-DNA Blind People’s Association (BPA) on Friday organised an awareness programme on Right to Education (RTE) for physically and mentally-challenged people. The programme involved 25 district coordinators of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, parents of the differently-abled children and a few teachers, who discussed about lack of awareness about RTE at grassroot level. The event consisted of various activities which discussed about admissions and special needs of differently-abled children. It highlighted problems faced by...

Universities should not have to bow to research institutes, writes Debashis Gangopadhyay. Basic Sciences versus Applied Sciences Undermining humanities studies in schools will lead to a large number of science graduates in the market. This is a boon for multinational companies as profits will escalate — the cost of labour being lower. However, the danger to profits persist from another aspect. Students who study science out of their love for a subject are...

-The Hindu School staff members offended by government circular asking them to avoid wearing indecent clothes A recent circular issued by the school education department, which urges teachers to be dressed in a “decent manner”, has evoked strong responses from teachers, who are offended by what they see as the officiousness of the message. The circular dated June 29, in essence, tells teachers: Please avoid wearing indecent clothes; it is important that you...

-IANS Over two years after the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) was notified by the central government , more than 95% of schools in the country do not comply with its guidelines, a study by an NGO has found. Data compiled by RTE Forum with inputs from its members from across the country points out that only one out of 10 schools in 2010-11 had drinking...

-The Hindu Against recommendation to delete several cartoons and texts from Political Science books   Historian K.N. Panikkar has said the S.K. Thorat panel, constituted to review the use of cartoons in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks, had undone an academically commendable effort. Terming the majority panel recommendation to delete several cartoons and texts of some others from the political science textbooks “most unfortunate,” Dr. Panikkar told The Hindu...