-Scroll.in The expectation that students will buy devices to receive education at their own cost is contrary to the spirit of the RTE Act. In April 2010, India brought into force the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, acknowledging the state’s responsibility to provide free and compulsory education to all children from the age of six to 14 years. The act was a consequence of Article 21A being...

-Down to Earth Agriculture is the least-affected sector of the economy. It is poised to gain and lead economy’s revival process ‘Year of COVID-19’— this is how 2020 is probably going to be remembered. It has been more than six months that the novel coronavirus disease has been dominating public discourse, news cycles, Internet searches and even geopolitics. As on July 8, 2020, India had more than 0.7 million cases. It was among...

-Newsclick.in The state is now witnessing a historic mass movement that could give us crucial lessons on both how to save public education and democratise virtual learning. June in Kerala began with the devastating news of a 14-year old’s suicide in Malappuram, which allegedly took place due to her lack of resources to attend the virtual classes organised by the state government. To circumvent Kerala’s strict COVID-19 restrictions put in place since...

-PTI/ The Indian Express As per official statistics, there are over 35 crore students in the country. However, it is not clear as to how many of them have access to digital devices and Internet. From virtual classes to open-book exams, the coronavirus pandemic may have forced classroom learning online but the digital divide in the country may turn it into an “operational nightmare”, experts have warned. Suicide by a Kerala schoolgirl allegedly...

-The Indian Express Kanchi Kohli of the Centre for Policy Research said, "Environmental laws need to be strengthened and not relaxed as is the draft EIA. For instance, the gas leak that in Visakhapatnam today; while this is an accident, there will now have to be an investigation to see whether this was a lapse." After receiving numerous representations for extending the notice period of the draft Environment Impact Assessment notification 2020,...