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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

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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.

 

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. 

 

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Research institutions planning in biodiversity conservation, sustainable commercial cultivation of bio-resources.

 Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhanalong with Minister of State for Education and External Affairs Dr.Rajkumar Ranjan Singh today chaired the meeting of Ministers’ of Education of the North-eastern states in Guwahati. Education Advisors of the NE states and senior officials of the Ministry of Education, GOI were also present.

Shri Pradhan overviewed presentations on the school and higher education scenarios in the North Eastern region, including enrolment trends, outreach initiatives for ethnic students, access to facilities, penetration of centrally-sponsored schemes, steps taken to make education accessible, among others.Deliberations centred around the way forward towards implementing the NEP 2020, strategies to strengthen the learning landscape in the NE states to transform the NE region into a knowledge-based economy.

Shri Pradhan stressed on working together with the NE state education ministries in charting special initiatives for reducing drop-out rates and also research institutions planning in areas like, biodiversity conservation, promoting sustainable commercial cultivation of bio-resources.

North-East Education Conclave in Guwahati

 Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan along with the Chief Minister of Assam Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma today inaugurated the North-East Education Conclave at Guwahati Medical College & Hospital Auditorium at Guwahati organized by Department of Education, Government of Assam and Shankardev Education and Research Foundation (SERF).  The Union Minister said that education sector in India is undergoing an unprecedented transformation and National Education Policy 2020 introduced by the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi aims at preparing the youth to be future-ready, socially aware, global citizens of the 21st century.

The Union Education Minister lauded the State Education Department and Shankardev Education & Research Foundation (SERF) for its initiative to organise the country’s first of its kind Education Conclave. Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister said that NEP 2020 is a visionary approach to transform the education landscape of the country and is ushering in a paradigm shift In India’s education landscape. He also said that the NEP is a unifying factor in celebrating our diversity and strengths as a civilization. Elaborating the vision of NEP, he said that the NEP is focused on developing desired learning competencies, equipping students with 21st century knowledge and skills and preparing our youth to become global citizens. 

He said that the North East Education Conclave aims to discuss and deliberate on various aspects of NEP-2020 which will help in creating a roadmap for the North East Region and to design strategies for its successful implementation.

He further said that the diversity of languages cannot be witnessed better than in the North East Region with about 180 languages spoken by the tribes residing here. NEP-2020 has emphasized on imparting education in mother tongue and local languages and the government is striving to convert this vision into reality. Speaking about linguistic diversity in the state, he said that Assam can be the laboratory of local-language based education in India.

The Chief Minister of Assam Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the NEP 2020 has given the opportunity to go beyond marksheet to strive for knowledge which will make India more powerful, take the country to greater heights, empower students and offer them opportunities to grow.

The Chief Minister apprised that the two- day deliberation would result in finalizing a roadmap for implementation of NEP in the region while converting the policy into action and setting timelines to realize the dream of a new and powerful India as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He expressed gratitude to Union Minister of Education for attending the conclave and said that his able and dynamic leadership would guide the state towards proper implementation of NEP-2020.

Education Minister of Assam, Dr Ranoj Pegu, VC, CSS University, Meerut, UP, Prof. Narendra Kumar Taneja, , UGC, Chairman, Prof. D.P. Singh, Education Ministers of eight NE states, Prof.Nani Copal Mahanta,Education Adviser,Govt.of Assam, stakeholders and academicians were present in the inaugural session.

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Centres for nano technology and Indian Knowledge System at IIT Guwahati

 Union Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today visited IIT Guwahati and inaugurated the state-of-the-art Centre for Nanotechnology (CNT) and Centre for Indian Knowledge System (CIKS) as well as two hostels at the Institute. He also released a book on NEP 2020 implementation at the institute. Dr. Ranoj  Education Minister of Assam and Smt. Queen Oja, MP were also present.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Pradhan congratulated IIT Guwahati for achieving excellent rankings in various international and national ranking systems and appreciated the efforts of IIT Guwahati for creating an ecosystem for research and education as well as focusing on overall development of the northeastern region. He also said that IIT Guwahati has to play an important role in areas like, disaster management, biodiversity-based research, green energy development, strengthening knowledge-based economy and driving entrepreneurship among the students. He also called upon the students and faculty associated with the institute to synergize technology and knowledge to create a vibrant ecosystem of solution-centric innovation.

He said that, in this era of interconnected world, the centre for nanotechnology at IIT Guwahati will host a number of CoEs, incubators and state-of-the-art research laboratories for advancements in multi-disciplinary research and education in the areas of healthcare, nano-bio-materials, micro/nano electronics , and energy.

He further said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his convocation speech in 2020 had suggested IIT Guwahati to set up a Centre for Indian Knowledge System. He expressed his happiness that the same has been established in quick time for preserving, documenting  and sharing ancient & traditional Indian knowledge.

Shri Pradhan said that Srimant Sankardev was a great scholar gave new thought and shape to civilisation and humanity. The glorious Ahom culture, the mighty Brahmaputra, the blessed land of Ma Kamakhya and greats like Lachit Borphukan should serve as an inspiration for students at  IIT Guwahati, he added.

The Minister highlighted that during the COVID-19, innovation and technology aided us with PPT kits, helped us with development and production of vaccine and represented the resilience of this country. Institutes like IIT Guwahati have to play an important role in leveraging innovation for societal good, he added.

He said that during the COP 26, Prime Minister Modi outlined the Panchamrit vision to fight climate change. Our north eastern states can become the hub of green energy development with IIT Guwahati playing an important role, he added.

Dr. Ranoj Pegu, Education Minister of Assam congratulated IIT Guwahati and said that the Institute should focus on entrepreneurship and  produce job creators and not only job seekers. Institutes like IIT Guwahati should also focus on developing new agricultural technologies to help double farmers’ income. He further requested IIT Guwahati to mentor other educational institutions in the region and also develop modules for training of teachers.

Smt. Queen Oja, Hpn’ble MP expressed her happiness in getting such advanced research facilities in northeast and expected IIT Guwahati to contribute in the overall development of northeast.

Centre for Nanotechnology (CNT) aims at meeting future challenges and augment academic partnerships with industry in Nanotechnology. The major funding for the Centre, which included Rs. 37 cr for the building, apart from equipment, was obtained from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. It will host 25 advanced laboratories that will focus on advancements in multi-disciplinary, scientific and translational research and is equipped with a Class-100 clean room facilities integrated with state-of-the-art fabrication, characterization and testing laboratories. The CNT presently hosts two Centres-for-Excellence sponsored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) along with an Incubator BioNEST sponsored by Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. CNT is thus a good example of synergy among various ministries of the Government of India. The key outcomes expected from the Centre for Nanotechnology include nano-enabled healthcare, energy harvesting, and LED prototypes, devices and technologies, start-ups/ incubation ecosystem, high-end R&D outputs, capacity building of highly skilled manpower in the area of nanofabrication and nanoelectronics, etc.

Centre for Indian Knowledge System (CIKS) will focus on preserving, documenting and sustaining the knowledge that is unique to India. The top priorities include Indian classical music, Yoga, Sanskrit, traditional medicines, temple architecture, ceramic tradition and special agricultural practices of North-East India, herbal plants of north-east as health food and metal work of Assam. Scholars from diverse backgrounds will be encouraged to participate in the new CIKS’s interdisciplinary research and education programs, enabling them to evolve practices and technologies in varied areas for sustainable growth and development.

Disang hostel adds another 1000 rooms to the existing hostel capacity of IIT Guwahati. Dikhow hostel is the first hostel in the campus specifically for the accommodation of project staff. Constructed at a total cost of Rs. 132 cr, these hostels will further halp in enhancing the capacity of IIT Guwahati.

Earlier, while welcoming the guests, Director, IIT, Guwahati said that, through these and similar other initiatives, the Institute has been proactively pursuing high-end research and working towards the vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, while fulfilling the aspirations of the region, aligning with national policies, especially implementing the NEP2020, and competing globally in research and technology development.

Kendriya Hindi Sansthan in Meghalaya

 Union Minister for Education and Skill Development Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the newly constructed building of Kendriya Hindi Sansthan at Mawdiangdiang, East Khasi Hills today. Chief Minister of Meghalaya Shri Conrad K Sangma was also present during the inauguration programme. Union Ministerexpressed his gratefulness to the Government of Meghalaya for providing the necessary assistance including the required land for setting up of this Institute at Mawdiangdiang, Meghalaya. He expressed that this Institute will work for the benefit of teachers of Hindi and people eager to learn and do research in the language and will cater to states of Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

Speaking on the occasion the Union Minister said that NEP 2020 is a visionary approach to transform the education landscape of the country and to achieve the realistic goal and to percolate its ripple effect to the grassroots. One of most important salient features of NEP, the Minister said, is that NEP-2020 emphasised on imparting education in Mother language at the primary level and the government is striving to achieve the target within the stipulated time frame. 

Acknowledging the diversity of culture, language and tradition of this country and the co-existence amid this diversity, the Minister said that it because of this beauty of this language that people can share each others tradition and rich heritage. The Minister said that technology should be used extensively to preserve and enrich native languages so that people can use internet in their native languages and make people from other parts of the world about their rich culture and tradition.These practices will encourage innovation and creativity among the youths and may show light to world about many relevant issues concerning the people, the Minister added. 

The Minister while acknowledging the rich culture of this region said, “There are many things to learn from this region, it has a very rich heritage and is strong in natural resources. There has been many good educational institutions coming up in this region including IIM’s new campus.” The Minister said that there is a lot to do for the youths of the region and exhorted everyone to work for providing a better environment for the young generation. He said, “I have been informed that Meghalaya has around the 3.5 lakh college going students and it is the collective responsibility everyone to build a conducive environment to ensure their quality education, skilling, raising their employability capability and imbibing inside them the value of fundamental research. The first step towards this effort would be to simplify the process of learning languages”. 

The minister also referred to the North-East Education Conclave that was held in Guwahati on Saturday and said that the North East Region has nearly 180 languages and dialects spoken by various tribes and community and it is the mandate of the NEP to develop and preserve this heritage. In the days to come Kendriya Hindi Sansthan and English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) will function as a Centre of Excellence and will work with the Government of Meghalaya to preserve and enrich Khasi, Garo and Jaintia languages with the help of technology, the Minister added. The Minister was categorical when he said that language is a tool that connect people from across the world and the availability of applications in the internet to learn languages of this region will enable people from outside the state to know about the rich culture and heritage of this region.  

The Minister also released two books at the occasion- SamànvayPurvottarSanchayan and Hindi-khasi-Garo-Jaintia-English Concise Dictionary. The Minister was amused to come across the Concise Dictionary and exclaimed that this will help in enriching the languages.

The Chief Minister of Meghalaya Shri Conrad K Sangma expressed his happiness for the inauguration of the Kendriya Hindi Sansthan in his state and said that the presence of this institute will help the youths of Meghalaya and the entire Northeast region to learn Hindi and also to excel in this language.

National Apprenticeship Training Scheme for next five years

 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today has accorded its approval for stipendiary support of Rs. 3,054 crore to apprentices who undergo apprenticeship training under National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) of Ministry of Education for the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26 (upto 31-03-2026).

Approximately 9 lakhs apprentices will be trained by industry and commercial organisations. NATS is a well-established scheme of Government of India which has demonstrated to enhance the employability of students who have successfully completed the apprenticeship training.

The apprentices who have completed graduate and diploma programme in Engineering, Humanities, Science and Commerce will be given stipend of Rs.9,000/- and Rs.8,000/- per monthrespectively. 

The Government has approved an expenditure of more than Rs. 3,000 crore during the next five years which is about 4.5 times the expenditure made during the previous 5 years. This increased expenditure on apprenticeship is in line with the thrust which National Education Policy 2020 has given to apprenticeship.

In keeping with the Government emphasis on “SabkaSaath, SabkaVikas, –SabkaVishwas, SabkaPrayaas”, the scope of NATS has further been expanded to include students from Humanities, Science and Commerce besides students from engineering stream. This scheme aims to raise the standards of skill level by strengthening the skill ecosystem and as a result, will provideemployment to approximately 7 lakhs youths in the next five years.

The NATS will provide apprenticeship in the emerging areas under ‘Production Linked Incentive’ (PLI) such as Mobile manufacturing, Medical devices manufacturing, Pharma sector, Electronics/Technology products, Automobile sector etc. The scheme will also be preparingskilled manpowerfor connectivity/logistics industry sectors, identified under GatiShakti.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan

 The aim of the redesigned Samagra Shiksha Scheme is to universalize access to school education; to promote equity through the inclusion of disadvantaged groups and weaker sections, and to improve the quality of education across all levels of school education from pre-primary to class XII.

The major objectives of the Scheme are: (i) Support States and UTs in implementing the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020); (ii) Support States in implementation of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009; (iii) Focus on Early Childhood Care and  Education; (iv) Emphasis on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy; (v) Thrust on Holistic, Integrated, Inclusive and activity based Curriculum and Pedagogy to impart 21st century skills among the students; (vi) Provision of quality education and enhancing learning outcomes of students; (vii) Bridging Social and Gender Gaps in School Education; (viii) Ensuring equity and inclusion at all levels of school education; (ix) Strengthening and up-gradation of State Councils for Educational Research and Training (SCERTs)/State Institutes of Education and District Institutes for Education and Training (DIET) as nodal agency for teacher training; (x) Ensuring safe, secure and conducive learning environment and maintenance of standards in schooling provisions and (xi) Promoting vocational  education.

The major interventions, across all levels of school education, proposed under the scheme are: (i) Universal Access including Infrastructure Development and Retention; (ii) Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, (iii) Gender and Equity; (iv) Inclusive Education; (v) Quality and Innovation; (vi) Financial support for Teacher Salary; (vii) Digital initiatives; (viii) RTE Entitlements including uniforms, textbooks etc.; (ix) Support for ECCE; (x) Vocational Education; (xi) Sports and Physical Education; (xii) Strengthening of Teacher Education and Training; (xiii) Monitoring; (xiv) Programme Management; and (xv) National Component.

The redesigned Samagra Shiksha recommends to enhance the direct outreach of the scheme by providing child centric interventions directly to the students through DBT mode.

Under Samagra Shiksha financial assistance is provided to States/ UTs for various ICT and Digital initiatives for setting up of ICT labs, smart classrooms including support for digital boards, virtual classrooms and DTH channels.  States have an option to avail non-recurring grant for setting up of ICT labs in schools having classes 6 to 12 up to Rs. 6.40 lakh per school and recurring grant of up to Rs. 2.40 lakh per school per annum for a period of 5 years OR non-recurring grant of Rs. 2.40 lakh for Smart Class rooms (Maximum 2 smart classrooms per school) and recurring grant of Rs. 0.38 lakh. The recurring cost includes support for instructor, E Content and Digital Resources, Charges for Electricity and Internet connectivity, etc.

Steps taken by the Government for Differently abled Children

 3% seats of total available seats for fresh admissions in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) are horizontally reserved for Differently Abled children. The following measures have been implemented for differently abled children in KVs& JNVs:-

i)          Barrier free access for differently abled students is integral part of Vidyalaya building design. Ramps and special toilets are constructed in schools as well as hostel buildings.

ii)         Teachers are trained to help the students.

iii)        Engaging the services of Special Educators to facilitate the teaching learning process among differently abled children 

iv)        Need based procurement of assistive augmented devices. 

v)         Exemptions from payment of VVN and Tuition Fees.

vi)        The facility of compensation of time in examination, seating arrangement on the ground floor and providing facility of scribe/writer in all examinations for all students with benchmark disability studying in different classes are extended as per CBSE guidelines.

The Government has enacted the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 and the said Act mandates the Government and local authorities to take measures for providing inclusive education to Children with Disabilities (CwDs). Further, the Act also mandates appropriate Government and local authorities to ensure that every child with benchmark disabilities (disability of 40% or more) has access to free education in an appropriate environment till he attains the age of 18 years. 

The Centrally sponsored Samagra Shiksha – is an integrated scheme for School Education of the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, covering children from pre-primary to senior secondary. Under Samagra Shiksha, there is a dedicated component for Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs (CwSN) through which various provisions are made available for the educational needs such as, identification & assessment camps, provision of aids, appliances, assistive devices, teaching learning materials (TLMs) etc. 

The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 advocates full equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of education to ensure that all students are able to thrive in the education system. It also underscores within its framework, education of CwSN in order to ensure equitable quality schooling. The Samagra Shiksha scheme has also been aligned with the recommendations of NEP 2020 to ensure that all children have access to quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment.

NIPUN Bharat Scheme

 The Department of School Education and Literacy launched the National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy called National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat) on 5th July 2021 under the aegis of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha. The mission aims to achieve universal foundationalliteracy and numeracy in primary classes.The Mission Guidelines lays down priorities and actionable agendas for States and UTs to achieve the goal of proficiency in foundational literacy and numeracy for every child by grade 3. Detailed guidelines for the mission have been developed which includes the codification of development goals and learning outcomes for age 3 to 9 years and Lakshya or Targets for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy starting from Balvatikato Grade III. The guidelines for implementation of the NIPUN Bharat mission has been uploaded on the Department’s website under the link mentioned below:

https://dsel.education.gov.in/sites/default/files/NIPUN_BHARAT_GUIDELINES_EN.pdf

As per the NIPUN Bharat implementation guidelines, assessment during the foundational learning can be broadly categorized into two major areas, namely:

    1. School Based Assessment (SBA) through qualitative observation based on performance of the child in a multitude of experiences and activities. Various tools and techniques like anecdotal records, checklist, portfolio, and interactions (through a holistic 360-degree assessment with teacher, peers, family and friends) have been recommended to be used for assessment. Thus, the teachers at the foundational stage need to observe children as they play, work on their task, perform or interact among themselves, to assess children’s interests and learning.
    2. Large-scale standardised assessmentfor assessment of the processes and functioning of the educational systems (such as NAS, SAS, and Third-Party Assessments). The assessment tools commonly used in conducting large scale assessment studies are multiple choice questions (MCQ) and constructed responses are usually avoided to bring in objectivity in the process. These assessments are a mechanism to gauge how well learning is happening in their state, districts, and blocks. In this regard, the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 has been carried out for assessing learning outcome of children in Grade III.

A specialized National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA 3.0) for the foundational literacy and numeracy covering about 25 lakh teachers at the primary level across all states and UTs has been launched in September, 2021.

NEAT 3.0 and AICTE prescribed technical books in regional languages

 Union Education Minister and Skill Development Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched NEAT 3.0, a single platform to provide the best-developed ed-tech solutions and courses to students of the country. The Minister also launched AICTE prescribed technical books in regional languages. 

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Speaking on the occasion Shri Pradhan said that NEAT will be a game-changer in bridging the digital divide, especially among the economically disadvantaged students and also in fulfilling the knowledge-based requirement of India and the world. The Minister informed that 58 global and Indian start-up ed-tech companies are onboard NEAT and are offering 100 courses & e-resources for bettering learning outcomes, developing employable skills and overcoming learning loss. He hoped that the e-content & resources and Digital frameworks like NEAT are a step in the right direction in minimising learning loss.

The Minister encouraged AICTE to integrate courses in NEAT with skill India to tap the opportunities in emerging areas of skill to boost employability and prepare our youth for the future. He urged that AICTE and ed-tech companies to offer e-resources in the least possible cost. Shri Pradhan complimented the global ed-tech companies and Indian start-ups who are a part of NEAT 3.0. He said that all ed-techs are welcome to work with a collaborative approach for making education accessible & affordable. But, ed-techs must remember that there is no place for monopoly and exploitation, he added.

The Minister expressed his happiness that today, more than 12 lakh socially and economically disadvantaged students have received free ed-tech course coupons worth over ₹253 crore under NEAT 3.0. This is one of the biggest gift to the student community from Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in the new year 2022, he added. He stated that India will lead the global economy in the 21st century and will be the most preferred market for trade & economy. 

On technical books in regional languages, Shri Pradhan said that our diverse languages are our strength and harnessing them key to building an innovative society. He further said that learning in regional languages will further develop the critical thinking capacity & enable our youth to become global citizens.

NEAT:

National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) is an initiative to provide the use of best-developed technological solutions in the education sector to enhance the employability of the youth on a single platform for learners’ convenience. These solutions use Artificial Intelligence for a personalized and customized learning experience for better learning outcomes and skill development in the niche areas. AICTE, MoE is acting as the facilitator in the process while ensuring that the solutions are freely available to a large number of socially and economically backward students. NEAT has 58 Education Technology Companies with 100 products that help to develop employable skills, capacity building, and bridge learning gaps.

G20 Research Ministers’ Meeting virtually

 The Minister of State for Education Shri Subhas Sarkar participated in the G20 Research Ministers’ meeting today. The meeting was hosted in blended mode by Italy. G20 Education Ministers exchanged views on enhancing research collaborations and sharing digital space among G20 Countries for a strong, sustainable, resilient and inclusive recovery. MoS, Education, Smt. Annpurna Devi; MoS, Education, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Secretary Higher Education Shri Amit Khare and senior officials of the Ministry were also present during the meeting..

Representing India, Shri Subhas Sarkar reiterated the country’s commitment to promote research and to skill, reskill and upskill the youth and collaborating with other G-20 countries to achieve this objective. He said that India attaches great importance to work with G20 partners and find evidence-based solutions to common problems.

Speaking on National Education Policy, 2020, the Minister said India’s National Education Policy launched in 2020 under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, seeks to strengthen the research ecosystem of the country by establishing a National Research Foundation.

The Minister informed that India has introduced AI in the school curriculum from grade 6 onwards and also started engineering courses in regional languages to ensure that language does not pose a hurdle to higher learning and research. The Minister further informed that the Government of India supports diverse schemes like SPARC and GIAN to promote academic and research collaboration between India and other countries. Indian institutions are entering into twinning arrangements with foreign universities. We have set up an Academic Bank of Credit that will facilitate such arrangements, he added.

He highlighted that during the pandemic, Indian Higher Educational institutions worked on research projects and developed vaccines against Covid 19, low-cost ventilators and many other medical equipments.

The Minister stated that India emphasizes leveraging relevant technologies for maximum gain in the education sector, for which a National Education Technology Forum as an umbrella body is launched.

India acknowledges the concerted efforts being made by countries to mitigate the effects of the pandemic and build back a more resilient education system.

Regarding ensuring educational continuity during the pandemic, the Minister shared that India has promoted blended learning extensively.  India launched PM eVidya programme under which we ensured continuity of education across the country with a mix of online, television and radio modes, through our initiatives SWAYAM, DIKSHA, SWAYAM PRABHA and many more. 

The Minister reaffirmed the support of the Government of India to the collective efforts of the G-20 countries in building a resilient education system and said he look forward to work with partner countries to fulfill the shared priorities in this area. 

Later, a Declaration of G20 Ministers on Leveraging Research, Higher Education and Digitalisation for a Strong, Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive Recovery was adopted at the end of the meeting.

Entire spectrum of oxygen infrastructure including PSA Plants, Oxygen Concentrators and Oxygen Cylinders,Ventilators

 Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary chaired a high-level meeting today to review preparednessstatus of the entire spectrum of oxygen equipment including ventilators, PSA/Oxygen plants, oxygen concentrators and oxygen cylindersfor timely and effective management of the COVID19 pandemic,with States and UTs through a Video Conference today.

Underlining the challenge posed by increasing number of COVID cases across the country, with focus on Omicron, Union Health Secretary emphasized that it is the primary and critical responsibility of States and UTs to ensure all oxygen equipment, till the field level at all health facilities is tested and kept in a functional state to meet any emergent situation.

States/UTs were urged to ensure full and optimal utilization of ECRP-II funds, through daily reviews, and to upload the expenditure on the dedicated NHM PMS portal so that they are eligible for release of further funds in order to strengthen the healthcare facilities till the sub-district levels. Under ECRP-II, funds are also made available for installing Liquid Medical Oxygen [LMO] tanks and Medical Gas Pipeline Systems [MGPS]. States are required to make them operational and secure approval from Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization [PESO] in respect of LMO tanks.

Union Health Secretary also urged the concerned States to commission PSA plants being set up under state’s own funds and CSR funds on a war-footing through daily reviews. States were requestedto also ensure that mock drill of the PSA plants are carried out to ensure that oxygen flow at the patient bedside adheres to adequate purity, recommended outlet pressure with no leakages. In addition, flowmeters must be tested and remain in functional state. States were exhorted to also monitor installation of PSA plants in private hospital facilities and Medical College Hospitals.

Union Health Secretary emphasized that States need to ensure that the delivered ventilators are quickly installed and commissioned at the designated field health facilities. They were urged to address the large gaps that continue to exist between delivered and installed ventilators, provide consignee details of hospitals for requirement of additional ventilators and expedite the issuing of Final Acceptance Certificates for installed ventilators. States/UTs were further reminded to expedite finalizing maintenance contracts with manufacturers. States/UTs were also advised to lodge any complaint related to ventilators in the online Complaint Management System which was launched on 30 August 2021.

It was pointed out that the Union Health Ministry has started the National Oxygen Stewardship Program from 22ndDecember 2021. States need to ensure that Technical Training of the operators is completed across the country.  More than 1600 candidates joined the said training programme covering 738 districts. An online PSA training program is also being carried out by Directorate General of Training [DGT] through 24 regional centres across the country.So far, 4690 candidates have been trained under the 180-hour training program, while 6,825 candidates have received their training under the 10-hour training program.

States to also maintain a state of alertness to ensure adequate buffer stock of drugs.They were urged to update buffer stock details with Government hospitals as well as with Medical Colleges on the Drugs and Vaccine Distribution Management System [DVDMS] portal. States/UTs which have not frozen their buffer requirement of drugs on DVDMS portal were urged to timely update them along with the details of stocks available and purchase orders placed.