With plastic chairs lined up in a Kirkuk street and whiteboards fixed to the wall of the building opposite, retired Iraqi teacher Khamis Ali is ready to start his class.Since the 70-year-old started his initiative a few weeks ago, dozens of boys and girls have been gathering at this spot regularly to attend his free classes. He sets up the open-air classroom in the street opposite to his house.

Retired Iraqi teacher brings schooling to a street in Kirkuk

<p>Who are today’s “the Moon” and “the Sun”? The students start to gather. Some are busy sweeping, some are watering the plants, some are arranging the sound box, and so on, as they are in the school. Once you step inside the school, you can feel the warmth in the morning hours.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Now, slowly, the teachers start to gather too. They’re all coming for the school assembly. A group of students are helping to organise the other students into a proper queue. These students are also helping other students to dress properly, helping them in combing their hair, getting their shirts tucked in, checking that their nails are cut a proper length, and so on.</p>

<p>As the final call for the assembly is aired, some children come running, gasping for air, until they settle in organised rows. There is a small group leading the assembly. The state anthem, a song of Bihar, rings in the assembly, as students sing along. I notice that some students are trying to be more attentive, shutting their eyes. The procedure is going on for quite some time, continuing for the next 20 minutes in total synchronisation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It features different activities, like story-telling, sharing thoughts of the day, doing a quiz, reading the news – and a selection of “Chanda and Suraj”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>That sounds different. “Chanda” means Moon and “Suraj” means Sun in Hindi and other Indian languages. But in this context, the Moon and the Sun do not play a mythical or special role but serve as an example. Here, the selection of “Chanda” and “Suraj” identifies two children for the day in the school who are the most well-dressed among all. The selection happens every single day during the morning assembly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This recognition acts as a motivation and positive reinforcement for the other students to be well-dressed. Rounds of applause and the crown on their heads act as a morale booster for the school.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Initiating the idea of cleanliness and hygiene is an important task for the students in the school. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has launched this approach as a part of the school health and hygiene programme. Quest Alliance, through their  Anandshala programme, is tackling it in a more participatory way. They engage the students in the process of selection and coming out with innovative ways of recognising and awarding the students to reinforce health and hygiene. Creative activities about the school’s health and hygiene practices help the students be more inclined towards their school activities and practices in general. As a result, students are trying to maintain good hygiene and come to school enthusiastically.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The schools are framing their vision towards the school hygiene projects, which is binding the students towards the school activities. The students are imbibing the healthy habits, like washing hands before meals.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hand washing is fun now! For example, in the Government Middle School Waini of Samastipur in Bihar, the students have initiated a Soap Bank to create a repository of soaps to bridge the gap of resources. This soap bank has come up with the contribution from the students and teachers of the school, as in one soap per students and five soaps per teachers. Simultaneously, going back home the students are sparking the healthy habit in their communities. This ultimately bridges the gap between the students, the school and the community. “The children are now asking for soaps to wash their hands”, says the Health and Hygiene Minister of the school.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With time, students in public schools in Samastipur, Bihar, are including the school cleanliness programme on their yearly agenda. They are now raising their voices about sanitation issues in the school and trying to come up with solutions for it. Along with the basic cleaning before the morning assembly, they are demanding clean toilets, repairing of the infrastructure, running water facilities, safe drinking water stations, and hand washing stations in their schools. These messages are being carried back to the community. They are also initiating the hygiene practices back in their community, just like encouraging to wash hands before having meals.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They are asking their parents to get them in proper dress-up before coming to school. The community is also attending the parents and teachers meetings to discuss the matters of sanitation and hygiene practice and water crisis in the school. They are paying attention to the trial for innovations in the school. They are developing the motivation towards their school.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anandshala is playing a significant role in mobilising students in creating changes in the public schools of Samastipur in Bihar. They involve the students in flag discussions and foster creative thinking about their school.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Partnering with the school teachers and headteachers, they are integrating the students into the school development activities. They are also creating a platform and recognising the changes happening in the school with the District Education Department of the government of Bihar.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The students are now also feeling the connect towards their school. These approaches are helping them and especially the girls to stay back in the school – even on their menstruation. This is assuring them to stay back and ensuring the attendance level in the school. Slowly, the students are gathering confidence about their school and building the ownership of their school.</p>

<p>Thereby, it is helping to bridge the gap between the students and the school and also with the community.<br />
<br />
<em>(A previous version of this article was originally published by the American India Foundation)</em><br />
<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>


Who are today’s “the Moon” and “the Sun”? The students start to gather. Some are busy sweeping, some are watering the plants, some are arranging the sound box, and so on, as they are in the school.

Who are today’s “the Moon” and “the Sun”? The students start to gather. Some are busy sweeping, some are watering the plants, some are arranging the sound box, and so on, as they are in the school. Once you step inside the school, you can feel the warmth in the morning hours. Now, slowly, the teachers start to gather too. They’re all coming for the school assembly. A group of students are helping to organise the other students into a proper queue. These students are also helping other students to dress properly, helping them in combing their hair, getting their shirts tucked in, checking that their nails are cut a proper length, and so on. As the final call for the assembly is aired, some children come running, gasping for air, until they settle in organised rows. There is a small group leading the assembly. The state anthem, a song of Bihar, rings in the assembly, as students sing along. I notice that some students are trying to be more attentive, shutting their eyes. The procedure is going on for quite some time, continuing for the next 20 minutes in total synchronisation. It features different activities, like story-telling, sharing thoughts of the day, doing a quiz, reading the news – and a selection of “Chanda and Suraj”. That sounds different. “Chanda” means Moon and “Suraj” means Sun in Hindi and other Indian languages. But in this context, the Moon and the Sun do not play a mythical or special role but serve as an example. Here, the selection of “Chanda” and “Suraj” identifies two children for the day in the school who are the most well-dressed among all. The selection happens every single day during the morning assembly. This recognition acts as a motivation and positive reinforcement for the other students to be well-dressed. Rounds of applause and the crown on their heads act as a morale booster for the school. Initiating the idea of cleanliness and hygiene is an important task for the students in the school. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has launched this approach as a part of the school health and hygiene programme. Quest Alliance, through their  Anandshala programme, is tackling it in a more participatory way. They engage the students in the process of selection and coming out with innovative ways of recognising and awarding the students to reinforce health and hygiene. Creative activities about the school’s health and hygiene practices help the students be more inclined towards their school activities and practices in general. As a result, students are trying to maintain good hygiene and come to school enthusiastically. The schools are framing their vision towards the school hygiene projects, which is binding the students towards the school activities. The students are imbibing the healthy habits, like washing hands before meals. Hand washing is fun now! For example, in the Government Middle School Waini of Samastipur in Bihar, the students have initiated a Soap Bank to create a repository of soaps to bridge the gap of resources. This soap bank has come up with the contribution from the students and teachers of the school, as in one soap per students and five soaps per teachers. Simultaneously, going back home the students are sparking the healthy habit in their communities. This ultimately bridges the gap between the students, the school and the community. “The children are now asking for soaps to wash their hands”, says the Health and Hygiene Minister of the school. With time, students in public schools in Samastipur, Bihar, are including the school cleanliness programme on their yearly agenda. They are now raising their voices about sanitation issues in the school and trying to come up with solutions for it. Along with the basic cleaning before the morning assembly, they are demanding clean toilets, repairing of the infrastructure, running water facilities, safe drinking water stations, and hand washing stations in their schools. These messages are being carried back to the community. They are also initiating the hygiene practices back in their community, just like encouraging to wash hands before having meals. They are asking their parents to get them in proper dress-up before coming to school. The community is also attending the parents and teachers meetings to discuss the matters of sanitation and hygiene practice and water crisis in the school. They are paying attention to the trial for innovations in the school. They are developing the motivation towards their school. Anandshala is playing a significant role in mobilising students in creating changes in the public schools of Samastipur in Bihar. They involve the students in flag discussions and foster creative thinking about their school. Partnering with the school teachers and headteachers, they are integrating the students into the school development activities. They are also creating a platform and recognising the changes happening in the school with the District Education Department of the government of Bihar. The students are now also feeling the connect towards their school. These approaches are helping them and especially the girls to stay back in the school – even on their menstruation. This is assuring them to stay back and ensuring the attendance level in the school. Slowly, the students are gathering confidence about their school and building the ownership of their school. Thereby, it is helping to bridge the gap between the students and the school and also with the community. (A previous version of this article was originally published by the American India Foundation) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Blog: Students creating awareness about hygiene

<p>In India, a landmark shift in the country’s demography is underway. In 2015, there were 460 million people between the ages of 15 – 34 years. By the 2030s, this number is projected to increase to 490 million – the largest youth population in the world. Such a demographic dividend will entail that the number of people working and contributing to the economy increases significantly. This presents itself as an opportunity for India to become a global leader in terms of economic growth and productivity. However, it could also be a massive problem. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Simply put, there will be a large number of people looking for jobs in their preferred sector. If they do get these jobs they are searching for, and do them efficiently, the economy of India will grow exponentially. However, Indians looking for opportunities today face a major challenge – the lack of skills instilled in them at the elementary school level itself. Less than 50 per cent of Class V students in India can read texts at the reading level of Class II. This lack of rudimentary skills snowballs through high school and college, leading to individuals who are willing to work but lack the skills to do so. If this continues, India will end up wasting the potential of millions of people who could, with the right skills, become hardworking professionals backing the growth of the Indian economy. Instead, it would face a crisis of unemployment and economic distress. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>The role of behavioural economics and the ‘nudge’&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Economics, as a social science, can enhance the analytical competency and critical thinking of an individual. As a subject of study, economics instils the ability to study the cause and effect of a particular event in a person. Can students specialising in economics, then, understand the need for instilling better skills in students to lead to a more capable set of workers in the long run? The answer is most definitely a positive one.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Students and professionals in the field of economics can organise the workforce by applying behavioural economics to the current educational setup. &nbsp;</p>

<p>According to Richard Thaler’s theory on behavioural economics giving people incentives, or ‘nudges’, can make them act a certain way. To overcome the skill gap in India, the entire education system must be economically incentivised to provide the skill building that is required to train the future workforce of the country. There is a foremost need to transform the way students are imparted education. Students, from a young age, should learn practical life skills along with the usual pedagogy to instill a sense of what they will face in the professional world. Skills like analytical thinking should be ingrained since a young age. Writing, comprehension and effective communication should be taught to students at every stage of education. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Economics as a tool to strengthen the job sector &nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Too much time has been spent lamenting the jobs problem India has faced post-independence. India’s official unemployment rate of 5 per cent tells us, though, that almost everybody who wants a job has a job, and so perhaps the debate should be about whether Indians have access to the jobs and wages that they need or want. Students of economics will help policymakers to understand the job scenario from an analytical perspective, so that concrete solution can emerge for our jobs problem. In the future, think-tanks and policy organisations will emerge in higher numbers to assist organisations, as well as governments, achieve the optimum combination of different elements required for sustainable growth; such as the composition of man-machine in the workforce, degree of entrepreneurship promotion to boost income, redistribution of labour hours etc. Only students of economics can provide viable answers to such questions as they have a unique understanding of both the human as well as the quantitative side of things. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Transforming educators, education and policies &nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>To achieve this outcome, the country must invest in the compensation of teachers. Underpaid educators contribute less to imparting essential skills in students. Instead, students end up believing in the false power of rote learning. Thinking, analyzing, applying – these are skills that only motivated teachers will teach students. Compensating educators to stay abreast of the latest pedagogical methods and innovations, such as smart classrooms and interactive learning, can ensure that students at every level are given the right educational opportunities. &nbsp;</p>

<p>While educational institutions need to provide better opportunities to students, institutions themselves require better opportunities from the government. The educational sector must look into private sector participation in order to increase the funding they receive for schools and educational programs. Economic compensation is essential to motivate professionals in education, but equally important is ensuring that the programmes thus created are successfully building skills that are relevant in the professional world. Institutions that provide job-relevant training in economics thereby come into the picture. More resources for institutions providing these social skills would lead to a more talented workforce. &nbsp;</p>

<p>A critical step towards skill building of the burgeoning youth population would be to create long term plans within the government which contribute to skilling the youth. Policies related to the education system are in dire need of reformation in terms of compensation, content and method of teaching. At the government level, institutions such as the NITI Aayog can be tasked to modify curriculum to suit the modern student – one who requires better, more future-ready skills right from the outset of his or her education. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Each of the aforementioned requirements can be deeply understood and executed by students who are systematically trained in economics. Students who understand the power of a nudge will be able to fathom how humongous the effect of a simple action can be. Thus training our youth in economics, we are causing an entire generation of workforce, created through a fortunate demographic dividend, to realise its full potential. &nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)</em></p>


In India, a landmark shift in the country’s demography is underway. In 2015, there were 460 million people between the ages of 15 – 34 years. By the 2030s, this number is projected to increase to 490 million – the largest youth population in the world.

In India, a landmark shift in the country’s demography is underway. In 2015, there were 460 million people between the ages of 15 – 34 years. By the 2030s, this number is projected to increase to 490 million – the largest youth population in the world. Such a demographic dividend will entail that the number of people working and contributing to the economy increases significantly. This presents itself as an opportunity for India to become a global leader in terms of economic growth and productivity. However, it could also be a massive problem. Simply put, there will be a large number of people looking for jobs in their preferred sector. If they do get these jobs they are searching for, and do them efficiently, the economy of India will grow exponentially. However, Indians looking for opportunities today face a major challenge – the lack of skills instilled in them at the elementary school level itself. Less than 50 per cent of Class V students in India can read texts at the reading level of Class II. This lack of rudimentary skills snowballs through high school and college, leading to individuals who are willing to work but lack the skills to do so. If this continues, India will end up wasting the potential of millions of people who could, with the right skills, become hardworking professionals backing the growth of the Indian economy. Instead, it would face a crisis of unemployment and economic distress. The role of behavioural economics and the ‘nudge’ Economics, as a social science, can enhance the analytical competency and critical thinking of an individual. As a subject of study, economics instils the ability to study the cause and effect of a particular event in a person. Can students specialising in economics, then, understand the need for instilling better skills in students to lead to a more capable set of workers in the long run? The answer is most definitely a positive one. Students and professionals in the field of economics can organise the workforce by applying behavioural economics to the current educational setup. According to Richard Thaler’s theory on behavioural economics giving people incentives, or ‘nudges’, can make them act a certain way. To overcome the skill gap in India, the entire education system must be economically incentivised to provide the skill building that is required to train the future workforce of the country. There is a foremost need to transform the way students are imparted education. Students, from a young age, should learn practical life skills along with the usual pedagogy to instill a sense of what they will face in the professional world. Skills like analytical thinking should be ingrained since a young age. Writing, comprehension and effective communication should be taught to students at every stage of education. Economics as a tool to strengthen the job sector Too much time has been spent lamenting the jobs problem India has faced post-independence. India’s official unemployment rate of 5 per cent tells us, though, that almost everybody who wants a job has a job, and so perhaps the debate should be about whether Indians have access to the jobs and wages that they need or want. Students of economics will help policymakers to understand the job scenario from an analytical perspective, so that concrete solution can emerge for our jobs problem. In the future, think-tanks and policy organisations will emerge in higher numbers to assist organisations, as well as governments, achieve the optimum combination of different elements required for sustainable growth; such as the composition of man-machine in the workforce, degree of entrepreneurship promotion to boost income, redistribution of labour hours etc. Only students of economics can provide viable answers to such questions as they have a unique understanding of both the human as well as the quantitative side of things. Transforming educators, education and policies To achieve this outcome, the country must invest in the compensation of teachers. Underpaid educators contribute less to imparting essential skills in students. Instead, students end up believing in the false power of rote learning. Thinking, analyzing, applying – these are skills that only motivated teachers will teach students. Compensating educators to stay abreast of the latest pedagogical methods and innovations, such as smart classrooms and interactive learning, can ensure that students at every level are given the right educational opportunities. While educational institutions need to provide better opportunities to students, institutions themselves require better opportunities from the government. The educational sector must look into private sector participation in order to increase the funding they receive for schools and educational programs. Economic compensation is essential to motivate professionals in education, but equally important is ensuring that the programmes thus created are successfully building skills that are relevant in the professional world. Institutions that provide job-relevant training in economics thereby come into the picture. More resources for institutions providing these social skills would lead to a more talented workforce. A critical step towards skill building of the burgeoning youth population would be to create long term plans within the government which contribute to skilling the youth. Policies related to the education system are in dire need of reformation in terms of compensation, content and method of teaching. At the government level, institutions such as the NITI Aayog can be tasked to modify curriculum to suit the modern student – one who requires better, more future-ready skills right from the outset of his or her education. Each of the aforementioned requirements can be deeply understood and executed by students who are systematically trained in economics. Students who understand the power of a nudge will be able to fathom how humongous the effect of a simple action can be. Thus training our youth in economics, we are causing an entire generation of workforce, created through a fortunate demographic dividend, to realise its full potential. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Asking the right questions - how students of economics can bridge skill gap in India

<p>I was extremely privileged to attend a government school that offered rigorous and easily accessible opportunities in the Arts. Not only did we take distinct art classes, but art was also occasionally incorporated into our lessons. We wouldn’t just do the math, we would create geometric patterns using the math skills we spent time mastering. I remember particularly using sketch pads to observe my native New Hampshire’s natural environment as part of our environmental science curriculum.</p>

<p>The importance of these sorts of activities in my own education demonstrated to me the benefits of integrating Art into more traditional subjects like Science, Math, Reading and Social Studies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the United States, this integrated approach to teaching Art, as well as more formal Art classes like painting, drawing, dancing and theatre have been widely researched for their impact on student success in other academic and social areas. In fact, a 2009 study by Florida’s Department of education demonstrated that students across a variety of socioeconomic classes that were involved in Art courses achieved higher on standardised tests compared to their peers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Furthermore, students in other states and even countries like Missouri and the United Kingdom had lower dropout rates, higher attendance rates, higher academic achievement and even improved social skills when they engaged in the arts. In addition to these improved quantitative results, at-risk students have also expressed feeling more engaged and motivated to learn when placed in arts-based environments,</p>

<p>While I could find minimal published research regarding the impact of Arts education in Indian schools, research summaries from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development point to the wide and varied impact of Art on educational achievement in developed and developing countries.  Furthermore, there have been many public calls and conference supporting increased investment in art in government schools. In addition, research conducted by India’s National Council of Educational Research and Training, as well as recent developments in the national curriculum frameworks have formally highlighted the role that art can play to improve a child’s education.</p>

<p>This movement toward formally recognising art as a more integral aspect of education in India is not only exciting for the academic benefits it can offer but also because art has the unique ability to create more equitable learning environments. In the government school I work in, the students come from a variety of linguistic, cultural and regional backgrounds. In addition, unlike in elite, private schools, resources like projectors, musical instruments, vast libraries of books or labs filled with chemistry equipment are simply not accessible. Furthermore, in an urban environment like Delhi, spacious learning environments for reflection or even inter-student dialogue can be hard to come by.</p>

<p>While each of these factors could present an obstacle to learning, Art can offer a means of levelling the playing field between students of different backgrounds. When one student speaks Hindi and the other Bihari, designing pictures of animal habitats creates a bridge rather than a gap between the two individuals.</p>

<p>When one student’s family has the resources to provide her with internet access and a computer while the other student must sell candy to support her siblings, we cannot ask both students to type or even write an essay and expect the same learning outcomes. While providing every student with the individual attention that they need to learn most effectively would be ideal, unfortunately, in the realm of government education, additional human resources like extra teachers and tutors can be costly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, by providing students with a piece of paper, some colourful dough or a set of coloured pencils, every student can draw their surroundings or create a replica of the heritage sites in their neighbourhood. Not only will they exercise some of their own creative potential, but each student will be able to learn through their own, individualised process. Regardless of their Math skills, both students can feel a sense of achievement when they create and measure something from their own hands. Instead of becoming confused when the teacher says “a triangle has three sides” in a language they do not understand, they can identify differences in a square and a triangle by seeing and touching their own creations.</p>

<p>From this perspective, taking advantage of each student’s unique creativity offers an opportunity to teach the more “testable” lessons like fractions or measurements without fearing that some students may be left behind. Art, more than just a creative outlet, becomes a means of creating more equitable learning environments and ensuring that students are not at a disadvantage merely because they come from a marginal or otherwise different group. Until broader social change occurs in our education systems, there are few options for educating large groups of increasingly diverse students with more potential than curriculum that embrace art in an interdisciplinary manner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I may not be training the next generation of Rabindranath Tagore or Leonardo DaVinci but I have seen that even the most simple Art projects can transform learning environments. From drawing maps to designing habitats, Art is one of the most universally accessible forms of education that we have.</p>

<p>I was extremely privileged to attend a government school that offered rigorous and easily accessible opportunities in the Arts. Not only did we take distinct art classes, but art was also occasionally incorporated into our lessons. We wouldn’t just do the math, we would create geometric patterns using the math skills we spent time mastering. I remember particularly using sketch pads to observe my native New Hampshire’s natural environment as part of our environmental science curriculum.</p>

<p>The importance of these sorts of activities in my own education demonstrated to me the benefits of integrating Art into more traditional subjects like Science, Math, Reading and Social Studies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the United States, this integrated approach to teaching art, as well as more formal Art classes like painting, drawing, dancing and theatre have been widely researched for their impact on student success in other academic and social areas. In fact, a 2009 study by Florida’s Department of education demonstrated that students across a variety of socioeconomic classes that were involved in Art courses achieved higher on standardised tests compared to their peers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Furthermore, students in other states and even countries like Missouri and the United Kingdom had lower dropout rates, higher attendance rates, higher academic achievement and even improved social skills when they engaged in the arts. In addition to these improved quantitative results, at-risk students have also expressed feeling more engaged and motivated to learn when placed in arts-based environments,</p>

<p>While I could find minimal published research regarding the impact of Arts education in Indian schools, research summaries from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development point to the wide and varied impact of Art on educational achievement in developed and developing countries.  Furthermore, there have been many public calls and conference supporting increased investment in art in government schools. In addition, research conducted by India’s National Council of Educational Research and Training, as well as recent developments in the national curriculum frameworks have formally highlighted the role that art can play to improve a child’s education.</p>

<p>This movement toward formally recognising art as a more integral aspect of education in India is not only exciting for the academic benefits it can offer but also because art has the unique ability to create more equitable learning environments. In the government school I work in, the students come from a variety of linguistic, cultural and regional backgrounds. In addition, unlike in elite, private schools, resources like projectors, musical instruments, vast libraries of books or labs filled with chemistry equipment are simply not accessible. Furthermore, in an urban environment like Delhi, spacious learning environments for reflection or even inter-student dialogue can be hard to come by.</p>

<p>While each of these factors could present an obstacle to learning, Art can offer a means of levelling the playing field between students of different backgrounds. When one student speaks Hindi and the other Bihari, designing pictures of animal habitats creates a bridge rather than a gap between the two individuals.</p>

<p>When one student’s family has the resources to provide her with internet access and a computer while the other student must sell candy to support her siblings, we cannot ask both students to type or even write an essay and expect the same learning outcomes. While providing every student with the individual attention that they need to learn most effectively would be ideal, unfortunately, in the realm of government education, additional human resources like extra teachers and tutors can be costly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, by providing students with a piece of paper, some colourful dough or a set of coloured pencils, every student can draw their surroundings or create a replica of the heritage sites in their neighbourhood. Not only will they exercise some of their own creative potential, but each student will be able to learn through their own, individualised process. Regardless of their Math skills, both students can feel a sense of achievement when they create and measure something from their own hands. Instead of becoming confused when the teacher says “a triangle has three sides” in a language they do not understand, they can identify differences in a square and a triangle by seeing and touching their own creations.</p>

<p>From this perspective, taking advantage of each student’s unique creativity offers an opportunity to teach the more “testable” lessons like fractions or measurements without fearing that some students may be left behind. Art, more than just a creative outlet, becomes a means of creating more equitable learning environments and ensuring that students are not at a disadvantage merely because they come from a marginal or otherwise different group. Until broader social change occurs in our education systems, there are few options for educating large groups of increasingly diverse students with more potential than curriculum that embrace art in an interdisciplinary manner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I may not be training the next generation of Rabindranath Tagore or Leonardo DaVinci but I have seen that even the most simple art projects can transform learning environments. From drawing maps to designing habitats, art is one of the most universally accessible forms of education that we have.</p>

<p>&nbsp;<br />
<em>*A previous version of this article was originally published on February 7th, 2019, by the American India Foundation.&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


I was extremely privileged to attend a government school that offered rigorous and easily accessible opportunities in the Arts. Not only did we take distinct art classes, but art was also occasionally incorporated into our lessons.

I was extremely privileged to attend a government school that offered rigorous and easily accessible opportunities in the Arts. Not only did we take distinct art classes, but art was also occasionally incorporated into our lessons. We wouldn’t just do the math, we would create geometric patterns using the math skills we spent time mastering. I remember particularly using sketch pads to observe my native New Hampshire’s natural environment as part of our environmental science curriculum. The importance of these sorts of activities in my own education demonstrated to me the benefits of integrating Art into more traditional subjects like Science, Math, Reading and Social Studies. In the United States, this integrated approach to teaching Art, as well as more formal Art classes like painting, drawing, dancing and theatre have been widely researched for their impact on student success in other academic and social areas. In fact, a 2009 study by Florida’s Department of education demonstrated that students across a variety of socioeconomic classes that were involved in Art courses achieved higher on standardised tests compared to their peers. Furthermore, students in other states and even countries like Missouri and the United Kingdom had lower dropout rates, higher attendance rates, higher academic achievement and even improved social skills when they engaged in the arts. In addition to these improved quantitative results, at-risk students have also expressed feeling more engaged and motivated to learn when placed in arts-based environments, While I could find minimal published research regarding the impact of Arts education in Indian schools, research summaries from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development point to the wide and varied impact of Art on educational achievement in developed and developing countries.  Furthermore, there have been many public calls and conference supporting increased investment in art in government schools. In addition, research conducted by India’s National Council of Educational Research and Training, as well as recent developments in the national curriculum frameworks have formally highlighted the role that art can play to improve a child’s education. This movement toward formally recognising art as a more integral aspect of education in India is not only exciting for the academic benefits it can offer but also because art has the unique ability to create more equitable learning environments. In the government school I work in, the students come from a variety of linguistic, cultural and regional backgrounds. In addition, unlike in elite, private schools, resources like projectors, musical instruments, vast libraries of books or labs filled with chemistry equipment are simply not accessible. Furthermore, in an urban environment like Delhi, spacious learning environments for reflection or even inter-student dialogue can be hard to come by. While each of these factors could present an obstacle to learning, Art can offer a means of levelling the playing field between students of different backgrounds. When one student speaks Hindi and the other Bihari, designing pictures of animal habitats creates a bridge rather than a gap between the two individuals. When one student’s family has the resources to provide her with internet access and a computer while the other student must sell candy to support her siblings, we cannot ask both students to type or even write an essay and expect the same learning outcomes. While providing every student with the individual attention that they need to learn most effectively would be ideal, unfortunately, in the realm of government education, additional human resources like extra teachers and tutors can be costly. However, by providing students with a piece of paper, some colourful dough or a set of coloured pencils, every student can draw their surroundings or create a replica of the heritage sites in their neighbourhood. Not only will they exercise some of their own creative potential, but each student will be able to learn through their own, individualised process. Regardless of their Math skills, both students can feel a sense of achievement when they create and measure something from their own hands. Instead of becoming confused when the teacher says “a triangle has three sides” in a language they do not understand, they can identify differences in a square and a triangle by seeing and touching their own creations. From this perspective, taking advantage of each student’s unique creativity offers an opportunity to teach the more “testable” lessons like fractions or measurements without fearing that some students may be left behind. Art, more than just a creative outlet, becomes a means of creating more equitable learning environments and ensuring that students are not at a disadvantage merely because they come from a marginal or otherwise different group. Until broader social change occurs in our education systems, there are few options for educating large groups of increasingly diverse students with more potential than curriculum that embrace art in an interdisciplinary manner. I may not be training the next generation of Rabindranath Tagore or Leonardo DaVinci but I have seen that even the most simple Art projects can transform learning environments. From drawing maps to designing habitats, Art is one of the most universally accessible forms of education that we have. I was extremely privileged to attend a government school that offered rigorous and easily accessible opportunities in the Arts. Not only did we take distinct art classes, but art was also occasionally incorporated into our lessons. We wouldn’t just do the math, we would create geometric patterns using the math skills we spent time mastering. I remember particularly using sketch pads to observe my native New Hampshire’s natural environment as part of our environmental science curriculum. The importance of these sorts of activities in my own education demonstrated to me the benefits of integrating Art into more traditional subjects like Science, Math, Reading and Social Studies. In the United States, this integrated approach to teaching art, as well as more formal Art classes like painting, drawing, dancing and theatre have been widely researched for their impact on student success in other academic and social areas. In fact, a 2009 study by Florida’s Department of education demonstrated that students across a variety of socioeconomic classes that were involved in Art courses achieved higher on standardised tests compared to their peers. Furthermore, students in other states and even countries like Missouri and the United Kingdom had lower dropout rates, higher attendance rates, higher academic achievement and even improved social skills when they engaged in the arts. In addition to these improved quantitative results, at-risk students have also expressed feeling more engaged and motivated to learn when placed in arts-based environments, While I could find minimal published research regarding the impact of Arts education in Indian schools, research summaries from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development point to the wide and varied impact of Art on educational achievement in developed and developing countries.  Furthermore, there have been many public calls and conference supporting increased investment in art in government schools. In addition, research conducted by India’s National Council of Educational Research and Training, as well as recent developments in the national curriculum frameworks have formally highlighted the role that art can play to improve a child’s education. This movement toward formally recognising art as a more integral aspect of education in India is not only exciting for the academic benefits it can offer but also because art has the unique ability to create more equitable learning environments. In the government school I work in, the students come from a variety of linguistic, cultural and regional backgrounds. In addition, unlike in elite, private schools, resources like projectors, musical instruments, vast libraries of books or labs filled with chemistry equipment are simply not accessible. Furthermore, in an urban environment like Delhi, spacious learning environments for reflection or even inter-student dialogue can be hard to come by. While each of these factors could present an obstacle to learning, Art can offer a means of levelling the playing field between students of different backgrounds. When one student speaks Hindi and the other Bihari, designing pictures of animal habitats creates a bridge rather than a gap between the two individuals. When one student’s family has the resources to provide her with internet access and a computer while the other student must sell candy to support her siblings, we cannot ask both students to type or even write an essay and expect the same learning outcomes. While providing every student with the individual attention that they need to learn most effectively would be ideal, unfortunately, in the realm of government education, additional human resources like extra teachers and tutors can be costly. However, by providing students with a piece of paper, some colourful dough or a set of coloured pencils, every student can draw their surroundings or create a replica of the heritage sites in their neighbourhood. Not only will they exercise some of their own creative potential, but each student will be able to learn through their own, individualised process. Regardless of their Math skills, both students can feel a sense of achievement when they create and measure something from their own hands. Instead of becoming confused when the teacher says “a triangle has three sides” in a language they do not understand, they can identify differences in a square and a triangle by seeing and touching their own creations. From this perspective, taking advantage of each student’s unique creativity offers an opportunity to teach the more “testable” lessons like fractions or measurements without fearing that some students may be left behind. Art, more than just a creative outlet, becomes a means of creating more equitable learning environments and ensuring that students are not at a disadvantage merely because they come from a marginal or otherwise different group. Until broader social change occurs in our education systems, there are few options for educating large groups of increasingly diverse students with more potential than curriculum that embrace art in an interdisciplinary manner. I may not be training the next generation of Rabindranath Tagore or Leonardo DaVinci but I have seen that even the most simple art projects can transform learning environments. From drawing maps to designing habitats, art is one of the most universally accessible forms of education that we have. *A previous version of this article was originally published on February 7th, 2019, by the American India Foundation. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Blog: Art as an equaliser in education

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<p>Sounding an alarm for those who aid and abet cheating during board exams, the Uttar Pradesh government said Tuesday it might use the stringent National Security Act (NSA) to save the future of thousands of children who take the test.</p>

<p>"We will take stringent action against those who run gangs that aid the use of unfair means during board exams, change answer sheets, leak question papers and resort to other mass-copying antics. We will take stringent action against them and not hesitate in imposing the NSA on them," Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma told PTI here.</p>

<p>The state board examinations will begin on February 7 and will be conducted over 16 working days.</p>

<p>The NSA is a stringent law that allows preventive detention for months if the authorities are satisfied that the person is a threat to national security or law and order.</p>

<p>Sharma, who holds the portfolio of secondary and higher education, said examination centres in the state, which reported maximum cases of cheating in the past, would be strictly monitored.</p>

<p>"At sensitive exam centres, Aadhaar of students has been linked with registration. However, not every centre across the state has been linked to Aadhaar. A district-wise list of suspicious centres has also been prepared," he said.</p>

<p>"The intention of the UP government is to curtail use of unfair means by students, while making efforts to improve quality of education. Owing to efforts of the UP government, use of unfair means has stopped, and the number of students studying in government schools has increased by 18-20 per cent," he said.</p>

<p>The Adityanath government, he said, had taken a lot of steps to check cheating in exams.</p>

<p>"Before the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, the prevailing atmosphere in the state prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to say that tenders were floated in UP for copying. After the BJP came to power in UP, steps&nbsp;have been taken to curtail the evil practice," the deputy chief minister said. Sharma said the use of unfair means was so rampant in the past that students from specific states were kept together at one exam centre.</p>

<p>"At these centres, stringent measures were initiated to ensure that use of unfair means does not take place. Last year, strict vigil was maintained on suspicious centres. As a result, 67 persons were arrested from a place. A press, printing answer sheets, was unearthed in Jaunpur, while a gang involved in leakage of question paper was busted in Hardoi. Impersonators were caught in Kaushambi and Aligarh," he said.</p>

<p>The state government held out the NSA threat in the past while mentioning efforts to deal with cow slaughter, power theft, an insult to the national anthem and circulation of fake currency.</p>

<p>Recently, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration invoked the law against the alleged-sand mining kingpin for building an illegal dam on the Yamuna.</p>

<p>Among the cases where the NSA has been invoked in the state is that of Dalit leader and Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad, who was arrested in June 2017 for his alleged role in the Saharanpur caste clashes.&nbsp;</p>


The NSA is a stringent law that allows preventive detention for months if the authorities are satisfied that the person is a threat to national security or law and order.

Sounding an alarm for those who aid and abet cheating during board exams, the Uttar Pradesh government said Tuesday it might use the stringent National Security Act (NSA) to save the future of thousands of children who take the test. "We will take stringent action against those who run gangs that aid the use of unfair means during board exams, change answer sheets, leak question papers and resort to other mass-copying antics. We will take stringent action against them and not hesitate in imposing the NSA on them," Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma told PTI here. The state board examinations will begin on February 7 and will be conducted over 16 working days. The NSA is a stringent law that allows preventive detention for months if the authorities are satisfied that the person is a threat to national security or law and order. Sharma, who holds the portfolio of secondary and higher education, said examination centres in the state, which reported maximum cases of cheating in the past, would be strictly monitored. "At sensitive exam centres, Aadhaar of students has been linked with registration. However, not every centre across the state has been linked to Aadhaar. A district-wise list of suspicious centres has also been prepared," he said. "The intention of the UP government is to curtail use of unfair means by students, while making efforts to improve quality of education. Owing to efforts of the UP government, use of unfair means has stopped, and the number of students studying in government schools has increased by 18-20 per cent," he said. The Adityanath government, he said, had taken a lot of steps to check cheating in exams. "Before the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, the prevailing atmosphere in the state prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to say that tenders were floated in UP for copying. After the BJP came to power in UP, steps have been taken to curtail the evil practice," the deputy chief minister said. Sharma said the use of unfair means was so rampant in the past that students from specific states were kept together at one exam centre. "At these centres, stringent measures were initiated to ensure that use of unfair means does not take place. Last year, strict vigil was maintained on suspicious centres. As a result, 67 persons were arrested from a place. A press, printing answer sheets, was unearthed in Jaunpur, while a gang involved in leakage of question paper was busted in Hardoi. Impersonators were caught in Kaushambi and Aligarh," he said. The state government held out the NSA threat in the past while mentioning efforts to deal with cow slaughter, power theft, an insult to the national anthem and circulation of fake currency. Recently, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration invoked the law against the alleged-sand mining kingpin for building an illegal dam on the Yamuna. Among the cases where the NSA has been invoked in the state is that of Dalit leader and Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad, who was arrested in June 2017 for his alleged role in the Saharanpur caste clashes.

Cheating mafia to be booked under National Security Act: UP Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma

<p>As many as five people were killed in a bus accident in Dang in Gujarat.</p>

<p>On Saturday, a bus carrying more than 50 students fell into a deep gorge on Mahal-Bardipada route in Dang district of Gujarat.</p>

<p>Police and local authorities rescued several students in the accident. All the students are in the age group of 10-16 years. Rescued students have been taken to hospital for treatment.</p>

<p>Reportedly, the bus was returning from Shabri Dham, a religious and tourist destination in the Dang district.&nbsp;</p>


As many as five people were killed in a bus accident in Dang in Gujarat. On Saturday, a bus carrying more than 50 students fell into a deep gorge on Mahal-Bardipada route in Dang district of Gujarat.

As many as five people were killed in a bus accident in Dang in Gujarat. On Saturday, a bus carrying more than 50 students fell into a deep gorge on Mahal-Bardipada route in Dang district of Gujarat. Police and local authorities rescued several students in the accident. All the students are in the age group of 10-16 years. Rescued students have been taken to hospital for treatment. Reportedly, the bus was returning from Shabri Dham, a religious and tourist destination in the Dang district.

Gujarat: Five killed in Dang bus accident

<p>Twenty-three people died in western Nepal when a bus carrying school students and teachers back from a botanical field trip plunged into a gorge, police said.</p>

<p>The students were aged mostly between 16 and 20. Two teachers and the driver also died in the accident early evening on Friday in a remote area.</p>

<p>The vehicle was carrying 37 people, with 22 killed at the scene and another in a nearby hospital. Fourteen people were treated for injuries.</p>

<p>"Our preliminary investigation shows the cause of the incident was speed," police officer Bel Bahadur Pandey told AFP.</p>

<p>Road accidents are relatively common in Nepal because of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The latest comes a week after a truck accident in central Nepal killed 20 mourners returning from a funeral ritual.</p>


Twenty-three people died in western Nepal when a bus carrying school students and teachers back from a botanical field trip plunged into a gorge, police said. The students were aged mostly between 16 and 20.

Twenty-three people died in western Nepal when a bus carrying school students and teachers back from a botanical field trip plunged into a gorge, police said. The students were aged mostly between 16 and 20. Two teachers and the driver also died in the accident early evening on Friday in a remote area. The vehicle was carrying 37 people, with 22 killed at the scene and another in a nearby hospital. Fourteen people were treated for injuries. "Our preliminary investigation shows the cause of the incident was speed," police officer Bel Bahadur Pandey told AFP. Road accidents are relatively common in Nepal because of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving. The latest comes a week after a truck accident in central Nepal killed 20 mourners returning from a funeral ritual.

Nepal student bus plunges into gorge, 23 dead

<p>Over 1.7 crore minority community students have been awarded a scholarship in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Tuesday.</p>

<p>"You will be happy to know that in #Bangla, we have distributed scholarships to over 1.7 crore minority students, the highest in the country.<br />
My best wishes to all,” the chief minister tweeted on the occasion of Minorities Rights Day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Stressing on equality and the necessity of staying united, the chief minister tweeted, "Today is #MinorityRightsDay. We are all equal and united.<br />
Unity in diversity is our strength.”&nbsp;</p>

<p>Minorities Rights Day is celebrated on this day every year to protect the rights of the minority communities and forge a better understanding among religious minorities in the country.</p>


Over 1.7 crore minority community students have been awarded a scholarship in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Tuesday. "You will be happy to know that in #Bangla, we have distributed scholarships to over 1.

Over 1.7 crore minority community students have been awarded a scholarship in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Tuesday. "You will be happy to know that in #Bangla, we have distributed scholarships to over 1.7 crore minority students, the highest in the country. My best wishes to all,” the chief minister tweeted on the occasion of Minorities Rights Day. Stressing on equality and the necessity of staying united, the chief minister tweeted, "Today is #MinorityRightsDay. We are all equal and united. Unity in diversity is our strength.” Minorities Rights Day is celebrated on this day every year to protect the rights of the minority communities and forge a better understanding among religious minorities in the country.

Scholarships awarded to 1.7 crore minority students in West Bengal: CM Mamata Banerjee

Chinese university launches dating course to better equip students with social skills

<p>A Wisconsin school district yesterday launched an investigation into a photo making social media rounds that shows dozens of male high school students raising their right arms in an apparent Nazi salute.</p>

<p>The district in the midwestern US state condemned the photo, which was taken last spring before the annual prom dance and reportedly includes all the male students in Baraboo High School’s class of 2019.</p>

<p>“Early this morning, a photo that was taken last spring of some Baraboo School District students who appear to be making extremely inappropriate gestures began circulating on social media,” said a statement from Baraboo superintendent Lori Mueller.</p>

<p>“If the gesture is what it appears to be, the district will pursue any and all available and appropriate actions, including legal, to address the issue,” Mueller said, adding that the photo was not taken on school property or at a school-sponsored event.</p>

<p>One student in the photo also appeared to be making the “OK” hand gesture that has come to symbolise white power.</p>

<p>The Baraboo Police Department said it was assisting with the investigation.</p>

<p>Only one student in the photo did not make a sign, and said in a statement circulated widely on social media that he was “uncomfortable” with the photo, saying that at the time “I knew what my morals were and it was not to salute something I firmly didn’t believe in.”</p>

<p>“It needs to stop,” said the boy, identifying himself as Jordan Blue. “Bullying. Immaturity. and just taking things as a ‘joke’...”</p>

<p>Baraboo, a town of about 12,000 people, is located 68km northwest of Wisconsin’s capital city Madison.</p>

<p>“This is why every single day we work hard to educate,” tweeted the Auschwitz Memorial of the photo.</p>

<p>“We need to explain what is the danger of hateful ideology rising.”&nbsp;</p>


A Wisconsin school district yesterday launched an investigation into a photo making social media rounds that shows dozens of male high school students raising their right arms in an apparent Nazi salute.

A Wisconsin school district yesterday launched an investigation into a photo making social media rounds that shows dozens of male high school students raising their right arms in an apparent Nazi salute. The district in the midwestern US state condemned the photo, which was taken last spring before the annual prom dance and reportedly includes all the male students in Baraboo High School’s class of 2019. “Early this morning, a photo that was taken last spring of some Baraboo School District students who appear to be making extremely inappropriate gestures began circulating on social media,” said a statement from Baraboo superintendent Lori Mueller. “If the gesture is what it appears to be, the district will pursue any and all available and appropriate actions, including legal, to address the issue,” Mueller said, adding that the photo was not taken on school property or at a school-sponsored event. One student in the photo also appeared to be making the “OK” hand gesture that has come to symbolise white power. The Baraboo Police Department said it was assisting with the investigation. Only one student in the photo did not make a sign, and said in a statement circulated widely on social media that he was “uncomfortable” with the photo, saying that at the time “I knew what my morals were and it was not to salute something I firmly didn’t believe in.” “It needs to stop,” said the boy, identifying himself as Jordan Blue. “Bullying. Immaturity. and just taking things as a ‘joke’...” Baraboo, a town of about 12,000 people, is located 68km northwest of Wisconsin’s capital city Madison. “This is why every single day we work hard to educate,” tweeted the Auschwitz Memorial of the photo. “We need to explain what is the danger of hateful ideology rising.”

Wisconsin school district decries photo of students giving Nazi salute

<p>As many as 32 out of the 50 students of the Indian Army's Kashmir Super-50 free engineering coaching institute in Srinagar have cracked this year’s IIT-JEE (Advanced), the results of which were announced on Sunday.</p>

<p>The outgoing batch is the fifth batch of Kashmir Super 50 which had 45 boys based in Srinagar and five girl students based in Noida. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Out of which this year, 32 students (30 boys and 02 girls) have cleared IIT-JEE Mains and seven students have cleared IIT-JEE Advance.</p>

<p>Project 'Kashmir Super 50' has been one of the most successful projects undertaken by the Indian Army in the valley and has directly impacted the lives of a number of youths in J&K by providing them with the right guidance and opportunity to make a career for themselves.</p>

<p>The project has equally helped the families of these youths in their growth and prosperity. It is a major initiative towards bringing normalcy in the valley.</p>

<p>A group of 30 students, part of Kashmir Super 50 visited New Delhi and interacted with General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff on 12 Jun 18.</p>

<p>The General shared his experiences while serving in these areas, with the students and motivated them to work hard & contribute actively to the nation-building process.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat interacts with the students from J&K (supported by ‘Kashmir Super 30’ Project) who have qualified for the JEE (Main & Advance), 2017-18, in New Delhi <a href="https://t.co/01ByEftqTM">pic.twitter.com/01ByEftqTM</a></p>
— PIB India (@PIB_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/PIB_India/status/1006526864234598400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>On similar lines of Kashmir Super 50 for engineering aspirants, Indian Army has recently signed a MoU for medical aspirants with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) & National Integrity Educational Development Organisation (NIEDO), under which selected students will be provided with complete free residential coaching for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).&nbsp;</p>


Project 'Kashmir Super 50' has been one of the most successful projects undertaken by the Indian Army in the valley and has directly impacted the lives of a number of youths in J&K by providing them with the right guidance and opportunity to make a career for themselves.

As many as 32 out of the 50 students of the Indian Army's Kashmir Super-50 free engineering coaching institute in Srinagar have cracked this year’s IIT-JEE (Advanced), the results of which were announced on Sunday. The outgoing batch is the fifth batch of Kashmir Super 50 which had 45 boys based in Srinagar and five girl students based in Noida. Out of which this year, 32 students (30 boys and 02 girls) have cleared IIT-JEE Mains and seven students have cleared IIT-JEE Advance. Project 'Kashmir Super 50' has been one of the most successful projects undertaken by the Indian Army in the valley and has directly impacted the lives of a number of youths in J&K by providing them with the right guidance and opportunity to make a career for themselves. The project has equally helped the families of these youths in their growth and prosperity. It is a major initiative towards bringing normalcy in the valley. A group of 30 students, part of Kashmir Super 50 visited New Delhi and interacted with General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Army Staff on 12 Jun 18. The General shared his experiences while serving in these areas, with the students and motivated them to work hard & contribute actively to the nation-building process. Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat interacts with the students from J&K (supported by ‘Kashmir Super 30’ Project) who have qualified for the JEE (Main & Advance), 2017-18, in New Delhi pic.twitter.com/01ByEftqTM — PIB India (@PIB_India) June 12, 2018 × On similar lines of Kashmir Super 50 for engineering aspirants, Indian Army has recently signed a MoU for medical aspirants with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) & National Integrity Educational Development Organisation (NIEDO), under which selected students will be provided with complete free residential coaching for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

32 of 50 students from Army’s 'Kashmir Super 50' project crack IIT-JEE

<p>The Trump administration may nip the length of visas issued to some Chinese citizens under a new policy. The move is seen as US President Donald Trump's attempt to crack down on 'theft of US intellectual property' by China.</p>

<p>The policy will come in to effect on June 11 under which US consular officers may limit the time visas are valid, rather than the usual practice of issuing them for the maximum possible period.</p>

<p>According to reports, Chinese graduate students would be limited to one-year visas if they are studying disciplines like robotics, aviation and high-tech manufacturing, areas Beijing has said are high-priority goals for its manufacturing sector.</p>

<p>Now, some Chinese citizens, working as researchers or managers for companies on a US Commerce Department list of entities, would need a special clearance from multiple US agencies in order to get a visa.</p>

<p>(<em>With inputs from agencies</em>)</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


The policy will come in to effect on June 11 under which US consular officers may limit the time visas are valid

The Trump administration may nip the length of visas issued to some Chinese citizens under a new policy. The move is seen as US President Donald Trump's attempt to crack down on 'theft of US intellectual property' by China. The policy will come in to effect on June 11 under which US consular officers may limit the time visas are valid, rather than the usual practice of issuing them for the maximum possible period. According to reports, Chinese graduate students would be limited to one-year visas if they are studying disciplines like robotics, aviation and high-tech manufacturing, areas Beijing has said are high-priority goals for its manufacturing sector. Now, some Chinese citizens, working as researchers or managers for companies on a US Commerce Department list of entities, would need a special clearance from multiple US agencies in order to get a visa. (With inputs from agencies)

US to limit Chinese graduate students to one-year visas

<p>"Black Panther" star Lupita Nyong'o says she led a petition in high school so that her female counterparts could wear make-up.</p>

<p>The 35-year-old actor said she had no interest in getting dolled up herself, but wanted the right for others as her peers would not be adversely affected by wearing make-up.</p>

<p>"I went to an all-boys school for high school, and they had girls in the last two classes. This is a school with 700 boys and a handful of girls.</p>

<p>"At one point, there was an archaic rule that said that girls could not wear makeup to school. I was angry that the powers that be were trying to basically oppress and control the small female population. It infuriated me to the point that I started a petition," Nyong'o told InStyle magazine.</p>

<p>"I said to myself, 'Look, if a woman wants to wear makeup to school to feel confident in an environment where she's a minority, why not? It doesn't actually change whether or not she's able to take in the information being given to her in the classroom'," she recalled of her time at St Mary's School in Nairobi, Kenya.</p>

<p>The Oscar-winning actor, who still believes makeup is barely an accessory, made history when went on to become the first black ambassador for Lancome in 2014</p>


The 35-year-old actor said she had no interest in getting dolled up herself

"Black Panther" star Lupita Nyong'o says she led a petition in high school so that her female counterparts could wear make-up. The 35-year-old actor said she had no interest in getting dolled up herself, but wanted the right for others as her peers would not be adversely affected by wearing make-up. "I went to an all-boys school for high school, and they had girls in the last two classes. This is a school with 700 boys and a handful of girls. "At one point, there was an archaic rule that said that girls could not wear makeup to school. I was angry that the powers that be were trying to basically oppress and control the small female population. It infuriated me to the point that I started a petition," Nyong'o told InStyle magazine. "I said to myself, 'Look, if a woman wants to wear makeup to school to feel confident in an environment where she's a minority, why not? It doesn't actually change whether or not she's able to take in the information being given to her in the classroom'," she recalled of her time at St Mary's School in Nairobi, Kenya. The Oscar-winning actor, who still believes makeup is barely an accessory, made history when went on to become the first black ambassador for Lancome in 2014

Lupita petitioned in high school so female students could wear make-up

<p>Police on Wednesday lobbed teargas shells to disperse AMU students demanding the arrest of protesters who had barged into the campus, shouting slogans over a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah which hangs at the student union office.</p>

<p>District magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh said two youths were injured in the police action.</p>

<p>Earlier, members of a right-wing organisation had briefly clashed with Aligarh Muslim University students and entered the campus.</p>

<p>They were then taken away to a police station from where they were later "rescued" by other protesters, AMU student union members said.</p>

<p>The protesters were agitated over the portrait of the Pakistan founder which a local BJP MP wanted to be removed.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from PTI)</em></p>


The AMU students were demanding the arrest of protesters who had barged onto the campus and wanted a portrait of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah taken down.

Police on Wednesday lobbed teargas shells to disperse AMU students demanding the arrest of protesters who had barged into the campus, shouting slogans over a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah which hangs at the student union office. District magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh said two youths were injured in the police action. Earlier, members of a right-wing organisation had briefly clashed with Aligarh Muslim University students and entered the campus. They were then taken away to a police station from where they were later "rescued" by other protesters, AMU student union members said. The protesters were agitated over the portrait of the Pakistan founder which a local BJP MP wanted to be removed. (With inputs from PTI)

Jinnah portrait row: Police lob teargas shells at AMU students, 2 injured

<p>Hundreds took to the streets of Guadalajara on Tuesday (April 24) after Mexican authorities on Monday (April 23) said three missing Mexican students were killed last month in the western state of Jalisco and their bodies dissolved in acid after criminals confused them with members of a rival gang</p>

<p>Organizers of the student-led demonstration in the capital of Jalisco state said the government needed to do more to address disappearances and killings, especially of young people.</p>

<p>Criminal groups in Mexico often kidnap, torture, dismember and even dissolve their victims in acid and many of the remains are dumped in clandestine graves.</p>

<p>In 2014, 43 student teachers disappeared in the southern state of Guerrero and the government said they were kidnapped by police who handed them over to a criminal group that killed them and burnt their bodies.</p>

<p>The three film students were last seen in the municipality of Tonala after their car broke down and they were later kidnapped by at least six people, who tortured and killed them, according to Jalisco state prosecutors.</p>

<p>Prosecutors said the youths were confused with members of a another gang by gunmen from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which has become the most powerful in Mexico, according to U.S. authorities.</p>

<p>More than 25,000 people were murdered last year in Mexico. Homicides hit their highest level in records going back 20 years.</p>


Organizers of the student-led demonstration in the capital of Jalisco state said the government needed to do more to address disappearances and killings, especially of young people

Hundreds took to the streets of Guadalajara on Tuesday (April 24) after Mexican authorities on Monday (April 23) said three missing Mexican students were killed last month in the western state of Jalisco and their bodies dissolved in acid after criminals confused them with members of a rival gang Organizers of the student-led demonstration in the capital of Jalisco state said the government needed to do more to address disappearances and killings, especially of young people. Criminal groups in Mexico often kidnap, torture, dismember and even dissolve their victims in acid and many of the remains are dumped in clandestine graves. In 2014, 43 student teachers disappeared in the southern state of Guerrero and the government said they were kidnapped by police who handed them over to a criminal group that killed them and burnt their bodies. The three film students were last seen in the municipality of Tonala after their car broke down and they were later kidnapped by at least six people, who tortured and killed them, according to Jalisco state prosecutors. Prosecutors said the youths were confused with members of a another gang by gunmen from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which has become the most powerful in Mexico, according to U.S. authorities. More than 25,000 people were murdered last year in Mexico. Homicides hit their highest level in records going back 20 years.

Protests erupt after Mexican authorities say three students killed, dissolved in acid

<p>Thousands of students staged a protest across Bangladesh which started on Sunday against discriminatory quotas for government jobs in favour of special groups which also left 100 students injured at the country’s top university left after clashes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hundreds of university students across Bangladesh blockaded roads on Tuesday in the third day of protests against what they say are discriminatory quotas for government jobs. Students took to the streets in Dhaka and elsewhere despite assurances from the government that it would review the controversial quota system.</p>

<p>The mass protests roiling campuses across the country have been among the biggest faced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her decade in power.</p>

<p>"We'll continue our agitation until the authorities accept our demands," said Rahat, one of the roughly 500 students camped out at the university's main square.</p>

<p>Following the violence that erupted on Sunday and continued into the early hours of Monday, classes at Dhaka University ground to a halt as thousands occupied the main square chanting “Reform, reform!” Students at state-run universities in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal, Rangpur, Sylhet and Savar also boycotted classes and staged sit-ins, police and media said.</p>

<p>At Jahangirnagar University alone, more than 1,000 students joined the demonstrations, said Ataur Rahman, a protester in Savar where the university is located.</p>

<p>The students are angry at the government’s decision to set aside 56% of civil service jobs for the families of veterans from the 1971 war of independence and for disadvantaged minorities.</p>

<p>The Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, discussed the quota issue at its weekly meeting on Monday, said cabinet secretary Shafiul Alam. She has asked senior Minister Obaidul Quader to hold a meeting with the protest leaders, he said.</p>

<p>Hundreds of police patrolled key entry points to the campus.</p>

<p>Organisers in Dhaka said they had been holding peaceful protests on Sunday when police started firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and used batons and water cannon to clear a central square.</p>

<p>"More than 100 people were injured," police inspector Bacchu Mia told AFP, adding they were treated in hospital but their condition was not serious.</p>

<p>Protesters threw rocks, vandalised the home of the Dhaka University vice-chancellor, torched two cars and ransacked the fine arts institute, said senior police officer Azimul Haque.</p>

<p>Hasan Al Mamun, a leader of the protests, said tens of thousands of students joined the demonstrations nationwide. Police declined to estimate the number.</p>

<p>Al Mamun said the quota for top-grade jobs should be reduced to only 10 per cent.</p>

<p>"These quotas are discriminatory. Due to the quota system, 56 per cent of the jobs are set aside for five per cent of the country's population. And 95 per cent of the people can compete for the 44 per cent," he said.</p>

<p>Students are particularly upset at the 30 per cent quota set aside for descendants of veterans of the independence war.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>

<p><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j6fQ60yJBfk" width="560"></iframe></p>


Students are particularly upset at the 30 per cent quota set aside for descendants of veterans of the independence war

Thousands of students staged a protest across Bangladesh which started on Sunday against discriminatory quotas for government jobs in favour of special groups which also left 100 students injured at the country’s top university left after clashes. Hundreds of university students across Bangladesh blockaded roads on Tuesday in the third day of protests against what they say are discriminatory quotas for government jobs. Students took to the streets in Dhaka and elsewhere despite assurances from the government that it would review the controversial quota system. The mass protests roiling campuses across the country have been among the biggest faced by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her decade in power. "We'll continue our agitation until the authorities accept our demands," said Rahat, one of the roughly 500 students camped out at the university's main square. Following the violence that erupted on Sunday and continued into the early hours of Monday, classes at Dhaka University ground to a halt as thousands occupied the main square chanting “Reform, reform!” Students at state-run universities in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Barisal, Rangpur, Sylhet and Savar also boycotted classes and staged sit-ins, police and media said. At Jahangirnagar University alone, more than 1,000 students joined the demonstrations, said Ataur Rahman, a protester in Savar where the university is located. The students are angry at the government’s decision to set aside 56% of civil service jobs for the families of veterans from the 1971 war of independence and for disadvantaged minorities. The Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, discussed the quota issue at its weekly meeting on Monday, said cabinet secretary Shafiul Alam. She has asked senior Minister Obaidul Quader to hold a meeting with the protest leaders, he said. Hundreds of police patrolled key entry points to the campus. Organisers in Dhaka said they had been holding peaceful protests on Sunday when police started firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and used batons and water cannon to clear a central square. "More than 100 people were injured," police inspector Bacchu Mia told AFP, adding they were treated in hospital but their condition was not serious. Protesters threw rocks, vandalised the home of the Dhaka University vice-chancellor, torched two cars and ransacked the fine arts institute, said senior police officer Azimul Haque. Hasan Al Mamun, a leader of the protests, said tens of thousands of students joined the demonstrations nationwide. Police declined to estimate the number. Al Mamun said the quota for top-grade jobs should be reduced to only 10 per cent. "These quotas are discriminatory. Due to the quota system, 56 per cent of the jobs are set aside for five per cent of the country's population. And 95 per cent of the people can compete for the 44 per cent," he said. Students are particularly upset at the 30 per cent quota set aside for descendants of veterans of the independence war. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: At least 100 students injured in Bangladesh anti-quota protests

<p>Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said the government would take stern action against the students who insulted the retiring woman principal of a college in Kasargod district last month. Vijayan was replaying to a submission by opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala who brought to the notice of the assembly the incident related to bursting of crackers and display of posters with writings ‘condolence’ in the campus as a farewell to the retiring College Principal P V Pushpaja.</p>

<p>Referring to the allegation of Chennithala that students behind the incident belonged to Students Federation of India, (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), Vijayan said SFI never agree or accept this kind of actions. The students should consider teachers as their mothers and that was our culture, Vijayan said.</p>

<p>Insulting a teacher cannot be agreed, he said, adding, all would condemn such acts and nobody would support it. Education Minister C Raveendranath said that two students have been suspended and further steps would be taken after getting the report of the Director of College Education.</p>

<p>The incident came to the media limelight after a video of students bursting crackers and a condolence message put at the auditorium of the College campus went viral on the social media. The incident triggered widespread condemnation from different quarters.</p>


Referring to the allegation of Chennithala that students behind the incident belonged to Students Federation of India, (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), Vijayan said SFI never agree or accept this kind of actions.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said the government would take stern action against the students who insulted the retiring woman principal of a college in Kasargod district last month. Vijayan was replaying to a submission by opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala who brought to the notice of the assembly the incident related to bursting of crackers and display of posters with writings ‘condolence’ in the campus as a farewell to the retiring College Principal P V Pushpaja. Referring to the allegation of Chennithala that students behind the incident belonged to Students Federation of India, (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), Vijayan said SFI never agree or accept this kind of actions. The students should consider teachers as their mothers and that was our culture, Vijayan said. Insulting a teacher cannot be agreed, he said, adding, all would condemn such acts and nobody would support it. Education Minister C Raveendranath said that two students have been suspended and further steps would be taken after getting the report of the Director of College Education. The incident came to the media limelight after a video of students bursting crackers and a condolence message put at the auditorium of the College campus went viral on the social media. The incident triggered widespread condemnation from different quarters.

Students' act of insulting woman principal deplorable: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

<p>Students are protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against having to sit for two of their CBSE papers again. ANI quoted the students as saying that re-exams should be either held for all papers, or for none.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: Students protest at Jantar Mantar against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBSEPaperLeak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBSEPaperLeak</a>, say 'either there should re-examinations of all subjects or else of neither'. Raise 'we want justice' slogans <a href="https://t.co/iymbkfavDe">pic.twitter.com/iymbkfavDe</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979233406063128577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports Thursday quoted the students as saying that more than two papers had been leaked.&nbsp;The reports quoted Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar as saying Wednesday that "two to three" papers had been leaked.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The CBSE Wednesday announced re-exams for its Class X Math exam and its Class XII Economics exam.&nbsp;The CBSE has said it will announce the dates for the re-exams by the end of the week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports said Thursday that even the CBSE chief had received a faxed copy of the math paper the morning of the exam.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police meanwhile have begun investigating the leak.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ANI reported Thursday that the CBSE had approached Delhi Police naming a person running a coaching institute as being behind the leak.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">CBSE in a complaint to Delhi Police says it received a fax on March 23 naming a person from Rajinder Nagar behind CBSE paper leak. This person, as per the complaint, runs a coaching institute. <a href="https://t.co/0KLQ3GIQry">pic.twitter.com/0KLQ3GIQry</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979209126248157185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>At least one news report said the alleged kingpin behind the leak had been detained.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The government and the CBSE meanwhile have come under fierce attack for the leak:&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Without removing Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and CBSE Chairperson Anita Karwal from their current positions, a fair and impartial investigation into this paper leak issue is impossible: Randeep Surjewala, Congress <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBSEPaperLeak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBSEPaperLeak</a> <a href="https://t.co/IIMCHeiZ5N">pic.twitter.com/IIMCHeiZ5N</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979266552976592896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Post Vyapam & SSC now 3 papers of CBSE have also been leaked & as per students, some more papers have also been leaked. There was an error in evaluation of Class 12 exams in 2017. Why was the post of CBSE chairman left vacant for 2 years?: RS Surjewala, Congress <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBSEPaperLeak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBSEPaperLeak</a> <a href="https://t.co/FblcCXkygZ">pic.twitter.com/FblcCXkygZ</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979265118902079488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The government reacted to the criticism on Thursday, with Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar calling the leak an "unfortunate development".&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added: "I understand the pain the parents and students have to go through. Whoever is involved in the paper leak will not be spared, police will soon arrest the culprits."&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I also could not sleep, I am also a parent: Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBSEPaperLeak?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CBSEPaperLeak</a> <a href="https://t.co/aakJGmpbdP">pic.twitter.com/aakJGmpbdP</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979257087749443584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


So far it was thought the Class X Math exam and the Class XII Economics exam had been leaked

Students are protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against having to sit for two of their CBSE papers again. ANI quoted the students as saying that re-exams should be either held for all papers, or for none. Delhi: Students protest at Jantar Mantar against #CBSEPaperLeak, say 'either there should re-examinations of all subjects or else of neither'. Raise 'we want justice' slogans pic.twitter.com/iymbkfavDe — ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2018 × News reports Thursday quoted the students as saying that more than two papers had been leaked. The reports quoted Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar as saying Wednesday that "two to three" papers had been leaked. The CBSE Wednesday announced re-exams for its Class X Math exam and its Class XII Economics exam. The CBSE has said it will announce the dates for the re-exams by the end of the week. News reports said Thursday that even the CBSE chief had received a faxed copy of the math paper the morning of the exam. Police meanwhile have begun investigating the leak. ANI reported Thursday that the CBSE had approached Delhi Police naming a person running a coaching institute as being behind the leak. CBSE in a complaint to Delhi Police says it received a fax on March 23 naming a person from Rajinder Nagar behind CBSE paper leak. This person, as per the complaint, runs a coaching institute. pic.twitter.com/0KLQ3GIQry — ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2018 × At least one news report said the alleged kingpin behind the leak had been detained. The government and the CBSE meanwhile have come under fierce attack for the leak: Without removing Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and CBSE Chairperson Anita Karwal from their current positions, a fair and impartial investigation into this paper leak issue is impossible: Randeep Surjewala, Congress #CBSEPaperLeak pic.twitter.com/IIMCHeiZ5N — ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2018 × Post Vyapam & SSC now 3 papers of CBSE have also been leaked & as per students, some more papers have also been leaked. There was an error in evaluation of Class 12 exams in 2017. Why was the post of CBSE chairman left vacant for 2 years?: RS Surjewala, Congress #CBSEPaperLeak pic.twitter.com/FblcCXkygZ — ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2018 × The government reacted to the criticism on Thursday, with Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar calling the leak an "unfortunate development". He added: "I understand the pain the parents and students have to go through. Whoever is involved in the paper leak will not be spared, police will soon arrest the culprits." I also could not sleep, I am also a parent: Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar on #CBSEPaperLeak pic.twitter.com/aakJGmpbdP — ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2018 ×

CBSE paper leak: Protesting students demand re-exams in all subjects, say more papers leaked

<p>JNU Dean of Students (DoS) Umesh Ashok Kadam on Tuesday filed an FIR against 17 students in connection with March 12 incident where students barged into the latters` office, allegedly manhandled and abused him.</p>

<p>An FIR has been lodged against JNUSU president Geeta Kumari, its vice president Simone Zoya Khan and others for creating ruckus inside the office of Dean of Student.</p>

<p>Kadam alleged the students barged into his office after they were provoked by JNUSU leaders. The students were allegedly protesting outside the dean`s office demanding the rollback of hike in hostel and mess fee.</p>

<p>&quot;They were protesting against the circular of Inter-Hall Administration(IHA) and demanding the entire circular should be scrapped. They demanded that Geeta Kumari and Simone Zoya Khan should be included in the committee&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;The student didn`t let me go outside my office and held me hostage. I was later taken out of the office with the help of security guards,&quot; Kadam said in the FIR.</p>

<p>In a statement released by the JNU Registrar, Pramod Kumar, the administration said, &quot;JNUSU had called for a protest at the DoS on March 12, 2018. The DoS invited the students` representatives for a thorough discussion of their demand. While the discussion went on till 2:30 pm, around 15 students barged into his chamber and became violent. They shouted slogans, latched the door and blocked it with sofa. When the dean tried to go out for lunch, they pushed, used abusive language and manhandled him.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


An FIR has been lodged against JNUSU president Geeta Kumari, vice president Simone Zoya Khan, and others for creating a ruckus inside the office of the Dean of Students

JNU Dean of Students (DoS) Umesh Ashok Kadam on Tuesday filed an FIR against 17 students in connection with March 12 incident where students barged into the latters` office, allegedly manhandled and abused him. An FIR has been lodged against JNUSU president Geeta Kumari, its vice president Simone Zoya Khan and others for creating ruckus inside the office of Dean of Student. Kadam alleged the students barged into his office after they were provoked by JNUSU leaders. The students were allegedly protesting outside the dean`s office demanding the rollback of hike in hostel and mess fee. "They were protesting against the circular of Inter-Hall Administration(IHA) and demanding the entire circular should be scrapped. They demanded that Geeta Kumari and Simone Zoya Khan should be included in the committee". "The student didn`t let me go outside my office and held me hostage. I was later taken out of the office with the help of security guards," Kadam said in the FIR. In a statement released by the JNU Registrar, Pramod Kumar, the administration said, "JNUSU had called for a protest at the DoS on March 12, 2018. The DoS invited the students` representatives for a thorough discussion of their demand. While the discussion went on till 2:30 pm, around 15 students barged into his chamber and became violent. They shouted slogans, latched the door and blocked it with sofa. When the dean tried to go out for lunch, they pushed, used abusive language and manhandled him."

JNU dean files FIR against students alleging assault

<p>Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) protests continue on Monday in favour of the accused professor&nbsp;suspension, who allegedly sexually harassed female students, and also to discontinue the newly issued mandatory attendance rule.</p>

<p>At least eight women now have filed FIRs against the professor&nbsp;from the School of Life Sciences, accusing him of sexual harassment.</p>

<p>Accusing the police of disregarding procedures, 54 JNU professors today demanded registration of separate FIRs in all eight complaints of sexual harassment filed against the&nbsp;professor.</p>

<p>They petitioned Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-West) Milind Dumberes office two days after the Delhi Police registered an FIR against him following allegations of sexual harassment by a group of women students.</p>

<p>The teachers said eight complaints were filed by as many women students, however, the Delhi Police chose to register only one FIR based on only one of the complaints.</p>

<p>&quot;Even though you have received 8 complaints, each of which reports incidents that are distinct and separated by space and time, you have chosen to register only one FIR under only one of the names. We are shocked to learn this as the law requires that a separate FIR is registered for each complaint,&quot; the petition said.</p>

<p>The students, later on Monday, plan to protest in front of Vasant Kunj Police station in regard to delay in investigation for the same.</p>

<p>The students have termed the suspension of the professor as important because he continues to hold several academic and administrative posts and also that there is a possibility of his interference with the investigation yet to be conducted against him.</p>

<p>Moreover, students are also protesting against a circular issued by the university management in December 2017, which approved a mandatory 75 per cent attendance for all courses.</p>

<p>The students, as a sign of protest, refused to sign attendance sheets. They also demanded separate statements of all the complainants be recorded today itself.</p>

<p>They demanded&nbsp;the accused to&nbsp;not be allowed to make any contact with the complainants.</p>

<p>&quot;We seek an assurance from the Delhi Police to take measures to ensure that the professor is prevented from making any contact with the complainants,&quot; they said.</p>

<p>They also said the DCP should intervene to ensure that health and safety are safeguarded as they are facing&nbsp;tremendous amount of pressure and intimidation to make them compromise.</p>

<p>The JNU Students Union which has been protesting for the past three days demanding arrest of the professor has announced a march to the Vasant Kunj Police Station today at 5pm.</p>

<p>Students of School of Life Sciences, with which the professor is associated, have locked down the school demanding his arrest.&nbsp;</p>


At least eight women now have filed FIRs against the JNU Professor from the School of Life Sciences, accusing him of sexual harassment

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) protests continue on Monday in favour of the accused professor suspension, who allegedly sexually harassed female students, and also to discontinue the newly issued mandatory attendance rule. At least eight women now have filed FIRs against the professor from the School of Life Sciences, accusing him of sexual harassment. Accusing the police of disregarding procedures, 54 JNU professors today demanded registration of separate FIRs in all eight complaints of sexual harassment filed against the professor. They petitioned Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-West) Milind Dumberes office two days after the Delhi Police registered an FIR against him following allegations of sexual harassment by a group of women students. The teachers said eight complaints were filed by as many women students, however, the Delhi Police chose to register only one FIR based on only one of the complaints. "Even though you have received 8 complaints, each of which reports incidents that are distinct and separated by space and time, you have chosen to register only one FIR under only one of the names. We are shocked to learn this as the law requires that a separate FIR is registered for each complaint," the petition said. The students, later on Monday, plan to protest in front of Vasant Kunj Police station in regard to delay in investigation for the same. The students have termed the suspension of the professor as important because he continues to hold several academic and administrative posts and also that there is a possibility of his interference with the investigation yet to be conducted against him. Moreover, students are also protesting against a circular issued by the university management in December 2017, which approved a mandatory 75 per cent attendance for all courses. The students, as a sign of protest, refused to sign attendance sheets. They also demanded separate statements of all the complainants be recorded today itself. They demanded the accused to not be allowed to make any contact with the complainants. "We seek an assurance from the Delhi Police to take measures to ensure that the professor is prevented from making any contact with the complainants," they said. They also said the DCP should intervene to ensure that health and safety are safeguarded as they are facing tremendous amount of pressure and intimidation to make them compromise. The JNU Students Union which has been protesting for the past three days demanding arrest of the professor has announced a march to the Vasant Kunj Police Station today at 5pm. Students of School of Life Sciences, with which the professor is associated, have locked down the school demanding his arrest.

JNU protests continue, professors demand separate FIRs in all complaints against accused

<p>A group of teachers and non-teaching staff at the Farook College in Kozhikode trashed up some students who were celebrating Holi inside the campus.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kerala: 2 students of Farook College in Calicut injured after being allegedly assaulted by the college administration while the students were celebrating Holi in the college campus this evening. The 2 students admitted to hospital. Case registered, investigation underway. <a href="https://t.co/u7LoqCoLVw">pic.twitter.com/u7LoqCoLVw</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/974314524722565120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>They attacked the students using rods and pipes. It is reported that the argument regarding the celebration of Holi inside the campus led to the attack.</p>

<p>One of the students whose eyes were critically injured has been admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College. Three other students have also sustained injuries.</p>

<p>The students allege that the teachers got provoked as the students celebrated Holi by defying the ban on celebrating the festival on college premises.</p>

<p>The students allege that teachers and hostel employees circled and attacked them using pipes and sticks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The students say that they were first attacked in the hostel. The teachers and non-teaching staff assaulted them at the bus stop also, the students alleged.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from Agencies)</em></p>


The students say that they were first attacked in the hostel. The teachers and non-teaching staff assaulted them at the bus stop also, the students alleged.

A group of teachers and non-teaching staff at the Farook College in Kozhikode trashed up some students who were celebrating Holi inside the campus. Kerala: 2 students of Farook College in Calicut injured after being allegedly assaulted by the college administration while the students were celebrating Holi in the college campus this evening. The 2 students admitted to hospital. Case registered, investigation underway. pic.twitter.com/u7LoqCoLVw — ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2018 × They attacked the students using rods and pipes. It is reported that the argument regarding the celebration of Holi inside the campus led to the attack. One of the students whose eyes were critically injured has been admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College. Three other students have also sustained injuries. The students allege that the teachers got provoked as the students celebrated Holi by defying the ban on celebrating the festival on college premises. The students allege that teachers and hostel employees circled and attacked them using pipes and sticks. The students say that they were first attacked in the hostel. The teachers and non-teaching staff assaulted them at the bus stop also, the students alleged. (With inputs from Agencies)

Students assaulted in Kerala's Farook College for celebrating Holi

<p>Students across the United States walked out of classes on Wednesday in a nationwide call for action against gun violence following the shooting deaths last month at a Florida high school.</p>

<p>Hundreds of students from Washington area schools gathered outside the White House chanting &quot;Never again!&quot; and &quot;Enough is enough!&quot; and holding signs reading &quot;Protect People Not Guns.&quot;</p>

<p>At 10:00 am (1400 GMT), students in numerous cities held a moment of silence to honor the 14 students and three adult staff killed on Valentine&#39;s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.&nbsp;</p>

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<h5>The &#39;National School Walkout&#39; was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim</h5>
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<p>The &quot;National School Walkout&quot; was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim.</p>

<p>But it quickly became apparent that many students at schools on the East Coast decided not to go to classes at all and to demonstrate instead.</p>

<p>The nationwide protest is being held one month to the day after Nikolas Cruz, a troubled 19-year-old former student at Stoneman Douglas, unleashed a hail of gunfire on his former classmates.</p>

<p>The event to honor those slain at Stoneman Douglas is also an act of protest against the firearms violence plaguing the United States, which has more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually.</p>

<p>Organizers come from the same group behind the Women&#39;s March, which saw millions of demonstrators take to the streets in cities across the country in January 2017 to protest Donald Trump&#39;s White House inauguration.</p>

<p>Trump had momentarily signaled support for increasing restrictions on guns, but now stands accused of bowing to the powerful US gun lobby.</p>


Hundreds of students from Washington area schools gathered outside the White House chanting 'Never again!' and 'Enough is enough!' and holding signs reading 'Protect People Not Guns'

Students across the United States walked out of classes on Wednesday in a nationwide call for action against gun violence following the shooting deaths last month at a Florida high school. Hundreds of students from Washington area schools gathered outside the White House chanting "Never again!" and "Enough is enough!" and holding signs reading "Protect People Not Guns." At 10:00 am (1400 GMT), students in numerous cities held a moment of silence to honor the 14 students and three adult staff killed on Valentine's Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The 'National School Walkout' was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim × The "National School Walkout" was intended to last for 17 minutes, one for each victim. But it quickly became apparent that many students at schools on the East Coast decided not to go to classes at all and to demonstrate instead. The nationwide protest is being held one month to the day after Nikolas Cruz, a troubled 19-year-old former student at Stoneman Douglas, unleashed a hail of gunfire on his former classmates. The event to honor those slain at Stoneman Douglas is also an act of protest against the firearms violence plaguing the United States, which has more than 30,000 gun-related deaths annually. Organizers come from the same group behind the Women's March, which saw millions of demonstrators take to the streets in cities across the country in January 2017 to protest Donald Trump's White House inauguration. Trump had momentarily signaled support for increasing restrictions on guns, but now stands accused of bowing to the powerful US gun lobby.

'Never again!': Students across US walk out of classrooms against gun violence

<p>By Paul McGorrery*&nbsp;</p>

<p>Not-for-profit group End Rape on Campus recently released a report detailing horrific incidents of &ldquo;hazing&rdquo; in residential colleges. Hazing essentially describes the ritual humiliation of newcomers to college life.</p>

<p>Just some examples of hazing described in the report include students:</p>

<p>being &ldquo;encouraged&rdquo; to drink beer that has been poured onto another resident&rsquo;s genital region</p>

<p>exposing each other&rsquo;s sexual activity online with graphic and embarrassing photos, and</p>

<p>being locked in a bathroom and having vats of dead fish thrown on them.</p>

<p>This report marks an important milestone, because the media interest in the release of this report creates an opportunity for a turning point. A unified public and private condemnation of hazing in Australia.</p>

<p>Much as Rosie Batty brought family violence into the spotlight, and much as the #metoo movement unearthed the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault, the Red Zone report provides us with a unique opportunity to address yet another of society&rsquo;s unaddressed shames.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The fact that male students are habitually masturbating into female students&rsquo; bathroom products is unacceptable. Such behaviours are outdated, misogynistic, and cruel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Most of the recommendations in the report are both sensible and uncontroversial. The authors recommend, for example, greater oversight of student residences, and more transparency and dialogue about college culture.</p>

<p>But they also recommend that hazing be criminalised across Australia, in particular: the act of requiring an individual to undergo any act which is likely to cause bodily danger or physical punishment to any student or other person, as a precondition of joining or participating in a student group or organisation.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Criminal law as a response to undesirable </strong><strong>behaviours</strong></p>

<p>The criminal law is the state&rsquo;s most coercive tool. Used to its full extent, it can lead to you being arrested, subjected to a lengthy and expensive trial, having your liberty revoked for years, and suffering a life-long stigma. The criminal law is a necessary part of a fully functioning liberal democracy, but it should be used with extreme caution.</p>

<p>Research has repeatedly proven the effectiveness of a criminal justice system is inextricably linked to whether it is perceived as legitimate, fair and coherent. When the criminal law is too broad, too narrow, or inconsistent, it loses legitimacy. It also loses legitimacy when new laws are introduced that are purely symbolic and add no real substance to existing laws.</p>

<p>It is questionable, for example, whether the new crimes of &nbsp;drive-by shooting, home invasion, and carjacking add much to the criminal law. Many of these behaviours were already captured by crimes such as attempted murder, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, aggravated burglary, and armed robbery.</p>

<p>There is an often forgotten criteria that should be met before any new law is introduced. Specifically: is the targeted behaviour already a crime? If so, is the answer really to criminalise it again, or is the more appropriate response to dedicate more resources to policing existing crimes?</p>

<p>When the Red Zone report recommended introducing specific criminal laws that target hazing in Australian universities, it neglected to consider whether those behaviours might already be criminal.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Hazing laws in the United States</strong></p>

<p>Hazing is certainly a crime in the United States. It has been specifically criminalised in all but six US states for decades now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In Texas, for example, it is a crime to intentionally or recklessly engage in an act, directed at a student, which endangers their mental or physical health or safety, for the purpose of pledging or initiation into a student organisation.</p>

<p>In New York, it is a crime to intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct, during another person&rsquo;s initiation or affiliation with an organisation, which creates a substantial risk of physical injury.</p>

<p>And in California, it is a crime to engage in any method of initiation into a student organisation that is likely to cause serious bodily injury to a former, current or prospective student.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To prove these crimes, the prosecution would have to establish:</p>

<p>the defendant intentionally or recklessly engaged in conduct<br />
such conduct created a substantial or real risk of injury or serious injury to the victim<br />
the victim was a student<br />
the conduct was part of an initiation or affiliation with a student organisation.<br />
Except for the requirement the victim be a student being initiated into a student organisation, this looks very much like a number of offences that already exist around Australia.</p>

<p><strong>Is hazing already a crime in Australia?</strong></p>

<p>Most jurisdictions in Australia already make it a crime to intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct that creates a substantial or real risk of serious harm, including both physical and mental harm (such as South Australia and the Northern Territory).</p>

<p>Even more relevant, Queensland has criminalised torture, which is defined as &ldquo;the intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person by an act or series of acts&rdquo;, and pain or suffering is then defined as including &ldquo;physical, mental, psychological or emotional pain or suffering&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Further, in addition to there already being a number of criminal laws that would capture most of the hazing behaviours described in the Red Zone report, there are also a number of issues with the way the proposed offence is framed.</p>

<p>Looking at their proposed offence, the prosecution would need to prove:</p>

<p>the defendant required the victim to engage in an act<br />
the victim was a student<br />
the victim engaged in the required act<br />
the act was part of initiation into a student group or organisation<br />
the act was likely to cause bodily injury or physical punishment.</p>

<p>First, it is peculiar that requiring someone to do something that is likely to cause them bodily injury would only be criminal if it occurs in the context of a student initiation ritual. Does this make such behaviours acceptable in other contexts?</p>

<p>Second, there are many forms of hazing that would not be captured if the legislation was limited to circumstances in which the victim suffered bodily injury or physical punishment, particularly emotional and psychological torture.</p>

<p>And third, it would be somewhat unorthodox to ask the prosecution to establish that a defendant required a victim to do something. Such a requirement would raise serious questions of free will and autonomy, issues which are not sufficiently addressed in the report. In many US states, for example, legislation specifies that people cannot consent to participating in initiation rituals that would constitute hazing.</p>

<p>The Red Zone report will hopefully herald a new era. Hazing is a blight on society. And the criminal law may well be the appropriate response to hazing behaviours.</p>

<p>But in an age where the criminal law is treated as both a panacea for society&rsquo;s woes and a constant failure (while it is, in fact, neither), much more consideration is needed before any new criminal laws are introduced.</p>

<p>First and foremost, we should determine what exactly the wrongful and harmful behaviour&nbsp;we want to prohibit is. Once that has been identified, we should determine whether that behaviour is already criminal. If so, we should consider whether we can better utilise the laws we already have. And if not, we should figure out how to write a law that adequately captures the targeted behaviour, and goes no further.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>*Paul McGorrery is a PhD Candidate in Criminal Law, Deakin University</p>

<p>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</p>


We should determine what exactly the wrongful and harmful behavior we want to prohibit and whether we can better utilise the laws we already have.

By Paul McGorrery* Not-for-profit group End Rape on Campus recently released a report detailing horrific incidents of “hazing” in residential colleges. Hazing essentially describes the ritual humiliation of newcomers to college life. Just some examples of hazing described in the report include students: being “encouraged” to drink beer that has been poured onto another resident’s genital region exposing each other’s sexual activity online with graphic and embarrassing photos, and being locked in a bathroom and having vats of dead fish thrown on them. This report marks an important milestone, because the media interest in the release of this report creates an opportunity for a turning point. A unified public and private condemnation of hazing in Australia. Much as Rosie Batty brought family violence into the spotlight, and much as the #metoo movement unearthed the prevalence of sexual harassment and assault, the Red Zone report provides us with a unique opportunity to address yet another of society’s unaddressed shames. The fact that male students are habitually masturbating into female students’ bathroom products is unacceptable. Such behaviours are outdated, misogynistic, and cruel. Most of the recommendations in the report are both sensible and uncontroversial. The authors recommend, for example, greater oversight of student residences, and more transparency and dialogue about college culture. But they also recommend that hazing be criminalised across Australia, in particular: the act of requiring an individual to undergo any act which is likely to cause bodily danger or physical punishment to any student or other person, as a precondition of joining or participating in a student group or organisation. Criminal law as a response to undesirable behaviours The criminal law is the state’s most coercive tool. Used to its full extent, it can lead to you being arrested, subjected to a lengthy and expensive trial, having your liberty revoked for years, and suffering a life-long stigma. The criminal law is a necessary part of a fully functioning liberal democracy, but it should be used with extreme caution. Research has repeatedly proven the effectiveness of a criminal justice system is inextricably linked to whether it is perceived as legitimate, fair and coherent. When the criminal law is too broad, too narrow, or inconsistent, it loses legitimacy. It also loses legitimacy when new laws are introduced that are purely symbolic and add no real substance to existing laws. It is questionable, for example, whether the new crimes of drive-by shooting, home invasion, and carjacking add much to the criminal law. Many of these behaviours were already captured by crimes such as attempted murder, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, aggravated burglary, and armed robbery. There is an often forgotten criteria that should be met before any new law is introduced. Specifically: is the targeted behaviour already a crime? If so, is the answer really to criminalise it again, or is the more appropriate response to dedicate more resources to policing existing crimes? When the Red Zone report recommended introducing specific criminal laws that target hazing in Australian universities, it neglected to consider whether those behaviours might already be criminal. Hazing laws in the United States Hazing is certainly a crime in the United States. It has been specifically criminalised in all but six US states for decades now. In Texas, for example, it is a crime to intentionally or recklessly engage in an act, directed at a student, which endangers their mental or physical health or safety, for the purpose of pledging or initiation into a student organisation. In New York, it is a crime to intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct, during another person’s initiation or affiliation with an organisation, which creates a substantial risk of physical injury. And in California, it is a crime to engage in any method of initiation into a student organisation that is likely to cause serious bodily injury to a former, current or prospective student. To prove these crimes, the prosecution would have to establish: the defendant intentionally or recklessly engaged in conduct such conduct created a substantial or real risk of injury or serious injury to the victim the victim was a student the conduct was part of an initiation or affiliation with a student organisation. Except for the requirement the victim be a student being initiated into a student organisation, this looks very much like a number of offences that already exist around Australia. Is hazing already a crime in Australia? Most jurisdictions in Australia already make it a crime to intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct that creates a substantial or real risk of serious harm, including both physical and mental harm (such as South Australia and the Northern Territory). Even more relevant, Queensland has criminalised torture, which is defined as “the intentional infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person by an act or series of acts”, and pain or suffering is then defined as including “physical, mental, psychological or emotional pain or suffering”. Further, in addition to there already being a number of criminal laws that would capture most of the hazing behaviours described in the Red Zone report, there are also a number of issues with the way the proposed offence is framed. Looking at their proposed offence, the prosecution would need to prove: the defendant required the victim to engage in an act the victim was a student the victim engaged in the required act the act was part of initiation into a student group or organisation the act was likely to cause bodily injury or physical punishment. First, it is peculiar that requiring someone to do something that is likely to cause them bodily injury would only be criminal if it occurs in the context of a student initiation ritual. Does this make such behaviours acceptable in other contexts? Second, there are many forms of hazing that would not be captured if the legislation was limited to circumstances in which the victim suffered bodily injury or physical punishment, particularly emotional and psychological torture. And third, it would be somewhat unorthodox to ask the prosecution to establish that a defendant required a victim to do something. Such a requirement would raise serious questions of free will and autonomy, issues which are not sufficiently addressed in the report. In many US states, for example, legislation specifies that people cannot consent to participating in initiation rituals that would constitute hazing. The Red Zone report will hopefully herald a new era. Hazing is a blight on society. And the criminal law may well be the appropriate response to hazing behaviours. But in an age where the criminal law is treated as both a panacea for society’s woes and a constant failure (while it is, in fact, neither), much more consideration is needed before any new criminal laws are introduced. First and foremost, we should determine what exactly the wrongful and harmful behaviour we want to prohibit is. Once that has been identified, we should determine whether that behaviour is already criminal. If so, we should consider whether we can better utilise the laws we already have. And if not, we should figure out how to write a law that adequately captures the targeted behaviour, and goes no further. *Paul McGorrery is a PhD Candidate in Criminal Law, Deakin University (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why governments should be cautious about criminalising hazing?

<p>Florida saw one of its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-student-opens-fire-in-florida-school-at-least-17-killed-32906">deadliest mass shooting</a> on Wednesday when a 19-year-old former student attacked the school, killing 17 children.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Heres a rundown of the last five deadliest attacks in US schools and universities:</p>

<p><strong><em>1. Umpqua Community College Shooting&nbsp;</em></strong></p>

<p>On October 1, 2015, a 26-year-old man identified as Christopher Harper-Mercer committed the deadliest mass shooting in Oregon history, killing nine people and injuring seven others at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He only let one person go just so that he could inform the police about the incident. Mercer had suffered from long-term mental illness and was described as &quot;hate filled&quot; by those who knew him.</p>

<p>Some theories behind the mass shooting were Mercer falling below a C average, putting him at risk for suspension, as well as him not being able to pay the tuition bill due.</p>

<p>&nbsp;He ultimately committed suicide after the attack.</p>

<p><strong><em>2. Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown</em></strong></p>

<p>On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lanza killed his mother, before entering the school where he killed 26 people and injured two others; the majority of his victims were children aging from five to 10 years old.</p>

<p>He committed suicide upon completion of the attack. According to the media and news reports, this was one of the most bizarre shootings because Lanza never offered a motive or reasoning behind the murder of his mother nor the horrendous mass slaying of innocent children.</p>

<p><strong><em>3. Oikos University Shooting</em></strong></p>

<p>On April 2, 2012, 43-year-old One L. Goh committed California&#39;s deadliest mass killing on at the Korean Christian college Oikos University and killed seven people and wounded at least three more.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He was a former student of the school and opened fire early morning on April 2. Goh had been a nursing student at the college but was not enrolled at the time of the shooting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Goh apparently targeted a school director he was angry at - but who no longer worked there.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Goh is at Napa State Hospital being treated for paranoid schizophrenia, with his lawyer saying he saw faces in mirrors and experienced delusions regarding &quot;the battle between God and Satan and his role in that battle.&quot;</p>

<p><em><strong>4. Northern Illinois University</strong></em></p>

<p>On &nbsp;February 14, 2008, Steven Kazmierczak, 27, &nbsp;dressed in black stepped from behind a curtain at the front of a large lecture hall at Northern Illinois University on Thursday and shot 21 people, five of them fatally, then shot and killed himself.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Four died at the scene, including the shooter, and two later died at the hospital. At least 22 people, including a graduate student who was teaching an ocean sciences class, were shot.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The shooter was a graduate student at NIU, he appeared to be a model student, earning a dean&rsquo;s award in 2006.</p>

<p>He also served as vice president of the Academic Criminal Justice Association, a student group focused on educating the community.</p>

<p>He was treated temporarily for mental illness at the Elk Grove Village Thresholds-Mary Hill House psychiatric center,[33] for being &quot;unruly&quot; at home. Reports said that his behavior seemed to become more erratic in the weeks leading up to the shooting and that it is believed he stopped taking medication beforehand.</p>

<p><strong><em>5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University</em></strong></p>

<p>On April 16, 2007, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia came under attack when senior student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and injured 17 more in two attacks &ndash; one in a co-ed dormitory, the other in the Engineering, Science and Mechanics building.</p>

<p>Cho ultimately committed suicide following the shooting.&nbsp;He is noted as committing the deadliest attack on a school in US history.</p>

<p>Cho was previously diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder; among the tapes he personally mailed to NBC news, Cho expressed his hatred for the wealthy, compared himself to Jesus Christ and explained that he was forced to commit the mass shooting due to voices in his head.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Florida saw one of its deadliest mass shooting on Wednesday when a 19-year-old former student attacked the school, killing 17 children

Florida saw one of its deadliest mass shooting on Wednesday when a 19-year-old former student attacked the school, killing 17 children. Heres a rundown of the last five deadliest attacks in US schools and universities: 1. Umpqua Community College Shooting On October 1, 2015, a 26-year-old man identified as Christopher Harper-Mercer committed the deadliest mass shooting in Oregon history, killing nine people and injuring seven others at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. He only let one person go just so that he could inform the police about the incident. Mercer had suffered from long-term mental illness and was described as "hate filled" by those who knew him. Some theories behind the mass shooting were Mercer falling below a C average, putting him at risk for suspension, as well as him not being able to pay the tuition bill due. He ultimately committed suicide after the attack. 2. Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Lanza killed his mother, before entering the school where he killed 26 people and injured two others; the majority of his victims were children aging from five to 10 years old. He committed suicide upon completion of the attack. According to the media and news reports, this was one of the most bizarre shootings because Lanza never offered a motive or reasoning behind the murder of his mother nor the horrendous mass slaying of innocent children. 3. Oikos University Shooting On April 2, 2012, 43-year-old One L. Goh committed California's deadliest mass killing on at the Korean Christian college Oikos University and killed seven people and wounded at least three more. He was a former student of the school and opened fire early morning on April 2. Goh had been a nursing student at the college but was not enrolled at the time of the shooting. Goh apparently targeted a school director he was angry at - but who no longer worked there. Goh is at Napa State Hospital being treated for paranoid schizophrenia, with his lawyer saying he saw faces in mirrors and experienced delusions regarding "the battle between God and Satan and his role in that battle." 4. Northern Illinois University On February 14, 2008, Steven Kazmierczak, 27, dressed in black stepped from behind a curtain at the front of a large lecture hall at Northern Illinois University on Thursday and shot 21 people, five of them fatally, then shot and killed himself. Four died at the scene, including the shooter, and two later died at the hospital. At least 22 people, including a graduate student who was teaching an ocean sciences class, were shot. The shooter was a graduate student at NIU, he appeared to be a model student, earning a dean’s award in 2006. He also served as vice president of the Academic Criminal Justice Association, a student group focused on educating the community. He was treated temporarily for mental illness at the Elk Grove Village Thresholds-Mary Hill House psychiatric center,[33] for being "unruly" at home. Reports said that his behavior seemed to become more erratic in the weeks leading up to the shooting and that it is believed he stopped taking medication beforehand. 5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University On April 16, 2007, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia came under attack when senior student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and injured 17 more in two attacks – one in a co-ed dormitory, the other in the Engineering, Science and Mechanics building. Cho ultimately committed suicide following the shooting. He is noted as committing the deadliest attack on a school in US history. Cho was previously diagnosed with severe anxiety disorder; among the tapes he personally mailed to NBC news, Cho expressed his hatred for the wealthy, compared himself to Jesus Christ and explained that he was forced to commit the mass shooting due to voices in his head.

US school shootings: Deadly attacks as 'model' students become killers

<p>In order to&nbsp;help students appearing for exams relieve the stress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding a unique &#39;Pariksha Pe Charcha&#39; programme on February 16.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Prime Minister will connect with lakhs of students from thousands of schools across the country on the occasion&nbsp;and&nbsp;discuss exam-related issues through a video conference from Delhi&#39;s Talkatora Stadium at 11:00am.</p>

<p>Students can also interact with Prime Minister Modi via the Narendra Modi app, the MyGov website, or through social media by using the hashtag #ExamWarriors.</p>

<p>In order to reach out to the students and prepare them to face the difficulties ahead of their exams, PM Modi has also penned a book, &#39;Exam Warriors&#39; that is available in bookstores for Rs 100.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Prime Minister will connect with lakhs of students and thousands of schools across the country, and discuss exam-related issues through a video conference from Delhi's Talkatora Stadium at 11:00 am.

In order to help students appearing for exams relieve the stress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be holding a unique 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' programme on February 16. The Prime Minister will connect with lakhs of students from thousands of schools across the country on the occasion and discuss exam-related issues through a video conference from Delhi's Talkatora Stadium at 11:00am. Students can also interact with Prime Minister Modi via the Narendra Modi app, the MyGov website, or through social media by using the hashtag #ExamWarriors. In order to reach out to the students and prepare them to face the difficulties ahead of their exams, PM Modi has also penned a book, 'Exam Warriors' that is available in bookstores for Rs 100.

PM Modi to hold 'Pariksha Pe Charcha' on Feb 16

<p>The Delhi government has issued schools a 117-point checklist for ensuring student safety in their premises and warned that there would be &quot;zero tolerance&quot; for any violation.</p>

<p>The checklist, including everything from toilets to cybersecurity, has been prepared in the wake of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/class-xi-student-murdered-pradyuman-wanted-exams-postponed-cbi-23720">the brutal killing of a schoolboy in a Gurgaon school </a>and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/new-delhi-five-year-old-raped-by-peon-inside-school-premises-accused-arrested-4843">the rape of a minor girl by a school attendant in Delhi</a>, officials said.</p>

<p>&quot;The checklist has been designed to encapsulate the minimum standards of school safety to emphasize zero tolerance against any violation in this regard.</p>

<p>Practicability of implementation and monitoring has been kept duly in mind,&quot; a senior official of Directorate of Education (DoE) said.</p>

<p>Among the points listed are school safety committees, monthly safety walks to identify loopholes in security in the premises, securing boundary walls with grills, CCTV surveillance, maintaining records of every entry into the school and restricting visitors.</p>

<p>&quot;All toilets should be well lit and have easy release lock from inside and no lock from outside. There should be no deployment of male staff in toilets for primary classes and all toilet visits of students up to Class 2 should be surpervised by a lady caretaker,&quot; the guidelines state.</p>

<p>The guidelines have been issued to all schools in the national capital.</p>

<p>The government has also directed that prior written consent be sought from parents for allowing children to stay back post school hours and co-curricular activities held beyond school timings be supervised by at least two teachers.</p>

<p>Visits to laboratories, sports room, auditorium, library, computer room, gymnasium and assembly hall and the like should be under direct supervision of relevant teachers.</p>

<p>Schools have also been asked to ensure cyber security in accordance with existing cyber and IT laws. This includes installation of firewall, filtering and monitoring mechanisms in all computers in the school premises, regular review of filtering and blocking policies and procedure and ensuring that children use computers under the supervision of teachers.</p>


The checklist, including everything from toilets to cybersecurity, has been prepared in the wake of the brutal killing of a schoolboy in a Gurgaon school and the rape of a minor girl by a school attendant in Delhi, officials said

The Delhi government has issued schools a 117-point checklist for ensuring student safety in their premises and warned that there would be "zero tolerance" for any violation. The checklist, including everything from toilets to cybersecurity, has been prepared in the wake of the brutal killing of a schoolboy in a Gurgaon school and the rape of a minor girl by a school attendant in Delhi, officials said. "The checklist has been designed to encapsulate the minimum standards of school safety to emphasize zero tolerance against any violation in this regard. Practicability of implementation and monitoring has been kept duly in mind," a senior official of Directorate of Education (DoE) said. Among the points listed are school safety committees, monthly safety walks to identify loopholes in security in the premises, securing boundary walls with grills, CCTV surveillance, maintaining records of every entry into the school and restricting visitors. "All toilets should be well lit and have easy release lock from inside and no lock from outside. There should be no deployment of male staff in toilets for primary classes and all toilet visits of students up to Class 2 should be surpervised by a lady caretaker," the guidelines state. The guidelines have been issued to all schools in the national capital. The government has also directed that prior written consent be sought from parents for allowing children to stay back post school hours and co-curricular activities held beyond school timings be supervised by at least two teachers. Visits to laboratories, sports room, auditorium, library, computer room, gymnasium and assembly hall and the like should be under direct supervision of relevant teachers. Schools have also been asked to ensure cyber security in accordance with existing cyber and IT laws. This includes installation of firewall, filtering and monitoring mechanisms in all computers in the school premises, regular review of filtering and blocking policies and procedure and ensuring that children use computers under the supervision of teachers.

Delhi government issues 117-point checklist to schools on student safety

<p>A seventeen-year-old student, Vishwas G, drowned in a pond on the outskirts of Bengaluru, the capital of south Indian state Karnataka, while out swimming with his friends. His friends did not notice him missing, but one of the students, who was later flipping through the images of the trip,&nbsp;realised that Vishwas was actually photographed drowning, while the rest of the group took selfies. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Hours later, the local police found his body floating in the pond. The students had left to visit a temple after their&nbsp;swimming session.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Son of an autorickshaw driver, Vishwas, was a student of National College, Jayanagar, and a resident of South Bengaluru.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The tragic incident took place on Sunday when 25 students visited the area for a trek accompanied by their professor. They dived into a pond which is reported to be 10 feet deep.</p>

<p>Vishwas&#39;s parents have accused the college authorities of neglecting students&#39; safety on the trip, as per media reports.</p>

<p>Parents and students protested in front of the college, saying Vishwas was part of an NCC camp organised by the college, but the latter denied organising any such camp. The college professors have also denied having accompanied the students on that trip.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The management will conduct an internal probe into the accident, reported Banglore Mirror. &nbsp;</p>


His coursemates realised he had drowned only when one of them was going through the photos of the trip

A seventeen-year-old student, Vishwas G, drowned in a pond on the outskirts of Bengaluru, the capital of south Indian state Karnataka, while out swimming with his friends. His friends did not notice him missing, but one of the students, who was later flipping through the images of the trip, realised that Vishwas was actually photographed drowning, while the rest of the group took selfies. Hours later, the local police found his body floating in the pond. The students had left to visit a temple after their swimming session. Son of an autorickshaw driver, Vishwas, was a student of National College, Jayanagar, and a resident of South Bengaluru. The tragic incident took place on Sunday when 25 students visited the area for a trek accompanied by their professor. They dived into a pond which is reported to be 10 feet deep. Vishwas's parents have accused the college authorities of neglecting students' safety on the trip, as per media reports. Parents and students protested in front of the college, saying Vishwas was part of an NCC camp organised by the college, but the latter denied organising any such camp. The college professors have also denied having accompanied the students on that trip. The management will conduct an internal probe into the accident, reported Banglore Mirror.

Bengaluru: 17-year-old photographed drowning in friends' selfie

<p>The new regulations put forth by the University Grants Commission&rsquo;s (UGC) have opened a can of worms. A majority of&nbsp;teaching faculty as well as&nbsp;student bodies across the country are protesting against what they term as &ldquo;irrational, unreasonable and arbitrary&rdquo; set of rules. The proposed changes now mirror&nbsp;a step towards favouring exclusion and discrimination against the less-advantaged.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Apart from a<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/exploring-the-larger-picture-behind-new-ugc-regulations-14602"> cap</a> on the number of MPhil and PhD students who can now be supervised by a university teacher, there are talks of doing away with deprivation points in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) of India. Deprivation points are a part of JNU&rsquo;s unique admission policy of awarding special points to applicants from backward areas and marginalised communities. Upto a maximum of 12 points are given to candidates from rural areas of the country, female or transgender students, Kashmiri migrants, minorities, and students belonging to SC, ST and OBC.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>WION&#39;s exclusive coverage of the new UGC regulations:&nbsp;</h3>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FmV-pchgFo4" width="970"></iframe></p>

<p>Lata Singh, Chairperson of Centre for Women&rsquo;s Studies (CWS) of JNU reflects on the hypocrisy at the administrative level. She says, &ldquo;On one hand we want to be comparable to a world class university and get global rankings, on the other we don&rsquo;t want adequate representation of all sections of the society. Inclusivity is the key--we need to bring the 70 per cent&nbsp;marginalised people of India in the centre.&rdquo;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Singh highlights that a university like JNU with deprivation points was enabling many &ldquo;first generations to acquire higher education&rdquo;. &ldquo;There are many first generations studying here at CWS. I personally know of many such stories--one student is from a family of Dalits, who has made it this far for the first time. There is another student where the girl&rsquo;s parents are construction workers and she is the only one doing research. If deprivation points weren&rsquo;t in practice, these students would never have been able to make it. These youngsters would have remained in the circle of job their parents are currently in. Thus, never breaking the cycle,&rdquo; Singh adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>JNU Teachers&rsquo; Association (JNUTA) states that the university campus is considered non-discriminatory and safe for women. In 2017, more women (453) than men (433) joined the MPhil or PhD programme, according to teachers&rsquo; data. Doing away with deprivation points would &ldquo;act as an impediment in maintaining a good representation of women scholars of the country&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>G. Arunima, Professor at CWS says, &ldquo;I am appalled and feel that this is a colossal mistake -- Deprivation point system is the contribution of this university to a new way of thinking.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It is over and above the constitutionally mandated system.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Now among the kind that get the benefit of deprivation points, one are female students and they are not homogenous -- it is important to understand how many of them are Dalit, Muslim, Adivasi students or belonging to backward and small town regions. In a country where girls are barely sent to study, this system changed the complexion of the university. And it is not mechanical, it changes the kind of of discussion that happens in the classroom -- students from diverse backgrounds bring in certain kinds of criticality that will force you to rethink certain assumptions you work with.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Teachers from different schools in the university are worried that &ldquo;JNU is under threat--all the things it stood for will be threatened with this move&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arunima says, &ldquo;We should not be moving toward homogeneity, we should appreciate the diversity and that is where deprivation points play their role. There are students who have been working in order to study here. They have worked in construction sites, as drivers, they have fought with their families asking not to get in their way of higher education. After masters, there is pressure to get married. I have tried to figure out in our Centre how to get projects for girls so that they can stay and do research.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I cannot believe we are living through this time. It&#39;s not just building a case for us, we worry what the future is. Universities provide a progressive space, it is about critical thinking. What will we do without a country with critical thinking?&rdquo; she says.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as &ldquo;legally impermissible&rdquo;. This is being observed by teachers and students as &ldquo;taking away from JNU&nbsp;its multiplicity of voices&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Students, who are collectively reeling under a lot of pressure after the seat reduction for research applicants, cite the removal of deprivation points as &ldquo;contrary to the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy&rdquo;. In their petition, they also challenged the provisions of laying down a minimum percentage requirement of 55 per cent&nbsp;for General category and 50 per cent&nbsp;for Reserved category as well as 100 per cent&nbsp;weightage given to viva voice.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ajay Kumar Patnaik, Professor in Centre for Russian Studies and School of International Studies who also held the position of the President of JNUTA twice does not mince words at all. Left with no seats this year for admitting research students in his Centre, he sees UGC&rsquo;s move as a &ldquo;dictat&rdquo;. He says, &ldquo;This is a public funded university and the people of the country have the right to get educated here. They should have given the university time to rationalise this. UGC just gave a dictat. UGC has also stopped scholarships.&rdquo;</p>

<p>He also strongly feels that &ldquo;diversity of universities should be taken into account&rdquo;. He says, &ldquo;Our autonomy should have been respected. UGC must not try to destroy the future of JNU. Students from all sections come here, make it here and then go on to do big things. No admissions this year, will affect the future generations.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Patnaik served as the chairman of the Deprivation Points Committee, JNU till last year. He says, &ldquo;Last year we revised and tweaked the deprivation points scheme so that it benefits students from backward districts--both girls and boys. The best part about the scheme is that it&rsquo;s caste-neutral but now this has all been done away with. The UGC regulations is anti-deprived areas, anti-backward people.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Associate Professor, SS Maitra of School of Biotechnology, JNU, however, differs on his view on deprivation points.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;Even within the reserved categories, backgrounds vary. One&rsquo;s father may be an IAS officer and another a construction worker. So therefore, their deprivation differs. The two of them get the same benefits of the deprivation point system. The quota system is rigid here and anybody can take advantage of it, irrespective of their family backgrounds. Such a system might work if students are categorised based on their financial status and family backgrounds,&rdquo;he says.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another issue at hand is also to restrict the scope of research topics feels Lata Singh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singh adds, &ldquo;Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is only doing research on mythology. Their topics are &lsquo;Ram Setu, river Saraswati, Ramjanmabhoomi&rsquo;--they want to rewrite history. They want to promote research on our glorious history and past.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Here in JNU, students are researching on various things: body and sexuality, transgender rights. AFSPA in Kashmir. They don&rsquo;t want that. They tell us: &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t talk about body and sexuality.&rsquo; But then ironically also want to be in the global rankings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;In all selection committee, RSS candidates don&rsquo;t get shortlisted because of the nature of their research proposal. So they want a backdoor entry,&rdquo; she adds.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Manvendra Chauhan, Office Secretary in the ABVP unit of JNU feels that &ldquo;in all this chaos JNU has been impacted the most out of all other universities because it has the highest number of research scholars&rdquo;. He says, &ldquo;This year also JNU got All India Rank 2nd just because of the quality of research but the future doesn&rsquo;t look too promising.&rdquo;</p>

<p>On deprivation points, he adds, &ldquo;Deprivation points are being implemented more or less, in admission. The matter is still pending in the courts so let&#39;s see.&rdquo;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


From deprivation points to monitoring what students can research on, UGC casts a long shadow on Indian universities

The new regulations put forth by the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) have opened a can of worms. A majority of teaching faculty as well as student bodies across the country are protesting against what they term as “irrational, unreasonable and arbitrary” set of rules. The proposed changes now mirror a step towards favouring exclusion and discrimination against the less-advantaged. Apart from a cap on the number of MPhil and PhD students who can now be supervised by a university teacher, there are talks of doing away with deprivation points in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) of India. Deprivation points are a part of JNU’s unique admission policy of awarding special points to applicants from backward areas and marginalised communities. Upto a maximum of 12 points are given to candidates from rural areas of the country, female or transgender students, Kashmiri migrants, minorities, and students belonging to SC, ST and OBC. WION's exclusive coverage of the new UGC regulations: Lata Singh, Chairperson of Centre for Women’s Studies (CWS) of JNU reflects on the hypocrisy at the administrative level. She says, “On one hand we want to be comparable to a world class university and get global rankings, on the other we don’t want adequate representation of all sections of the society. Inclusivity is the key--we need to bring the 70 per cent marginalised people of India in the centre.” we need to bring the 70 per cent marginalised people of India in the centre × Singh highlights that a university like JNU with deprivation points was enabling many “first generations to acquire higher education”. “There are many first generations studying here at CWS. I personally know of many such stories--one student is from a family of Dalits, who has made it this far for the first time. There is another student where the girl’s parents are construction workers and she is the only one doing research. If deprivation points weren’t in practice, these students would never have been able to make it. These youngsters would have remained in the circle of job their parents are currently in. Thus, never breaking the cycle,” Singh adds. JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) states that the university campus is considered non-discriminatory and safe for women. In 2017, more women (453) than men (433) joined the MPhil or PhD programme, according to teachers’ data. Doing away with deprivation points would “act as an impediment in maintaining a good representation of women scholars of the country”. G. Arunima, Professor at CWS says, “I am appalled and feel that this is a colossal mistake -- Deprivation point system is the contribution of this university to a new way of thinking. “It is over and above the constitutionally mandated system. The girl’s parents are construction workers and she is the only one doing research. If deprivation points weren’t in practice, these students would never have been able to make it. × “Now among the kind that get the benefit of deprivation points, one are female students and they are not homogenous -- it is important to understand how many of them are Dalit, Muslim, Adivasi students or belonging to backward and small town regions. In a country where girls are barely sent to study, this system changed the complexion of the university. And it is not mechanical, it changes the kind of of discussion that happens in the classroom -- students from diverse backgrounds bring in certain kinds of criticality that will force you to rethink certain assumptions you work with.” Teachers from different schools in the university are worried that “JNU is under threat--all the things it stood for will be threatened with this move”. Arunima says, “We should not be moving toward homogeneity, we should appreciate the diversity and that is where deprivation points play their role. There are students who have been working in order to study here. They have worked in construction sites, as drivers, they have fought with their families asking not to get in their way of higher education. After masters, there is pressure to get married. I have tried to figure out in our Centre how to get projects for girls so that they can stay and do research. “I cannot believe we are living through this time. It's not just building a case for us, we worry what the future is. Universities provide a progressive space, it is about critical thinking. What will we do without a country with critical thinking?” she says. In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as “legally impermissible”. This is being observed by teachers and students as “taking away from JNU its multiplicity of voices”. In March 2017, Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by JNU students, stating that the university cannot formulate its own admission policy -- declaring the system of deprivation point as “legally impermissible” × Students, who are collectively reeling under a lot of pressure after the seat reduction for research applicants, cite the removal of deprivation points as “contrary to the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy”. In their petition, they also challenged the provisions of laying down a minimum percentage requirement of 55 per cent for General category and 50 per cent for Reserved category as well as 100 per cent weightage given to viva voice. Ajay Kumar Patnaik, Professor in Centre for Russian Studies and School of International Studies who also held the position of the President of JNUTA twice does not mince words at all. Left with no seats this year for admitting research students in his Centre, he sees UGC’s move as a “dictat”. He says, “This is a public funded university and the people of the country have the right to get educated here. They should have given the university time to rationalise this. UGC just gave a dictat. UGC has also stopped scholarships.” He also strongly feels that “diversity of universities should be taken into account”. He says, “Our autonomy should have been respected. UGC must not try to destroy the future of JNU. Students from all sections come here, make it here and then go on to do big things. No admissions this year, will affect the future generations.” Patnaik served as the chairman of the Deprivation Points Committee, JNU till last year. He says, “Last year we revised and tweaked the deprivation points scheme so that it benefits students from backward districts--both girls and boys. The best part about the scheme is that it’s caste-neutral but now this has all been done away with. The UGC regulations is anti-deprived areas, anti-backward people.” Associate Professor, SS Maitra of School of Biotechnology, JNU, however, differs on his view on deprivation points. “Even within the reserved categories, backgrounds vary. One’s father may be an IAS officer and another a construction worker. So therefore, their deprivation differs. The two of them get the same benefits of the deprivation point system. The quota system is rigid here and anybody can take advantage of it, irrespective of their family backgrounds. Such a system might work if students are categorised based on their financial status and family backgrounds,”he says. One’s father may be an IAS officer and another a construction worker. So therefore, their deprivation differs. The two of them get the same benefits of the deprivation point system. × Another issue at hand is also to restrict the scope of research topics feels Lata Singh. Singh adds, “Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is only doing research on mythology. Their topics are ‘Ram Setu, river Saraswati, Ramjanmabhoomi’--they want to rewrite history. They want to promote research on our glorious history and past. “Here in JNU, students are researching on various things: body and sexuality, transgender rights. AFSPA in Kashmir. They don’t want that. They tell us: ‘Don’t talk about body and sexuality.’ But then ironically also want to be in the global rankings. “In all selection committee, RSS candidates don’t get shortlisted because of the nature of their research proposal. So they want a backdoor entry,” she adds. Manvendra Chauhan, Office Secretary in the ABVP unit of JNU feels that “in all this chaos JNU has been impacted the most out of all other universities because it has the highest number of research scholars”. He says, “This year also JNU got All India Rank 2nd just because of the quality of research but the future doesn’t look too promising.” On deprivation points, he adds, “Deprivation points are being implemented more or less, in admission. The matter is still pending in the courts so let's see.” (WION)

New UGC regulations will affect the weaker and disadvantaged sections the most

<p>Witnessing a series of changes, higher education in India is ready to get a makeover of sorts, but is it for good? Discussing these issues and how it affects all factions concerned in a university space, WION visits the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).&nbsp;</p>

<p>G. Arunima, Professor at Centre for Women&rsquo;s Studies (CWS) School of Social Sciences, JNU was taken aback by the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations concerning seat cut for research across universities of the country. Being a founding member of the CWS, she says, &ldquo;We were going to expand and also start a masters program at the centre. At this point, you get sledgehammered on your head -- I&rsquo;m sorry, this is a cap.&rdquo;</p>

<h3>Watch: WION&#39;s exclusive coverage of new UGC regulations:</h3>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="430" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FmV-pchgFo4" width="970"></iframe></p>

<p>According to new regulations put forth by the UGC, which is tasked by the Indian Parliament for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education--there will now be a cap on the number of MPhil and PhD students a professor can supervise at a time.</p>

<p>Apart from seat reduction in research, the new regulations also make written examinations a qualifier for viva voice with weightage for selection depending solely on viva voice.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arunima explores how hierarchical the scheme of seat capping is. She says, &ldquo;A young person who is finishing PhD and coming into the teaching profession is throbbing with excitement -- how do you stop them from supervising and tell them that you can only have one student. On what ground is it assumed that once you have gone through a certain age or have been a senior member is only when you can supervise more students?&rdquo;</p>

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<p><strong>Privatisation of education sector in India</strong></p>

<p>While most teachers at the university find the move arbitrary and don&rsquo;t feel nice about being left out of the discussion process, Lata Singh, Chairperson of Centre for Women&rsquo;s Studies believes that &ldquo;there are several conspiracy theories behind the cap&rdquo;. She emphasises that &ldquo;it is about power, autonomy, and privatisation: pay and study model is what they want to employ&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singh adds, &ldquo;They are aiming for privatisation. We can already see mushrooming of private universities which will ultimately have collaborations with foreign universities and serve the elite or those who can fund their higher education. How the health sector in India is largely private, education of India is also turning to privatisation slowly.&rdquo;</p>

<h3>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/new-ugc-regulations-will-affect-the-weaker-and-disadvantaged-sections-the-most-14645">How the new UGC regulations will affect the weaker sections the most</a></h3>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arunima also agrees that privatisation is a major motive behind the cap.</p>

<p>&ldquo;With the cap and privatisation coming to play, underprivileged students will have no access to higher education. How many can afford private universities? They are killing the dreams of a generation. Scholarships are not coming on time, fees are very high. If things were not so serious, one would laugh but it is so, so scary. JNU is becoming something that most of us do not recognise&rdquo;, says Arunima.&nbsp;</p>

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<p><strong>Tampering the character of universities</strong></p>

<p>Every university has a soul of its own, its own character and is distinctly unique from any other university. Teaching faculty as well as the students feel that this move would change the communication patterns within the campus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Gaurish from Kerala is a second year student of Masters in Arts and Aesthetics. He is disturbed and feels clueless about his future. He says, &ldquo;All students in my department are very worried and disturbed. There are hardly five seats in each stream of my department and we don&#39;t know what to do. Even to apply in a publication, we will need to showcase our research or papers. JNU gives a space where you can discover yourself and opportunities but the campus itself has changed a lot, everybody seems to be depressed.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Reiterating that UGC should have thought through before coming with a mandate, he says, &ldquo;Teachers have to have a say in these things. It&rsquo;s not taking into consideration what each university stands for, admin hasn&#39;t had a proper dialogue with teachers. I don&rsquo;t think it would work.&rdquo;</p>

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<p><strong>Overburdening or Redundancy?</strong>&nbsp;</p>

<p>UGC comes out with guidelines every once-in-a-while to better the workings of our universities, but teachers feel the reason given by UGC does not stand the test of time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Arunima differs with the reasoning and adds, &ldquo;We are not overburdened. We ourselves decided the cap based on faculty strength. The students are given the option of choosing their mentor based on the research topics. There has got to be a creative, thoughtful and academic way to arrive at the numbers -- based on the faculty strength and we need to have a discussion constantly. Most serious academic institutions do that. It&rsquo;s not that anyone is arbitrarily saying that let&rsquo;s bring the entire universe to the university.</p>

<p>&ldquo;The exceptional status of JNU - it is envisaged as a research university.</p>

<p>&ldquo;If I was in the UGC, I would applaud that JNU does these things&rdquo;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While exploring different angles, it is also important to bring in the perspective of Teachers Body like Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA). Ajay Kumar Patnaik, Professor in Centre for Russian Studies and School of International Studies who also held the position of the President of JNUTA twice also claims that the teachers are not pressurised.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Patnaik says, &ldquo;You can&#39;t equate teachers from JNU with other university teachers, because we don&#39;t have the same load shared by other university teachers. We don&#39;t have undergraduate students.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;You can&#39;t have a higher education institution when there is no student. This is a department which admitted 40 students every year. This year, it&#39;s zero. For next two years or so, I will be getting my salary for nothing, without taking any classes, without teaching and it&rsquo;s not a good feeling. In a country where the share of students going to higher education is still very low, so to restrict students from getting higher education is a crime. JNU has top ranks--at a time like this when more number of students want to join the university they can&rsquo;t join-- it&rsquo;s a tragic situation.&rdquo;</p>

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<h5>In a country where the share of students going to higher education is still very low, so to restrict students from getting higher education is a crime</h5>
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<p><strong>Is the new regulation, a work of the government?&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Lata Singh believes that JNU, being the voice of critique, has come under the scanner. She questions: &ldquo;Very clearly the government is taking the name of UGC. Why should otherwise Ministry of Human Resource Development come to defense in the Parliament? Why isn&rsquo;t UGC made to answer on its own?&rdquo;</p>

<p>She adds, &ldquo;No government will like to hear this. Critique of Hindutva for contemporary government is a problem.&rdquo;</p>

<p>She also proposes a theory that &ldquo;this is a strategy for backdoor entry of government-favoured candidates.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Some professors, however, believe that the regulations are not such a bad thing.</p>

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<h5>I speak for the science school and I feel the cap is not such a bad idea</h5>
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<p>SS Maitra, Associate Professor of Biochemical Engineering, says a regulation of this kind was long overdue and such a cap will only enhance the quality of research scholars produced by the university.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;It is only impossible to accommodate more than eight students in a science school because the lab is only 600 sq ft large and we have to fit in equipment as well as students in that space. I speak for the science school and I feel the cap is not such a bad idea. Some professors have 1-2 students and others have 16-18 -- it is unfair and is like oiling the oily head.</p>

<p>Professors take in more students only to build their reputation. A professor with 15 students will definitely not be able to give equal attention to all his students,&rdquo; says Maitra.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Passed as a mandate by the UGC, the new rules are applicable across the country. Both students and teachers fear for the future of the university spaces as well as career paths of those who had especially prepared to join universities like JNU in this academic session.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


'I will be getting my salary for nothing, without taking any classes--and it?s not a good feeling', says Prof AK Patnaik of JNU

Witnessing a series of changes, higher education in India is ready to get a makeover of sorts, but is it for good? Discussing these issues and how it affects all factions concerned in a university space, WION visits the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). G. Arunima, Professor at Centre for Women’s Studies (CWS) School of Social Sciences, JNU was taken aback by the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations concerning seat cut for research across universities of the country. Being a founding member of the CWS, she says, “We were going to expand and also start a masters program at the centre. At this point, you get sledgehammered on your head -- I’m sorry, this is a cap.” Watch: WION's exclusive coverage of new UGC regulations: According to new regulations put forth by the UGC, which is tasked by the Indian Parliament for coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of higher education--there will now be a cap on the number of MPhil and PhD students a professor can supervise at a time. Apart from seat reduction in research, the new regulations also make written examinations a qualifier for viva voice with weightage for selection depending solely on viva voice. Arunima explores how hierarchical the scheme of seat capping is. She says, “A young person who is finishing PhD and coming into the teaching profession is throbbing with excitement -- how do you stop them from supervising and tell them that you can only have one student. On what ground is it assumed that once you have gone through a certain age or have been a senior member is only when you can supervise more students?” It is about power, autonomy, and privatisation: pay and study model is what they want to employ × Privatisation of education sector in India While most teachers at the university find the move arbitrary and don’t feel nice about being left out of the discussion process, Lata Singh, Chairperson of Centre for Women’s Studies believes that “there are several conspiracy theories behind the cap”. She emphasises that “it is about power, autonomy, and privatisation: pay and study model is what they want to employ”. Singh adds, “They are aiming for privatisation. We can already see mushrooming of private universities which will ultimately have collaborations with foreign universities and serve the elite or those who can fund their higher education. How the health sector in India is largely private, education of India is also turning to privatisation slowly.” Also read: How the new UGC regulations will affect the weaker sections the most Arunima also agrees that privatisation is a major motive behind the cap. “With the cap and privatisation coming to play, underprivileged students will have no access to higher education. How many can afford private universities? They are killing the dreams of a generation. Scholarships are not coming on time, fees are very high. If things were not so serious, one would laugh but it is so, so scary. JNU is becoming something that most of us do not recognise”, says Arunima. Scholarships are not coming on time, fees are very high. If things were not so serious, one would laugh but it is so, so scary × Tampering the character of universities Every university has a soul of its own, its own character and is distinctly unique from any other university. Teaching faculty as well as the students feel that this move would change the communication patterns within the campus. Gaurish from Kerala is a second year student of Masters in Arts and Aesthetics. He is disturbed and feels clueless about his future. He says, “All students in my department are very worried and disturbed. There are hardly five seats in each stream of my department and we don't know what to do. Even to apply in a publication, we will need to showcase our research or papers. JNU gives a space where you can discover yourself and opportunities but the campus itself has changed a lot, everybody seems to be depressed.” Reiterating that UGC should have thought through before coming with a mandate, he says, “Teachers have to have a say in these things. It’s not taking into consideration what each university stands for, admin hasn't had a proper dialogue with teachers. I don’t think it would work.” All students in my department are very worried and disturbed. There are hardly five seats in each stream of my department and we don't know what to do × Overburdening or Redundancy? UGC comes out with guidelines every once-in-a-while to better the workings of our universities, but teachers feel the reason given by UGC does not stand the test of time. Arunima differs with the reasoning and adds, “We are not overburdened. We ourselves decided the cap based on faculty strength. The students are given the option of choosing their mentor based on the research topics. There has got to be a creative, thoughtful and academic way to arrive at the numbers -- based on the faculty strength and we need to have a discussion constantly. Most serious academic institutions do that. It’s not that anyone is arbitrarily saying that let’s bring the entire universe to the university. “The exceptional status of JNU - it is envisaged as a research university. “If I was in the UGC, I would applaud that JNU does these things”. While exploring different angles, it is also important to bring in the perspective of Teachers Body like Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association (JNUTA). Ajay Kumar Patnaik, Professor in Centre for Russian Studies and School of International Studies who also held the position of the President of JNUTA twice also claims that the teachers are not pressurised. Patnaik says, “You can't equate teachers from JNU with other university teachers, because we don't have the same load shared by other university teachers. We don't have undergraduate students. “You can't have a higher education institution when there is no student. This is a department which admitted 40 students every year. This year, it's zero. For next two years or so, I will be getting my salary for nothing, without taking any classes, without teaching and it’s not a good feeling. In a country where the share of students going to higher education is still very low, so to restrict students from getting higher education is a crime. JNU has top ranks--at a time like this when more number of students want to join the university they can’t join-- it’s a tragic situation.” In a country where the share of students going to higher education is still very low, so to restrict students from getting higher education is a crime × Is the new regulation, a work of the government? Lata Singh believes that JNU, being the voice of critique, has come under the scanner. She questions: “Very clearly the government is taking the name of UGC. Why should otherwise Ministry of Human Resource Development come to defense in the Parliament? Why isn’t UGC made to answer on its own?” She adds, “No government will like to hear this. Critique of Hindutva for contemporary government is a problem.” She also proposes a theory that “this is a strategy for backdoor entry of government-favoured candidates.” Some professors, however, believe that the regulations are not such a bad thing. I speak for the science school and I feel the cap is not such a bad idea × SS Maitra, Associate Professor of Biochemical Engineering, says a regulation of this kind was long overdue and such a cap will only enhance the quality of research scholars produced by the university. “It is only impossible to accommodate more than eight students in a science school because the lab is only 600 sq ft large and we have to fit in equipment as well as students in that space. I speak for the science school and I feel the cap is not such a bad idea. Some professors have 1-2 students and others have 16-18 -- it is unfair and is like oiling the oily head. Professors take in more students only to build their reputation. A professor with 15 students will definitely not be able to give equal attention to all his students,” says Maitra. Passed as a mandate by the UGC, the new rules are applicable across the country. Both students and teachers fear for the future of the university spaces as well as career paths of those who had especially prepared to join universities like JNU in this academic session. (WION)

Exploring the larger picture behind new UGC regulations

<p><meta charset="utf-8" />Virtual Reality has matured a lot since it&rsquo;s inception and it seems like it has no intentions of stopping in further development. And people have realized the impact it is having, so much so that people have started taking advantage of it in the education sector.</p>

<p>With the implementation of mobiles, tablets and various learning applications that have been made available to students these days, the latest is VR in immersive learning, and it changing the education sector for the better:<meta charset="utf-8" /></p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Inspires Learning</h2>

<p dir="ltr">Virtual Reality can help merge&nbsp;the line of difference between education and technology. It can help students explore and learn. VR brings interactiveness in education to a whole new level, which the old methods could not.</p>

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<p>Role of Virtual Reality in Education (Others)</p>
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<p>VR with the help of educational but fun games will help students retain their imagination. It also offers students to work together thereby promoting team-building.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">An Interactive Teaching-Learning Environment</h2>

<p dir="ltr">With the help of VR, teachers can take lectures from home or other environments. It gives them an opportunity to show the students various artifacts from around the world which they otherwise may not be able to visit and see.</p>

<p dir="ltr">Some of the schools in rural areas have started to utilize VR technology, to provide their students with top class education even when they are not able to bring in teachers with high qualifications to teach.</p>

<p dir="ltr">For instance, a school can get pre-recorded lessons from highly qualified teachers. The interactive session allowed the teacher to come live from her computer to answer the questions that the students were curious about.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Education is more Engaging</h2>

<p dir="ltr">VR helps the educators to add a more interactive way of teaching in their establishments. This will help them make subjects which the students feel are difficult easy for them with the help of subject based games.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/screen-shot-2014-07-01-at-09.41.58-1024x501-20170209064126.png" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>Role of Virtual Reality in Education (Others)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>In the recent times, companies like Google have made huge efforts to push VR in education by getting engaging educational games and lessons provided in their databases.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Helps Students Perform better</h2>

<p>There are many benefits of VR to Educational Sector, one of which is that the students will be more attentive and engaged while playing educational games, getting virtual lectures, etc. This will aid them in&nbsp;retaining what they have learned at a greater level, which will inturn help them perform better.</p>

<h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2>

<p>With the implementation of VR in education, there are chances of students getting better grades and get equal level of knowledge from highly qualified educators. This will also help improve kids attention spans and also help them develop their imagination.</p>

<p>Written By - Karanveer Singh Arora</p>


With VR taking a major role in the education sector, we found the ways in which VR is immensely helpful for better learning.

Virtual Reality has matured a lot since it’s inception and it seems like it has no intentions of stopping in further development. And people have realized the impact it is having, so much so that people have started taking advantage of it in the education sector. With the implementation of mobiles, tablets and various learning applications that have been made available to students these days, the latest is VR in immersive learning, and it changing the education sector for the better: Inspires Learning Virtual Reality can help merge the line of difference between education and technology. It can help students explore and learn. VR brings interactiveness in education to a whole new level, which the old methods could not. Role of Virtual Reality in Education (Others) × VR with the help of educational but fun games will help students retain their imagination. It also offers students to work together thereby promoting team-building. An Interactive Teaching-Learning Environment With the help of VR, teachers can take lectures from home or other environments. It gives them an opportunity to show the students various artifacts from around the world which they otherwise may not be able to visit and see. Some of the schools in rural areas have started to utilize VR technology, to provide their students with top class education even when they are not able to bring in teachers with high qualifications to teach. For instance, a school can get pre-recorded lessons from highly qualified teachers. The interactive session allowed the teacher to come live from her computer to answer the questions that the students were curious about. Education is more Engaging VR helps the educators to add a more interactive way of teaching in their establishments. This will help them make subjects which the students feel are difficult easy for them with the help of subject based games. Role of Virtual Reality in Education (Others) × In the recent times, companies like Google have made huge efforts to push VR in education by getting engaging educational games and lessons provided in their databases. Helps Students Perform better There are many benefits of VR to Educational Sector, one of which is that the students will be more attentive and engaged while playing educational games, getting virtual lectures, etc. This will aid them in retaining what they have learned at a greater level, which will inturn help them perform better. Conclusion With the implementation of VR in education, there are chances of students getting better grades and get equal level of knowledge from highly qualified educators. This will also help improve kids attention spans and also help them develop their imagination. Written By - Karanveer Singh Arora

Role of Virtual Reality in Education

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