Virtual internships: The new normal for a practical exposure - education

“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.”

This quote by Rabindranath Tagore truly represents the unprecedented times we are currently living in.In such times, we need to reinvent our thought process, plan and collaborate to co-create a space for engaging with our community of learners in ways that are redefining the change around us.

Through connected learning, educators are thinking about innovative strategies in such times. Students are anxious about the how and when of this academic year. The timelines are grey, especially for students who are at the juncture of joining university/college and for students who have taken the Board examinations and awaiting closure.

Practical exposure through a summer internship which was a norm until last year has become a challenge in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with physical classes, physical summer internships too got cancelled, giving way to the concept of virtual internships. With the boom in technological apps like zoom, skype, Microsoft Teams, etc. connecting virtually with interns or employees was never this easy for the employers.

The main advantage of a virtual Internship is that it offers flexibility to the student. It allows them to select options that otherwise may not have been available due to geographical limitations.Students can apply for virtual internships available across the country or globe to support a myriad of projects ranging from content writing to public relations to social media engagement to website designing to data analysis and much more. With a stable Internet connection and an email account, students can work from their home in these unprecedented times.

The flexibility of time is also an essential component. Students can work at their own pace and can pursue different interests at the same time.One should have the knack of being able to research on a topic online for hours and perseverance.They can further enhance their familiarity with digital tools and tech-based work.

Though the concept of a virtual internship is new, it is gaining prominence in the corporate world – across both the start-ups and well-established corporates.

Clarity of communication is paramount to ace a virtual internship – especially as a lot of body language cues are out of the picture.Interns have to communicate frequently and efficiently with their mentors to ensurethat they are on the right track in terms of the objectives of the assignment. They should not shy away from asking questions, seeking clarity and requesting help if needed. It is also essential to maintain phone and email etiquette.

Other than this, following a set schedule minus distractions is very important when working on an online assignment. While guiding students through their career goals, I always tell them that opportunities are galore! They should focus their energies on discovering the right one for them and then working hard to get it, all this while keeping their curiosity alive.

(The author is Lead of Career Development Centre, Shiv Nadar School, Noida. Views expressed here are personal.)

Source link

Tripura’s axed school teachers seek government help - education

An association of school teachers of Tripura, who recently lost their jobs, on Friday appealed to the state government to provide them relief for sustenance during the lockdown.

They were granted a one-time ex-gratia of Rs 35,000 by the government in April.

Pradip Banik, the president of the ‘All Tripura 10,323 Victimised Teachers’ Association’ told reporters that despite the humanitarian aid, they were facing “acute financial crisis” and needed fresh help.

As many as 10,323 undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate candidates were appointed teachers in government schools in phases since 2010, when the CPI(M)-led Left Front was in power.

The recruitment was challenged and the Tripura High Court in 2014 terminated their services, holding the process “faulty”.

The then Left Front government moved the Supreme Court against the order but the apex court upheld the High Court verdict in March 2017.

“Of the 10,323 teachers, many got other jobs, and at present there are 8,882 teachers whose term of employment expired on March 31.

“These teachers will get one time allowance of Rs 35,000,” Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb had said on April 1.

The chief minister mentioned that state government had filed a special petition before the Supreme Court, seeking permission to recruit the ad-hoc teachers on permanent non- teaching posts.

The teachers were declared retired after December 31, 2017, in accordance with the apex court verdict. They were, however, appointed again on an ad-hoc basis.

After the BJP-IPFT government came to power in March 2018, it again appealed to the Supreme Court, which granted them one-time final extension till March 31, 2020.

Deb had said the state government will try to resolve the problem of these teachers.

State Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said the apex court had made it clear that they cannot be recruited in posts of teachers, so the state government made a plea to recruit them on non-teaching and non-technical posts.

“As the lockdown is on, we do not know when the apex court will open only after which the hearing on the state government’s appeal can start. So, we demand some interim relief for subsistence of the families.

“We would soon give a memorandum to the government,” Banik said.

Source link

UP Assistant Teacher Recruitment Exam: Eight held for duping aspirants - education

The Soraon police late on Thursday night busted a gang of fraudsters who duped teacher-aspirants on the pretext of helping them crack the assistant teachers’ recruitment examination that was held for recruiting 69,000 teachers in 2019.

Police arrested eight persons in this connection and recovered cash and documents from their possession. The accused are being further questioned to identify other members of the gang, police officials said.

According to reports, alleging fraud an aspirant Rahul Singh of Pratapgarh lodged a complaint that some persons took Rs 7.50 lakh from him for helping him crack teacher recruitment examination. However, his name was not on the list of successful candidates when the results were declared.

On the instructions of SSP Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj, an FIR was lodged against Rudra Pati Dubey, Shashi Prakash Saroj, Harikrishna Saroj, Kamal Patel, Ranjeet, KL Patel, Mayawati, and Alok Saroj.

Late on Thursday night, Soraon police arrested six persons in an SUV involved in the racket which included some agents who used to contact the aspirants.

The answer sheets were printed in code language on the handkerchiefs which the aspirants took with them inside the examination hall. The aspirants gave Rs1 lakh as advance while the remaining amount was to be given after declaration of results.

The gang members took the original mark sheets and other documents from at least 20 candidates in Prayagraj and other districts as security which was returned after payment of the full amount.

The arrested persons were returning after collection of cash from successful aspirants when they were intercepted by the police team. After confession, two other gang members were also arrested later. A cash Rs 7.56 lakh, mark sheets of many aspirants, other documents along with a diary containing details of candidates were recovered from the accused.

It is reported that kingpin of the gang is KL Patel, former Zila panchayat member of Phoolpur who runs four colleges.

Further questioning from the accused is on to trace other persons involved in the racket. Luxury cars, cash, and forged documents including appointment letters of a government department have been recovered from them, SSP Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj said.

Source link

Don’t sully JNU image by flouting distancing norms: Admin slams teachers for anti-CAA protest - education

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Friday appealed to its teachers “not to sully the image of the university by violating COVID-19 guidelines”, two days after some of them held a protest on the campus against the CAA and expressed solidarity with arrested students.

The JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA), however, said they did not flout any rule and followed social-distancing norms.

They also backed student bodies across India that staged a virtual and symbolic protest against the arrest of Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU students in connection with the northeast Delhi communal violence and over earlier protests against the CAA.

Registrar Pramod Kumar Friday said the university administration noticed that a few faculty members held a protest on the campus against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on June 3. “While right to protest is well-recognised and respected, violating COVID-19 guidelines…sets a wrong example, particularly when it is staged by intellectuals of a prestigious university, such as JNU.

“The protesting faculty members are requested not to sully the image of the university by violating the COVID-19 guidelines when the nation is working hard to contain the spread of coronavirus,” he said.

The Federation of Central Universities Teachers’ Associations (FEDCUTA) had expressed solidarity with the protest, JNUTA secretary Surajit Majumdar said. The JNUTA is a member of the FEDCUTA.

Some faculty members had gathered on the campus to protest but they followed social-distancing norms and did not flout any rules, Majumdar said.

He said some teachers protested from their homes holding placards, while a few gathered.

“It is ridiculous to say people shouldn’t protest because of COVID-19 when unjust arrests are being made in the midst of the pandemic. The image of the university will only be sullied if the University community is silent with regard to the injustice seen all around,” Majumdar told PTI.

Source link

Panel of IIT directors to work on brand building of Indian colleges, universities: MHRD - education

The HRD ministry is planning to set up a high-profile panel comprising the directors of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) that would work to improve the branding and perception of the country’s colleges and universities.

HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank gave this direction as he chaired a review of the Institutions of Eminence (IoE), a programme under which top Indian varsities are groomed to climb global rankings.

The minister said a team of directors of IITs may be constituted which may suggest how we can improve the perception of the institutions and how we can improve the international rankings.

He said that we should make action plan for brand building of the Study in India scheme, said an official statement.

Nishank also said that a Project Management Unit should be established for monitoring the works of the IOEs and HEFA in 15 days. Nishank assured that a commitment letter from MHRD will be issued to various IoEs that funds will be released for expenditure as per the agreement. He said that construction activities may be expedited in IoEs which have stopped due to Covid-19.

Nishank said a vision document of three years may be prepared by each institute. Issues related to draft MOU and the inspection of private institutions were also discussed during the meeting. Minister of State Sanjay Dhotre and Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare were also present.

During the meeting, Nishank congratulated IISc Bangalore and other IIT’s which figured in the top 100 in the recently released THE Asia rankings.

Source link

Assam HSLC Result 2020: SEBA to declare class 10th result today at sebaonline.org - education

Assam Board HSLC 10th Result 2020: Board of Secondary Education Assam (SEBA) will announce the HSLC or class 10th result 2020 today at 9 am. Students will be able to check their results online at sebaonline.org. Over 3 lakh candidates are waiting their Assam Board HSLC Result 2020.

After the result is declared, candidates will be able to check their results on various other third- party website. Here we provide you the list of websites where Assam HSLC results can be checked.

Here’s the list of websites where SEBA Assam HSLC Result 2020 can be checked:

SEBA Assam HSLC results 2020 will be available on sebaonline.org, resultsassam.nic.in, assamonline.in, results.siksha, knowyourresult.com, assamresult.in, examresults.net, exametc.com, indiaresults.com etc.

Candidates can also download an android app named ‘SEBA Results 2020’ from the Google Play Store and check their results.

Earlier this week, SEBA Secretary Suranjana Senapati told HT that the Assam board 10th result will be declared on June 6 at 9 am. Students will not have to go anywhere to check their board results. The scorecards will be available on the official website. Students will have to login using their name, roll number and other required login credentials to check their SEBA HSLC Result 2020.

Source link

JKSSB Class- IV Special Recruitment: Govt. refers 7052 vacancies in Jammu Kashmir - education

Jammu and Kashmir Government today referred 7052 Class-IV vacancies to J&K Services Selection Board (JKSSB) under provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Appointment to Class-IV (Special Recruitment) Rules, 2020.

As per a communiqué of GAD, Accelerated Recruitment Committee, which was constituted vide Government Order No.559-JK(GAD) of 2020 dated 14.05.2020, has identified and forwarded 7052 vacancies of Class-IV posts of nineteen (19) departments to General Administration Department for their further referral to J&K Services Selection Board under rule 4 of the Jammu and Kashmir Appointment to Class-IV (Special Recruitment) Rules, 2020.

The vacancies with department-wise/cadre-wise/category-wise breakup are to be filled under provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Appointment to Class-IV (Special Recruitment) 2020.

It has been informed that the Jammu and Kashmir Appointment to Class-IV (Special Recruitment) Rules, 2020 have been notified vide S.O. 184 of 4th June, 2020 and published in the Special Edition of the Official Gazette.

The communiqué also indicates Break-up of the vacancies as per Reservation Rules (Vertical/Horizontal reservation) and Cadre of the post indicating the particular Division and District in respect of Divisional/District Cadre posts.

As for the referred vacancies, 3475 belong to district cadre, 3142 belong to divisional cadre (Jammu 1619, Kashmir 1523) and UT cadre comprises 435 posts. Among the district cadre include Anantnag, 324; Bandipora, 113; Baramulla, 472; Budgam, 320; Doda, 221; Ganderbal, 61; Jammu, 224; Kathua, 290; Kishtwar, 85; Kulgam, 115; Kupwara, 211; Poonch,50; Pulwama, 44; Rajouri, 213; Ramban, 106; Reasi, 80; Samba, 61; Shopian, 81; Srinagar, 236 and Udhampur, 168 vacancies.

Source link