Hailakandi (Assam), September 1. The Mumbai-based Piramal Foundation (estb.2006) — the philanthropic division of the Ajay Piramal-led group of companies — is all set to launch an accelerated learning programme (ALP) for slow learners in 100 government schools of the Hailakandi district, Assam in collaboration with the state government.

“ALP will help teachers enhance learning outcomes of students who fail to keep up with their peers in a normal classroom situation. I appeal to local community members living near these schools to join us in implementing this prestigious project,” said Hailakandi’s deputy commissioner Keerthi Jalli.

Delhi
National Police University
New Delhi, September 19. A world-class National Police University is set to be established in Greater Noida to offer undergrad, postgrad, diploma and doctoral study programmes in policing, forensic and cyber sciences, criminology, criminal justice, risk management and related fields, says a statement issued by the Union ministry of home affairs.

The proposed multi-disciplinary university will be constructed on a 100-acre campus sited within the IT Park, Greater Noida, Delhi NRC. The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority has leased the campus for 90 years at a concessional price of Rs.371 crore, adds the statement.

Madhya Pradesh
English improvement classes
Bhopal, September 5. The state government-run Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV, aka Rajiv Gandhi Technological University) signed an MoU with Cambridge Assessment English (CAE), a department of the University of Cambridge (UK). Under the terms of the MoU, students enrolled in RGPV affiliated colleges will be given remedial English language communication skills upgradation opportunities.

Earlier in July, two similar MoUs were signed between CAE representatives and officials of the state’s higher education department, and the MP Private University Regulatory Commission.

Rajasthan
Coaching centre regulations
Jaipur, September 4. The state government has constituted a committee to prepare draft legislation to regulate the test-prep coaching industry whose centres have mushroomed statewide. The objective of the proposed legislation is to prescribe rules and regulations to reduce the stress levels of students enrolled with them. A committee headed by the principal-secretary (school education) will prepare the draft in consultation with coaching industry representatives and educators for submission to the Rajasthan state government. The committee will comprise district collectors, superintendents of police and Bikaner-based educationist Amichand, among others.

Members nominated by the committee will visit other states and hold discussions with stakeholders there, following which they will submit a report to the committee which will prepare comprehensive draft legislation.

Odisha
KIIT Central Research Centre
Bhubaneswar, september 8. Encouraged by the Institution of Eminence (IoE) status conferred upon it recently by the University Grants Commission, KIIT University (estb.1997) has drawn up a plan to establish a Central Research Centre (CRC) at a projected capex of Rs.200 crore to promote multidisciplinary research. KIIT is among ten private universities countrwide — and the youngest varsity — to be awarded IoE status.

“CRC will focus on researching environment and water, healthcare, energy, medical and material sciences subjects and issues,” said Dr. Achyuta Samanta, founder-promoter of KIIT, addressing the media. Conferment of IoE status has imposed greater responsibility on KIIT University to promote high-quality research and innovation to transform the university into a world-class educational hub, he added.

Karnataka
Didac Exhibition 2019
Bangalore, September 24. The Indian Didactics Association (IDA, estb.2009) convened its 11th Didac India Exhibition and Conference (DIEC) in Bangalore. The three-day event jointly hosted by the Karnataka state government, NITI Aayog and the Union HRD ministry among others, was inaugurated by Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and IDA CEO Aditya Gupta. Over 200 companies from 19 countries showcased their edtech products and services at DIEC 2019.

Describing the exhibition as “a unique confluence of stakeholders from the education and training industry,” IDA CEO Gupta said: “We are delighted that DIEC has grown in scale and attracted 14,000 visitors this year.”

DIEC 2019 was also enriched by round table discussions, workshops and conferences on education issues and pedagogies organised by the International Baccalaureate (Geneva), Cambridge International (UK), the Early Childhood Association (Mumbai), and AICTE among others.