Odisha
Patnaik’s Teachers Day message
THE STATE GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO gift all class X students, irrespective of economic status, bicycles free-of-charge. This announcement was made by chief minister Naveen Patnaik while felicitating 75 teachers in Bhubaneswar on Teachers Day (September 5).
“The state government has taken a number of steps to raise the standard of education in Odisha. I hope these education development programmes will be successful with the active support of teachers,” said Patnaik.
During his address to teachers, he informed them that the state government has earmarked Rs.9,000 crore for education in 2014-15, and that a Vision-2022 document is being drawn up for overall development of education in the state, and called upon teachers to tap the hidden talent of each student.
Meghalaya
Teachers awards
DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER R.C. Laloo felicitated 44 school teachers for their contribution to education at a state function in Shillong on Teachers Day (September 5).
Eleven teachers were given state awards while 33 were conferred district awards. On the occasion, Laloo, who is also Meghalaya’s education minister, stressed the need for teachers to introspect on ways and means to promote and improve the quality of education in government schools. “What is the role of citizens, parents, teachers, and students in uplifting education in the state? Let us introspect! Collectively and judiciously!” he exhorted them.
Moreover, articulating the government’s determination to make education accessible to rural students, he said 20 rural hostels are being constructed under a special Asian Development Bank loan-subsidy scheme for improvement of infrastructure, teacher training, and skills development of teachers in government and aided schools. “Our core objective is to provide secondary and higher secondary students with state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities and capable faculty to enable and prepare them for the world of work,” he added.
Rajasthan
New study programmes call
ADDRESSING A NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM AT Rajasthan University in Jaipur on September 13, chief minister Vasundhara Raje urged the state’s higher education institutions to introduce new study programmes in communication, architecture, tourism and hospitality, and foreign languages to improve employability of youth.
“We need to chart a roadmap to improve the quality of education statewide. There’s also a need to stage seminars and conferences from time to time to discuss important education issues,” she said, adding that entrepreneurial and skills development councils are being set up in universities statewide.
Arunachal Pradesh
Infrastructure development promise
INAUGURATING A NORTH-EAST ZONAL conference organised by the All India Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation (AIFUCTO) at the Dera Natung Government College at Itanagar on September 9, chief minister Nabam Tuki promised to improve the infrastructure of Arunachal’s existing government colleges apart from promoting new higher and technical education institutions in the state.
“Every year 20,000 students are forced to move out of the state for higher education and for want of educational institutions in Arunachal. Therefore, we are determined to promote new, high quality education institutes in the state, while at the same time strengthening the infrastructure and manpower of existing institutions,” he said.
Stressing the importance of quality education with a purpose, Tuki reminded teachers and academics that education should not be dispensed solely for the purpose of acquiring degrees, but to prepare students for gainful employment. “When we develop manpower, we should also be able to ensure it is gainfully deployed. Therefore we are active in the fields of skills development and employment generation,” Tuki added.
Jammu & Kashmir
Post-flood reconstruction
WITH 1,276 GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS across the state damaged during the recent floods which swept J&K, the state government has initiated an urgent “repair and relocate” plan to enable students to attend classes asap.\
“We have submitted a Rs.62 crore plan for repair and reconstruction of damaged educational infrastructure to the state government so that school education is set on its feet,” H.R. Pakhroo, director of school education, informed media personnel in Jammu on September 20.
“The recent floods in the state have severely affected routine class work in government schools across Jammu province. Over 200 buildings have been either washed away or fully damaged and over 1,000 partially damaged,” he said. A plan has also been chalked out for shifting schools whose buildings have been damaged due to floods, to panchayat ghars and other similar accommodation so students can resume classes at the earliest.
Moreover, schools in the Rajouri and Poonch districts have also suffered extensive damage, added Pakhroo.
Paromita Sengupta with bureau inputs