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Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh top in school education ranking
The Union Territory (UT) ranked first among all states and UTs in the Performance Grading Index 2.0 report on school education for 2022-23 and 2023-24 released by the Union ministry of education on Thursday. The report assesses school education across various indicators including learning outcomes and infrastructure. The report is made across six domains and features data from Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE +), National Achievement Survey (NAS), PM POSHAN portal, PRABAND portal and Vidyanjali Portal. Chandigarh's score is 703 out of 1,000, achieving Prachesta 1 grade as defined in the report for the 2023-24 session. It improved its score from 687.8 in the 2022-23 session. Other top performers include Punjab with 631.2 score and Delhi (623.7). Chandigarh leads in only two of the six domains which are infrastructure and facilities and equity. UT's director school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said, 'At the heart of this success are our teachers and the encouragement by the UT administrator and chief secretary along with the integration between various departments. This interdepartmental teamwork anchored by a shared commitment to student success is what transformed plans into results.'
Time of India
11 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Adarsh Colony razed, Chandigarh administration considers declaring city ‘slum free'
1 2 3 Chandigarh: After the demolition of Adarsh Colony on Thursday, UT administration is considering declaring the city "slum free." Another slum cluster, Shahpur Colony, is still standing but UT officials contend that most of it is located on private land and requires proceedings under the Periphery Act. Shahpur Colony has around 300 shanties spread over four acres of land. Deputy commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav said, "We will request the UT administration to declare the city 'slum free' as all the major slum clusters standing on government land have been demolished. Shahpur Colony is predominantly on private agricultural land. The constructions are in violation of the Periphery Act, and consequently, action will proceed as per the Act in the case of Shahpur Colony." In a major crackdown on illegal encroachments on Thursday, the UT administration carried out an eviction and demolition drive at Adarsh Colony, located between sectors 53 and 54. The drive led to the recovery of around 12 acres of prime government land estimated to be worth Rs 350 crore. There were around 800 hutments in the colony. Residents started removing their belongings after the UT estate office pasted notices of eviction in the colony. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo They moved out of the colony in large numbers on Wednesday. The operation started early in the morning in the presence of heavy police force. The reclaimed land will now be utilised in accordance with planned urban development goals. "The administration reiterates its commitment to ensuring planned and legal urban growth while protecting the rights and safety of all citizens. Residents are once again urged to refrain from unauthorised construction and occupation, as the administration continues to pursue similar action across other identified areas in the city," said a UT spokesman. BOX: 'No effort made to rehabilitate us' Many of the evicted residents said that the administration made no effort to rehabilitate them even when they had requisite documents. However, UT officials contended that despite previous notices, several structures and makeshift dwellings continued to encroach upon government land. "The administration served multiple notices and warnings to unauthorised occupants in the recent past, providing ample opportunity for voluntary compliance. Some petitioners approached the high court against the demolition drive, but the petition was dismissed," Yadav said. BOX: Reclaiming govt land In the last two months, the administration has demolished two major slum clusters. On May 6, Janta Colony in Sector 25 was demolished. Ten acres of encroached government land was reclaimed during the drive, during which more than 10,000 residents were removed and 2,500 structures demolished. In April, UT reclaimed six acres of land by demolishing Sanjay Colony in Industrial Area Phase 1. During the drive, 1,200 hutments were demolished and around 6,000 people were evicted. MSID:: 121957278 413 |
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Chandigarh tops India in school education report
Chandigarh: Chandigarh has secured the top position in the Government of India's Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0, an annual assessment of school education systems across states and union territories, for two consecutive years — 2022-23 and 2023-24 — emerging as the only state or UT to reach the Prachesta-1 grade in either year. No other region crossed into even the next higher grade band, making Chandigarh's lead both significant and solitary. Its overall score improved from 688 in 2022–23 to 703 in 2023–24, driven by gains in infrastructure, access, and governance. However, the data also reveals specific areas where Chandigarh did not lead the country, particularly in governance processes, teacher education, and learning outcomes—domains where other states and UTs outperformed it. In governance processes, it scored 76.7 out of 130, remaining in the Prachesta-1 band. In comparison, Gujarat scored 87.8, while Odisha and Haryana also performed better in this domain. These governance indicators include digital fund transfers, student and teacher attendance systems, and timely data reporting—areas where Chandigarh still has room to strengthen implementation. Similarly, in the teacher education and training domain, Chandigarh scored 85.7 out of 100, placing it in the Utkarsh category. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Godrej Majesty | Luxurious 3 & 4 BHK Homes at ₹2.39 Cr* Godrej Majesty Learn More Undo However, Kerala, with a score of 91.4, became the only state or UT to achieve the topmost Daksh grade in this domain. This suggests scope for further enhancement in teacher qualification standards and in-service training in Chandigarh. Even in access, where Chandigarh had previously achieved the Daksh grade (2022–23), its score marginally declined from 72.9 to 72.4 in 2023–24, falling into the Utkarsh range. By contrast, Puducherry retained the Daksh grade in access this year. Nonetheless, Chandigarh's overall leadership reflects robust progress across most domains. It scored 148.0 out of 190 in Infrastructure & Facilities and 216.5 out of 260 in Equity, placing it in the Atti-Uttam and Utkarsh grades respectively. This success builds on several initiatives: 100% retention at all levels, 450 co-located Anganwadi centres, expanded vocational training, kitchen gardens in all government schools, and the installation of sanitary pad vending machines in previously uncovered institutions. The UT also leads in digital readiness, having implemented digital attendance in all government schools and seeded over 98% of student records with Aadhaar in the UDISE+ system. Social audits were introduced under the PM POSHAN scheme in 2023–24, and all children with special needs (CWSN) were provided with assistive devices. Importantly, Chandigarh maintained a consistent score of 103.6 in Learning Outcomes for three consecutive years, though no state or UT showed improvement here due to the reliance on NAS 2021 data. While the PGI 2.0 results are not directly comparable to earlier PGI formats, Chandigarh has ranked first nationally for three years in a row under the updated methodology. The next round may bring further movement, as results from the 2024 PARAKH national assessment—expected in July 2025—will inform updates in the Learning Outcomes and Equity domains. PGI 2.0 continues to serve as a powerful tool for states and UTs to monitor school education quality, push reforms, and work toward the goals set by the National Education Policy 2020 and Sustainable Development Goal 4. BOX-Domain-wise scores Learning outcomes (out of 240) 2022–23: 103.6 2023–24: 103.6 Access (out of 80) 2022–23: 72.9 2023–24: 72.4 Infrastructure and Facilities (out of 190) 2022–23: 136.5 2023–24: 148.0 Equity (out of 260) 2022–23: 216.4 2023–24: 216.5 Governance Processes (out of 130) 2022–23: 74.0 2023–24: 76.7 Teacher Education and Training (out of 100) 2022–23: 84.3 2023–24: 85.7 Total Score (out of 1000) 2022–23: 688 2023–24: 703 Overall Grade 2022–23: Prachesta-2 2023–24: Prachesta-1 BOX- What Chandigarh did well 100% retention at all school levels Three-year pre-primary cycle introduced in all government schools Digital attendance implemented in all government schools 450 Anganwadis co-located with schools Vocational education expanded from 38 to 47 government schools Kitchen gardens started in all government schools Over 98% students Aadhaar-seeded in UDISE+ Social audits conducted under PM POSHAN scheme Assistive devices provided to all CWSN (Children with special needs) students BOX- Where others outperformed Governance Processes: Chandigarh scored 76.7 out of 130 (Prachesta-1), while Gujarat scored 87.8, outperforming it in digital systems and fund disbursals. Teacher Education and Training: Chandigarh scored 85.7 (Utkarsh), but Kerala crossed into the Daksh category with 91.4, indicating stronger professional development standards. Access: Chandigarh slipped slightly from Daksh to Utkarsh (72.4 out of 80). Puducherry retained Daksh, reflecting stronger gains in enrolment and early learning participation. No domain-level top grade: Chandigarh did not achieve Daksh (top grade) in any individual domain, while Kerala and Delhi each did so in one.
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- General
- Indian Express
Chandigarh eclipses all states, UTs to claim top spot in school education index
Outperforming all other states and union territories (UTs), Chandigarh has claimed the numero uno position in the school education index, revealed Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2023-2024 by the Union Ministry of Education. Chandigarh scored 703 points, achieving Prachesta-1 — the highest grade achieved in the latest PGI. Chandigarh scored 703 points, as opposed to 687.8 in 2022-2023, to emerge as the only state or UT in the Prachesta-1 grade that has the score range of 701 to 760. Launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Education, PGI assesses the performance of school education in states and UTs across India, and the assessment is out of 1,000 points. The indicators of evaluation include learning outcomes and quality, infrastructure and facilities, equity, governance processes, teachers' education and training. Reflecting on the top rank, H Brar, Director, School Education, said, 'Chandigarh's impressive performance in the PGI is a proud moment for the city. Brar lauded teachers, saying their 'dedication and hard work' have laid the foundation for this achievement, along with the UT Administrator and Chief Secretary and Departments of Education, Engineering, Finance, Social Welfare and MC. 'This kind of interdepartmental teamwork, a shining example, anchored by a shared commitment to student success, is what transformed plans into results. Chandigarh's PGI success is more than a statistical accomplishment — it is a story of unity, purpose, and the belief that quality education is a shared responsibility. Together, we have set a new benchmark — and together, we will continue striving for even greater heights in education,' he added. Brar highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the Department of School Education, UT Chandigarh, for the improvement of domain-wise scores of PGI over 2021-22, like improvement of adjusted net enrolment ratio at secondary level from 76.41 per cent (2021-22) to 106.8 per cent in 2023-24 and improvement of net enrolment ratio at higher secondary level from 56.87 per cent (2021-22) to 71.2 per cent in 2023-24. He added that Chandigarh schools also maintained a retention rate at 100 per cent at all levels in all the years. ICT labs/smart classrooms established in all government schools, 38 government schools in 2021-22 to 47 in 2023-24, free textbooks provided to all students at the elementary level before the start of the academic year, were some other improvements mentioned by the official.
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
J&K Opposition slams Omar govt for not addressing concerns on reservation — ‘deliberate denial of justice'
A day after the cabinet subcommittee on reservations tabled its report to the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet, the Opposition has targeted the ruling National Conference for 'delay' in making the document public. Government sources told The Indian Express Wednesday that the report had been forwarded to the Law Department for review. Introduced in April last year by the Lieutenant Governor-led UT administration, the UT's reservation policy amends Rule 4 of the J&K Reservation Act of 2005 to increase reservation for reserved category in the state to 67 per cent from 43 per cent, with 3 per cent horizontal reservation to ex-servicemen. This has meant that only 33 per cent was left for the general category of candidates – a change that has been vehemently opposed by various political parties as well as students. Student groups from the 'Open Merit' or general category have been demanding a rationalisation of this reservation for over a year. The protests prompted Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's government to announce a subcommittee to look into the issue. PDP leader Waheed Para said Thursday that the J&K government had promised to resolve the reservation issue through a subcommittee report. 'That deadline has passed, leaving thousands of students heartbroken and disillusioned, their trust in the system shattered and their futures put on hold,' Para said. Terming the delay in addressing concerns of the protesting students 'a deliberate denial of justice,' Para said: 'These students have already endured violence, lockdowns, and lost opportunities. Now, as they seek fair representation and rationalised reservation, the government is pushing them further to the margins'. The Pulwama MLA said that the ruling National Conference government has the power to 'strike down' the BJP-imposed policy with a single administrative order, 'but the party that promised to reverse BJP's damage is now complicit in continuing it.' Meanwhile, People's Conference chairman Sajad Lone Thursday accused the government of being 'clueless' on reservation and stated that they have 'no intentions of doing anything.' 'Coming to this draft proposal. To the best of my knowledge, anything sent to the cabinet should be vetted by the law department. It is not the other way round. You can't send something to the cabinet which is outside the domain of law. It looks like another round of time-wasting tactics,' Lone said. The protests were among the first challenges faced by the elected government in J&K. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had met with students protesting outside his residence in December 2024. In April, the government-appointed cabinet subcommittee began deliberations with student groups and in the first week of June, the minister concerned Sakeena Itoo announced that the subcommittee had compiled its report and it would be presented before the UT cabinet. However, after the cabinet met Thursday, the findings of the report were not made public and sent to the law department for review. The reservation policy has also been challenged in the High Court of J&K and Ladakh.
