‘Big-city school’ dreams shattered for migrants’ children as families move back home amid lockdown - education

Fear of starvation amid the coronavirus-forced lockdown ended Shyam Babu’s dream of “big-city school” for his child as the family packed their bags to return to their remote Chewara village in Bihar. For the last two months, he has been struggling to make ends meet.

As Babu reminisces about the last eight years, since he moved to Gurgaon in search of work, and ultimately got his son admitted to a school here, his 8-year-old son Neeraj is reluctant to leave and pleads his father that he will stay back and go to school when it reopens.

He fears that there may not be any coming back to Gurgaon and he will have to study in a village school from now.

“I have been in Gurgaon for eight years now. I have worked as a labourer at different construction sites. I always wanted my son to study in a big-city school since those in villages are not that good.

“Neeraj got admission in a government school here. His fees and meals were taken care of and we were happy that he will get a good education and will not have to work as a labourer when he grows up,” Shyam Babu told PTI.

With no work and wages pending, Babu’s family had to vacate their rented room and were waiting for a chance to catch a train back home. “Neeraj wanted to stay back so that he can resume school when it reopens. But how can we leave him here alone?” he said.

Unhappy about visiting his village suddenly with all their belongings, Neeraj said, “I like the school here. I wish I am able to come back and the situation turns normal soon. If they will let my father build houses, I will get to come here too.” Tirath Kumar, a rickshaw puller, says that in his village in Bihar’s Sheikhpura district big-city school is a sought after thing.

“A rickshaw puller can work anywhere, but we chose to do it in a big city so that our kids get to study there. It is a very sought after thing there if your kids study in ‘bade sheher ka school’. We have the same government schools there also but teaching is good in city schools.

“I like it when my daughter talks in English fluently. She is smarter in maths too than her village friends,” Kumar said.

He was determined to return to Gurgaon after a few months.   “I will come back and see if we can again move here and will be able to survive. If yes, I will get my family here. Else my daughter will have to study in a village school only. Her education here is not expensive to manage as the anganwadi centres help too, but what will we eat, where will we stay?” he posed.

Both Tirath Kumar and Shyam Babu’s families left for their village on Shramik Special Train earlier this week, among hundreds of migrants labourers who were victims of reverse migration after being out of work due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Diwan Raj, who worked with a catering firm here, said, “My son’s school here is very good. They also sent sanitiser and masks for the whole family and the teacher explained to us on phone about the virus and precautions everyone needs to take. You don’t get all this in village schools. Children then struggle when they grow up.” “I wish I could do something to keep things as they were. I also waited for two months hoping that situation will turn normal but we have exhausted our savings too now. Though the lockdown has been eased to some extent still there is no work, so we will now have to go back. There is no other option. We can live anywhere, we don’t mind but my son’s education will not be the same, I am more worried about this,” he added.

According to the Haryana Chief Minister’s Office, so far over 2.60 lakh migrants have been sent home from the state.

The country has been under lockdown since March 25 to contain the spread of the virus. The curbs have now been extended till May 31. It has thrown economic activities out of gear, rendered many homeless and penniless, beginning an exodus of migrants to their home states.

While trains and buses are being arranged for them, lakhs of them continue to wait for their chance as they struggle to make ends meet.

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Students, parents worry for exams after escape from lockdown trauma - education

For Ayush Kumar Panjiyar, 17, it was a timely escape from lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, as he managed to catch the last train from Vijaywada for Patna with some of his friends before tracks went silent.

A resident of village Bhutahi under Sonbarsa block of Sitamarhi district, he studies at Sri Chatanya’s Vijawada campus for the last eight years. Though lucky to be back to be with his family in the nick of time, he is concerned about the unfinished exam of class 12 board and his preparations for IIT-JEE, like many others.

Every year thousands of students from Bihar migrate outside state in search of opportunities of admission in reputed institutions across the country. Earlier, it was mostly for higher or technical education, but now parents take the tough decision of sending their wards even for schooling or coaching purposes.

Though the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced the dates for remaining papers in July and his computer paper is scheduled on July 7, Ayush is worried how he would reach Vijawada again, around 1625-kms from Sitamarhi.

“We hope the college reopens. Our exam centre is near our college. But we have to get tickets. All my friends are also concerned. When we left, there was not so much fright about COVID-19, as it had just started. It started sinking in gradually. But now, there is a lot of anxiety. Family members are also apprehensive about our safety,” said Ayush, adding that soon after board exams, he has his JEE (Mains) exam in the same month and JEE (advance) in August, with centre in Vijawada.

He said that everything happened very quickly after the college announced that the administration had ordered closure and that the hostels would also have to be vacated. “We were told that we should go home,” he said, recalling how all the students started contacting their parents immediately for Tatkal tickets, realizing little that it could turn out to be a long haul.

“My father tried for Tatkal ticket, but it was not possible. Later, he got me an unconfirmed AC-2-tier ticket, but it got confirmed just in the nick of time. All my friends were, however, not so lucky, but still lucky enough to board the Sang Mitra Express, which turned out to be the last train before lockdown from Vijawada,” he added.

In the heat of the moment, Ayush said, the students carried just enough books, hoping that they would return soon. “Nobody apprehended then that it could stretch so long. But with lockdown extending, it has posed new challenges, as books are not available here. We are doing what we can within the available means,” he added.

Ayush said that at the school, there was packed routine from 6 am to 10 pm, with small breaks in between. “There were three hours each for the main subjects – Physics, chemistry and mathematics – and rest for self-study and doubt removal. During lockdown, there are online classes for six hours everyday. I manage it with my mobile phone,” he added.

His father, Ajay Kumar Achal, Bhutahi primary agricultural cooperative society (PACS) chief, sent his son to a distant place on the advice of his friends in the hope of quality education.

Lakhs of students from Bihar go to Kota, Vishakhapatnam, Vijaywada, Hyderabad, Dehradun and various other towns in search of better schools, colleges and coaching institutes – a reflection of the slide the state, which boasts of the a rich legacy of ancient knowledge centres like Nalanda, Vikramshila, Telhara and Odantapuri, has witnessed.

“Generally people talk about Kota, but a large number of Bihar students also study in Vijayawada, Hyderabad and Vishakhapatnam and other places, though it is not an easy decision to make. But then, education is very important. All the guardians are worried about sending their wards for exam. We hope things get normal, else it will be a huge problem. The CBSE should also think on these lines, as thousands of students from Bihar study outside,” said Purnnath Kumar, a school teacher who has also sent his ward to Vijawada.

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UPSC to extend application deadline for recruitment against 85 vacancies after lockdown - education

Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) will give a 20- day extension after the lockdown is lifted, for submission of online application for the recruitment against 85 vacancies vide advertisement number 05/2020.

“Candidates desiring to apply for vacancies published vide Advt.No. 5/2020, would be given additional 20 days for submission of applications, after the lockdown is completely lifted in the entire country, without any change in date of eligibility conditions etc.,” reads the notice.

Check official notice here

Details of posts:

Chief Design Engineer, National Sugar Institute, Kanpur Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution – 01 vacancy

Deputy Superintending Archaeological Chemist, Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture — 02 posts

Assistant Engineer (Quality Assurance) [Armament (Instruments)], Directorate General of Quality Assurance, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence — -2 posts

Assistant Engineer (Quality Assurance) [Small Arms], Directorate General of Quality Assurance, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence — 05 posts

Assistant Engineer (Quality Assurance) [Stores (Chemistry)], Directorate General of Quality Assurance, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence – -05 posts.Assistant Engineer (Quality Assurance) [Stores (Gentex)], Directorate General of Quality Assurance, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence – 30 posts.

Assistant Engineer (Quality Assurance) [Vehicle], Directorate General of Quality Assurance, Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence – 12 posts

Assistant Veterinary Officer, National Zoological Park, New Delhi, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change – 01 post

Assistant Director (Official Language), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation, Ministry of Labour and Employment – 13 posts

Assistant Employment Officer, National Career Service Centre for SC/ST, Directorate General of Employment, Ministry of Labour and Employment – 02 posts.

Deputy Director (Examination Reforms), Union Public Service Commission – 01 post

Assistant Engineer(Civil)/ Assistant Surveyor of Works (Civil), Department of Irrigation and Flood Control, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi – 09 posts.

Deputy Director (Plg./Stat.), Department of Planning, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi – 02 posts.

Click here for more details

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CBSE cyber safety handbook warns teenagers on revenge pornography, sets limits to online friendships - education

Warning against “revenge pornography”, setting limits to online friendships, valuing consent and reporting to elders if faced with a problem, are among lessons the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) wants teenagers to learn to ensure their safety in the virtual world.

While the digital exposure of students has increased due to teaching activities moving completely online during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, concerns about the potential threats have been brought to the forefront with the recent “Bois locker room” controversy.

The CBSE has shared a Cyber Safety handbook with schools for class 9 to 12 students. The handbook also details guidelines for students as well as parents, listing the do’s and dont’s and activities to understand the sensitivity of the issue.

“Students must learn to set limits to their online friendships as well as online communication with real life friends. There has to be a limit to what they share or exchange in terms of written words, photographs or videos. They must remember that, once online, they may not be able to control who will actually see it, prevent breach of trust and misuse and potential risk and harm to their person and reputation,” a senior board official said.

“Teenagers need to understand gender relations. Boys must learn to interact with girls on equal terms and respect them and their desires as those of human beings, not simply as objects of respect or desires,” the official said.

“Consent must be an important part of relationships. Pictures, videos and other material shared in confidence cannot be published on social media without the permission of the person just because the other person does not want to continue in a relationship. Youngsters must learn to cope with rejection as it is a part of life but not the end of the world,” the official added.

The board has advised parents to empower children to decide for themselves how others collect and use their information by requiring their consent. “As of now, there is no minimum age of digital consent in India. If there are people offline who you would be uncomfortable talking to about your physical or sexual experiences, chances are, you would be uncomfortable doing this with strangers online too. Cyber Groomers create fake accounts to befriend people, for the purpose of harming them whether physically, sexually or emotionally,” the official said.

“Students must be cautious when their chat partner gives them many compliments regarding their appearance within a short span of their acquaintance. Do not talk to people who ask you to share your sexually explicit photographs or videos. Never accept a friend request from someone you have never met in person. If you share your sexually explicit photos or videos with someone, the person can share those photos with others or post them on social media. They can also blackmail you,” the official added.

The handbook warns against falling into the trap of revenge pornography. “Teenagers in the age-group of 14 to 18 years are the worst victims of revenge porn as well as the perpetrators themselves, which is a matter of concern. Some teenage students who have been in a relationship and end it find their explicit photographs circulated on social media platforms. When such images go viral, students are often harassed and bullied by their peers – branded with insult and in the end, isolated,” the handbook states.

“A teenager may be targeted by her jealous classmates, her ex-boyfriend or even an unknown friend on social media who may be victimising her because she stopped communicating with him when she realised the dangers of online relationships,” says the handbook.

Earlier this month, a massive outrage erupted online after it emerged that an Instagram group named ‘‘bois locker room’‘ was being used by some persons to share objectionable pictures of minor girls and discuss illegal acts including rape.

People posted purported screenshots of crude conversations among members of the group – believed to be students of some top schools in Delhi and some allegedly as young as 13. It is alleged that they shared photos of teenage girls and made explicit comments about their looks.

However, during its investigation into the ‘Bois Locker Room’ case, the Delhi police has stumbled upon a conversation on Snapchat where a girl, posing as a male, suggested a “sexual assault plan” to a boy just to test his “values and character”.

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Tripura to resume schools from June 1, academic activities from June 15 - education

The Tripura schools would be restarted from June 01, a day after nationwide lockdown 4.0 is going to be concluded.

The academic activities would begin in the schools from June 15, said Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath.There are 4,398 government and its aided schools and 335 private schools in the state.

All the educational institutions were closed since March 17 , a week before announcement of first nationwide lockdown.

The state government also asked the concerned authorities to ensure proper sanitization of the schools, providing drinking water facilities before the students attend their classes.

The state has estimated to spend Rs. 1.35 crores for the sanitization task. The schools having enrollment of maximum 50 students would be given Rs. 1,500 followed by Rs. 2,500 to schools having 51-150 students, Rs. 3,500 to schools having 151-250 students and Rs. 5,000 to schools having more than 250 students to procure soaps, sanitizers, etc. Total 11,011 Mid Day Meal cooks and their helpers would be provided face masks, gloves, hand sanitizers etc.

“ The concerned authorities were asked to make the arrangements by June 06,” the minister told the media at Civil Secretariat on Saturday late evening.

The pending papers of Class 10 and 12 board exams would be started from June 05.

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IIT- Kanpur to promote all students based on their performance in semester - education

Ending some uncertainty for students, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) has decided to promote all students including the final year graduating students depending upon their performance in the semester.

“As a one-time exception, all the students will be awarded grades for their courses based on mid semester exam/quizzes/assignments/projects etc and such other performance indicators obtained through online instruction during suspension of the semester and as decided by the instructors,” said IIT-K director Abhay Karandikar on Sunday.

He said, “Considering the extraordinary disruption in the semester including the summer term, the institute has decided to grant certain credit relaxations (as approved by the Senate) to the graduating batch in order to help the students graduate on time.”

He said, “We have closed the current semester (2019-20) for all students.”

In the special grading scheme adopted specifically for these extraordinary times, only A, B, C and S grades will be awarded and no student will fail. The grading for courses and theses will be completed by June 30. There will be no terminations at the end of the semester, he said.

Director said, “Additionally, the non graduating students have been given the option to appear in a re-examination in order to improve their grades. The re-examination will be conducted as a one-time measure once the semester resumes.”

He said that BTech/BS students in their final year, who wish to convert to Dual Degree will be permitted to do so. Similarly, eligible Masters students can also apply for conversion to PhD program.

The Masters students who were unable to complete their research work for Masters thesis due to the lockdown have been given the option to submit a Masters project report in order to enable them to graduate. Further details of the decisions of the Senate and various implementation aspects will be communicated to the students separately.

On the whole, IIT Kanpur Senate has adopted several extraordinary measures to help the anxious students (especially those in their graduating year) whose academics have been disrupted due to Covid19.

IIT-K director Facebook post reads as of now, no decision has been taken regarding the commencement of the next semester and allowing students into the hostels.

“We are working out details with a plan to ensure safety and well being of all students on the campus. These details will communicate with the students in this regard in due course,” he said.

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SSC chairman B R Sharma appointed as head of Jammu Kashmir PSC - education

SSC chairman B R Sharma, who had recently asked the government to relieve him from the post within a month of getting two-year extension, has been appointed as the chief of Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission, a Personnel Ministry statement said on Saturday. A 1984 batch IAS (retired) officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre, Sharma served as the chief secretary in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir before proceeding on deputation to the central government.

He was in October 2019 appointed as the chairman of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and was re-employed by the Centre for two years after his superannuation on April 30, 2020.

“Recently, Sharma put in a request to the Department of Personnel & Training for being relieved from the post of chairman SSC,” the Personnel Ministry statement said, without giving further details.

On Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu appointed him as the chairman of J-K PSC till he attains 62 years of age.

“Newly appointed chairman of Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission (PSC), B R Sharma called on Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh here today,” the statement said.

While wishing good luck to Sharma, Singh expressed the need to promptly revive the recruitment process to various posts in the new Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

He said, as chairman PSC of the new Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, Sharma has crucial responsibility ahead, for which his long administrative experience and knowledge of Jammu & Kashmir will be of help.

Sharma thanked the minister for his continued support and guidance. He also thanked the minister for advising him during his tenure as chairman SSC while handling some of the crucial decisions pertaining to the selection process and other related matters, it said.

Sharma also gave Singh an update of the current status of the various selection processes under SSC which had got disturbed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

He said, it had been an honour for him to serve in the highly important position of chairman SSC, particularly at a time when the Government of India is seeking to bring in maximum transparency and objectivity in selection to various governments posts, the statement added.

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