Tina

June – Pride Month Happiness comes in many colours, Embrace & Celebrate them All There comes a time in our lives when we feel alone and left out, but soon, a friend experiencing the same pops in and changes everything for better. However, imagine never being able to relate to people... feeling left-out in our own family. Sadly, this does happen and it happens mostly to people who are a little different. Most people who come under LGBTQ community, i.e. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer face this as life-long challenge. Coming out is a challenge, but once they decide to lead and inspire, they make their mark. In Indore, a group of individuals who have not only accepted themselves but embraced their identities run a campaign ‘Badlav’. Though they were abandoned, beaten and hurt, they have taken charge to bring about a revolution. They are unlike others, who pretend to be the so-called ‘normal’ or play the assigned role limiting themselves to their secluded community. These...

Girls outshone boys in Union Public Service Commission even from Indore, as Anjali Shrotriya earned 44 All India Rank (AIR). She is perhaps the state topper as well. The second topper from Indore is Shraddha Gome. She has earned AIR 60 in the country. The third topper is also a female. Ananya Awasthi has earned 135 AIR. The girls have made the city proud with their achievements. Talking to Free Press, the girls shared their journey and joy of achieving their dream. Anjali Shrotiya – AIR 44 Anjali Shrotriya, a proud Indori, went viral on social media with her mock interview. Her simplicity and confidence was relatable to many other UPSC aspirants in the city. “I proudly quote I come from the cleanest city of India – Indore in Madhya Pradesh,” Shrotriya said. Her introduction was a good opening statement, which became a talk of the topic. “The one challenge geographically faced by Indore is shortage of water, which is a natural consequence of black soil as it cannot retain water,” Shro...

World No Tobacco Day In view of World No Tobacco Day, Create Stories Social Welfare Society organised a seminar on ‘Say No to Tobacco’, in which, ophthalmologist Dr Amit Solanki discussed how tobacco damages eyesight as well. Dr Solanki said, “We all know that consuming tobacco causes diseases like lungs, heart issues, and cancer. But very few people know consumption of tobacco affects eyesight and can even cause complete loss of vision.” According to a Global Tobacco Survey, 30 % of people above 15 years of age in India consume tobacco and 60 % consume tobacco within half an hour of waking up in the morning. According to another survey, out of all the cases of loss of eyesight every year, 5% of cases are due to tobacco related blindness. “Smokers are twice as likely to develop cataracts as non-smokers.People who smoke or eat tobacco have a four-fold increased risk of muscular degeneration, an eye disease,” Dr Solanki said. He added that in tobacco consumers, most cases come with toxi...

MP beats the Nation avg in Student’s Performance in almost all subjects! Indore’s star performance in English, state’s learning scheme in lockdown worked its charm If figures are any indictor, Madhya Pradesh and its education hub -- Indore – are taking quite a leap in school educational sector with this central state beating the national average in students’ performance.  The state average in almost all the subjects was above national average and so was Indore’s. In fact, in English where nation’s average stood at 43 per cent, Indore inched up with 49 per cent. However, the state average stood at 42 per cent.  This was noted in National Achievement Survey published by Ministry of Education. NAS report assesses education systems across the country by conducting comprehensive evaluation of students from classes 3, 5, 8, and 10 on subjects such as languages, mathematics, and science. Since last couple of years, the government collects data via a test and conducts sample based NAS...

Animal cruelty cases on the rise, as human-animal conflict makes a bigger come-back this year, especially in May 2022. While the number of cases registered for Animal cruelty had seen a downfall during lockdowns enforced for covid-19, this year, they have broken records in the first 25 days of May in Indore. In 2022, 15 cases have already been registered against residents, who harmed animals around them. Almost all the cases show violent behaviour and harm to stray dogs. From this, six cases were reported in the last 25 days of May, including two from Wednesday. The case number further hiked on Wednesday as one more case against a resident of Kanadiya. Complainant Akanksha Jaiswal, resident of Mitrabandu Nagar, alleged that Sugna Jaged injured a stray dog by pelting stones at him. A couple of days ago, another incident was recorded wherein some people beat a dog with cement brick and broke his paw, leaving him helpless. The dog was later rescued by animal activists and taken to veterin...

Citing a public notice issued by National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) has stated that academic session 2022-23 would be a “zero year” in DElEd and DPSE institutes for failing to submit performance appraisal report (PAR) within the prescribed time limit. Simply put, such deviant institutes will not be able to admit students in upcoming session. In a letter to address to the institutes, MPBSE stated that it grants affiliation to institutes offering Diploma in Elementary Education (DElEd) and Diploma in Pre-School Education (DPSE) on the basis of recognition from NCTE. As the teacher education regulator has declared “zero year” in institutes which did not submit PAR its decision remains binding on MPBSE to follow the suit. As per information, nearly DElEd institutes in the state won’t be able to grant admission in coming academic session following the NCTE’s decision. NCTE had lately released a list of the institute which submi...

UC Kindies kids learn about Sustainable Lifestyle with Janak UC Kindies students of age 6-12 attended Summer Camp for practical learning at Jimmy McGilligan Centre for Sustainable Development, Sanawadiya in Indore. The main objective was to connect these kids with Nature, Environment and a homely and peaceful experience. “Looking at Solar and wind power in action, a paper turned into a flame with a Solar Cooker dish was magic to those young eyes,” Padma Shri Janak McGilligan Palta heading the camp said. Students learnt about other solar operated devices including candle, lamp, laptop and phone chargers. The kids returned home with a promise, “We will always remember him and you our nice granny at Jimmy McGilligan Centre ‘the real natural world.”

CBSE Board Exams to get tougher, 10 % more Competency questions Schools working on teaching strategies reform to develop student’s competency in application of concepts Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) Class 12 and Class 10 board examinations will get tougher from this academic session, as students will be required to answer questions assessing applications of concepts. Schools in Indore are discussing and contemplating practical learning strategies to prepare students for the examinations. The board examinations in Academic Session 2022-23 will have greater number of Competency Based Questions (CBQ) or questions that assess application of concepts in real-life/ unfamiliar situations will be part of the question paper. CBSE has developed the modifications in Examination and Assessment practices for the year 2022-23 to align assessment to Competency Based Education (CBE). Class 9 & 10: 40% CBQs, fewer Objective ques • CBQs would be minimum 40 per cent. This is an increa...

Indore circle achieves 130 percent of target in Tendu Patta collection in first 20 days already. Tendu leaves are collected annual from all the forest produce in Madhya Pradesh, under minor forest produce. MP is the biggest Tendu Leaves (Leaves of Diospyros melonoxylon) producing State of India. The average annual production of Tendu Leaves in the state is around 25 lakh standard bags, which is nearly 25% of the total Tendu Leaves production of the country. One standard bag of Tendu Leaves in Madhya Pradesh means 1000 bundles of 50 leaves each. Indore has collected 13,000 standard bags so far, as shared by chief conservator of forest HS Mohanta. “The target is 9,800 and we have already collected much above it, nearly 130 percent,” he said. Even on year-on-year basis, Indore circle has shown improvement in collection of leaves. “Last year, i.e. 2021, Indore circle collected 11,873 bags in the season,” Mohanta said. He added that this year, the increase is an excellent sign. In the state...

Professor from SGSITS (Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology and Science) received a special and fellowship to perform research at the University of Oxford, UK. Dr. Omprakash Tanwar from Department of Pharmacy SGSITS was awarded with SERB International Research Experience (SIRE). This fellowship is given by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) a statutory body under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. This fellowship is awarded to very few scientists in India who are working in high-demand areas. Tanwar will perform his research on the discovery of next-generation antibiotics that can cease the development of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance is a big community problem, especially in India. Tanwar will be doing his research at the University of Oxford with Dr. Thomas Lanyon-Hogg. He will spend 6 months developing new molecules which will be further tested at the University of Oxford. Regards, Tina Khatri

Travelling is an essential way to explore nature and spark curiosity among children, like adults. To nurture the creativity of children and teach them about tourism, Rides for Riders group in Indore began a special ride to explore the outskirts of the city with families. Furthermore, the group discovered a new valley for families and students to learn about rich biodiversity of Madhya Pradesh. In this unique adventure, an unexplored valley named as ‘Khuj Valley’ was unravelled by the group. The valley is a marvellous getaway from Indore city. Off the grid, Khuj Valley is set at a distance of about 70 kilometres from Indore and 60 kilometres from Rau. Discovering this scenic adventure, the group admin Gyandeep Srivastava shared the route and discussed about other details noted on involving children to learn by travel. How to reach Khuj Valley? Khuj valley is set on the route of Manpur. “Starting from Indore, we have to move towards Sitlamata Fall,” Srivasatava said. Shortly before Sitla...

Right to Education 2022 RTE Process delayed, Recognition delayed by 4 months, End Result: Fee hike Admissions process under Right to Education Act (RTE) still not started in Madhya Pradesh, even as most schools had already begun the academic session in April to compensate for loss in learning. With barely a month of vacation, schools will reopen for students in June, but the RTE admission process, which takes months, has not even started. Wondering why? The blame goes to District Education Officers (DEO) across the state, who have not even completed the recognition process yet. The school recognition process began in January 2022 and should have been completed by February. As per Lok Sewa Guarantee Adhiniyam, the process must be completed in 45 days. However, it seems that DEOs across the state have dragged that process to May and still stand in quicksand. Questioning the DEOs across the state, Director of State Education Centre Dhanraju S called upon all the DEOs of the state for a m...

As we celebrate families this weekend, it’s important to remember the importance of a healthy environment in the family and its possible implications. Not just your mental health, a family’s environment can affect your child’s education, future and mental health of your future generations. Indian families are changing for better or worse. These changes are currently in transitional stage, which is a challenging time for raising kids. There are several factors resulting in modernisation and the social changes that are taking place in the country. As a researcher Sinha (1972) noted in a study, “The structure and role of the family have altered, and interrelationships within it have been radically transformed.” While these changes come with freedom and liberty, in the current phase, they also come with several challenges. These challenges also often result in mental health issues among children and teenagers. On this International Day of Families that will be celebrated on Sunday, May 1...

CM Rise Schools on lines of Delhi starting in June 2022 Admissions open in LKG in Madhya Pradesh In a month, i.e. from June 2022, the first ever CM Rise Schools will open their doors for students. These schools are redesigned and revamped with special teaching of school principals to bring the standard and quality education of private schools to public schools in the state. Though the schools will not be at their desired mark as yet, but they are planned to bring the standard and quality of education much higher than before from this academic session onwards. Due to lack of teachers and funds, the planned number of schools will not open. Hence, the first academic year will come with many transitional changes and challenges for schools in Madhya Pradesh. In Indore, two schools out of 11 selected schools will be started from June 13, 2022 tentatively. In other districts as well, most schools are under constructions and about one will be started in all of them. In Indore, Government New M...

In the AGM, the new team of executive members of Indore Sahodaya School Complex were unanimously nominated. The meeting was presided over by the outgoing chairperson UK Jha, who welcomed the newly elected executive body for academic session 2022-23. The Committee will be now headed by the new chairperson Kanchan Tare, principal of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir; secretary Isabel Swamy, principal of St Mary Champion HS School; joint secretary Poonam Shekahwat, principal of Vedanta the Global-land; and treasurer Suman, principal of National Public School. Further, executive members will be Subrata Banerjee, B Bisht, S Niranjani , and M Saxena. On taking up the new responsibilities, the new Chairperson thanked the outgoing chairperson and the forum of principals for their support and cooperation. Further, Tare assured that the new team would be vibrant and work for the progress and welfare of the students, teachers, society and Indore Sahodaya Schools Complex.

Schools affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in Indore are premiering in real-life education for students with inculcation of tourism-based projects and assignments utilising the most of summer vacation. Union ministry of tourism started an initiative called ‘YUVA Tourism Clubs’, which CBSE instructed all its affiliated schools to implement in the campus. The purpose of starting tourism clubs is to “nurture and develop young ambassadors of Indian tourism who would become aware of tourism possibilities in India, appreciate our rich cultural heritage and develop an interest and passion for tourism”. Though CBSE issued instructions for the same recently, schools in Indore have already pioneered the drive and have formed Yuva Tourism Clubs with various club exercises. Tourism clubs integrate experiential learning by: Events club of the school and the Tourism Club come together to arrange a tour event outside the school or an awareness event within the school. Photogra...

Kamla Nehru Prani Sangrahalaya (Indore City Zoo) has earned a bad name for itself by giving purchase orders for kangaroos to persons who turned out to be animal traffickers and were arrested in West Bengal. Though local zoo authorities are now trying to wriggle out of the situation, the Central Zoo Authority has taken cognisance of the matter and further investigation is on in that case. Two cases of kangaroo trafficking were detected in North Bengal a few months back and during investigation it was found that they were destined for Indore city zoo. In the first case, a red kangaroo was rescued from Kumargram near the West Bengal-Assam border in Alipurduar district, and two persons hailing from Hyderabad were arrested in the case. This week, two young kangaroos were found on Gajoldoba Canal road near the city of Siliguri, West Bengal. The two young kangaroos were allegedly abandoned by the same traffickers' group after realising the complexities of transporting them to Indore. The ...

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 students will face a major challenge in the higher secondary classes, as most students failed to gather enough seriousness for the board examination, thanks to board’s leniency in paper setting. CBSE Class10 board examinations concluded on Wednesday. Most students were cheerful and happy for the examination. However, their cheers and celebrations are likely to stay limited to Class 10 results. CBSE eased down on the difficulty of the papers considering various factors including limitation in learning, hybrid classes and covid-19 second wave. While this is understandable, students were already aware of the same possibilities as well. With easier test papers, hybrid classes and extra privileges, this batch of students has seen board examinations as ‘too easy’. School principals during their analysis and discussions found that most school students, except for toppers, have taken the exams too lightly. Exams taken too lightly, lesson of...

Students of Class 5 and Class 8 in Indore district perform better than most other district. The results of the board examination results bring glory to the city as Indore stands on fourth place in state in Class 8 results. Class 5th and 8th exam results were announced by Chief Secretary School Education Rashmi Arun Shami on Friday afternoon. In the state, Class 5 exam result was 90.01%, i.e. 7,44,247 students passed. In Class 8, the result stood at passing percentage of 82.35%. In numbers, 6,23,370 students passed the examination in the state. Hence, 82,694 students failed to clear Class 5 board examination in state. In Class 8, 1,36,837 students failed to clear the examination. In Indore, the results were much above the state’s average result. More than 93.18 percent students of Indore district passed in Class 5. There were in all 13,374 students who attempted Class 5 exams. Out of this, 12,464 students passed in the examination. Hence, 910 students will have to re-appear for Class 5 ...

As we celebrate families this weekend, it’s important to remember the importance of a healthy environment in the family and its possible implications. Not just your mental health, a family’s environment can affect your child’s education, future and mental health of your future generations. Indian families are changing for better or worse. These changes are currently in transitional stage, which is a challenging time for raising kids. There are several factors resulting in modernisation and the social changes that are taking place in the country. As a researcher Sinha (1972) noted in a study, “The structure and role of the family have altered, and interrelationships within it have been radically transformed.” While these changes come with freedom and liberty, in the current phase, they also come with several challenges. These challenges also often result in mental health issues among children and teenagers. On this International Day of Families that will be celebrated on Sunday, May 15...