Education News – Weekly Newsletter for December 20-27, 2010

PM stresses on food security, education

NEW DELHI – Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday that his government was determined to formulate a national food security act to ensure that no citizen goes hungry and also stressed on implementing the Right To Education (RTE) Act.

“We want that no citizen of our country must sleep hungry. We are determined about the … Read more »»».

Working with states to implement education act: PM

NEW DELHI – Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday called for cooperation between the states and the central government for implementing the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which provides for free and compulsory education to children aged 6-14.

Working together with the states, the Centre will make full efforts to implement the Right to Education … Read : Working with states to implement education act: PM.

Is campus violence making a comeback in Bengal?

KOLKATA – Is West Bengal rewinding to the anarchic days of student politics of the 1970s?

This is a question troubling people of the state with the latest incident of last Thursday when a second year student, Swapan Kole, was killed and 10 students were seriously injured in two separate clashes in the state between … Read more >>>.

‘Austerity’ named word of the year in US

LOS ANGELES – US dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster named “Austerity” as the word of the year Monday, reflecting the cost-cutting ethos that has gripped the US economy and culture.

“‘Austerity’ clearly resonates with many people,” said Peter Sokolowski, editor at large at Merriam-Webster, who monitors online dictionary searches. “We often hear it used in the context … Read more : ‘Austerity’ named word of the year in US.

State universities need more funds: Ansari

KOLKATA – Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari Monday said that higher education cannot improve in India unless state universities are able to obtain more funds, create new infrastructure and enrich their existing academic programmes.

Higher education cannot improve in India unless state universities, which are the backbone and represent the bulk of enrolment, are able … Read more : State universities need more funds: Ansari.

IAF-IGNOU educational accord to benefit 100,000 airmen

NEW DELHI – The Indian Air Force (IAF) Monday signed an agreement with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for a project to enable around 100,000 serving airmen to complete the bachelor’s degree in any stream, including arts, science, business and music.

According to the IGNOU-IAF project, called Akashdeep, the existing airmen training institutes … Read more >>.

Jamia professor gets young scientist award

NEW DELHI – A biotechnology professor at the Jamia Milia University has won the first prize in the young scientists award category in the third International Conference on Parthenium-2010 (ICP-2010), a statement said Monday.

Winner Mohammad Irfan Qureshi presented a paper in the field of plant molecular biology titled ‘Introducing the Weedomics: Understanding the Tolerance …. Original article  : Jamia professor gets young scientist award.

Australian teacher tells kids to ‘f- off and go home’

SYDNEY – A teacher in Australia, who was under scrutiny for snapping a girl student’s bra strap, told students to “f— off and go home”, a tribunal has heard.

Former Queensland state school physical education teacher David Doherty, 49, was also under scrutiny for joking about a boy’s sexuality, the Brisbane Times reported Monday.
The …. Read the original article  : Australian teacher tells kids to ‘f— off and go home’.

Aligarh varsity promises union polls, students end stir

ALIGARH – Students of the Aligarh Muslim University ended their 78-day long agitation late Sunday after the vice-chancellor gave them an assurance that students union polls would be held in January.

“In a meeting between 14 students and the university administration…it was resolved that election process of the AMU Students’ Union will be …. Source  : Aligarh varsity promises union polls, students end stir.

Srinivasa Ramanujan’s 91st Birthday Observed In Chennai

CHENNAI, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- It is the 91st birth anniversary of one of the most renowned mathematician of the nation, Srinivasa Ramanujan as the whole nation thrives itself to pay homage to the genius.
Professor R Sivaraman, founder of Pie Mathematics Association, is all set to deliver a lecture to his students regarding the great man, … Original source on Gaea Times at : Srinivasa Ramanujan’s 91st Birthday Observed In Chennai.

Protests rise against winter schools as Kashmir Valley shivers

SRINAGAR – The relentless cold wave and sub-zero temperatures have left thousands of students in the Kashmir Valley literally shivering in their classrooms, with protests rising against the government’s decision to keep schools open during the winter.

The minimum temperature plunged to minus 5.4 degree Celsius in Srinagar Wednesday and the meteorological department has warned … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Protests rise against winter schools as Kashmir Valley shivers.

Panjab University to hold ‘Job Fair 2011???

CHANDIGARH – The Panjab University will organise a mega job-fest ‘Job Fair 2011′ here for students of all 75 teaching and research departments in March 2011, it was announced here Tuesday.

According to officials, besides the 10,000-odd students passing out from the university in 2011, all other students are eligible to participate in the job-fest.
… Original article on : Panjab University to hold ‘Job Fair 2011′.

Over 10,000 violations of Right to Education in Delhi

NEW DELHI – Just nine months after the Right to Education (RTE) Act was implemented in India, promising free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of 6-14, over 10,000 cases of violation have been registered by a child rights body in the capital.

Some children were denied admission to school, some …. Source  : Over 10,000 violations of Right to Education in Delhi.

45,000 Kerala students to be trained in IT

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM – The Kerala government’s IT@School Project starting next week for six days will impart customised information technoloy training to 45,000 school students.

IT@School, which is the technology arm of the general education department of the Kerala government, was set up for empowering schools with latest information and communications technology (ICT)-enabled education, besides implementing e-governance … Read this article on Gaea Times at : 45,000 Kerala students to be trained in IT.

Bengal governor calls for action to end campus violence

KOLKATA – West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan Wednesday said some action needs to be taken to end the growing incidents of campus violence in the state.

“I had a discussion with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in this regard this Tuesday. Both of us have agreed that violence has to be end or it has to … Read more : Bengal governor calls for action to end campus violence.

AnimGraphix launches 3D educational tool

HYDERABAD – AnimGraphix New Media Wednesday launched an integrated electronic device 3D EduMagic aimed at instructing pre-school students through interactive classroom videos.

The company’s managing director Chandra Bhushan said the product provided an enjoyable 3D multimedia curriculum and was meant for developing cognitive, social, emotional and intellectual skills of the children.
The product comes … Read : AnimGraphix launches 3D educational tool.

A madrassa starts yoga, propagates communal harmony

KARARI – Shortly after reciting ‘Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim’ from the Holy Quran, hundreds of students at a madrassa here fall in line for their first lesson of the day – yoga taught by a Hindu teacher.

Imdadul-Jamia-Uloom Madrassa in Karari town in Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district has introduced yoga lessons for its 600-odd students.
… Read more : A madrassa starts yoga, propagates communal harmony.

Textbooks printed in India cost less: Bangladeshi official

DHAKA – Printing of Bangladeshi school textbooks in India cost nearly half of the expense incurred on printing these at home, an official said.

The cost of a book printed abroad was Tk23 ($0.32) whereas the government had to spend Tk44 for a book printed in Bangladesh last year. But the quality of the books … Original source on Gaea Times at : Textbooks printed in India cost less: Bangladeshi official.

India promotes entrepreneurial skills in developing world

NOIDA – When Fatima Alvarado saw the advertisement in a local newspaper in Costa Rica, she was excited. India was beckoning for a course in human resource development and entrepreneurship training and she had to apply fast. But before that she needed to convince her boss at the multinational company.

The boss’s nod was not … Original source on Gaea Times at : India promotes entrepreneurial skills in developing world.

Bitter cold forces review of Kashmir winter school

SRINAGAR – The bitter cold in the Kashmir Valley has forced authorities to mull closing the winter schooling that was started to make up for the classes lost during the months of unrest here earlier this year.

“It has almost been decided to close down the schools in the valley from January 1 as the …. Source article  : Bitter cold forces review of Kashmir winter school.

Congress leader demands appointment of Muslim academicians in varsities

BHOPAL – The chairman of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committees minority department Friday alleged that there has been deliberate negligence in the selection of teaching faculty from the Muslim community in state universities during the last five years.

Haji Mohammad Haroon Friday submitted a memorandum in this regard to Madhya Pradesh Governor Rameshwar Thakur, who is …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Congress leader demands appointment of Muslim academicians in varsities.

Jamia to host Inter-University hockey

NEW DELHI – Jamia Millia Islamia is going to host the Inter University Men’s Hockey Tournament (North Zone) Dec 28-Jan 4. Twenty-seven universities will participate.

The teams have been divided into four pools and 29 matches will be played amongst them. Of these, 23 will be played in the knockout stage and six at the …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Jamia to host Inter-University hockey.

In India, a school for democracies world over

NEW DELHI – They come every year from many countries to learn how the world’s largest democracy works, at a little known school in the Indian parliament that came up five years ago.

The latest bunch of 46 officials from 26 countries who attended the school have gone back impressed. The month-long 26th edition of … Read : In India, a school for democracies world over.

Bhagavad Gita studied by Hindus and Muslims in this school

LUCKNOW – Schools across the country may have modified textbooks over the decades, but an institution in Lucknow has persisted with the Bhagavad Gita as a moral science textbook for the last 75 years. Hindu as well as Muslim students have to study it.

Besides being the “prescribed book” for the moral science subject, the …. Source  : Bhagavad Gita studied by Hindus and Muslims in this school.