the state’s government schools. Which can directly send their class X result. Along with necessary documents to the principal of school concerned on WhatsApp. And seek admission. Students are also not required to submit any fee currently.

As per the official release of the Haryana Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the decision is taken in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is in the interest of the students.

“As per this initiative of the State Government in view of the safety of students, the students will get admission to class XI while staying at their homes,” Haryana Education Minister, Kanwar Pal said.

The Education Minister congratulated Class X students of Board of School Education Haryana for their results. This year the pass percentage of regular students has been 64.59 per cent. While it was 57.39 per cent in the year 2019. And 51.15 per cent in the year 2018.

The move is a great leap towards online enrollment process. Relieving the students the hassle of physical forms and copies of documents.