Notice to AIIMS on plea for scrapping PG entrance test

New Delhi: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences has been asked by the Delhi High Court to respond to a plea for scrapping this year's entrance examination for post graduate medical course, held last month, in the wake of reports of copying at some centres.

Justice Hima Kohli asked AIIMS to file within a week the records pertaining to the examination at all 156 centres where entrance tests were held on January 8.

The court direction came on a petition by a group of PG candidates, who alleged that the incidents of cheating and copying, reported from various centres including Noida, was the part of a widespread scam.

Seeking a court order for a thorough probe into the alleged scam, the students said the AIIMS, which conducts All India Post-Graduate Medical Entrance Examination, should cancel the January 8 examination and hold it afresh.

In their plea, the students said the central government should come out with a mechanism to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.

The counsel for AIIMS informed Justice Kohli that an incident of cheating took place only at the Noida centre and three candidates were found in possession of some electronic gadgets.

The investigation has been handed over to the Crime Branch of Delhi Police, the lawyer said, adding that the examination in all other 155 centres were held peacefully.

After hearing the lawyer's submission, Justice Kohli fixed February 10 for further hearing of the matter. 

Minorities concern about RTE will be sincerely considered

New Delhi: Seeking to allay apprehensions about RTE provisions infringing on minority institutions, the government said it is committed to address the issues and pass a bill for its amendment in the ensuing session of Parliament.

"We have discussed these issues and let me assure that I will try to clear them with utmost sincerity," HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said at a function organised by All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB).

In this regard, he said the RTE Amendment Bill has already been introduced in Parliament and "we are committed to pass it and will pass it in the coming budget".

While the Right to Education Act provides for establishing school management committees to prepare school development plan, the Bill states that such committees of minority institutions shall function only in an advisory capacity.

AIMPLB has been strongly criticising the Act alleging that minority institutions, including madrasas, will lose their identity on account of it.

AIMPLB Secretary, Maulana Muhammad Wali Rahmani had earlier told that while on one hand, the Centre is talking of minority education under Article 30 of the Constitution which clearly says minorities can choose education of their choice, but contrary to it the Act defined everything including place of education, age of education, what to read and where to read.

On the demand for recurring grants to the institutes, Sibal said the demand has some problems because then such grants has to be extended to all other institutes.

Sibal expressed "serious concerns" about allegations of Muslim children facing difficulties seeking admission in private schools, saying this is "injustice" and attention has to be paid to address this issue.

The HRD Minister said he can discuss the issue with the schools and seek explanation in this regard.

"We are ready to do this. Students have the right to admission," he said, underlining that 14 crore Muslims cannot be kept away from education.

The government is extending all possible support for promotion of education of the minorities and has awarded 44 lakh pre-matric scholarships to them during 2011-12, Sibal said.

60 industrial training institutes have been set up in minority concentrated areas, he added.

About the concerns of AIMPLB with regards to direct tax codes and its impact on the minority community, Sibal said he will do his best to address the issue. 

Compulsory retirement not applicable to unaided schools

New Delhi: A rule providing for forced retirement of a central government employee before normal age of superannuation is not applicable to a teacher of an unaided private school, the Delhi High Court has ruled.

A bench of Justices Pradeep Nandrajog and Pratibha Rani gave the ruling while quashing the verdict of a single-judge bench, which had earlier upheld the decision of a Delhi school to compulsorily retire one of its teachers, shortly after she (the teacher) turned 50.

The school had forced her to retire applying Fundamental Rule 56(j), meant for compulsory retirement of Central government employees in public interest before his or her age of superannuation, but after 50.

"Fundamental Rules cannot be held applicable to the teachers of an unaided recognised private school," the bench said.

"The courts cannot permit the invocation of the provisions of FR 56(j) to a teacher of an unaided recognised private school," it added, while also asking the school to pay her salary and other benefits, which she had lost due to her forcible retirement.

"Courts are empowered to enforce the law as it stands and not the law what the courts may think it should be," the court said setting aside its single-judge bench order.

The court order came on the plea by Leela Sharma, who taught Hindi in an unaided recognised private school since 1988 but was forced to retire in 2002. Her ouster was upheld by the court's single-judge bench and she had come to the division bench in an appeal.  

In her appeal, Sharma had contended that the Fundamental Rule 56 (j), providing for compulsory retirement of a Central government employee in public interest, cannot be invoked by a private, unaided school under the Delhi School Education Act 1973 or the Rules framed thereunder.

Dwelling upon various criteria for applicability of FR to an employee, the bench said, "FR 2 provides that fundamental rules apply to all government servants whose pay is debatable to civil estimates and to any other class of government servants to which the President may by general or special order declare FR applicable to them."

"Undeniably, the teachers of an unaided recognised private school are neither government servants nor their pay is debatable to civil estimates. They are also not the employees for whom the President, by any general or special order, has declared the Fundamental Rules applicable," it added. 

Colleges to compete in clean Delhi drive

New Delhi: In an attempt to lend a push for a cleaner city, several colleges of Delhi University are coming together for an initiative that will not only see them campaign for a 'clean Delhi', but also compete for it.

'The Lead-Green Initiative', launched by a private company visualises a clean and green Delhi, starting from college campuses.

While environment drives are nothing new to the capital, this initiative will take the route of cultural festivals and performances and will judge colleges on the basis of their condition vis a vis cleanliness and environment-friendliness.

"When we thought of doing something in the field of environment, we thought why not begin from the campuses and take it forward from there," said Aaditya Hukku, Director of Uureka events company and the brain behind the project.

The campaign that will continue for a month will see interested colleges register and participate in a range of cultural competitions, with major points reserved for the example set by colleges inside and outside their campuses on the front of cleanliness.

Though the registration is yet to begin, several colleges both from the North and South campuses like Kirorimal college, Hindu college, D School of Business, St Stephens and Sri Venkateswara college among others, have already evinced interest.

The first phase of the campaign saw the project implementers put a number of dust bins in the South campus around Sri Venkateswara college and a campaign to promote their usage, especially around the eateries in the area.

"We will have a hidden team that will go around the campuses of different colleges every week to monitor the improvements in conditions and draw down points for the colleges on this count," said Hukku.

So, while Delhi University colleges have often competed for cultural and intellectual events, this will perhaps be the first where in addition to dances, dramatics, fashion shows and debates, they will also compete to keep their colleges clean. 

Indian teacher selcted for US space programme

New Delhi: Vandana Suryawanshi, a middle school teacher in Pune, has been selected as the first international teacher for a prestigious US space education programme.

With an experience of over 20 years in teaching biology, earth science and general science, Suryawanshi has always been fascinated by the vastness of the universe and space.
 
Having received the Honeywell Educators at Space Scholarship, 46-year-old Suryawanshi will be exposed  to more avenues in space science and start applying the knowledge and information gained there in her day-to-day classroom work.

Suryawanshi will soon join 19 other outstanding American educators who have also been selected for their active promotion of space and science education by the Space Foundation.

'The effects of atmospheric pressure and gravity on human beings and plants on earth and in micro-gravity' will be the topic for her during the programme.

Suryawanshi draws her inspiration from Indra Nooyi, who started from a humble beginning and overcame all the obstacles to become the CEO of Pepsico. She has high regards for Kalpana Chawla for her fearlessness and determination.

She also gives credit to Nalini Sengupta, Principal at the Vidya Valley School in Pune, where she has been teaching for last five years, describing her as a pillar of strength.  

"She is enthusiastic, committed and willing to learn," said Sengupta when asked about Suryawanshi.

Asked if she would like to go to space, Suryawanshi said of course. "I will certainly grab such an opportunity."

On how she finds time to pursue her  interests, Suryawanshi, also mother of two daughters, said, "I spend more quality than quantity time with my family members during dinner. So, I have ample time to pursue my interests."
 
Suryawanshi wants to continue teaching students in the age group of 14-16 years as she thinks that there she can make an impact on their learning.
 
"These students have an enormous enthusiasm to learn and this is a motivating factor for me," she added.
 
This is for the first time that an international teacher has been selected for the prestigious fellowship of the Space Foundation, which is now 10-year-old.

The new flight of Teacher Liaison will serve as advocates for space-themed education across the curriculum and will help its fellows to use Space Foundation-provided training and resources to further integrate space principles into work.

The highly regarded Space Foundation Teacher Liaison programme has more than 270 active participants. The teachers are selected by a panel comprising representatives from the space industry and military.

The 2012 Teacher Liaison will be publicly recognised at the Space Foundation's 28th National Space Symposium, scheduled from April 16 to 19 in Colorado.

Besides getting recognition , the 2012 Teacher Liaison will allow participants to share their views in workshops and education programmes at the 28th National Space Symposium.
 
Following the symposium, Teacher Liaison can take advantage of specialised training and instruction at Space Foundation and NASA workshops with optional graduate-level credit.