Month: January 2022

National webinar on Strengthening Indian Languages for Holistic Educational Attainment

 Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission organised a national webinar on Strengthening Indian Languages for Holistic Educational Attainment today, as part of the webinar series on Good Governance being held from 17th September, 2021 to 7th October, 2021. Minister of State for Education Smt. Annapurna Devi was the Chief Guest for the webinar.

Addressing the inaugural session, Smt. Annapurna Devi talked about the vision of Prime Minister towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. She stressed that preservation and promotion of Indian languages is crucial for the unity and integrity of nation. She highlighted that Indian languages have not received their due attention and care, with the country losing over 220 languages in last 50 years alone. The Minister said that teaching and learning of Indian languages need to be integrated with school and higher education at every level.

Smt Annapurna Devi stated that the National Education Policy will act as a medium of connectivity between local to global by creating an opportunity for teaching-learning in regional dialects and Indian languages. Further, she mentioned that the nation’s development is possible only by strengthening and preserving our Indian languages. Smt Devi emphasised the importance to extend academic and social support to strengthen Indian languages for holistic development of the education sector including learners and teachers.

Shri Amit Khare, Secretary, Higher Education while addressing the webinar touched upon the benefits of learning in our own mother languages such as developing critical thinking, building better understanding of knowledge system, etc. Shri Khare elaborated the role of NEP to revive Indian languages that are being extinct..

The Webinar Strengthening Indian Languages for Holistic Educational Attainment provided a platform for eminent academicians, educationalists, administrators to explore future ways of providing deserving attention and efforts to Indian languages, dialects to holistic development of the learners.

Prof. Sachhidananda Joshi, Member Secretary, Indian Gandhi national Centre for the Arts in his keynote address urged upon changing our perception of Indian languages. Majority of the knowledge is conceived from the age of 0-6 years and this is a crucial period of educating the young minds in their mother languages, he added. He talked about the linkages between culture and education as the two being inseparable yet independent. He urged to accommodate different words from different languages to enrich our dictionaries and vocabularies.

Secretary (HE), Shri Amit Khare, Chairman, UGC Prof. D.P. Singh, senior officials from Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission attended the webinar.

The technical session was chaired by Prof. Balwant Jani, Chancellor, Dr. Hari Singh Gour University, Sagar. Prof. Sanjay Dwivedi, Director General, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi; Prof. Hanuman Prasad Shukla, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha and Prof. R K.Pandey, Vice-Chancellor, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University addressed various aspects of Indian languages at the session as experts.

*****

SHAKESPEAREAN ROMANCES

“Romance” was not a generic classification in Shakespeare’s time. The plays of Shakespeare’s final period (1608-12) are called Romances. In Shakespeare’s own time they were simply classified as tragedies or comedies. These plays are Pericles, Cymbeline, The Tempest, and The Winter’s Tale. Perhaps another play The Two Noble Kinsmen also may be included in this group. They are called romances because they exhibit several characteristics of romance literature. 

Shakespeare must have written these plays under the influence of his younger contemporaries Beaumont and Fletcher whose tragic comedies were becoming very popular. The masques at the court of James 1 also must have influenced Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s romances are, in fact, neither tragedies nor comedies but are a mixture of both.
Dowden has pointed out that the last plays of Shakespeare reveal sobriety, serenity, and sanity as contrasted with the storm and strain of the tragedies. They supplement the tragedies with their more relaxed atmosphere and are marked by great forbearance, a sense of reconciliation, and forgiveness. However, Lytton Strachey thinks that these plays express a mood of boredom rather than serenity.

Romance is a natural step in describing the human experience after a tragedy. In Romance, time seems to be “reversible”; there are second chances and fresh starts. As a result, categories such as to cause and effect, beginning and end, are displaced by a sense of simultaneity and harmony. The tragedy is governed by a sense of Fate (Macbeth, Hamlet) or Fortune (King Lear); in Romance, the sense of destiny comes instead from Divine Providence.
Tragedy depicts alienation and destruction, Romance, reconciliation, and restoration. In tragedies, characters are destroyed as a result of their actions and choices; in Romance, characters respond to situations and events rather than provoking them. Shakespeare had made use of romance material throughout his career The Two Gentlemen of Verona is based on a famous romance, for instance, and small-scale masques are performed in many plays, while others contain masque-like elements.

The romances of Shakespeare have certain common characteristics. They have motifs common in romance literature such as improbable happenings, separation, wanderings, reunion, and reconciliation. They contain several elements of the tragicomedies made popular by Beaumont and Fletcher. There are only a few memorable characters in these plays Shakespeare has returned to his lyrical style of the earlier plays.

The main characteristics of the Shakespearean romances:

  • The scene of these plays is unknown, remote and the setting is imaginary. Cymbeline is set in early Britain and the setting of The Tempest is somewhere in the Mediterranean.
  • The happenings are fanciful. There is no logical cause-and-effect relationship. In the light of reason, the events may appear absurd. The feats of magic in The Tempest, the concealment of Hermione for sixteen years in The winter’s Tale, and the abduction of the two sons of Cymbeline would appear unnatural. But in Shakespeare’s world of imagination, these events are delightful.
  • Characters are types. They do not have the marked personalities of the characters in the great comedies or tragedies. However, heroines are more memorable than heroes. Miranda, Perdita, and Imogen are lovely but weak. Villains like Iachimo in Cymbeline and Leontes in The Winter’s Tale are not hardened, villains. Even Ferdinand in The Tempest is no match for Benedick or Orlando.
  • The supernatural element is predominant in romances. The Tempest and Cymbeline are examples. The Tempest also shows Prospero’s magic and the elusive character Ariel. In The Winter’s Tale, the Delphic Oracle is introduced and in Pericles, the King’s wife Thaisa becomes a priestess in the temple of Diana. 
  • In romance’s sea is dominant. There is a shipwreck in Pericles and The Tempest. Sea voyages are mentioned in all of them. Sea is the symbol of regeneration.
  • The romances are marked by a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness. In The Tempest, Prospero forgives his wicked brother Antonio; in Cymbeline posthumous reconciles with Hermione.

India is building global competencies to fulfill 21st century aspirations

 ‘India is building global competencies to fulfill 21st century aspirations’, said Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development at 5th East Asia Summit (EAS) Education Ministers Meeting. Shri Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for Education and senior officials of the Ministry also attended the meeting.   

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Pradhan reaffirmed India’s commitment foster long-term and mutually beneficial educational cooperation in sync with the complementarities outlined in the Manila Action Plan.

 

 

The Minister shared the objectives of India’s National Education Policy, including universalisation of education, ensuring equity, quality, affordability & flexibility, technology-based learning and several others which uphold the principles of the Manila Action Plan on Education.

Shri Pradhan spoke about the multi-modal digital interventions, like PM-eVidya, Swayam, Diksha, etc which ensured continuity of learning during the pandemic and also on the continuous efforts to ramp up the digital infrastructure to facilitate on demand learning and bridge the digital divide.

The Minister said that in line with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India remains committed to forge meaningful partnerships in making education and skills more inclusive, affordable, equitable, vibrant and aspirational.

Shri Pradhan also reaffirmed India’s support to strengthening research and academic collaborations, including in TVET, promoting student & academic exchanges for fulfilling aspirations of the students.

*****

Webinar on ‘Sabka Prayaas: Collective Partnership’

 The Ministry of Education along with the University Grants Commission organized a webinar on Sabka Prayaas: Collective Partnership today. The webinar was a part of a series of webinar being organized by the Government of India on Good Governance from 17th September 2021 to 7th October 2021. Union Minister of Education and Skill Development Shri Dharmendra Pradhan,  Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles,Shri Piyush Goyal ; Secretary,  Higher Education Shri Sanjay Murthy; Chairman, UGC Prof D.P Singh and senior officials of the Ministry and UGC attended the webinar.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan highlighted the importance of good governance. He said that during the covid pandemic, India was one of the leading countries to offer a helping hand to the world. He added that the next 25 years will be crucial for future generations to lead the country towards a more glorious future. 

The Minister emphasised on the importance of people’s participation in making a self-reliant India. “Jan-Bhagidari is a key pillar of Modi Government’s governance model”, he added.  

Mentioning Prime Minister’s call for “Sabka Prayaas”, he called for furthering the spirit of Sabka Prayaas and working together to build an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

UnionMinister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal focused on the need for setting up Kaushal Vikas Kendras in newly granted Textiles Parks across India, that will offer great quality goods with right price. He said that the world is looking at India as a trusted partner for skilled manpower with enormous possibilities of education attracting foreign institutions and students to come to India as their preferred study destination.

He further shared his views on the National Education Policy, 2020 being a key example of Sabka Prayaas by bringing together lakhs of suggestions received by local self-government, higher education institutions, students and citizens of India. He stressed that NEP 2020 will help fulfil the dream of Mahatma Gandhi’s Gram Swaraj where every single person in rural India will be empowered with education and skills.

Shri Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Higher Education highlighted the importance of the NEP 2020 and its alignment to delivering good governance while focusing on the collective partnership of government departments, NGOs, civil societies, private players and most importantly the common man.

Prof. D.P. Singh, Chairman, UGC in his opening remarks talked about improving the quality of India’s education system with the slogan given by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi- Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayaas. The welcome address was given by Prof. Rajnish Jain, Secretary.

 

The webinar on Sabka Prayas: Collective Partnership helped bring together people from academic institutions, Ministries and educationists to share a platform for furthering discussion on Good Governance.

The technical session was chaired by Prof. R.P. Tiwari, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Punjab and former Member-UGC. Prof. Nageshwar Rao, VC, IGNOU, Prof. Rakesh Mohan Joshi, IIFT and Prof. Prakash Singh, University of Delhi addressed the technical session. 

The webinar deliberated on issues of Good Governance with a focus on the role of collective effort and partnership for achieving the same. The discussions focused on strategies that would enable and promote collective partnership for realisation of goals of the National Education Policy, 2020. An important takeaway of the webinar was the significance of collective partnership to empower people, improve the education system, end poverty, boost our economic growth and ultimately leaving no one behind. Discussions and ideas shared from the webinar will help in the fulfilling the goals of delivering good governance in education. 

*****

youth to act as catalysts of social change at the grassroots

 Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today launched the phase-II of Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship, a two-year long fellowship conceived to create opportunity for young, dynamic individuals to contribute to enhancing skill development at the grassroots.

The two-year fellowship seeks to combine classroom sessions by academic partner IIMs  with an intensive field immersion at the district level to create credible plans and identify barriers in raising employment, economic output, and promote livelihoods in rural areas.

Shri Pradhan while speaking on the occasion, called upon fellows to act as catalysts of social change at the grassroots by driving skill development efforts. He also called upon district collectors and academic partner IIMs to facilitate the fellows and script a success story of change through this fellowship.

He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we are moving towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Tremendous transformations taking place across sectors will create demand for new skills and more skilled professionals and thus calls for skill mapping at district level and directing skill development efforts accordingly, he added.

In line with the requirements of 21st century and local realities, Shri Pradhan called upon the fellows to work with global thinking and local approach including integrating local language in the skill development efforts.

Speaking about the National Education Policy 2020, Shri Pradhan outlined the vision to create strong convergence between education and skills and recent initiatives in this direction including the Academic Bank of Credit. He called upon the IIMs to make the fellows aware about the National Education Policy.

Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, MSDE; Ms Anuradha Vemuri, Joint Secretary, MSDE; Shri Ashwin Gowda, Mission Director, Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC); Mr Swapnil Tembe, District Collector, East Garo Hills, Meghalaya; Mr P. Sunil Kumar, District Collector, Vijayapura, Karnataka and Prof Arnab Mukherji, IIM Bangalore.

Details about the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship:

To operationalise the mission and strengthen the skill training delivery mechanism in the country, Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP), a World Bank loan assisted program, was launched by the Ministry of Skil Development and Entrepreneurship in January 2018.

SANKALP engages with District Skill Committees (DSCs) to effectively reduce the mismatch between the supply and demand of skilled manpower in the country, thereby creating decent opportunities for the youth to work and earn.

The MGNF program under SANKALP was designed to provide a cadre of professionals at District level who not only know about governance and public policy in general but vocational education too. MGNF is a unique blend of academic and work-based training handled at the IIM campus and the districts, respectively. The academic module familiarizes the Fellows with concepts from Management, Development Economics, Public Policy and the District Skills Ecosystem. During the fieldwork (District Immersion), the fellows shall work within the district with DSC officials on skilling challenges facing the district. Along with the DSC officials, they shall put together District Skill Development Plans (DSDPs) and implementation road maps. MGNFs shall assist the districts on evidence-based planning and management of skilling in the districts. The sharp focus on developing skills for local needs gives impetus to the “vocal for local”, and also building an industry-relevant skill base will help the cause of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

MGNF is an opportunity for young women and men in the age group of 21-30 years who already possess some level of academic or professional expertise for providing catalytic support to the district administration to improve the skill development program delivery.

MGNF Phase-I (Pilot): Launched with IIM Bangalore as Academic Partner and 69 are Fellows currently deployed in 69 districts across 6 States.

MGNF Phase-II (National Roll Out): Being launched on 25th October with 661 MGNFs who will be deployed across all districts of the country. 8 more IIMs have been on boarded taking the total to 9 IIMs (IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM-Jammu, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, IIM Nagpur, IIM Ranchi, IIM-Udaipur and IIM Visakhapatnam)

******

Four Year Integrated Teacher Education Programme

 Ministry of Education notifies the Four Year ITEP, a dual-major holistic bachelor’s degree offering B.A. B.Ed./ B. Sc. B. Ed. and B.Com. B.Ed. which is one of the major mandates of the National Education Policy 2020 related to Teacher Education.As per the NEP, 2020, teacher engagement from the year 2030 onwards will be only through ITEP. It will be offered in pilot mode initially in about 50 selected multidisciplinary institutions across the country. 

National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) under Ministry of Education has devised the curriculum of this course in such a way that it enables a student-teacher to get a degree in education as well as a specialised discipline such as history, mathematics, science, arts, economics, or commerce. ITEP will not only impart cutting-edge pedagogy, but will also establish a foundation in early childhood care and education (ECCE), foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), inclusive education, and an understanding of India and its values/ethos/art/traditions, among others.  The Year ITEP will be available for all students who choose teaching as a profession after secondary, by choice. This integrated course will benefit students since they will save one year by finishing it in four years rather than the customary five years required by the present B.Ed. plan. The commencement of Four Year ITEP will be from the academic session 2022-23. Admission for the same will be carried out by the National Testing Agency (NTA) through the National Common Entrance Test (NCET). This course will be offered by multidisciplinary institutions and will become as the minimal degree qualification for schoolteachers.

The Four Year ITEP is a milestone achievement in fulfilling one of the major mandates of National Education Policy 2020. The course will contribute substantially to the revitalization of the whole teacher education sector. The prospective teachers passing out of this course through a multi-disciplinary environment, grounded in Indian values and traditions will be instilled with the needs of 21st century on global standards, and hence will be largely helpful in shaping the future of New India.   

******

Pandemic preparedness in J&K

 Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today reviewed pandemic preparedness in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. 

During the high-level online meeting connecting different districts ranging from Jammu to Srinagar as well as the two divisional headquarters of Kashmir and Jammu respectively, the Minister advised setting up of a designated Dashboard for real time updates related to the ongoing third wave. He also issued a number of other instructions in the wake of the course being followed by the third wave.

Description: C:\Users\admin\Desktop\covid.jpg

The meeting was attended, among others, by Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Dr Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, Pandu Rang Pole, Mayor Jammu Chandra Mohan Gupta, Mayor Srinagar Junaid Mattoo, Director General Health Dr Salim Rehman, DDC Chairmen of different districts, Municipal Council Heads, District Development Commissioners and other concerned officials and representatives.

Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, Pandu Rang Pole and Raghav Langar respectively, informed the Minister that by and large there was no major concern in each of the two Divisions. In Kashmir Division, among the cases tested for Genome Sequencing so far, there was no one reported as Omicron case, whereas from Jammu Division three cases had been reported. The vaccination process was almost complete barring a few farflung pockets in districts like Kishtwar.

DC Srinagar Mohammad Aijaz and DC Ramban Mussarat Islam also offered an update regarding weather related constraints in their respective districts. 

Dr Jitendra Singh advised setting up of at least one Dash Board each in the office of Divisional Commissioner Jammu and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir respectively for real time information, which could be shared and could also offer regular inputs for follow up. He also suggested setting up of a Public Helpline in order to build up the confidence of the common masses. 

Observing that in certain instances, there was a delay in communication between District administration and Health Department, Dr Jitendra Singh suggested setting up of a Whatsapp Group of all the concerned. He said, much of the improvement in our performance and delivery can be achieved by using existing technologies, which are already available. 

As of now, Dr Jitendra Singh observed that most of the positive cases in the third wave have remained asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic with flu like symptoms which invariably wane away in 4-5 days. However, he said, there is no room to be complacent because during the second wave also, there was a surge in the later weeks and, therefore, the next few weeks will determine the nature and course of this week’s wave of pandemic we are going through. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said that during the first wave in early 2020, there was a regular mechanism for regular monitoring of different districts and a regular coordination between the Centre and the UT. He said, the same mechanism would be evolved if required, but meanwhile the functionaries in the administration and elected representatives were free to be in touch with his office as and when required, whenever there was any coordination or intervention needed.

The Minister was informed that while the night curfew has been imposed in Jammu, no decision has yet been taken on imposing weekend lockdown on the pattern of Delhi-NCR. 

There was a general demand for expediting the Genome Sequencing facility, in response to which the Director General Health informed that necessary steps had already been taken in this direction. 

*****    

Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Culture and Tourism

 Key Highlights

  1. The long standing demand of the people of Manipur, Tripura and South Assam was fulfilled by inauguration of special trains Jan Shatabdi connecting Agartala – Jiribam – Agartala. The inaugural special trains were flagged off from Agartala and Jiribam railway stations simultaneously.
  2. The priority that the Prime Minister accords to the North eastern states is evident from the fact that budgetary allocations to the North Eastern states have nearly doubled in the last 7 years Rs. 36,107.56 crore in 2014-2015, to Rs. 68,020 crore in 2020-2021.=
  3. The government is consistently working towards the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s ‘HIRA’ model of development that prioritizes Highways, Information ways, Railways and Airways.

The first Janshatabdi express trains connecting the states of Manipur and Tripura via Assam was flagged off today by Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw,  Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology and by  Shri G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister For Culture, Tourism And Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) through video link from Railway Board in the presence of Chief Minister of Manipur Shri Nongthombam Biren Singh and Chief Minister of Tripura, Shri Biplab Kumar Deb. 

The long standing demand of the people of Manipur, Tripura and South Assam was fulfilled by inauguration of special trains Jan Shatabdi connecting Agartala – Jiribam – Agartala. The inaugural special trains were flagged off from Agartala and Jiribam railway stations simultaneously. 

Shri G. Kishan Reddy, Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER said that the special trains will be a crucial link to important towns and provide a major boost to passenger connectivity, trade and tourism. He said that under the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s leadership, the North East Region is taking important strides towards development.

“The Prime Minister’s priority towards the Northeastern States is evident from the fact that budgetary allocations have nearly doubled in the last 7 years from Rs. 36,107.56 crore in 2014-2015, to Rs. 68,020 crore in 2020-2021”,  he said.  The Minister added that with the unprecedented development initiatives and infrastructural growth, the North East Region is set to become the growth engine of the rest of India. 

The Minister also highlighted the fact that the region is naturally blessed with abundant resources and the Ashtalakshmi States have their own inherent potential to become global hubs in different sectors be it agro-horticulture, organic farming, textiles, tourism etc. He said that good connectivity is the key to achieving progress on all the fronts and realizing the true potential in all the sectors and spoke about the government’s effort in consistently working towards Hon’ble Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi’s ‘HIRA’ model of development that prioritizes Highways, Information ways (Internet), Railways and Airways. 

Dwelling on each of these vital infrastructure elements, the Hon’ble Minister said that the National Highway construction saw more than a 25% increase in road length in the last 7 years and that the impressive pace of work is evident from the fact that road and highway projects worth 85,631 crore are currently ongoing in the eight NE States and another 80,000-crore worth of projects are planned for the next two years. 

The Minister also expressed his gratitude to the Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw for the various initiatives that Railways was undertaking in enhancing connectivity in the tough hilly terrain of the region. The Minister highlighted 14 new railway line projects that have been taken up at a total cost of Rs. 56,553 crore and that the Capital connectivity project is opening new doors of opportunities in almost all the sectors and laying the groundwork for further development. The Minister also dwelled on the crucial Agartala-Akhaura project that is currently being developed at a cost of Es. 972.5 crores linking India to the Bangladesh Rail Network holds tremendous economic and strategic significance. 

The Minister said that Air Connectivity has also improved on an unprecedented scale. He observed that Guwahati has today become one of the busiest airports of the nation and the two major Capital Green Field Air Connectivity Projects are being undertaken in NER – Holongi-Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh sanctioned with a cost of Rs.955.37 Cr. and the Pakyong Airport, Sikkim sanctioned with a cost of Rs. 553.53 Cr. 

The Minister also brought to light the Government’s initiatives in enhancing Digital connectivity in the North eastern region in spite of the hilly and challenging train. 4G mobile connectivity and Wi-Fi Connectivity for village Panchayats is being enhanced at a rapid pace. Almost 6,000 Gram Panchayats are service ready and a total of 9461 FTTH connections have been provided. This digital connection will give wings to the aspiration of the youth and work towards bringing about the 4th Industrial revolution in the region.

After this, the Minister of Railways, Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw spoke and expressed his gratitude to all stakeholders in collaborating with the Ministry of Railways in ensuring their speedy execution.

He highlighted that the Prime Minister had a special place in his heart for the Northeastern region and always exhorted all stakeholders for the speedy execution of projects in the Northeast region.  

The Ministers then flagged off the trains. The scheduled tri-weekly service of train No. 12097/12098 Agartala –Jiribam – Agartala Janshatabdi Express on Monday, Wednesday and Friday will commence w.e.f 10-01-2022 (Monday). The train will leave from Agartala at 06-00 hours to reach Jiribam at 12-00 hours. In return direction, the train will leave from Jiribam at 16-00 hours to reach Agartala at 22-00 hours.

 

The inaugural programme was graced by Shri Nongthombam Biren Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur through video link and Shri Biplab Kumar Deb, Chief Minister of Tripura. Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, Education; Pratima Bhoumik,  Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment; Vungzagin Valte, Minister for Transport & GAD, Tribal Affairs & Hills Govt of Manipur; Pranajit Singha Roy, Minister for Transport, Tourism, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt of Tripura; MPs Jharna Das Baidya, Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba, M.C. Mary Kom,  Rebati Tripura, Kripanath Mallah, Dr. Lorho S. Pfoze;  MLAs Mimi Majumdar, Rajkumar Imo Singh and  Ashab Uddin were also present during the occasion at different inaugural places.

The first Janshatabdi express train from Manipur to Tripura via Arunachal station (Silchar) in Assam will connect some important and historic towns like Silchar, Badarpur, New Karimganj, Dharmanagar and Ambassa apart from Jiribam and Agartala the two terminal stations. The Train journey will minimize the travel time by half as the journey time will be around 06 hours covering a distance of 300 Kms against about 12 hours or so it takes to travel by road.

This service will give an impetus to the trade, tourism and transportation sector in this region including the three states. At present there is no direct train between Manipur and Tripura and only one train runs between Agartala and Silchar that too in the morning hours. The Janshatabdi train will now provide direct connectivity to the people of Manipur going to Tripura for Educational and Health facilities and people of Tripura also get the opportunity to visit Manipur for trade, tourism etc boosting the overall economy of the region.

***

Food & Public Distribution, Government of India

 The Secretary Department of Food and Public Distribution under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution,  Shri Sudhanshu Pandey  held a meeting with the Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka wherein the settlement of procurement incidental claims, preparations of the state for procurement operations, setting up of units for production of fortified rice kernels, distribution of fortified rice, encouraging production of millets, setting up of ethanol blending units etc. were discussed. 

The Secretary informed the state that the procurement incidentals claims and distribution subsidy amounts to the extent of automated EPOS distribution quantities are already approved for payment to the state. He further informed that the state should have their procurement and distribution plans approved from the department well in advance and that the revised guidelines for procurement and distribution of course grains will be stretching to a period of 10 months.

Description: C:\Users\HP\Desktop\MoCAFPD\2022\January\08\WhatsApp Image 2022-01-08 at 5.59.48 PM.jpeg

Shri Pandey further informed that 2023 being declared as International year of Millets and Karnataka being large producer of Ragi, the state should gear up with increased production of millets and tie up with the Indian Institute of Millets in Hyderabad for increased market penetration of millet products through start-ups. The Secretary Food further informed that the requirement of millets of other states can also be met by Karnataka with centre bearing all the handling and transportation costs.

He informed that the centre has already approved procurement of local verities of paddy in Udupi and Dakshin Kannada for self-consumption by the state. On the request of Chief Secretary for release of advance subsidy, it was informed that the state should send their provisional expenditure before commencement of procurement operations based on which advances can be released.

Drawing the attention of the state to the important project of the Centre which is distribution of Fortified Rice under ICDS and MDM schemes, he suggested that the state health department should be roped in for monitoring the health developments of such children. As the state has ambitious plans of increased paddy procurement he suggested that the fortified rice can be procured locally with FRK units being established on long term objective of 100% fortified rice for aspirational and heavy burdened districts. He suggested that the state should do the fortification of rice at milling stage itself.

With Karnataka being one of the largest producer of sugar, Secretary Food suggested that the ethanol production and blending has to be encouraged as Karnataka is one of the eight identified states planned for introduction of 100 ethanol bunks in metros. 

The Chief Secretary has suggested to have one unified software for procurement operations to which the secretary had informed that the same is under consideration.

The secretary had informed that one nation one ration for migrant labours, coffee plantation workers and other settlement workers engaged in construction activities can be actively taken up by the state for real benefit of the poor.  

*****************

Urea and DAP Production by using 'Green Hydogen

 Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri Mansukh Mandaviya today chaired a high level meeting to make Atmanirbhar Bharat in Urea and DAP Production by using ‘Green Hydogen’. During the meeting the Minister urged the officials of Department of Fertilizers to take necessary steps for sustainable agriculture and green future of India.

In the Independence Day speech on 15.08.2021, Prime Minister announced the launch of National Hydrogen Mission and stated the goal to make India a global hub for Green Hydrogen production and export. The Mission proposes a framework for inter alia creating demand for Green Hydrogen in sectors such as petroleum refining and fertilizer production; support for indigenous manufacturing of critical technologies; Research & Development activities; and an enabling policy and regulatory framework. The proposed steps will lead to the development of additional renewable energy capacity for Green Hydrogen production.

*****

Global Surya Namaskar Demonstration programme on Makar Sakranti

 The Ministry of AYUSH is organizing a global Surya Namaskar Demonstration programme on 14 January 2022 for 75 lakh people globally (on the day of Makar Sakranti to commemorate the journey of the sun to the Northern Hemisphere). This occasion commemorates thanksgiving to ‘Mother Nature’ for bestowing health, wealth and happiness. On this day, the ‘Surya Namaskar’ is offered as a salutation to the Sun to exhibit one’s gratitude for each of its rays as it nurtures all living beings. The Sun, as the primary source of energy, is critical not only for the continuation of the food-chain but it also energizes the mind and body of human beings. Scientifically, the Surya Namaskar has been known to develop immunity and improve vitality, which is significant to our health during pandemic conditions. Exposure to the Sun further provides the human body with Vitamin D, which has been widely recommended in all medical branches around the world.

The mass Surya Namaskar demonstration also intends to carry the message of climate change and global warming. In today’s world where climate consciousness is imperative, the implementation of solar e-energy (green energy) in daily life will greatly reduce carbon emissions that threaten the planet. 

Further, the event will underline the importance of Makar Sakranti in our cultural and spiritual heritage. The Surya Namaskar is a set of 8 Asanas performed in 12 steps with coordination of the body and mind. It is preferably performed in the early morning.

For Registration visit:

https://www.75suryanamaskar.com

https://yogacertificationboard.nic.in/suryanamaskar/

https://yoga.ayush.gov.in/suryanamaskar

******

Bhasha Sangam initiative for schools, Bhasha Sangam Mobile App and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Mobile Quiz

 Language learning to be promoted as skill with formal credit earning system said Union Education and Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan during launch of Bhasha Sangam Initiative for schools, Bhasha Sangam Mobile App and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Quiz App, to commemorate Rashtriya Ekta Diwas which is celebrated on October 31 every year to mark the birth anniversary of Shri Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Shri Pradhan stated that the National Education Policy 2020 outlines the vision to lay emphasis on promotion of Indian languages. Going forward, language learning will be promoted as skill with formal credit earning system, he added. The Minister said that the country is celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to mark 75 years of India’s independence. The initiatives launched today will facilitate our students to embrace the linguistic diversity of our nation and sensitize them about the richness of our culture, heritage and diversity, he added.

Bhasha Sangam is an initiative of the Ministry of Education under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, to teach basic sentences of everyday usage in 22 Indian languages. The idea is that people should acquire basic conversational skills in an Indian language other than their mother tongue. We are aiming that at least 75 lakh people should acquire this skill during the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav period.

           Initiatives launched under Bhasha Sangam today:

  1. An initiative for school children that is being made available on DIKSHA, ePathshala and through 22 booklets
  2. Bhasha Sangam Mobile App developed in collaboration with myGov, by a start up called Multibhashi
  3. A Mobile App based quiz with over 10,000 questions on states of India developed by Nazara  Technologies through the Innovation Cell of this Ministry 

 

Bhasha Sangam Initiative for schools 

  • Developed by NCERT
  • 100 sentences in 22 scheduled languages are presented in such a way that children in school will be able to read in the Indian language, in Devanagari script, in roman script and translations into Hindi and English. 
  • 100 sentences are presented in audio and video form with Indian Sign Language. 
  • Through this programme of Bhasha Sangam learners in school will be able to get acquainted with all the languages-their scripts, pronunciation 
  • Available on DIKSHA, ePathshala and 22 booklets

 

Bhasha Sangam Mobile App 

  • This is an initiative of DoHE, in collaboration with MyGov
  • The App has been developed by a start up Multibhashi, selected by myGov through a competition
  • The App initially has 100 sentences of every day usage in 22 Indian languages. These sentences are available in both Roman script and in the script of the given language, and also in audio format. More sentences will be added to the list 
  • A learner will pass through stages on the basis of testing. There is also a detailed testing in the end with generation of digital certificate
  • Available in both Android and iOS

 

EBSB Quiz App 

  • EBSB Quiz game is targeted toward children and youngsters of Bharat for helping them learn more about our different regions, states, culture, national Heroes, monuments, traditions, tourist locations, languages, geography, history, topography,
  • We already have more than 10,000 questions as part of this quiz. The game play is simple – Play Quizzes, Learn & Achieve Grades. Moreover, this quiz has 15 different levels of toughness.
  • Currently, EBSB quiz is available on android OS, iOS version will be made available soon. 
  • This game is currently available in English and Hindi. In the next 3 months EBSB quiz will be also available in 12 other different regional languages.

 

Restoring normalcy and vibrancy in educational institutions post-COVID

 Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today reviewed the vaccination status of teachers across the country and reopening of schools. He also reviewed the vaccination status in the skilling ecosystem. Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Shri Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for Education were also present in the meeting.

Shri Pradhan has been regularly monitoring the vaccination of teaching staff and non teaching staff to ensure enabling environment for schools to move towards reopening. He stressed upon the need to restore normalcy and vibrancy in the educational institutions in wake of rapid vaccination at scale happening in the country.

As on date, a majority of states have already opened the schools for all the classes. Over 92% of teaching staff have been vaccinated. In the institutions under Central Government, over 96 % of teaching staff have been vaccinated.

 

School_Re_opening_Status (2).png

 

  

  MJPS/AK

Diplomatic conclave, outlines government’s vision on internationalisation of education

 Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today participated in a Diplomatic Conclave organised by Chandigarh University. 

Addressing the gathering, Shri Pradhan spoke about India’s inherent strength as a knowledge centre of the world and the role of education in shaping India’s place in the post-COVID new world order.

The Minister outlined the vision for India’s education system and said that enabling policy structure in the form of National Education Policy 2020, quality educational institutions, societal inclusivity with multiculturalism and focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and internationalisation will drive India’s education system to newer heights.

Mentioning India’s age-old belief in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbukam’, he called for working towards preparing global citizens and working together with common understanding to address common global challenges and achieve common goals.

Shri Pradhan mentioned that he was glad to note that more than 120 countries were represented in the conclave.

National Achievement Survey 2021 has been conducted successfully

 The National Achievement Survey 2021, was successfully conducted today across all 36 states and UTs of the country. As per initial estimates received from 24 states/UTs nearly 96% of the sampled schools and nearly 92% of the targeted sampled children, of classes 3, 5, 8 and 10 participated in the survey. The National Achievement Survey(NAS) is aprocess of gathering information in order to develop a deep understanding of what students know, understand and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experiences. This process will ultimately culminate to improve the subsequent students’ learning and development, through systemic interventions. The Achievement Surveywas conducted in different mediums of instruction as available in the sampled schools.

NAS is a scientifically designed achievement survey.There are 3 phases of NAS exercise, namely instrument development, sampling design and actual administration of the test. Grade-wise subject specific Learning Outcomes have been identified, which have been assessed through NAS. Instruments have been developed in such a way that it can map the specific Learning Outcomes. NCERT, being nodal academic body has done the instrument development, testing, finalization of the test items.Being a sample-based survey, sampling design becomes crucial to make the data more representative and authentic. Sampling-Design has been done in a scientific manner as per international standards. Actual Administration of the test in the sampled schools was conducted by CBSEin collaboration with states and UTs, to maintain highest levels of reliability and impartiality, being a third party assessment agency external to the school education department.

Besides student achievement test, Pupil Questionnaire, Teachers Questionnaire and School Questionnaire were also obtained to understand the various settings and perspective of students, teachers and schools. This will provide valuable information regarding back ground, teacher training, rural-urban, effectiveness of online education etcto comprehend the education system in a comprehensive manner.

NAS 2021 is the first achievement survey after release of National Education Policy 2020 (NEP). The assessment would be used to benchmark students’ learning against criteria such as process skills and learning outcomes. NAS 2021 will infuse the competency-based assessment system over the content and memory-based assessment as envisaged by NEP 2020.

The Covid pandemic had forced the closure of schools and interrupted the learning at different levels. There is an urgent need to evaluate children’s progress and learning competencies to analyze and examine the health of the education sector for taking necessary action at the district, state and national level. It is essential to gauge theeducation system before and after lockdown to evaluate the impact of school closures on students’ leaning.  The assessmentfocused on students in early grades in core subjects like reading and mathematics, which will give enough space for correctives measures in time. Further, it focusses not only on cognitive learning but also other skills that children may have picked up, while being at home during the pandemic such as painting, cooking, photography, reading, gardening etc. The enthusiastic participation of children in the survey will help pave the way forward for normal functioning of the schools.

The results of NAS 2021 will be prepared in the form of District Report Cards, State/UT reports and National report. NAS will enable States and the Union Territories to identify gaps in learning outcomes and take remedial steps. It will also help in the capacity building for teachers and officials involved in the delivery of education in the country. The result from the assessment would also provide a rich repository of evidences and data points furthering the scope of research and development. 

 

****