Goa
Revised adult literacy programme
The Congress-led Goa state govern-ment has revised its adult literacy sche-me to attain the target of 100 percent literacy in the state in the near future. “We feel Goa can achieve 100 percent literacy in the next few years,” chief minister Digamber Kamat told reporters following a cabinet meeting on June 25. The state cabinet approved the revised literacy programme, which will cost the state exchequer Rs.178.23 crore.
With an adult literacy percentage of 82-84, this western seaboard state (pop. 1.16 million) ranks fourth in the all-India literacy chart with Kerala topping the list. According to Kamat, the state’s directorate of education will formulate implementation details of the scheme including delivery of literacy and vocational education programmes to adults. “The literacy scheme will be implemented through several govern-ment agencies and NGOs. Moreover people who allow their homes to be used as venues for adult literacy classes will be paid by the state government,” added Kamat.
Orissa
ICFAI University green signal
After several deferments, the ICFAI (Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India) University Bill, 2009 was finally passed by the Orissa state assembly on June 23. The Bill, first tabled in the assembly during the monsoon session last year, was deferred three times because of members’ opposition to certain sections.
The Bill was passed by a voice vote with some amendments. According to higher education minister Debi Prasad Mishra, two MLAs and secretary of the higher education department will represent the state government on the board of management of the proposed varsity. The revised Bill also mandates tuition fee concessions for SC, ST and OBC students, and a fees structure based on norms of the University Grants Commission and other regulatory bodies.
With the Bill now cleared by the assembly, ICFAI is committed to investing Rs.150 crore to build a state-of-the-art university in Orissa. The proposed university will offer degree programmes in various disciplines such as engineering, management, law, scie-nce and the humanities, and is expected to enrol 1,500 students. The ICFAI campus will be built on 30 acres sited between Bhubaneswar and Khurda following an agreement with the state government for land purchase in 2007.
Tripura
Reduce NIT cut-offs call
Senior Congressman and leader of the opposition in the Tripura legislative assembly, Ratan Lal Nath has requested Union human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal to consider reducing the cut-off marks of Tripura students seeking admission into the National Institute of Technology (NIT) sited in the state.
Addressing media persons in Agartala on June 23, Nath said he had recently written to Sibal requesting him to reduce the cut-off percentage for local students’ entry into NIT-Tripura, because the examination pattern of Tripura differs radically from CBSE and therefore it’s difficult for local students to secure high percentages. “I have sought the HRD minister’s intervention because no seat should remain vacant in NIT-Tripura in the current academic session 2010-11. But if the cut-off mark (55 percent) remains unchanged, the 41 seats reserved for students from the state will remain unfilled,” said Nath who added that most students from Tripura can’t afford to go beyond state boundaries for higher studies.
Currently, of the 189 seats reserved for students from the state in NIT-Tripura, only 148 seats are filled by duly qualified applicants.
Andhra Pradesh
RTE Act 2009 rules draft
The andhra pradesh state government released a draft set of rules for effective implementation of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, on June 21. The ‘Andhra Pradesh Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010’ have been prepared on the basis of guidelines provided by the Union human resource development ministry adjusted for the state’s requirements.
Secondary education minister, D. Manikya Varaprasad and primary educ-ation minister Mohammed Ahmadulla, who jointly released the draft rules, invited suggestions and objections from the general public. “The entire text of the draft rules is available on government websites,” said Varaprasad. The model rules cover issues such as providing special learning programmes for out-of-school children, duties of the state government and local authorities, admission of children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups, among others.
Delhi
Centre approves 107 new Kendriya Vidyalayas
The Union government has approved a proposal to establish 107 new Kendriya Vidyalaya K-12 schools countrywide with an aggregate enrolment of 103,000 students. These proposed schools will be inaugurated during the remaining period of the Eleventh Plan (2007-12), taking the total number of Kendriya Vidyalayas to 1,088. In its meeting of June 23, the cabinet committee of economic affairs (CCEA) gave a go-ahead to the proposal which will cost the Central exchequer Rs.806 crore.
The financial requirement for cons-truction and operation of the 107 new KVs is Rs.526.99 crore in the Eleventh Plan with a spillover of Rs.279.48 crore towards capital costs in the Twelfth Plan, home minister P. Chidambaram informed reporters in Delhi.
The Bundelkhand region, which stretches across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and whose develop-ment is being accorded top priority by the UPA-II government, will get seven KVs. This region comprises seven districts — Jalaun, Lalitpur, Hamirpur, Mahoba, Banda and Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh and Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh. Except Lalitpur, none of the districts has a Kendriya Vidyalaya.
KVs essentially cater to the educational needs of children of Central government employees including defence and paramilitary personnel. The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan currently administers 981 schools with over 1 million students and 50,000 employees on their rolls.