JNV DIARY....Place for JNV students and Alumni

JNV News: MOU SIGNED BETWEEN HRD AND RAILWAY MINISTRIES

2011-01-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

An MoU was signed between the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Ministry of Railways to develop educational infrastructure in the form of around 50 Kendriya Vidyalayas in civil sector (about 20 during the 11^th Plan and the balance during the 12^th Plan), 10 Residential Schools on the pattern of Navodaya Vidayalayas ( to be set up by Ministry of Railways in collaboration with Ministry of HRD on mutually agreed terms), an appropriate number of Model Degree Colleges and Technical and Management institutions of National Importance to meet the demand for education including wards of Railway employees, either as per the norms specified under the existing schemes/programmes and projects being executed by Ministry of Human Resource Development or through special programmes and projects mutually agreed by the parties or through innovative financing under Public Private Partnership Models or any combinational thereof.

Source:PIB

JNV News: Students visit Vidhan Sabha

2011-01-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

CHANDIGARH: It was an altogether different experience for 415 students of seven Govt Senior Secondary Schools (GSSS) in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab when, on Saturday, they visited Punjab and Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Punjab and Haryana High Court and some other places, about which they had so far read in textbooks and seen on television.

Said an excited 18-year-old Surinder Singh, class 12 student of GSSS Ferozepur, It was a memorable moment for us when we were there.

The protocol officer of Punjab and Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Rajan Kumar, addressed the students and introduced them to the functioning of Vidhan Sabha. In Punjab and Haryana High Court, officials of the bar council attended to the students.

The visit was organized by Awareness Mission Society headed by Ram Dayal of Chandigarh. Other places visited by the students included Rock Garden, Chandigarh Traffic Park-23, Panjab University (PU) and two media institutes. On the second leg of the two-day visit, the students would visit historical gurdwaras, including Machhiwara Sahib, Chamkaur Sahib and Fathegarh Sahib on Sunday.

The organizer, who is an inspector-rank official with Chandigarh police, said the society organizes one educational tour every year and students of government schools from every district of Punjab are invited.

The society is also working in the field of free education for poor students across the state and providing special training to needy students for clearing entrance tests for admissions to Navodaya Vidyalayas in Punjab.

Source: TOI

JNV News: Youth parliament competition in city

2011-01-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

MYSORE: A two-day national youth parliament competition will be held from Wednesday in the city. The 14th edition of the competition will have students from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in three regions of Pune, Bhopal and Hyderabad, posing questions. Union parliamentary affairs secretary Usha Mathur and under-secretary R C Mohanthy will attend.

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Mysore is hosting the event. Students of JNV at Gajapathy in Odisha, JNV at Hingoli and Pune and the host school will take part, school principal Siddarame Gowda said.

Among the politicians, MP H Vishwanath and former MP A Siddaraju will be there as members of the jury, along with the secretary.

Education workshop for teachers throws light on unconventional teaching tools

2010-12-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

Source: The Hindu
It was a fun filled affair for five-days when teachers turned students attending lectures and trying their hands on various activities. In a skill training workshop conducted by PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education, Bhopal, a constituent of NCERT, in collaboration with Mahatma Montessori Matriculation HSS, Madurai, over 40 teachers from various cities of South India participated and underwent teaching guidance.

“The objective of the workshop was to lend practical experience to ‘Socially Useful Productive Work' (SUPW) teachers on making classes interesting and more resourceful for students,” shared Prof.Saurabh Prakash, from the institute.

During the module, Mahatma School teachers conducted presentations, mock classes and training sessions exhibiting innovative teaching systems they follow. Gaining some basic insights from here, later the SUPW teachers are expected to implement the same in ‘Kendriya Vidyalayas' and ‘Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas'.

“School dropout rate in our country is still very high and only some skill-based training will fetch jobs for the students. Vocational skills apart from text book knowledge are necessary,” added, Mr. Saurabh, who was particularly impressed by some unique interesting teaching tools at Mahatma School, which allows students to apply creativity and inculcates individuality.

Primary section doesn't follow text books except for English, Tamil and Mathematics. Instead of prescribed syllabus, a way of practical knowledge is imparted covering a broader spectrum of subjects.

“Our teachers come up with interesting patterns and syllabus to integrate subjects like science, social studies and English. We link lessons and introduce art and crafts to make even boring sessions interesting, so that students find learning fun,” explained Ms. Vijaya Sundar, Principal of the K.K. Nagar campus.

The school also practices the concept of ‘no bags day' for all classes on Saturdays when the students are exposed to activities ranging from cookery, embroidery, fine arts, craft-from-waste besides discussions, debates, symposiums and presentations. Mushroom and vermin culture and tree clubs are the other activities introduced to develop environmental inclination.

Likewise, dry science subjects and mathematical theories are made lively through animations, figures and pictorial illustrations.

“Teaching is almost like brewing a recipe for the students to relish. We got to learn many such guidelines here and would also implement similar ones in our schools” vowed a teacher from Hyderabad. As rightly said, knowledge is beyond text books and education should equip a person for lifetime rather just for the sake of scores.

Jnv News:HRD seeks law min consensus on RTE relief for Navodaya schools

2010-12-27T20:15:00.000-08:00

Source:TOI

NEW DELHI: With the law ministry not in complete agreement with Attorney General (AG) Goolam E Vahanavati and former Chief Justice of India A S Anand about keeping Navodaya Vidyalayas out of the purview of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, HRD minister Kapil Sibal has asked law ministry officials to reconcile their view.

The HRD ministry will now send its query all over again to the law ministry. Justice Anand and AG had given the opinion that two key provisions — no-screening and giving 25% reservation to children from economically weaker section — will not be applicable to 444 Navodaya Vidyalayas across the country.

However, sources said, the law ministry had agreed with AG and Anand at one point, but later gave a different opinion — stating that Navodaya Vidyalayas cannot be excused from the key provisions. The HRD ministry wants unison in legal opinion. The law ministry says that instead of issuing notification that Navodaya Vidyalayas are a separate category, the RTE Act should be amended. But, the HRD ministry feels notification is good enough.

Votaries of RTE exemption to Navodaya Vidyalayas say these schools start from class VI. Also, the institutions — located in all districts — have 75% seats already reserved for rural children. Seats are also reserved for children from SC/ST communities in proportion to their population in the district, but not less than the national average. One-third of the seats are for girl students, and 3% of the seats are for disabled children.

JNV NEWS: HRD allows Navodaya Vidyalaya test

2010-12-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

The human resource development ministry has brushed aside objections raised by senior law ministry officials to allow Navodaya Vidyalayas to continue admission tests, using support it has received from the country's top law officer. Armed with a favourable legal opinion from the attorney general(AG), the HRD ministry dismissed concerns raised by law ministry officials at a meeting on Wednesday, government sources have confirmed to HT.
Top law ministry officials and the AG have expressed divergent opinions on the matter, but the HRD ministry cited the top law officer's opinion, reportedly ratified by law minister M Veerappa Moily, to stick to its view.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Educatio — popularly referred to as the Right to Education (RTE) Act — specifically bars schools from using any method other than random selection to admit students. It also requires schools to admit economically weak students from the neighbourhood to 25% seats.
This clause has left the HRD ministry in a dilemma for months now because the more than 500 Navodaya Vidyalayas it runs admit students through a national entrance test. These schools are aimed at tapping intelligent rural children.
The HRD ministry sought the view of the law ministry, former Chief Justice of India AS Anand and the AG. Both Justice Anand and the AG have said Navodaya Vidyalayas are a separate class of schools that do not need specific exemption under the RTE Act to continue with their admission tests.
Law ministry officials, however, argued that the Act ought to be amended instead of relying on interpretations.

JNV News: Sonia gifted 7 training center to Navodaya

2010-12-22T23:08:00.000-08:00

Indian Express
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs), which impart modern education to talented children of rural and remote areas, are now set to train their teachers.

The Union Human Resource Development Ministry has sanctioned seven Leadership Training Institutes for the faculty of the over-500-strong chain of schools. The institutes will come up on the Navodaya school campuses itself — in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Goa, Udaipur, Rae Bareilly, Puri and Shillong.

Significantly, Rae Bareilly, which is Sonia Gandhi's constituency, will also get a National Sports Academy. Sonia is expected to lay the foundation stone of the academy next month.

“The idea is to train our teaching staff in modern pedagogy, upgrade their teaching skills and expose them to different teaching experiences with the aim of bettering the overall teaching environment at Navodaya schools. The institutes will offer a range of courses to teachers, right from their induction stage up to refresher training and so on,” said an official from the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya News: Navodaya schools to get Net

2010-12-22T23:01:00.000-08:00

Calcutta Telegraph

New Delhi, Dec. 22: The Navodaya Vidyalayas, located mostly in rural and remote areas in the country, are set to get broadband connectivity soon.

Human resource and development minister Kapil Sibal, who is holding the additional charge of the telecom ministry, has asked BSNL to provide broadband connectivity to the 583 schools, which mainly cater to meritorious rural children.

“The minister had asked BSNL last week to provide broadband connectivity to the Navodaya Vidyalayas. BSNL has started working on the project,” a top official revealed.

The move will help the schools improve their teaching methodology by taking advantage of technology. These schools will be connected to each other through broadband network which will enable them to share lectures and e-learning materials.

The schools can also have their virtual labs by using Internet. Students can do science experiments in their computers at these labs without using chemicals, an official in Navodaya Vidyalya Samiti, the organisation running such schools, said.

Although the schools have computer labs, they do not have access to Internet. About 2.07 lakh students are registered in these schools which are perceived as islands of excellence. The schools have established themselves as among the best with 97 per cent pass out rate in board examinations.

About 74 per cent of the students are from families with annual incomes less than Rs 48,000. Nearly 11 per cent students in these schools are first generation learners of their families.

Unlike the Kendriya Vidyalayas, the Navodayas are located in remote and rural areas. They admit students from Class VI onwards through entrance tests.

The initiative to connect the schools through broadband is aimed at providing a level playing field to students who are mainly from rural backgrounds. These students, unlike their counterparts in private schools in urban locations, remain handicapped in the areas of e-learning despite doing well in studies.

In a similar initiative, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) has decided to provide interest-free loans to its nearly 40,000 teachers to purchase laptops. The KVS runs 1,073 schools in the country.

It will provide interest-free loan of Rs 27,000 to each teacher and the loan will be recovered in three years. .

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya News: Navodaya schools exempted from RTE provisions

2010-12-15T01:14:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: The 444 Navodaya Vidyalayas all over India have been exempted from the provisions of the Right To Education (RTE) Act.

According to the RTE Act, it is mandatory for all schools to implement two key provisions of the act, which include no screening procedure for admission into schools and giving 25% reservation to children from economically weaker sections (EWS) of the society.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry had earlier sought the opinion of former Chief Justice of India A.S. Anand. He had said that the Navodaya Vidyalayas as special category schools. The attorney general had also given a similar opinion later.

The law ministry too had agreed with the attorney general's opinion and had suggested that instead of categorizing the Navodaya Vidyalayas as special schools, the RTE Act must be amended.

The HRD ministry, on the contrary, had said that the RTE Act did not require any amendment as Section 2(p) of the act puts Navodaya Vidyalayas in the same category as Kendriya Vidyalayas and Sainik Schools.

There have been three reasons given by the ministry for letting Navodaya schools off the RTE provisions. The Navodaya schools begin only from the 6th standard and not class 1 like other schools. Also, these schools are located in all districts and have 75% seats reserved for children from rural areas.

The seats in Navodaya schools are also reserved for children from SC and ST communities in relation to their population in the district, and not less than the national average. One third of seats at the Navodaya schools are reserved for girl students and 3% students are reserved for disabled children.

The schools also do not have any fee structure for class IX and only Rs.200 is charged per month from classes IX to XII. Navodaya Schools have argued that they do not require having 25% reservation for rural students as they already cater to these students.

Regarding the issue of not holding any screening procedure for admissions , Navodaya schools have asserted that they are special schools that are primarily meant for meritorious students. Admission to Navodaya Schools requires students to give a tough entrance examination conducted by the CBSE. The schools have said that not conducting this test fro admission into the schools would reduce their academic quality.

Navodaya Vidyalayas News:HRD putting process in place ahead of RTE rollout

2010-12-10T21:20:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: With barely few months left for the Right to Education (RTE) Act to be implemented across the nation, the HRD ministry says it has put most of the system and process in place.

On Saturday, as the ministry engages in a brainstorming session on RTE, sources said the Centre has taken a huge step, pledging Rs 2.31 lakh crore for RTE that will be spent over the next five years. The funding pattern stands changed to 65:35 for five years. Besides, the Sarva Shiksha Abhijan's (SSA) budget has been increased from Rs 15,000 to Rs 19,000 this year. Supplementary plans for states have also been done.

The key issue yet to be decided will be the screening process in residential schools like the government-run Navodaya Vidyalayas and private boarding schools. The defiance of screening rules by the Delhi government is also likely to come up for discussion, sources added.

Lack of funds for recruiting teachers has also been dealt with. The Centre has not only approved hiring of 4.55 lakh teachers out of the 5.08-lakh vacancy, but also agreed to pay for their salaries. There is also a dire need for nearly five lakh teachers, which come under the state governments' domain.

Though only 2.74 lakh classrooms out of 14.25 lakh additional classrooms have been sanctioned, sources explained that it is less because of the 33% ceiling on SSA work.

Centre has decided to pay for two sets of uniforms for girls and children belonging to SC/ST and BPL category. While, states will pay for the uniform of general category boys.

In order to enhance academic support, the government has already sanctioned 1,077 additional Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas.

Many states like Arunachal Pradesh, Oriss, Sikkim, Manipur and Union Territories without legislature like Delhi and Chandigarh have notifed the rules. Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka and others have already formulated the draft rules.

The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights have come up in Assam, Arunachal, Bihar, Delhi, Sikkim, J&K, MP, Maharashtra, Mizoram and Rajasthan. Many states have also issued child right orders, stating that there will be no expulsion and detention in class.

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya News>> CCRP fact finding team on JNV student death case

2010-12-07T05:16:00.000-08:00

Imphal, December 06 2010: A fact finding team comprising members of the Coalition on Children's Right to Protection (CCRP) Manipur and Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACRT) led by CCRP Core Working Group member AK Sanaton today started investigation into the suicide incident of a student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Umathel in Thoubal district.

Seventeen year old Ch Briton, a student of the JNV Umathel, committed suicide on November 29 allegedly after he was scolded by the teachers on the charge of sleeping together with a girl student lodging in the hostel of the same school.

Taking serious note on the suicide of the boy, the fact finding team of the CCRP Core Working Group today started investigating into the incident to find out the truth behind the student committing suicide.

The team recorded revelation made by the families of the victim student and the girl who was charged of sleeping together with the deceased boy, their close friends in the school, officers of the police station concerned, principal and teachers of the school as well as representatives of the Parents' Association during the visit.

During an interaction with, Additional SP Thoubal, Th Shyamsunder said that police registered an UD (Unnatural Death) case and investigating into the case.

Police has so far taken statements of the principal, teachers and girl students of the school and also examining the post mortem report of the dead body. If any suspect of outside influence in the death of the student, police will convert the UD case into an FIR case. He also informed that Thoubal DC has already ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death of the student. Kakching SDC has been entrusted to conduct the inquiry.

Convener of the Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR), Keisham Pradipkumar who was part of the fact finding team observed that while imparting education to the students, teachers should not give physical and mental violence to them.

Teachers and school managements are seemed to forget this at certain instances.

One more JNVian joins the Indian Airforce

2010-12-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

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Cadet Vijay Patil, son of a village school teacher, wants to become fighter pilot. The good news is that he is half way there, having passed out from the NDA on Monday and en route the Air Force Academy in Dindigul, Andhra Pradesh. He is the first person from his family to join the armed forces.
Vijay carried the prestigious Chief of Staff banner for the champion, India squadron, at the passing out parade of the 119th course at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla on Monday. He also bagged the silver medal in academics by standing second in the BSc course.
Vijay, who grew up in Nandyal village of Kagal taluka of Kolhapur district, was fortunate to pursue his studies in the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE)-affiliated Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Kagal. It was at a lecture given at his school by Major Saurabh Shetty, an infantry officer, that inspired Vijay to pursue a career in the armed forces.
After the passing out parade at the NDA on Monday, Vijay said, “My meeting with Major Shetty was the turning point in my life. His talk inspired me to pursue a career in the armed forces.”
Vijay, the athletics and football captain of his squadron, dreams of becoming a fighter pilot because he likes the adventure attached to the job. “The speeds at which our fighter jets fly, the pilot has a split second to make or break a decision. I find this enormously exciting,” Vijay said.
Vijay, who will be joining the Air Force Academy in January 2011, is looking forward to flying the Kiran MK-1 trainer aircraft. “Yes, I am really excited about flying the Kirans and hopefully the Hawks in Dindigul,” he said.
Vijay’s father, Pandurang, who has been recently promoted to the post of headmaster at the zilla parishad school at Hasur Budruk village in Kolhapur district said, “My wife Bharati and I are extremely proud that our son has excelled in both academics and sport at the NDA. We hope he becomes a fighter pilot and lives his dream.”
Source: DNA

JNV News:Tension prevailed shifting of Mahadev temple in Tirtol

2010-12-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

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Kahnu Nanda; Jagatsinghpur: The villagers of Sailo and its surrounding villages under Tirtol police limits have seriously resented following the event shifting of Sidheswar Mahadev temple locates inside the Rahama Navoday Vidyalaya premeses to some other place. In this regard hundreds of agitated local residents have apprised district collector on Friday venting their ire and requested to act on the incident.

Reports said that Navodaya Vidyalay locates in Rahama proceeds on boundary wall construction and the Mahadev temple is coming inside the boundary so Vidyalaya authorities have decided to shift the temple from the Vidyalaya premises but the locals did not agree with the proposal so few of them have filed cases in civil judge and additional district judge courts Jagatsinghpur and the courts yet to have pronounced its verdict meanwhile Vidyalaya authorities have started boundary wall and efforts have indulged to shift the temple inside the Vidyalaya premises so past three days tensions have erupted in surrounding villages and police forces have deployed at the spot to maintain the law and order situation , informed IIC Tirtol police station , Devabrata Kar.
Source: Orissadiary

Intel announces winners of the 7th ‘Technology in Education’ awards

2010-12-03T04:20:00.001-08:00

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Intel, in association with the Department of State Education Research and Training (DSERT) and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), today announced the winners of the 7th ‘Technology in Education’ awards for the effective integration of technology in teaching and learning processes in Karnataka. Three schools, 15 teachers, 15 student groups, and five Getting Started Courses (GSCs)/Block Resource Persons (BRPs) were honored for their use of technology in education and the integration of innovative teaching methods to promote 21st century skills and enhance student learning.

Dr. V. S. Acharya, Karnataka’s minister for higher education, statistics and planning; Sri Ashok Kumar Manoli, the principal secretary of Karnataka’s Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology Department; and Professor H. S. Jamadagni, of the Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Electronics Design and Technology, were present at the ceremony as the chief guest and guests of honor, respectively, to congratulate the award winners.

A total of 460 entries were received for the competition from government schools across Karnataka, with a large number of teachers and students from rural areas participating in the contest. After the final evaluation, which was jointly conducted by DSERT and the Intel® Teach Program, winners were awarded cash prizes along with a joint citation from the Intel® Teach Program, DSERT and SSA Karnataka.
“It gives me immense pleasure to congratulate the ‘Technology in Education’ winners who have excelled in promoting and implementing technology in teaching and learning skills to prosper in the 21st century. The association of the Karnataka government and the Intel® Education Initiative has played a pivotal role in motivating students and teachers on effective use of technology. We are confident that this will inspire all the other teachers, students and schools in the state, ensuring sustained growth both individually and professionally,” said Dr. Acharya.

“We are proud to be associated with the government of Karnataka in recognizing the exemplary work being done by teachers and students in the field of education in Karnataka,” said Dr. Praveen Vishakantaiah, the president of Intel India. “This contest has proven to be a successful tool for recognizing and honoring the deserving students who have showcased the extraordinary work done to effectively integrate technology in their learning.”

This year, the Intel® Teach Program is supporting ‘Technology in Education’ contests in the states of Karnataka, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Uttarakhand and a combined contest for the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Sanghatan (NVS) government school chains to recognize schools, teachers and students from computerized schools and pre-service institutions who have excelled in promoting technology-supported, project-based learning.

Source:IIFL

Inquiry demanded into the death of JNV student

2010-12-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

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Imphal, December 01 2010: Tension was reported from Thoubal Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Umathel over the death of a student.

The student was found commiting suicide by hanging himself on November 29 .

A procession carrying the dead body of the student identified as Chingangbam Brington (17) son of Ibohal of Kakching Makha Leikai Naudam Pareng was carried out at Umathel today along with allegations that teachers of the vidyalaya were responsible for the death of the student.

Students of the vidyalaya, family, relatives and villagers took part in the procession which demanded an inquiry into the death of the student in the hostel inside the vidyalaya and an ex-gratia payment to the family of the student.

Slogans like "Teachers responsible for Brington's death", "Transfer unworthy teachers", "Punish culprit teachers", we condemn torture to Brington," were displayed during the procession.

A meeting that followed the procession formed a JAC against the death of Ch Brington and submitted a memorandum to the Thoubal DC.

The memorandum demanded an enquiry into the death and an ex-gratia payment to the victim's family.

The DC has given assurance that he would respond offer seeking prior permission to conduct a magisterial inquiry as per the law that governs the vidyalaya, JAC members said.

Source: E-Pao

The biggest act of philanthropy by an Indian

2010-12-01T20:37:00.000-08:00

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BANGALORE: In the largest act of philanthropy by an Indian, Wipro chairman Azim Premji will give about Rs 8,846 crore ($2 billion) to improve school education in India. Other donations to charitable institutions by any person or corporation in India pale in comparison to this massive endowment. It effectively silences critics who say Indian billionaires are measly donors compared to foreign counterparts, and that they focus on big-name western universities rather than addressing India's problems.

Premji, India's third richest man with a net worth of $18 billion, will transfer 213 million equity shares of Wipro Ltd, held by a few entities controlled by him, to the Azim Premji Trust. It will fund educational activities of the Azim Premji Foundation (APF) which works mainly with schools in rural India. He had previously transferred over Rs 700 crore to the APF.

Premji said more may come in future. ``I'm completely committed to supporting the larger ambition of creating the required social change.''

The money will be transferred to the trust by next Tuesday and Wipro's former strategy chief K R Lakshminarayana will be its chief endowment officer. A $2-billion endowment even at a conservative return of 8%-12% should generate annual returns of $160-250 million (Rs 750-1,150 crore), which will be used to run APF initiatives, including the Bangalore-based Azim Premji University.

``We believe that good education is crucial to building a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. We want to contribute significantly towards improvement of education in India, and through that towards building a better society,'' he said.

``All our efforts, including the university we are setting up, are focused on the under-privileged and disadvantaged sections of our society. Our experience of the past 10 years has motivated us to significantly scale up our initiatives, across multiple relevant dimensions.''

So far, the nine-year-old APF has worked extensively in six districts -- two in Uttarakhand, two in Rajasthan and two in Karnataka.

Dileep Ranjekar, co-CEO of APF called this the beginning of APF's second life. ``The current phase we're launching is based on 10 years of experience wherein we realized what needs to be done to scale this in a concrete manner.'' His co-CEO Anurag Behar said, ``The aim is to increase the deep focus to 50 more districts across India.''

Such a huge financial commitment has been made mainly because a university cannot be run without a large endowment. For example, if AP University were to follow the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) model which meets just 14%-15% of its costs from student fees, the AP University will need to meet 85% of costs from non-fee based resources.

``The foundation's significant increase in scale and its clear focus on social purposes will require a substantial long-term financial commitment, which is the purpose this endowment will serve,'' Premji said.

The university, offering post-graduate courses in education and development, will start with 200 students in 2011 and scale to 2,000 in 4-5 years.

The foundation will also create district-level institutions with 50-70 people in each and these state and district resource centres will support improvement in education, especially in disadvantaged areas.

The APF said it will continue to partner state governments (including continuing with its existing programmes), institutions, NGOs and individuals.

Will others follow suit?
Will Premji inspire rich Indians to part with their wealth? That's a billion-dollar question but the American example may have the answer. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathway are persuading wealthy Americans to give at least 50% of their wealth to charity. They're even asking people to take a pledge they will do so, and with considerable success.

In India, the tech sector has led the way in giving away some of its wealth. All Infosys co-founders have charitable arms mainly in education but also in water management, health, etc.

Source: Times of India

student of Jawarhar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Umathel was found hung to death at Kakching

2010-12-01T05:16:00.000-08:00

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A student of Jawarhar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Umathel was found hung to death at Kakching this morning.

According to police report, 17-year old Chingakham Brajaton Singh son of Ibohal was found hung to death with a plastic rope from a tree atop a hillock at Thumkhongmang Ingkhol located along Kakching-Phunal Road at around 6.30 am today.

He was a resident of Kakching Makha Leikai Naorem Pareng.

A suicide note has been recovered from his possession.

In the suicide note, Brajaton expressed regret that he would not be able to look after the well-being of his parents in this life and prayed for doing so in the next life.

The body has been handed over to the family members after post-mortem examination at JNIMS today.

Source:epao

Vignesh Ravi created history by applying for a patent for his pet creation — a heart attack detecting vest

2010-12-01T05:14:00.000-08:00

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CHENNAI: A 15-year-old’s keenness to create a system to reduce delays in treating heart attack victims has led to the development of a heart attack detector and alert system. Vignesh Ravi of Class X in Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, KK Nagar, has applied for a patent for his pet creation — a heart attack detecting vest.

The working of the vest is simple: The minute voltage produced by the heart is being graphed constantly, using embedded oscilloscope in a circuit. This ECG is integrated through the textile electrodes. The vest is to be worn between the body and the person’s clothing.

When there is any variation in the ECG, it is identified by a pattern recognition system. The variation is immediately used to send an alert of a heart attack to a nearby hospital, contacted using a GSM sim card that is part of the circuit.

“I had read in the newspapers once about the millions of lives lost every year because a heart attack victim is not able to reach a hospital early enough to save his life. This prompted me to design this vest,” explains a beaming Vignesh. His creation was submitted for IGNITE 2010, organised by the National Innovation Foundation, where he was announced one of the top finalists. IGNITE 2010 is a national competition for students’ technological ideas and innovation organised in partnership with Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Navodaya Vidyala Samiti, Society for Research and Initiatives in Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI). “I was one of the 18 finalists from over 2000 entries received across the country,” Vignesh says.

Vignesh is now the school’s hero, but the lad modestly says he hopes to concentrate now on finalising the product. He has been granted `2 lakh for research on the machine, and the permission to use the bio-electrophysiology lab at IIT-Madras for further research. “I have received `8,000 as the first instalment for acquiring the equipment in making the final product,” he explains. He is also in the process of receiving a patent for the creation. “I could understand the medical aspect involved in making the vest from the internet, but for the GPS, I needed the guidance of my relatives,” he said.

CAT May Soon Go Global

2010-11-28T06:41:00.000-08:00

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If things go according to plan, the CAT entrance examination may soon be held globally on the lines of GRE or GMAT.

IIM-Lucknow director Devi Singh said the prospect is being looked into as lot of queries from countries like Sri Lanka and some East Asian nations have come in.

"Some B-schools in France have already started accepting CAT scores," he told reporters.

Singh said the test could be held on the lines of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) with provisions that students can take the exam during any time of the year. GRE and GMAT scores are accepted by b-schools across the globe.

Upbeat over the successful completion of CAT this year under the online format, he said, "CAT could also be made an independent body to hold the exam, which is a largest of its kind in the world.

"We are seriously looking at it (making CAT a separate body) and a committee is also looking at it."

He said the independent body could relieve IIM professors of the whole process of the test.

As many as 2,04,267 candidates had registered for the test this year, held under the aegis of IIM Lucknow and Prometric India.

Faculty of IIM Lucknow Himanshu Rai said the mandatory 90 minute waiting period for CAT candidates before starting the test "will be reduced from next year".

Besides candidates can also fill the CAT vouchers online from next year, he said.

The CAT online test this year were held over 20 days in 78 locations across 33 cities using 246 computer labs.

Prometric which was responsible for conducting the online test said it had taken several tests to ensure that it is held smoothly.

The CAT exam, which went online last year, was marred by technical glitches last year, triggering rescheduling of the test.

Source: OUTLOOK

JNV bags second rank in Youth Parliament

2010-11-25T20:58:00.000-08:00

KATHLAL: Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Kathlal, bagged the first position at 14th Youth Parliament 2010, NVS Pune region. The second place went to JNV, Banaskantha. JNV, Kathlal hosted the annual event, organized jointly by government of India and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), New Delhi, to train the students to excel in their political endeavours. Four JNVs from Gujarat - Kodinar, Banaskantha, Bharuch and Kathalal - had qualified for the event on Thursday.

About 200 students from the four schools took part in the parliament, where they acted as speaker, prime minister, leader of the opposition, deputy speaker besides ministers for home, finance, defense, HRD and agriculture among others.

Kathlal MLA Kanubhai Dabhi inaugurated the event, which had Matar MLA Devu Sinh Chauhan as the chief guest. School principal JN Bhonsale welcomed the guests.

Source: Times of India

JNV could not create luster in 45th Youth Parliament award

2010-11-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

The Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Planning, Sh. V.Nanayanasamy rewarded the winners of the 45th Youth Parliament Competition 2010-11 for the Schools under the Directorate of Education, Govt. of NCT of Delhi and New Delhi and Municipal Council. Sh. Nanayanasamy congratulated the students of the nine Delhi schools for their brilliant performance and whole hearted participation in the competition.

N.C.Jindal Public School, Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi was declared the winner of the Pandit Moti Lal Nehru Running Parliamentary Shield, having stood first in the 45th Youth Parliamentary Competition Trophy. Trophy for the best education district in the competition was awarded to the West ‘A’ Education District, Directorate of Education, Govt. of NCT of Delhi and Trophy for standing first among new entrant schools was awarded to Govt. Sarvodaya Co-Ed Vidyalaya, B-4, Paschim Vihar,New Delhi. Besides, Trophies were also awarded to eight other schools for their meritorious performance in the competition. The award winning schools are: Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, Pooth Kalan, Delhi; Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, A-Block, Vikas Puri, New Delhi; Govt. Sarvodaya Co-Ed Vidyalaya, B-4, Pashchim Vihar; Sarvodya Kanya vidyalaya, B-Block, Janak Puri, Delhi; Navyug School, Peshwa road, New Delhi; Vidya Bhawan Mahavidyala, Sr. Sec. Shool, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi; Aadharshila Vidyapeeth School, Pitampura and Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya, Ramesh Nagar, New Delhi.

From a humble beginning in 1966 when the first Competition was organised in 16 schools of the Delhi Administration, by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, the Youth Parliament Scheme now covers 1200 schools in NCT of Delhi, 1,200 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 600 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and 300 Universities/Colleges throughout the country.

Source: PIB

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair:8 little geniuses to chip in Intel ISEF 2011

2010-11-24T01:17:00.000-08:00

MUMBAI, INDIA: When preparing papers of the 'Investigation of Pesticidal property of Areca Catechu Plant' Athira M Nair from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Mandya had not thought about the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. But what surprised her is that she is among the 8 others who got selected to represent India at the prestigious ISEF -2011 (Intel International Science and Engineering Fair ) which will be held at Los Angeles, California on May 8-13, 2011.

There were about 87 projects presented by the students from class five to class twelve, reveals the creative mind and talents of the young innovators of India at the IRIS. Selected topics for ISEF varied from botany to maths, environmental science to chemistry, zoology and engineering, said a press release.

Students from standard 5-12 demonstrated their creativity and research-based thinking through their science and engineering projects. The national winners will represent India at the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles, California.

Initiative for Research & Innovation in Science, is an initiation by Intel to promote bright young minds to nurture science and scientific research and to come together.

“With every edition of IRIS, we see more and more innovative entries which are a strong indication of the rich talent pool that exists in our country,” said Praveen Vishakantaiah, president, Intel India.

“I take this opportunity to congratulate ‘the little geniuses’ who made their mark in science and innovation at IRIS 2010. I strongly feel that this is a very useful mechanism to tap the imaginative science talent of young minds,” said Gurudas Kamat, Minister of State for Communications and IT, Government of India.

HRD issued guidelines about screening of children at the time of admission

2010-11-24T01:14:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: After months of debating the issue and seeking the law ministry's opinion, the HRD ministry on Tuesday finally issued guidelines about screening of children at the time of admission under the Right to Education Act.
HRD minister Kapil Sibal said, "We have taken the law ministry's clearance to issue the guidelines on screening. The RTE Act will be amended later. Had we gone in for an amendment on screening now admissions the next academic year would have suffered."
Making it clear that no school would be allowed to do profiling of students based on their parents' education, the new guidelines allow schools to have categorization based on a "rationale and just" basis. But within the categories schools will not be allowed to conduct interviews either of students or parents. Admission will be done entirely on a random basis through draw of lots.
Schools have also been told that their objective and categories should be put in the public domain and be included in the school prospectus. For instance, there can be rational categories for alumni and siblings. At the same time, minority educational institutions like madarsas and vedic pathsalas have been left out of the provisions of RTE Act. However, institutions run by minority groups that fall under the definition of school as provided in the RTE Act will have to comply with screening as well as other provisions of the legislation.
The categorization will be limited to 75% of children while 25% reservation to children of economically weaker sections will be given without any screening and on the basis of random selection through draw of lots. The HRD ministry is likely to issue another set of guidelines about screening in residential schools later. Many top residential schools have been asking the ministry for guidelines before next year's admission process starts. The HRD ministry-run Navodaya Vidyalayas, which too are residential, have been opposed to the provision of no-screening and giving 25% admission to underprivileged children in the neighbourhood on the ground that they cater to poor children.

Source: Times Of India

DEO asked for information TO Navodaya

2010-11-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Dimapur, November 20 (MExN): The Dimapur District Education Officer (DEO) has informed that as per the RTE Act, private schools including Navodaya & Kendriya Vidilaya, CBSE, NEMS, SSA & ICSE are directed to collect the District Information of School Education (DISE) formats, which is mandatory throughout the country from the DEO office on or before November 25.

Navodaya Loses on More shining Star....

2010-11-20T05:49:00.000-08:00

HYDERABAD: Was it regional bias against a student from rural south India that forced Nalgonda girl Saale Madhuri to end her life in IIT-Kanpur earlier this week? Her family and relatives said Madhuri was under tremendous pressure as she faced taunts from other students.

Mother Shantamma said her daughter had been a bright student right from her school days. Ruling out that her daughter could not take the pressure of exams, the reason cited by IIT-K authorities, Shantamma said: "Madhuri used to call me often expressing her desire to come back unable to take the harassment. But I kept goading her to finish her B Tech course," she said, crying inconsolably on phone.

Madhuri, 22, a final year student, hung herself to the ceiling in her hostel room two days ago. She was a meritorious student and studied in Navodaya School in Chalakurti town up to Intermediate. "After the death of my husband three years ago, it was difficult to run the family. We went through a tough time, but Madhuri pursued her education and cleared the IIT entrance test," Shantamma recalled. Shantamma is the upa sarpanch of Badulapuram panchayat near Avantipuram in Nalgonda. Her husband Venkateswarlu was a teacher in a deaf and dumb school in Avantipuram. Madhuri's younger brother Bharat is studying engineering in Hyderabad.

"We are all shocked to hear about Madhuri's death," sarpanch Madhar Yadav said. Sources said some relatives left for Kanpur on Thursday night to bring her body back. Shantamma was to accompany them but she was still in a state of shock and could not go.

The suicide of Madhuri is the eighth such incident at the prestigious institute in the past five years. Findings of inquiry committees, set up by the institute to ascertain the causes, have never been made public. A former student on condition of anonymity that though some students are made members of the inquiry committees, they are never called for any meetings. "Such committees are an eyewash, they are not even informed about the findings of the panel," he said.

Students admit that academic progression rules are stringent across all IITs. "A student from the south who may be brilliant is bound to struggle in the north-dominant set-up. But one should realise that IIT is not the end of the world," a student of Hyderabad pursuing his B Tech in IIT-Bombay told TOI on phone.

Earlier, IIT-K registrar Sanjeev Kashalkar said a three-member committee was set up to probe the circumstances that led to the suicide of the civil engineering student. He said Madhuri had an excellent academic record. "There was no inkling that she was suffering from depression," he said.

Kashalkar said the previous inquiry reports concluded that the students committed suicide as most of them were going through stress and anxiety as a result of parental pressure and career-related worries.

In January 2009, second year M Tech student G Suman, 24, hanged himself while in April 2008, first year B Tech student Prashant Kumar ended his life, followed by fourth year student Toya Chatterjee, who committed suicide in May. J Bharadwaj killed himself in April 2007, Abhilash Pillai took his life in November 2006, while Sailesh Sharma in April 2006 and Swapnil Bhaskar in Nov. 2005.