Gangtok, February 1. The Sikkim state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with megacorp Microsoft Inc, to prepare youth to become future-ready and transform its e-governance and core sectors, said R.B. Subba, the state’s minister for education.

Under the agreement, Microsoft will support the state to integrate IT (information technology) content in the curriculum of state board-affiliated schools and build teacher capacity through the Microsoft Educator Network and Innovative Educator programmes.

Meghalaya
Teacher test leakage charge

Shillong, February 1. The state police has invoked the assistance of cyber security experts to investigate an alleged leakage of a question paper of the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test (MTET) for graduates aspiring to teach in lower and upper primary government schools. The leakage was reported hours before the examination was due to commence on January 31.

Congress MLA Dr. Azad Aman who represents Rajabala constituency of West Garo Hills district, has demanded a CBI inquiry. “To ensure transparency, there should be a full CBI inquiry into the entire system of who sets the questions, where question papers are printed and under whose custody printed questions are stored,” says Aman.

Punjab
Free bicycles for girl students

Amritsar, February 1. The Congress-ruled state government has resolved to distribute 138,000 free-of-charge bicycles to girl students in government higher secondary schools statewide, to encourage them to continue their education beyond high school, said a government spokesperson.

The scheme, to be administered by the women and child development ministry, has a projected cost of Rs.40 crore, said Punjab education minister Om Parkash Soni. Of the total 138,000, 11,085 bicycles will be awarded to girl students in Amritsar district.

Delhi
NTA mobile app

New Delhi, February 4. The National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts computer-based entrance examinations for admission into several higher education institutions countrywide, has launched a mobile application for school-leaving students to practice and take mock tests on their smartphones, says a government communique.

Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Satyapal Singh, Union minister of state for HRD, said the NTA has established a network of 4,000 Test Practice Centres across the country to acquaint aspirants, especially rural candidates, with computer-based tests.

More than 100,000 have already registered and over 1 million students have benefited from these app and web services, he added.

Rajasthan
Textbooks review initiative

Jaipur, February 13. The newly-elected Congress government of the state has constituted two textbook committees to review the content of government school textbooks for children in classes I-VIII and IX-XII
“The previous BJP government had made changes in syllabus for fulfilling its political agenda. Our government is against infusion of politics in education and keeping that in mind, committees comprising highly qualified educationists have been set up to review the syllabus,” said education minister Govind Singh Dotasara. Both committees are expected to submit their reports to the government shortly.

Maharashtra
Self-defence classes

Mumbai, February 16. The state government is all set to introduce self-defence training in the state’s school curriculums, said education minister Vinod Tawde. The minister gave this assurance in response to an online petition filed by Neha Shrimal, a women’s self-defence coach.

In the petition posted on Change.org in September last year, Shrimal had demanded that compulsory self-defence training is introduced in all schools statewide. The petition received over 1.38 lakh signatures supporting the demand.

“Taking cognisance of the petition, I am considering making self-defence part of school curriculums. We recently decided to introduce an hour-long sports education class for school students. We will introduce self-defence into this programme,” he said.

Himachal Pradesh
Central University inauguration

Dharamsala, February 21. Union human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar laid the foundation for the campus of Central University — established under the Central Universities Act, 2009 enacted by Parliament — at Dehra in the state’s Kangra district.

Speaking on the occasion, Javadekar said the Centre has sanctioned several institutions of national repute in Himachal. “An Indian Institute of Information Technology has been sanctioned for Una and Indian Institute of Technology for Mandi. A cluster university has also been sanctioned for Mandi district.”

Paromita Sengupta with bureau inputs