Paromita Sengupta with bureau inputs

JHARKHAND

First Birhor matriculate

Hazaribagh, August 3.

Paval Birhor (16), a student of Pariyojna Ucha Vidyalay, Kandsar, a government school in the Hazaribagh district, is the first girl child from Jharkhand’s primitive Birhor tribe (pop.11,000) to pass the state board’s class X matriculation examination. Results of the Jharkhand Academic Council were declared on July 29.

Felicitating her, Aditya Kumar Anand, deputy commissioner of Hazaribagh district, said it was a milestone for the Birhor tribe whose children are unwilling to attend school despite the state government’s best efforts. “We will provide all assistance to Paval and ensure she gets admission into the best higher education institutions,” he said at a media conference.

PUNJAB

Olympic medallists honoured

Chandigarh, August 6.

Chief minister Amarinder Singh has given approval to a proposal to name roads and schools after Olympic 2020 medal winners, and directed officials to initiate the process.

“Punjab sent a contingent of 20 sportspersons to Tokyo Olympics 2020, of whom 11 were in the podium-finish men’s hockey team. These players and sportspersons have made the country proud and annually, are set to reopen after the state government permitted class IX-XII schools to restart on-campus teaching-learning The coaching centres have instituted elaborate safety protocols to safeguard students against the Covid-19 virus and are ready to welcome students back, according to a joint statement issued by coaching institute managements.

DELHI

JNV roadblock

New delhi, august 2.

The construction of 17 Central governmentfunded Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) — class VI-XII residential schools for meritorious rural children — is stalled because of land transfer delays of state governments, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed the Lok Sabha. Of the 17 stalled JNVs, seven are planned for Delhi, three in West Bengal, two in Jammu & Kashmir and one each in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

“The Navodaya Vidyalaya project envisages at least one JNV in every district of the country. As on date, 661 JNVs have been sanctioned of which 580 are functional from permanent campuses. Construction work of 64 JNVs is in progress,” added the minister.

RAJASTHAN

Kota set to reopen

Kota (rajasthan), august 28.

Forty prominent test prep coaching institutes in Kota, a town nationally renowned for its large number (150) of test prep institutes that enrol an estimated 100,000 students annually, are set to reopen after the state government permitted class IX-XII schools to restart on-campus teaching-learning.

The coaching centres have instituted elaborate safety protocols to safeguard students against the Covid-19 virus and are ready to welcome students back, according to a joint statement issued by coaching institute managements.

MIZORAM

Schools reopen

Aizawl, August 23.

Seven Covid-free districts including Aizawl have commenced in-person classes in 376 schools for the academic year 2021-2022, school education department director James Lalrinchhana informed the media.

On August 8, Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Mizoram government had permitted schools beyond the jurisdiction of the Aizawl Municipal Corporation to reopen. The next day in an another order, it permitted re-opening of primary and higher secondary schools in Covidfree towns and villages subject to prior clearance by deputy commissioners.

JAMMU & KASHMIR

Tribal students scholarships

Srinagar, August 7.

The tribal affairs department of the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir administration has approved its highestever allocation of Rs.30 crore towards grant of scholarships to tribal students, said Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, tribal affairs department secretary.

“The allocation includes Rs.7.7 crore for 6,561 post matriculation students, Rs.3.8 crore for 12,868 pre-matriculation students of classes IX-X, and Rs.18 crore for 2.15 lakh class I-VIII students.

“This year, the scholarships will cover 42,000 more students than last year,” said Choudhary at a media briefing.

ODISHA

University status award

Berhampur, august 3.

The vintage Khallikote Autonomous College (KAC, estb.1856), Berhampur (Ganjam district) has been granted unitary university status.

Speaking on the occasion, KAC alumnus and Berhampur MP Chandra Sekhar Sahu said: “We will provide global standard new technologies-enabled education to students and provide for research opportunities in contemporary subjects.”

Started as a school in 1856, KAC was upgraded into an intermediate college in 1878, and conferred status of an autonomous college in 1990. Unitary varsity status will enable KAC — which currently provides 21 study programmes to 5,000 students — to award its own degrees, he added.

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