Orissa, which has the second highest tribal population in the country, will start high-tech coaching progammes from next month exclusively for its tribal students to help them compete in tough competitive examinations. The state government plans to enroll about 1,000-1,500 students of Class 10 and 11 from 19 state-run tribal schools located in the interior areas for the programme. Sanjeev K. Chadha, director of the state Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe...

Members of various NGOsand child rights activists working in the field of free, compulsory and quality education for underprivileged children on Wednesday came out strongly against the private school lobby and accused it of trying to dilute the Right to Education (RTE) Act. At a state-level training for various stakeholders of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 — also known as the RTE Act —the activists...

Members of various NGOsand child rights activists working in the field of free, compulsory and quality education for underprivileged children on Wednesday came out strongly against the private school lobby and accused it of trying to dilute the Right to Education (RTE) Act. At a state-level training for various stakeholders of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 — also known as the RTE Act —the activists...

Civil society representatives from more than 70 countries wrapped up a United Nations forum today with an urgent call to action to improve the health of millions of men, women and children worldwide and step up efforts to achieve the globally agreed anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In a wide-ranging declaration adopted at the end of the three-day meeting in Melbourne, Australia, participants stressed that achieving...

Competing for praise and popularity is as common between Ministries as are turf wars. When officers from different Ministries get the rare opportunity to meet and discuss matters of shared concern, they behave like alert soldiers who are expected to fight for every inch of territory. I had an exposure to this phenomenon while working for a Planning Commission sub-committee on vocational education for skill development. Vocational and technical training...