-The Hindu In response to my recent article in The Hindu, “The real questions from Kudankulam” (edit page, September 14, 2012), supporting nuclear power and arguing for an independent regulatory authority, I received much feedback, largely positive, some critical; some of which deserves a response. Many of these points have been made by others, repeatedly, but some are new to me. 1) Independent oversight: Two credible people said that I was too...
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Reading, maths ability declining in kids: Survey by Akshaya Mukul
Pratham's seventh Annual Survey of Education Report (ASER) of rural India released on Monday tells a similar tale: rising enrolment but declining attendance, over-reliance on private tuitions, decline in reading and Mathematical ability of children in the age group between six and 14. The report was released by HRD minister Kapil Sibal. Use of computer is also on the rise in upper primary schools. Almost a third (30.8%) of upper primary...
More »Judicial lessons for states by Shyamal Majumdar
In 2004, a boy was crushed to death by a vehicle when he was crossing the road in front of a school to fetch water. The school, in the heart of the nation’s capital, did not have drinking water facilities. Seven years later, courtesy the NGO Environmental and Consumer Protection Foundation and the Supreme Court, all Indian states (the last two being Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir) have given...
More »In India, 96.5% kids go to school
India took another step towards universal elementary education last year, with 96.5% of all children aged 6-14 years being enrolled in schools, an extensive private audit has revealed. NGO Pratham`s Annual Survey of Education Report says the proportion of girls in the age group of 11-14 years too increased to 94.1% although quality of education remained a big concern. The survey, the only private audit of elementary education in the country,...
More »Long way to go on RTE, shows national school report card by Charu Sudan Kasturi
Indian schools have a long way to go before they meet conditions required under the landmark Right to Education Act, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), 2010 released today by NGO Pratham said. This was the first time that the RTE Act -- implemented from April 1, 2010 -- was factored into the survey. Rated on seven infrastructure parameters they are required to meet under the RTE Act, only 3%...
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