Latest news with #NationalEducationPolicy
NDTV
3 hours ago
- Science
- NDTV
61 Lakh Clear Science Stream In 2024; Centre Urges Expansion Of STEM Education
New Delhi: In 2024, a total of 61 lakh students cleared the science stream, marking a 16% increase from 52.4 lakh in 2022, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Education. In response, the Union Education Ministry's Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) is urging an increase in seats and faculty in STEM programmes, given the significant surge in students clearing their Class 12 science exams. The move aims to align with shifting academic trends and growing aspirations, especially among girls. A senior DoSEL official said, "An additional 9 lakh students passing science means we need proportional increases in STEM seats and faculty in higher education institutions to support this growth." This trend calls for better school planning, enhanced teacher training, and improved recruitment at the state level. Despite this progress, challenges remain as dropout rates continue to hinder advancement. Ministry data shows that in 2024, around 26.6 lakh regular Class 10 students did not progress to Class 11. Of these, 4.43 lakh did not appear for the exams, while 22.1 lakh failed. A similar trend was seen in Class 12, where approximately 24.7 lakh students were unable to complete their higher secondary education due to failure or non-appearance in exams. Though this marks a 47% improvement compared to 2013, it continues to obstruct progress toward achieving a higher Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER). To address this, DoSEL is exploring ways to expand open schooling, focusing on the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), and urging states to consider merging separate Class 10 and Class 12 boards into a unified board structure to streamline examinations. However, NIOS's effectiveness remains limited due to low penetration in many states. In 2024, 6.98 lakh students enrolled in Class 10 through open schools, but only 3.4 lakh passed. For Class 12, 7.9 lakh students appeared-2.84 lakh through NIOS-with pass rates standing at just 54% for Class 10 and 57% for Class 12. These low pass percentages remain a concern for open boards. The ministry report noted, "States like Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana have shown lower failure rates in open schooling. Other states are being encouraged to adopt similar models to help more students complete their education." NIOS plays a vital role in offering a second chance to students who either fail board exams or are unable to continue formal education. Officials said both NIOS and state governments are being encouraged to establish more open schools to provide these students with alternative pathways to complete their education. "Open schooling is a critical solution for academic continuity, especially for students who face disruptions due to personal, social, or financial reasons," said a senior ministry official. The move is part of a broader strategy to improve retention and completion rates under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. India currently has 66 school examination boards-3 national and 63 state boards. Of these, 33 boards account for 97% of total student enrolment, while the remaining 33 boards serve just 3% of students. A total of 48 boards conduct exams at both the secondary (Class 10) and higher secondary (Class 12) levels. The ministry has called for improved school-level planning, increased teacher recruitment, and enhanced state-level training initiatives.
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Business Standard
14 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
India rises in QS World Rankings, 54 institutions ranked in 2026 list
India's higher education institutes scaled up global rankings with a record 54 universities being pegged as the global best, according to QS World University Rankings in 2026. It is up from 46 in 2025 and 45 in 2024, making India's representation the fourth-largest after the US, UK, and China. The number will rise further, said education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on the back of India's National Education Policy's thrust on research, innovation, and internationalisation. 'Our government is committed to furthering research and innovation ecosystems for the benefit of India's youth,' said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. IIRF also came out with India's top research institutes on Thursday.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
1-yr PG for LU grads passing 4-yr course
Lucknow: From academic session 2025-26, Lucknow University will offer a one-year post-graduation programme to students under National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This will be the first time LU offers a one-year PG option to its students. Only students who pursued four years UG courses will be eligible for this programme. "There are around 150 students in BA and BCom courses who opted to pursue four-year UG at LU and completed the course. Now they can pursue one year PG. Those who have pursed four-year graduation from other state universities can also pursue one year of PG from LU," said Prof Geetanjali Mishra, LU Dean Academics. She said introduction of one-year PG programme is part of the university's implementation of NEP. The existing two-year post-graduation option will be on offer to students who completed a three-year graduation. Also, in academic session 2025-26, for the first time, 'Professor of Practice' will be teaching at LU. In three departments comprising journalism and mass communication, Hindi, and Social Work, a professor of practice has been appointed.
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Curbing phone addiction: Desi, physical games to challenge e-game fixation at UP govt primary schools
The Uttar Pradesh basic education department has introduced a calendar of traditional Indian games for students of Classes 1 to 8 across government primary and upper primary schools. The move is aimed at reconnecting children with their cultural roots and curbing the growing mobile phone addiction. The initiative, aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aims to encourage physical activity and reduce children's screen time by promoting indigenous games like Posham Pa and Langdi Taang. The calendar, prepared by experts from the State Institute of Education (SIE), Prayagraj—a unit of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT)—has been distributed digitally to around 1.5 lakh schools across the state, for the benefit of over 1.5 crore students. 'The illustrated PDF calendar has been shared with school principals, who have been instructed to incorporate these games into teacher-parent meetings and other school events to actively engage children,' said Anil Kumar, principal in-charge, SIE-Prayagraj. This initiative is a step toward reviving traditional games and improving both mental and physical health among students, he added. Officials hope the games will not only promote fitness and teamwork but also instill cultural pride among young learners.
Scroll.in
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Amit Shah says English speakers will ‘soon feel ashamed' in India
Those who speak English in India will soon feel ashamed and the creation of 'such a society is not far away', Union Minister Amit Shah can be heard saying in a video shared by news channels on Thursday. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader also claimed that 'our culture, our history and our religion cannot be understood in foreign languages'. 'A complete India cannot be imagined with aadhi-adhuri [incomplete] foreign languages, that can only happen with Indianness, with Indian languages,' Shah reportedly said at a book launch event in New Delhi. He also called Indian languages 'jewels of our culture', adding that without them, 'we cease to be Indians'. On June 6, Shah launched the Bharatiya Bhasha Anubhag, or Indian Languages Section. This initiative aims to create an organised platform for all Indian languages, intending to 'free the administration from the influence of foreign languages'. The home minister's comments on Thursday come against the backdrop of several state governments and regional parties accusing the Centre of imposing Hindi through the National Education Policy's three-language formula. On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government issued an order making Hindi a 'generally' taught third language for students from Class 1 to Class 5 in Marathi and English medium schools. Marathi language advocates criticised the move, accusing the government of reintroducing the three-language formula through the 'backdoor'. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have also seen protests against the alleged Hindi imposition. Tamil Nadu has repeatedly opposed the three-language formula in the National Education Policy. The state government said it would not change its decades-old two-language policy of teaching students Tamil and English. However, the Union government has maintained that it is committed to promoting ' all Indian languages ', The Hindu reported. During the Budget session, Shah had told the Rajya Sabha that his ministry would communicate with states in their respective languages, the newspaper reported.
