NEET PG 2020 counselling dates extended till April 24, check details here

Earlier, the last date of reporting for round-1 of PG Counselling 2020 was April 20 which now has been extended to April 24, 2020.

By : Akhilesh Nagari | Hindustan Times, New Delhi | : Apr 15, 2020

Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has extended the last date of reporting for round-1 of PG Counselling 2020 till April 24, 2020. The NEET PG 2020 counselling result was declared on April 10, 2020. The MCC Committee is allowing online reporting for students who will not be able to commute. The committee has also enabled a special provision for students to take admission during the lockdown.

Earlier, the last date of reporting for round-1 of PG Counselling 2020 was April 20 which now has been extended to April 24, 2020.

In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, MCC has also advised colleges to ‘sympathetically deal with the issues faced by candidates of NEET PG 2020’. Colleges have been instructed to ask only for the essential documents for admission. The list of essential documents is available on the MCC website.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/neet-pg-2020-counselling-dates-extended-till-april-24-check-details-here/story-4YUokbEk2NT8giTifKkivK.html

CBSE, Fit India Mission to stream live exercise classes for students from April 15

The Fit India Mission has reportedly made five capsules of five minutes each for breaks between online sessions. These capsules will be played by schools between online study sessions.

By: Education Desk | New Delhi | Updated: April 14, 2020

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) along with Fit India Mission will begin live fitness sessions for school children from April 15 onwards. The sessions will be streamed live on Fit India’s YouTube channel. “As many schools have already initiated online or virtual classes for students, it is equally important to invest in their overall physical, emotional and mental well-being at home during this period,” the board said in a recent circular.

In a letter addressed to school principals, CBSE informed that all the live sessions are downloadable and can be made available as video capsules to be disseminated later. The sessions, claims the board, will be created to ensure it engages students, teachers as well as parents.

The Fit India Mission has reportedly made five capsules of five minutes each for breaks between online sessions. These capsules will be played by schools in between online study sessions.

Meanwhile, schools are holding classes online for students until the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic is over. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced to extend the lockdown till May 3. Over 10,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus in India. The death toll in the nation due to the virus has reached 339.

For those belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS) of the society, coping with these classes has been difficult. As per a report, of the 25 crore students affected by the lockdown, 80 per cent are from EWS category. These students are struggling due to lack of e-learning, know-how and unavailability of required infrastructure.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/cbse-fit-india-mission-to-have-live-exercise-classes-for-students-from-april-15-6361766/

Google Play adds a ‘Teacher Approved’ section to its app store

By : Sarah Perez@sarahintampa / April 15, 2020

Google today is making it easier for families to find quality educational apps with the addition of a new “Teacher Approved” section to Google Play. All apps found in this section are vetted by a panel of reviewers, including more than 200 teachers across the U.S., and meet Google’s existing requirements for its “Designed for Families” program.

That program requires apps to meet government regulations around data collection and ad targeting, and also limits the types of ads that can be displayed to children, if apps are ad-supported.

The apps chosen for the “Teacher Approved” section, however, don’t just meet the program’s minimum requirements — they’re also reviewed and rated highly by teachers. These may be apps teachers suggest for supplemental learning while others may just be used for fun.

The launch arrives at a time when most U.S. children are now out of school due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent school closures. To date, at least 55.1 million students are no longer attending their public or private school in-person, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. This change has left parents scrambling to fill their child’s time with educational activities. And even if distance learning is available in their school district, it isn’t typically enough to keep the child engaged throughout the day.

Google says it heard from parents that it was difficult to find kid-friendly apps they felt good about letting their children use, which is why it chose to launch the new “Teacher Approved” section on Google Play.

The company worked with academic experts, including lead advisors Joe Blatt (Harvard Graduate School of Education) and Dr. Sandra Calvert (Georgetown University) to create the framework for rating apps for kids. But the apps themselves are chosen by a panel with teacher involvement. The panel rates apps on various aspects like age-appropriateness, quality of experience, enrichment and whether kids enjoy using the app.

To access the new section, you can either visit the “Kids” tab on Google Play or you can look for the “Teacher Approved” badge on any given app to see if it met with teachers’ approval. In addition, Google Play Pass will offer subscribers a selection of “Teacher Approved” content under the “Apps and games for kids” section.

The apps will be grouped by age: 5 & under, ages 6-8 and ages 9-12. Google will also include information in the app’s listing about why it was rated highly.

At launch, Google tells us there will be around 1,000 Teacher Approved apps live in the Play Store and around 60 also included in Google Play Pass. The company says it’s working with its Play Pass partners to increase this number over time.

 “I think it’s terrific that Google is taking this unprecedented stand – creating a unique space for apps that teachers have rated high in quality and value for kids and their families,” said Joe Blatt, senior lecturer and faculty director of the Technology, Innovation, and Education Program, in a statement about the launch. “Over the past three years, together with faculty colleagues and students, I have worked to pinpoint criteria for developmental appropriateness, learning impact, and appeal. Then we helped Google build a rating system that enables teachers to apply these criteria reliably. I’m really impressed with the dedication and professionalism that the Google team has invested in this project,” he added.

The new Kids tab with “Teacher approved” apps will roll out in the U.S. on Google Play over the next few days. Google says it will expand the experience internationally in the months to come.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/15/google-play-adds-a-teacher-approved-section-to-its-app-store/

CBSE may conduct exams of the main subjects only

By : TNN | Apr 16, 2020, 04.13 AM IST

Indore: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct examinations for only main subjects that will be required for promotion or are considered crucial for admissions to higher educational institutions (HEIs).

Considering that the timetable cannot be declared due to the present situation, the board has decided to give notice of about 10 days to all stakeholders before starting board examination.

For remaining subjects, board will issue separate instructions for marking, assessment. After getting several queries from students on helpline numbers, the board has answered some of the questions related to higher secondary classes.

“We have still been getting three to four calls on a regular basis from students regarding the examination and promotion,” helpline counsellor of CBSE, Jaydeb Kar told TOI.

Several students of Class 10 had asked about the examination of language subjects taken as sixth subject as it may affect the admissions for Class 11, the board has decided not to conduct the exam, but it is making provisions to prepare the result for these subjects.

Students of Class 12 who are interested to appear in competitive examinations had been enquiring about marks of the subjects that will not be conducted as it might hamper the standard marks.

“The system of assessment for declaring results will be worked out by the board shortly and the schools will be informed. Board has ensured that the interest of students will be protected,” said Kar.

Students of Class nine and 11 asked if they can be promoted to the next class like the students of classes one to eight stating that mostly students study only for the annual examination. However, the board has disagreed.

It stated that there is a system of continuous internal assessment in most of the subjects by the schools besides the term exams at regular intervals in which the students are assessed.

Those schools that were unable to conduct the examination of Class nine and 11 will be promoted to the next classes. However, the promotion policy will not be applicable on the students of classes nine and 11 whose results have been declared prior to the lockdown.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/cbse-may-conduct-exams-of-the-main-subjects-only/articleshow/75169468.cms

Maharashtra education department begins rolling out e-learning content for classes 1 to 9

Under the initiative of e-learning, students from classes 1 to 9 can watch videos, listen to recorded lessons and solve exercises on their phones.

By : Hindustan Times | Ankita Bhatkhande | Apr 13, 2020

The content is hosted on DIKSHA app which is an Ministry of Human Resource Department platform for e-learning.

 The state education department started rolling out digital learning content to students in government and aided schools across the state on Monday, April 13, 2020. Under the initiative, students from classes 1 to 9 can watch videos, listen to recorded lessons and solve exercises on their phones.

The content is hosted on DIKSHA app which is an Ministry of Human Resource Department platform for e-learning. Every day, students would be sent a set of links on the phones of their parents or guardians and they can access this content as per their convenience to continue learning. Dinkar Patil, director, Maharashtra State Council for Educational Research and Training that is overlooking the initiative said , “The DIKSHA app already has nearly 9000 different uploads with respect to learning content. But to ensure that students follow the right sequence, we will share daily links from the app which would make it easy for them to access the content.” The links will be shared to the students through their class teachers.

The department is also working on the use of television and radio to air educational content for students who do not have access to smartphones. “MHRD’s Swayam channel will host this content for two hours in the morning and evening every day. We are working on the content and it should begin in a couple of days,” added Patil.

With the education department’s announcement of promoting students from Classes 1 to 9 on the basis of their previous scores, several teachers had raised concerns about learning coming to a standstill. The department has thus ensured that through online education, students stay in sync with studies even as they are at home.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/maharashtra-education-department-begins-rolling-out-e-learning-content-for-classes-1-to-9/story-eIspMIRtmCAywks1CFKuyO.html

NSDC encouraging skill seekers to acquire new skills

The COVID-19 outbreak is the major accelerator that has led to a mega shift in digital teaching and learning approach.

EDUCATION | Indo Asian News Service  Updated: Apr 13, 2020

New Delhi

Over the past few weeks, the world has seen a paradigm shift in the working and learning styles of people at large, especially young professionals.

Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 outbreak is the major accelerator that has led to a mega shift in digital teaching and learning approach.

So, it is quite evident that when we rejoin the workforce post the lockdown, we might see a need to diversify our skill sets, and be prepared for unforeseen times too.

Rather than binging away to your favourite series or just killing time lounging at home, why not add some arsenal to your capabilities?

Amid the lockdown, National Skill Development Corporation’s (NSDC) is encouraging skill seekers to acquire new skills and utilise their time effectively. NSDC’s eLearning aggregator portal, eSkill India portal offers more than 400 courses curated from various knowledge providers. In the recent weeks, eSkillIndia has partnered with EnglishScore, SAS India, Saylor Academy (USA) and UpGrad, thereby providing skill seekers with varied online opportunities.

The eSkill India portal pivots the online skill creating initiatives in collaboration with global leaders in the eLearning domain and thus enabling access to a wide range of courses for users. With strategic knowledge partnerships, the portal leverages technology in continuing the momentum and enables skill seekers to accelerate their learning through methods like virtual learning and remote classroom.

Commenting on the digital and eLearning initiatives, Manish Kumar, MD and; CEO, National Skill Development Corporation, said, “These are unprecedented times and digital learning initiatives are playing a critical role in keeping learners connected and in maintaining continuity. There are a plethora of online resources and platforms that skill seekers and professionals can use to equip themselves with new-age skills in the current scenario. We have several collaborations with leading knowledge providers to facilitate self- learning by providing access to high-quality online learning resources.”

NSDC’s alliance with EnglishScore, an English language assessment app by British Council, aims to provide global standard of English proficiency to the Indian youth. The collaboration brings not just free app access to the Indian youth, but also enables free certification for 1 lakh candidates.

Through its partnership with Saylor Academy, a non-profit headquartered in Washington DC, NSDC opens another gateway to prime quality and global-level skilling opportunities from leading research and academic universities. This facilitates eSkill India to provide high-standard skilling opportunities to Indian youth, with course-credits that are guaranteed by some of the leading universities like Bellevue, Bethel, Brandan, Catholic, Colorado, Southern New Hampshire, Thomas Edison, Maryland etc. The programs are known for their high-quality content and free certification.

eSkillIndia has also partnered with SAS®, the analytics powerhouse, to offer a range of courses on data analytics, machine learning, predictive modeling, statistical business analytics that are useful across all industries like IT, Retail, Pharma, Banking and Finance, Retail, Manufacturing, etc. These new solutions for online education could bring much needed innovation and the user can easily control their career trajectory by gaining comprehensive analytical and research skills that are in great demand in the competitive marketplace.

The partnership with Wadhwani Foundation, a philanthropic organisation, will bring specific skilling and entrepreneurship enhancement initiatives through the portal.

Work-from-home employees and corporate houses can also use their time to enroll and access the wide catalogue of Business / Professional courses and certifications. The users can also enroll in the next-gen analytics courses to discover insights from your data and make more intelligent decisions to drive relevant change.

Knowledge Partnerships of eSkillIndia amongst others include Amrita University, Salesforce, TCS iON, BetterU, Apollo MedVarsity, iPrimed, Liqvid’s English Edge, Fair and; Lovely Foundation, IBM Skills.

Last month, as a part of the commitment to fight the spread of the COVID-19 and fully support the public, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) notified all the establishments under designated and optional trade to pay full stipend to apprentices engaged with them.

Additionally, reimbursement of stipend to establishments under National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) shall be paid by the government for the lockdown period as per the NAPS guidelines.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/covid-19-nsdc-encouraging-skill-seekers-to-acquire-new-skills/story-JfgJOva37NqOKmgxGDHiNO.html

For board exams next year, CBSE schools begin online classes

By: TNN | Apr 16, 2020, 04.12 AM IST

Chennai: With schools remaining closed for nearly a month now due to Covid-19 crisis in the city, CBSE schools have begun online classes for students who are promoted to Class X and XII to compensate loss of working days. Some schools teaching through apps like zoom, teamlink and microsoft teams, other schools are using learning management systems to upload the lessons.

The new academic year supposed to start from April 1 and many schools had originally planned to take classes till third or fourth week of April. "There could be at least one or two months delay in reopening of schools due to Covid-19 crisis. We can make it up during pooja and Christmas holidays. We have started online classes to keep our students engaged," said P G Subramanian, principal of Bhavan's Rajaji Vidhyashram.

Sunitha Vipinchandran, principal of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School said students in Classes X and XII are more responsive to online classes. "We are sending the materials, resources and assignments to parents and they are taking the initiative. The school is also sending the alerts for online classes," she said adding that online classes likely to be extended for other classes as well.

Bala Vidyamandir Senior Secondary School Principal R Srinivasa Raghavan said the school has taken the decision to introduce online classes in the previous year itself. "We have trained our teachers in taking online classes. They are uploading lectures using software. Students can view these lectures using their login ID," he said.

Students can also rate the lectures. Meena Sriram, an English teacher from Bala Vidyamandir said the Covid-19 crisis has helped her school to make a seamless transition to online classes. "Students will not have brakes in academics especially in Classes X and XII. Though there is no interactive audience, it challenges teachers to make it interesting and informative so children be engaged and watch the video. The students also can play it any number of times," she said.

G Chitramala, a Hindi teacher from Modern Senior Secondary School said teachers are prescribing online resources through various apps including teamlink. "We prescribe class timings in advance to the students. Many students are actively participating in the online classes," she said.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/for-board-exams-next-year-cbse-schools-begin-online-classes/articleshowprint/75169449.cms

Facebook launches online resource guide for educational communities

Facebook launches online resource guide for educational communities

Facebook on Monday launched an online resource guide for educational communities on how to collaborate and continue the learning process using Facebook products, tools and programmes while also providing information related to COVID-19 from authentic sources.

By : EDUCATION | Indo Asian News Service | Gurugram | Apr 13, 2020

Currently, the guide is available in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and Kannada.

In its first phase, Facebook has partnered with the UNESCO, which will support in ensuring the guide reaches learners, educational institutions and teachers across India besides supporting with the updating and curation of the guide with relevant learning resources.

The online resource will help and guide education communities on how to collaborate by using Facebook’s products and tools like Facebook Pages, Facebook Groups, Facebook Live, Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram, said the company.

In addition, it has modules from Facebook’s digital literacy programme - “We Think Digital” to help people think critically and share online thoughtfully.

“Through our online learning resource guide, we want to equip teachers, parents and relevant government officials with ample resources and tools to help them stay connected and collaborate digitally to facilitate remote learning,” Manish Chopra, Director, and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India said in a statement.

The guide will also provide vital information about COVID-19 from authoritative and credible sources such as Government of India’s advisory, WHO India Situation Report Page, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Coronavirus Resource Hub on Facebook, and Guidance from UNICEF on COVID-19 prevention and control in schools and help them in dealing with anxiety and bust misinformation surrounding the ongoing pandemic.

More than 90 per cent of the world’s learners are affected by the school and university closures.

“In line with the global efforts, UNESCO New Delhi will focus on mobilizing the national and state-level actors and resources in order to develop an effective and unified response avoiding overlaps for maximum impact,” said Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative, UNESCO New Delhi Cluster Office for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.

“Further, the on-ground needs will be matched with context-appropriate solutions to provide education remotely, leveraging hi-tech, low-tech and no-tech approaches with a special focus on ensuring access for women learners,” Falt added.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com

MHRD looks at 3 options, cancelling remaining examination also possible – reports

CBSE Exams 2020 Update: MHRD looks at 3 options, cancelling remaining examination also possible – reports

Education | Times Now Digital | Updated Apr 13, 2020 |

Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE is yet to announce the new dates for the postponed examination. After the announcement on April 1, 2020 regarding its decision to conduct CBSE 10th 12th board exam 2020 only for 29 subjects, the board is now expected to announce the new exam dates. However, with many states declaring extension of lockdown, reports suggest that there is a possibility that MHRD might instruct CBSE to cancel the examination.

As per a report, the MHRD is considering 3 options for the pending CBSE examinations. The same are listed below. Related News: JEE Main, JEE Advanced & NEET exam likely to be postponed again due to extended lockdown

If the board is allowed to conduct the remaining examinations during the lockdown period (with proper safeguards in place), CBSE may conduct the remaining examination and evaluation work which was left in the middle as well and declare the results by end of May or June.

The second option would be to conduct the examinations and evaluation work after the lockdown is lifted. This however, would lead to a further delay in the examinations. Also, with CBSE Board Examinations (Class 12) pushed back along with many other state board examination deferred, the impact on the entrance examinations like JEE, NEET etc. would also be felt.

The last option is to cancel the remaining board examinations and grade the students based on the internal assessment. This is, please note, one of the last options. Maharashtra SSC Board Examinations for Geography, which was pending, has now been cancelled, raising anxiety that the same may also be done for CBSE Board Exams.

Sources have stated that government officials are now back in office and the basic reports are being compiled. Over the 21 day lockdown period, the number of COVID19 cases have rapidly increased in the country. Experts are confident that the number has been curtailed to a large extend due to the National Lockdown.

The decision on the remaining board examinations and the national level entrance examinations like JEE and NEET are expected to be made by MHRD soon. CBSE and NIOS are the two boards that are supervised by the MHRD. As for the remaining State Boards, the decision would be taken by the respective state governments. Updates are expected by tomorrow.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com

CBSE urges class 11 students to fruitfully utilise their time in online provisional classes

CBSE urges class 11 students to fruitfully utilise their time in online provisional classes

TNN | Apr 13, 2020, 02.57 PM IST

Class XI students who have been offered provisional admissions to their desired streams have been facing uncertainty. Despite stream allocation basis their pre-board results, many of them are in a dilemma, with announcement of results nowhere in sight anytime soon.

Most students are jittery as their choice of subjects may go for a complete toss once the board results get announced. “Right now, we are yet to take a call on the evaluation process and the subsequent result declaration. While continuously assessing the situation, we are keeping in mind the interests of students, evaluators and all other stakeholders in the examination process,” says Sanyam Bharadwaj, controller of examinations, CBSE. His statement comes in the wake of a CBSE notification issued earlier this month which had stated the board is yet to decide on new dates for rescheduled board exams. Also, the Board would conduct exams only for 29 crucial subjects for thestudents of riot hit north-east Delhi.

Commenting on the dates of board results, Bharadwaj says,“We cannot predict anything but ready to face the challenges.” In the current scenario, Bharadwaj advises class XI students to look at provisional classes as a constructive period and learning opportunity. “Provisional classes are an annual feature of schools based on school assessments and pre-board results. In the present online mode, it is a perfect blend of fruitful utilisation of technology and time.”

“To take the stress off students, our school is allocating streams based on students’ interest. This has led to some of the brightest minds gravitating towards humanities subjects. Post the result declaration, we plan to take assessment tests of only those students whose marks did not meet the eligibility criteria of their chosen streams. Plans are also on to consult the parents in their stream selection process,” says Priyanka Kalia, PGT Sociology, Delhi International School, Sector 23, Dwarka.

Commenting on students’ stress over stream allocation at this critical juncture, career counsellor Swati Salunkhe says, “Ideally students should get assessed through psychometric tests in schools where aptitude, intelligence, followed by personality, are at a priority. But when students choose streams, it is usually on the basis of marks, interest, peer and parental pressure/aspirations. The innate potential is not taken into consideration which can only come through a psychometric test conducted by a qualified career counsellor.”

According to Salunkhe, students usually choose streams haphazardly but what they need to do is research their career options thoroughly. “The provisional classes during lockdown would give them the time to reflect upon their choices, attend webinars, consult professional career counsellors online to make an informed decision.”

“Class XI students are not alone in their uncertainty, as graduates and class XII students are battling the same stress. Stay calm and positive amid the crisis," Salunkhe concludes.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com