Education News – Weekly Newsletter for February 1-7, 2011

Malaysian team to study mosque structures in Kerala (Lead superseding earlier story)

MALAPPURAM – A Malaysian team will arrive next month to study mosque structures in Kerala as a collaborative venture between the International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM) and Madin Islamic Academy (MIA) here.

In what is believed to be its first such accord with an Indian institution, the IIUM has entered into an agreement for academic …. Original source  : Malaysian team to study mosque structures in Kerala (Lead superseding earlier story).

Malaysian team to study Kerala mosques

MALAPPURAM – A Malaysian team will soon arrive to study mosque structures in Kerala as the first collaborative venture between the International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM),Jharkhand Liberation Tiger and Madin Islamic Academy (MIA) here.

In what is believed to be its first such accord with an Indian institution, the IIUM has entered into an agreement … Read more >>.

Children in France may be forced to learn English

LONDON – Children in France will be forced to learn the English language from as early as nursery school if President Nicolas Sarkozy gets his way, a media report here said.

Sarkozy, who has recently come under fire for his own grasp of French language, has said that he wants France’s youngsters to learn “the … Read more : Children in France may be forced to learn English.

For India’s Muslims, Vastanvi has got it right (Comment)

The controversy surrounding Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi, elected as vice chancellor of Darul Uloom in Deoband, a leading school of Islamic theology with followers across the world, would need to be viewed in the larger context of modernisation of education for India’s 160 million Muslims.

Reforms in education imparted in madrassas is the unique proposition … Read more >>>.

US justifies radio tags, says visa frauds serious

WASHINGTON – The United States has justified the use of radio ankle monitors on some students of a sham university in California, 95 percent of them from India, saying it takes charges of visa fraud “very seriously”.

“We take these allegations of immigration and visa fraud very seriously,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters …. Read the original article  : here.

Court upholds trial for La Marts principal, teachers

KOLKATA – A city court Monday turned down the appeal of the principal and three other teachers of La Martiniere for Boys School for quashing an earlier order for their trial for allegedly abetting the suicide of class VII student Rouvanjit Rawla.

Kolkata Sessions Court Chief Judge Dipak Saha Roy rejected the appeal filed by …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Sham varsity: US defends radio tagging, says probe on

NEW DELHI – The US Monday defended as “standard procedure” the radio tagging of Indian students, who face the prospect of deportation after the closure of a fake university in San Francisco rendered their immigration dubious, and stressed that it was probing the incident.

A day after External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna strongly …. Source article  : Sham varsity: US defends radio tagging, says probe on.

Duped Tri Valley students ignored red flags

WASHINGTON – Even as Indian missions in the US are making all out efforts to help hundreds of students caught up in an immigration scam by a sham university, diplomats acknowledge that most of them ignored several red flags.

Officially the Indian stand seems to be that the duped Indian students of Tri Valley University … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Duped Tri Valley students ignored red flags.

Dental students go on strike over t-shirt tiff

CHANDIGARH – Students of a Panjab University medical institute went on an indefinite strike Tuesday, following the institute director’s remarks over a girl’s t-shirt.

High drama was witnessed on the premises of H.S. Judge Institute of Dental Sciences after a female student levelled allegations against institute’s director Krishan Gauba of humiliating her in public.
The … Read more >>.

Government questioned on school’s refusal to admit poor

NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court Tuesday sought a response from the central and Delhi governments on a plea opposing a private school’s refusal to reserve seats for poor students claiming exemption from provisions of the right to education law.

Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw issued the notice to the human resource development ministry … Read more »»».

India to take up fake varsity issue, Rao heading to US

NEW DELHI – With the radio tagging of Indian students duped by a fake university in US triggering outrage in India, India Tuesday said it will ask Washington how such a dubious institute was allowed to function. The issue is set to dominate talks when Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao travels to the US later this …. Source article  : India to take up fake varsity issue, Rao heading to US.

Somnath Chatterjee to be honoured at Panjab University

CHANDIGARH – Former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee will be honoured with an honorary doctorate of law degree at the 60th annual convocation of Panjab University to be held here Feb 14, a university spokesman said Tuesday.

Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Shivraj Patil will address the convocation.
The university, which is the alma mater …. Source  : Somnath Chatterjee to be honoured at Panjab University.

Delhi nursery admissions: First list sees mixed bag

NEW DELHI – The first lists for nursery admissions to most of the capital’s private schools were out Tuesday and while some parents were overjoyed at their child making it, others were disappointed.

“We had applied to eight different schools in central and south Delhi. It was good to see our child qualifying for …. Source article  : Delhi nursery admissions: First list sees mixed bag.

Nepal president to attend Chandigarh institute convocation

CHANDIGARH – Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav will be the chief guest at the 31st annual convocation of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here Friday.

It would be a rare opportunity for Yadav, 62, to attend the convocation at his alma mater as the chief guest. He had done his …. Original source  : Nepal president to attend Chandigarh institute convocation.

Be catalyst for change, Alva tells Muslim girls

ALIGARH – Millions of girls representing the rural poor, the scheduled castes and tribes, the minorities and the urban slums remain out of the educational umbrella because of the way India’s formal education system has operated, says Uttarakhand Governor Margaret Alva.

Addressing the Founder’s Day programme at the Women’s College of Aligarh Muslim University …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Most UAE students start smoking before 14

DUBAI – More than 80 percent of students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) start smoking when they are as young as 14 years, a survey has found.

Tobacco use among teenagers remains a concern for health authorities as new data shows a quantum leap in the number of student smokers in the past five …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

A course seeks ways to tackle Islamophobia

NEW YORK – To deal with the spurt of hate crimes against Muslims that have seen a 17-fold increase post 9/11 terror attacks in the US, a course will be offered here to identify the issues that encourage such crimes.

Attacks on Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have “increased exponentially” not only in …. Source  : A course seeks ways to tackle Islamophobia.

Punjab wants road safety subject in schools

CHANDIGARH – The Punjab government wants road safety to be introduced as a subject in schools from the primary class level, a minister said here Wednesday.

State Transport Minister Mohan Lal said that there was a need to introduce road safety as a subject in all government schools from the next academic session.
The …. Source article  : Punjab wants road safety subject in schools.

Court questions university on ‘illegal’ study centres

NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court Wednesday questioned the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Sikkim Manipal University on allegations that the private varsity was illegally running 52 study centres in Delhi.

The division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna also issued orders to issue notices to the respondents UGC, … Read more »»».

Bihar junior doctors’ strike claims over two dozen lives

PATNA – Over two dozen patients admitted at six hospitals in Bihar have died during a strike by junior doctors that entered its third day Wednesday, officials said.

Hundreds of junior doctors are on an indefinite strike, demanding the arrest of a legislator and enforcement of the Medical Protection Act. The doctors are from … Original article on : Bihar junior doctors’ strike claims over two dozen lives.

Dental college strike over T-shirt tiff continues

CHANDIGARH – Students of a dental college affiliated to the Panjab University (PU) continued their strike here Wednesday to demand the resignation of their institute’s director who had asked a female student to take off her jacket and show her t-shirt.

Students of H.S. Judge Institute of Dental Sciences here went on an indefinite strike … Original source on Gaea Times at : Dental college strike over T-shirt tiff continues.

MCD schools asked to implement quota for poor

NEW DELHI – The Delhi government Wednesday asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to implement the guidelines on 25 percent reservation for students from economically weaker sections in primary public schools recognised by the civic body.

According to a statement, the government has asked the civic body to furnish a list of schools violating …. Source article  : MCD schools asked to implement quota for poor.

Canada’s Carleton to have ties with IIT Mumbai, Jindal Global University

TORONTO – Canada’s world-famous Carleton University is set to sign memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with various Indian educational institutions during the visit of it president and vice-chancellor to India next week.

Ottawa-based Carleton is the only university in the world to have a full-fledged India-centric Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology, Trade and Policy to … Original article on : Canada’s Carleton to have ties with IIT Mumbai, Jindal Global University.

Race on for Chandigarh medical institute’s top job

CHANDIGARH – Nearly 100 top names from the medical fraternity in the country are likely to be considered for the coveted post of director of the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here which falls vacant later this year.

Sources in the PGIMER said nearly 100 nominations from leading doctors and top medical … Original source on Gaea Times at : Race on for Chandigarh medical institute’s top job.

‘Right to education helping kids’ health too’

NEW DELHI – The Right to Education (RTE) Act, besides giving children between six and 14 years access to free and compulsory education, also helps their health as voluntary groups often target schools for their programmes, experts said Thursday.

Deworm the World (DTW), a voluntary organisation giving deworming medicine against intestinal parasites to children between …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

UPA focus on implementing Right to Education act: Sonia Gandhi

RAE BARELI – Congress president Sonia Gandhi Friday said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has made provision of around Rs.2.25 lakh crore for the next five years for implementing the Right to Education Act.

“For successful implementation of the Right to Education Act, our government is making every effort to assist the state … Read this article on Gaea Times at : UPA focus on implementing Right to Education act: Sonia Gandhi.

Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships announced

NEW DELHI – The US-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) has announced the opening of its annual competition for Fulbright-Nehru and other Fulbright fellowship opportunities for study, research, teaching and professional development in the US.

Outstanding Indian students, academics, teachers, policy planners, administrators and professionals in all disciplines can apply, an American embassy statement said Friday. …. Read the original article  : here.

Chandigarh institute awards degrees to 330 students

CHANDIGARH – Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Friday gave away degrees to 330 students at the 31st convocation of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here.

Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav was the chief guest at the convocation. Azad presided over the function held at Bhargava auditorium inside PGIMER premises.
Yadav felicitated around … Read more >>>.

India to get new medical colleges

CHANDIGARH – Giving a boost to medical education in the country, the health ministry will open new colleges and create more seats in government-run institutes.

“An ambitious scheme costing Rs.1,350 crore will be implemented soon to strengthen the fabric of medical education. An additional 4,000 seats in medical colleges run by the central government have …. Read the original article  : here.

Social, emotional skills boost success at school

WASHINGTON – Success at school comes with a combination of social, emotional and academic savviness.

A new analysis of school-based social and emotional learning programmmes has found that these do improve students’ attitudes and behaviours, even boost academic performance.
In the first large-scale analysis, researchers from Universities of Loyola and Illinois in the US …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Social, emotional skills boost success at school.

Right diet, rest, key to high marks: Experts

NEW DELHI – Students stressed about upcoming exams should focus on having a protein-rich diet and taking regular breaks between study sessions to score well, experts said here Saturday.

The first leg of Horlicks Mission Exams 2011 was launched here to help students and parents cope with the upcoming examination season.
A student workshop was …. Original source  : Right diet, rest, key to high marks: Experts.

US varsities taking holistic view of Asian students’ applications

NEW DELHI – The focus is shifting from the entrance test scores to a holistic assessment of the profiles of Indian and Asian students aspiring to pursue higher education in the US and Canada, officials said Saturday.

IDP Education India, one of the largest education placement companies in the world, is currently hosting global education … Read more >>.