Punjab: Textbooks ban
Chandigarh, May 1.

Three class XII history textbooks have been proscribed for distorting facts related to Sikh history, said Yograj Singh, chairman of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), addressing the media. The decision to ban the texts was taken following a report by an inquiry committee constituted after a complaint was filed by farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa. Based on the report, punitive action has been suggested to hold officials serving when these texts were notified by the board, to account.

The government’s ban order has been conveyed to the Director, SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training), and all district education officers for compliance with immediate effect, he added.

Delhi: Centenary second chance
New Delhi, May 2.

To mark Delhi University’s (DU) year-long centenary celebrations which commenced on May 1, former students who dropped out of affiliated colleges in their final year will be awarded a one-time ‘centenary opportunity’ to re-register, write examinations and complete their degree programmes.

“Undergraduate, postgraduate and professional course students who had enroled in mainstream programmes, students of the Non Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB), School of Open Learning (SOL) and External Cell are eligible to re-register. Former students should submit their registration forms for the centenary chance examination by June 14, 2022,” said an official order issued by DU’s Dean of Examinations. Dropped out students can also access DU’s online students’ portal for the purpose, it added.

Faculties, departments, colleges and centres under the university have been notified to complete the confirmation and verification of re-registration forms by June 20.

J&K: Woman vice-chancellor
Srinagar, May 20.

Prof. Nilofar Khan assumed office for a three-year term as the first woman vice chancellor of Kashmir University.
A distinguished academic with three decades of teaching and admin experience within Kashmir University, Khan has served in several critical academic and administrative posts including Dean, College Development Council, Registrar, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science and Technology and Director, Institute of Home Sciences.

Addressing the media, Khan said students’ welfare and implementation of NEP, 2020 would be her top priorities.

Andhra Pradesh: Teachers arrested
Amaravati, May 2.

The Andhra Pradesh government ordered the arrest of 42 teachers of government schools statewide for indulging in malpractice during the annual class X examination.

According to education ministry sources, officials detected the malpractices on the first day when photo copies of the Telugu language question paper were circulated from Kurnool district on WhatsApp an hour after the exam began. On the second and third days, the Hindi and English papers were similarly circulated on social media.

“We immediately detected the involvement of some teachers who spread rumours about question paper leaks with the help of outsiders. This was gross mischief calculated to arouse anxiety among students and parents,” said a senior education department official.

The suspect teachers have been charged under provisions of the AP Public Examinations (Prevention of Malpractices and Unfair Means) Act, 1997. This is the first time teachers in the state have been arrested under provisions of this Act.

Assam: Model schools
Tezpur, May 25.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated six Adarsha Vidyalayas (model schools) to provide education to children of Assam’s tea garden labour. These are the first of 119 Adarsha Vidyalaya Schools proposed to be established with provision made for eight teachers in each school.
“These model schools will herald a new era of quality education for the children of tea garden workers. Earlier, these children studied in nearby lower primary schools and a majority of them dropped out in higher classes, as they had to travel long distances from the tea gardens where their parents worked,” said the chief minister, speaking on the occasion. From the academic year 2023-24, these model schools will teach mathematics and science in English, and social sciences in Assamese, he added.

Tamil Nadu: Government-Google agreement
Chennai, May 5.

The state’s education ministry signed a partnership agreement with the US-based technology giant Google Inc. Under the agreement, Google will provide online English learning lessons to government school children.

According to a ministry communique, government school students will be provided access to Google’s ‘Google Read Along’ app which will enable them to read, understand, speak and write English easily.