Puducherry, July 1. The decks have been cleared for upgradation of the state-run Pondicherry Engineering College (estb.1980) into a technological university with a Bill passed by the assembly having received presidential assent. The new varsity will be a teaching, research and affiliating university which will also facilitate and promote technology incubation and product innovation, says a gazette notification.

Under the specially enacted Puducherry Technological University Act, the Lt. Governor of the Union territory will be chancellor of the university and secretary to the territorial government (higher education) pro chancellor ex officio.

Delhi CBSE-Facebook partnership

New Delhi, July 5. The Delhi-based Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Facebook for Education — a global initiative of the popular social media platform — have signed a partnership agreement to launch augmented reality, digital safety and online wellbeing curriculums for secondary students and teachers.

Addressing the media, a senior CBSE official said: “The curriculum will cover safety, privacy, mental health and Instagram’s guide for building healthy digital habits.”

Under the collaboration agreement, Facebook will also support CBSE in its first-ever initiative to introduce augmented reality (AR) into the board’s prescribed curriculum. A three-week training programme to be conducted in batches for teachers and students, will cover fundamentals of AR and ways to utilise Facebook’s software, Spark AR Studio to generate augmented reality experiences, the official added.

West Bengal St. Xavier’s Amphan initiative

Kolkata, July 8. West Bengal’s top-ranked private autonomous St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata is set to adopt a village damaged by the devastating cyclone Amphan which swept the state on May 20. The process of choosing one village in the KakdwipNamkhana belt of the state’s South 24 Parganas district is underway. A high-level team led by the principal Dominic Savio had visited several villages for the purpose.

Addressing media personnel, Savio said: “Once the adoption process is streamlined with the help of the local administration and police, the college will undertake a holistic development programme to spread education and initiate social welfare initiatives, career development and skill enhance ment programmes for the residents.” In 2009, the college’s alumni association had similarly adopted Bholakhali village in North 24-Parganas district after cyclone Aila hit the state 11 years ago.

Goa Internshala portal

Panaji, July 10. Goa’s director of education Vandana Rao, urged school managements in the state to register their students in the Internshala portal, a private internship programme offered under the National Skill Development Corporation’s Samagra Shiksha scheme, to ensure learning continuity with practical exposure.

According to Rao, students will become acquainted with business corporations from the comfort of their homes. “There are over 4 million students and 100,000-plus companies that regularly use the platform. After successful completion of internship on the Internshala portal, students can earn a stipend and a certificate of merit,” says a government circular.

Haryana Preschools promotion project

Chandigarh, July 15. The state government is set to inaugurate 1,000 playway preschools to provide quality education and learning to children in the 3-6 years age group. This initiative was proposed in the Union budget 2020-21 and a formal decision to this effect was taken at a recent meeting presided over by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

Directing officers to upgrade anganwadis running within premises of primary schools into smart learning preschools, the chief minister said their curriculums should be designed using animation and audio-visuals to help children enhance their cognitive capabilities.

Uttarakhand Greenfield NIT

Dehradun, July 2. The Union HRD ministry has sanctioned Rs. 909.85 crore for construction of a permanent campus of the National Institute of Technology in Sumari village in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district.

Of the total amount sanctioned, Rs. 831.04 crore has been earmarked for building a permanent campus at Sumari village and Rs. 78.81 crore for upgrading facilities, including hostels and laboratories at its temporary campus in Srinagar, Pauri, says an official communique.

“Construction of a permanent NIT campus at Sumari will not only give a boost to quality education in the state but also strengthen the local economy. The state government will bear the cost of building a road near the institute and facilitate power and water supply,” says chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat.

Paromita Sengupta with bureau inputs

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