In a bid to make learning more engaging and stress-free, the <keyword id="22615810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-council-for-educational-research" source="keywords">National Council for Educational Research</keyword> and Training (<keyword id="20255499" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NCERT" source="keywords">NCERT</keyword>) has issued guidelines for implementing '<keyword id="22348286" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bagless-days" source="keywords">bagless days</keyword>' for <keyword id="19929042" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="students" source="keywords">students</keyword> in classes 6 to 8. This initiative aligns with the recommendations of the <keyword id="19919114" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Education-Policy" source="keywords">National Education Policy</keyword> (NEP) 2020, which emphasised the need for a ten-day bagless period for this age group. The guidelines, developed by the Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational <keyword id="19907717" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="education" source="keywords">Education</keyword>, aim to integrate these bagless days into the core curriculum rather than treating them as an add-on. The focus is on providing students with hands-on experiences and exposure to the world beyond textbooks. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111815619" title="This school has 12-hour days, &amp;#39;relaxing&amp;#39; meals — and no smartphones" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>During these ten days, students will be encouraged to participate in various activities, including: <ul><li>Internships: Students will have the opportunity to intern with local vocational experts like carpenters, gardeners, and potters, gaining practical skills and insights into potential <keyword id="20082244" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="career-paths" source="keywords">career paths</keyword>.</li><li>Field trips: Visits to historical monuments, cultural sites, and higher educational institutions will broaden students' horizons and foster a sense of curiosity.</li><li>Community engagement: Interactions with local artists and craftsmen will expose students to different cultures and traditions.</li></ul>The NCERT believes that these experiences will not only bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application but also help students make informed decisions about their future careers. Schools are advised to allocate a minimum of ten days or 60 hours for these activities, which can be incorporated flexibly throughout the year. By introducing bagless days, the NCERT aims to create a more holistic and enriching learning environment for students, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love for learning. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="108733872" title="New curriculum, books for grades 3-6 from 2024-25, no change in syllabus for other classes: CBSE" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

NCERT students of classes 6-8 to enjoy 10 ‘bagless days’, internships and field trips

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (<keyword id="20255499" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ncert" source="keywords">NCERT</keyword>) will release a new syllabus and textbooks for Classes 3 to 6 while there will be no change in the <keyword id="19917193" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="curriculum" source="keywords">curriculum</keyword> and textbooks for other grades for the academic year 2024-25 commencing from April 1, according to <keyword id="19976140" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cbse" source="keywords">CBSE</keyword> officials. The NCERT has informed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) that new syllabi and textbooks for classes 3 and 6 are currently under development and will soon be released, the CBSE said in a communication sent to affiliated schools. "Consequently, schools are advised to follow these new syllabi and textbooks for classes 3 and 6 in place of textbooks published by NCERT till the year 2023," said <keyword id="20215578" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="joseph-emmanuel" source="keywords">Joseph Emmanuel</keyword>, Director (Academics), CBSE. "Additionally, a bridge course for class 6, and concise guidelines for class 3 are being developed by the NCERT for facilitating a seamless transition for students to new pedagogical practices and areas of study aligned with new curriculum framework, 2023. These resources will be disseminated to all the schools online once they are received from NCERT. "The Board will also organize capacity-building programs for school heads and Teachers to orient them with the new teaching learning perspectives as envisioned in NEP-2020," he added in the letter. In a revision of the National Curriculum Framework (<keyword id="21063963" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ncf" source="keywords">NCF</keyword>) after 18 years, the Ministry of Education had last year notified the changes. The NCF had undergone four revisions in the past - in 1975, 1988, 2000, and 2005. The council is in process of preparing new school textbooks in line with the new national curriculum framework for school education (NCF-SE) 2023 as a part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. "There will be no change in the Curriculum and textbooks for other classes for the academic year 2024-25 commencing from April 1, 2024," he said. The NCF for the foundational stage (FS) was launched by the Ministry of Education in 2022 and according to the curriculum framework, the NCERT developed and collected the learning-teaching material (LTM). Toys, puzzles, puppetry, posters, flash cards, worksheets and attractive storybooks are part of the "<keyword id="21063964" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jaadui-pitara" source="keywords">Jaadui Pitara</keyword>" launched by the Ministry of Education for learning at the foundational stage. In 2022, the NCERT had rationalised the syllabi of classes 6 to 12 to "reduce the content load" on students in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the changes, reflected in new textbooks published last year, the council had removed chapters on Mughal courts, 2002 Gujarat riots, cold war, references of Mughal emperors, and Emergency and periodic table. While the council maintained there was no selective omission of topics, the rationalisation exercise had created a political controversy with leaders from opposition parties alleging the ruling dispensation was "erasing history". SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-12-review/articleshow/108723955.cms">OnePlus 12 review: A feature-packed device with promising battery back-up</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/jsw-group-and-saic-motors-jv-jsw-mg-motor-india-set-to-up-production-to-3-lakh-vehicles-a-year-with-a-new-car-every-3-6-months/articleshow/108647799.cms">JSW Group and SAIC Motor’s JV ‘JSW MG Motor India’ set to up production to 3 lakh vehicles a year with a new car every 3-6 months</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/asus-rog-strix-scar-16-review/articleshow/108514221.cms">Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 review – powerful gaming laptop with a cool design</a>

New curriculum, books for grades 3-6 from 2024-25, no change in syllabus for other classes: CBSE

The Central Board of Secondary Education (<keyword id="6356155" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="cbse" source="Orion">CBSE</keyword>) has opposed a petition challenging certain provisions of the Right to Education Act, 2009 for being "arbitrary, irrational, and violative" and seeking direction to the Centre to implement common syllabus and curriculum for the students of Class 1 to 8 standard throughout the country. In its reply to a <keyword id="6355791" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PIL" source="Orion">PIL</keyword> filed by lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay, the CBSE clarified that education falls under the 'Concurrent List' of the Indian Constitution, and the majority of schools are under the jurisdiction of state governments. As a result, it is the responsibility of the respective state and Union territory governments to formulate syllabi, curricula, and conduct examinations for schools in their regions. The CBSE further pointed out that the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (<keyword id="48505" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ncert" source="Orion">NCERT</keyword>) in accordance with the National Policy on Education, provides guidelines and direction for syllabus and textbook development across all school stages. In line with the NCF, the NCERT develops curriculum, syllabi, textbooks, and supplementary materials, it said. The Board said that the State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs) and State Education Boards either adopt or adapt the NCERT's model syllabi and textbooks or create their own based on the NCF. The CBSE also said that a uniform curriculum across India may not adequately consider local context, culture, and language. It further highlighted the importance of a national framework with flexibility that allows for the incorporation of local resources, culture, and ethos. The CBSE's response underscored that a curriculum closely related to a student's life outside of school is more relatable and effective. Therefore, they expressed support for a diversity of curricula and educational resources, in addition to a common core element. A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad had earlier sought the Delhi government, the CBSE and the NHRC's response on the petition. The plea also challenges the provisions under the RTE Act which excludes madrasas, Vedic pathshalas and educational institutions imparting religious knowledge. Upadhyay had argued that all competitive examinations be it engineering, law and the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) should have a common syllabus. "But we have multiple syllabus at school level, how will it provide an equal opportunity for students? In Kendra Vidyalayas across the country, we have a common syllabus. Every developed country has a common syllabus in schools. It is unfortunate we are under pressure from the coaching mafia." He had contended that as per the Articles of the Constitution, students do not get equal opportunities. Upadhyay, in his plea, alleges that "education mafias are very powerful and have a very strong syndicate. They influence rules, regulations, policies and examinations. The bitter truth is that school mafias do not want one nation-one education board, coaching mafias do not want one nation-one syllabus, and book mafias do not want NCERT books in all schools. That is why the <keyword id="97896" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="uniform-education-system" source="Orion">uniform education system</keyword> up to the 12th standard has not been implemented yet." "It is necessary to state that the purposive and harmonious construction of Articles 14, 15, 16, 21, 21A with Articles 38, 39, 46 confirms that education is a basic right of every child and the state cannot discriminate against this most important right. Right of a child should not be restricted only to free education, but must be extended to have equal quality education without discrimination on the ground of the child's social, economic and cultural background," the plea reads.

CBSE opposes PIL in Delhi HC seeking common syllabus across India

Dismayed by several recent changes in school <keyword id="6375423" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="syllabus" source="Orion">syllabus</keyword> related to the weather, <keyword id="6361617" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="Orion">climate change</keyword>, and even the Indian monsoon, a teachers' body has urged the <keyword id="48505" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ncert" source="Orion">NCERT</keyword> to rethink these deletions from the school environmental syllabus and bring in different facets of the <keyword id="6375923" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate" source="Orion">climate</keyword> crisis. Teachers Against the Climate Crisis (<keyword id="14398053" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tacc" source="Orion">TACC</keyword>) has claimed the NCERT has removed an entire chapter on Greenhouse Effect from Class 11 Geography syllabus; an entire chapter on weather, climate weather systems, and water from the Class 7 syllabus; and information about the Indian monsoon from the Class 9 syllabus. TACC, a non-funded, non-party organisation that seeks to promote understanding about climate and has members across universities and research institutions across <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, said it appreciates NCERT's efforts to manage learning deficit in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic by seeking to reduce students' workload by culling material - as explained on its website - however, "none of these concerns apply to fundamental issues such as climate change science, the Indian monsoon, and the other chapters that have been deleted." Stating that the relevant climate change science as being continuously updated via thousands of peer-reviewed papers published each year as well as very important compilations such as the <keyword id="8956" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="intergovernmental-panel" source="Orion">Intergovernmental Panel</keyword> on Climate Change (IPCC's) latest Assessment Reports and India's own report on climate change published by an agency under the <keyword id="158211" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ministry-of-earth-sciences" source="Orion">Ministry of Earth Sciences</keyword>, a statement from TACC said, "It is extremely important that senior school students all over India are conveyed the essence of such updated information in an accessible, easy-to-understand manner." Across the world, including in India, students have been more and more concerned about the drastic changes wrought by environmental degradation, of which climate change is an example. "Young people's actions and interventions are crucial to meeting this most fundamental challenge. This action needs to be predicted upon systematic knowledge of the reality of climate change, its causes, and its enormous reach. Students need to understand the complexity of the climate crisis if they are to respond and engage intelligently with it," TACC said. Class 10 students, however, will no longer be able to learn and be inspired by popular people's movements such as Chipko movement or Narmada Bachao Andolan in their 'Popular Struggles and Movements' lessons since the chapter on them has been taken out of their 'Democratic Politics' syllabus, it said, and urged the NCERT to rethink its decision about deletions of these topics from the environmental syllabi. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/twitter-fires-30-of-its-employees-in-the-talent-acquisition-team/articleshow/92739415.cms">Twitter fires 30% of its employees in the talent acquisition team</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/elon-musks-44-billion-twitter-deal-is-in-jeopardy-says-report/articleshow/92738854.cms">Elon Musk's $44 billion Twitter deal is in jeopardy, says report</a>

Bring back chapters on climate crisis, teachers body tells NCERT

<ul><li><keyword id="48505" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ncert" source="Orion">NCERT</keyword>) Director <keyword id="13105606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dinesh-Prasad-Saklani" source="Orion">Dinesh Prasad Saklani</keyword> on Tuesday clarified that chapters on <keyword id="133453" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mughals" source="Orion">Mughals</keyword> had not been 'dropped' from CBSE books, and said that its a "lie".</li><li>He said that even today students are studying the history of the Mughals in NCERT's class 7th book.</li></ul>NEW DELHI: National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani on Tuesday clarified that chapters on Mughals had not been 'dropped' from CBSE books, and said that its a "lie". "It's a lie. (Chapters on) Mughals have not been dropped. There was a rationalisation process last year because due to Covid, there was pressure on students everywhere," the <keyword id="116349" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ncert-director" source="Orion">NCERT director</keyword> told ANI. The NCERT chief further said that expert committees examined the books from standards 6-12. "They recommended that if this chapter is dropped, it won't affect the knowledge of the children and an unnecessary burden can be removed...The debate is unnecessary. Those who don't know can check the textbooks...," Saklani said. He said that even today students are studying the history of the Mughals in NCERT's class 7th book. "Along with this, the history of Mughals is being taught in Empires in section-2 of the 11th class book. And in the class 12th book there were 2 chapters on the history of the Mughals, out of which theme nine was removed last year, while theme eight is still being taught to the students. This year no chapter has been removed from any book," Saklani further said. "We are working as per NEP (National Education Policy) 2020. This is a transition phase. NEP 2020 speaks of reducing the content load. We are implementing it. NCF (National Curriculum Framework) for school education is being formed, it will be finalised soon. Textbooks will be printed in 2024 as per NEP. We have not dropped anything right now," the NCERT chief said while stressing the National Education Policy. On Monday, Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Minister Gulab Devi also denied the reports claiming of removing the chapter of the Mughal Sultanate from CBSE and UP Board. "There is no change of any kind in our syllabus. Those who are running this type of misleading news, I request them not to run such news," Gulab Devi said. If there will be any further changes under the new education policy, then it cannot be said. At present, there is no change. The curriculum which was in 2022 will remain the same this time in 2023-24, she said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/cert-in-warns-of-high-severity-vulnerabilities-in-apple-products-urges-immediate-action/articleshow/99231900.cms">CERT-In warns of high-severity vulnerabilities in Apple products, urges immediate action</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/googles-new-features-to-simplify-travel-planning-including-a-mobile-friendly-hotel-browsing-feature-a-price-guarantee-badge-for-flights-and-more/articleshow/99235884.cms">Google’s new features to simplify travel planning, including a mobile-friendly hotel browsing feature, a price guarantee badge for flights, and more</a>

Chapters on Mughals have not been dropped, NCERT chief clarifies

<keyword id="440822" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="national-council-of-educational-research" source="Orion">National Council of Educational Research</keyword> and Training (<keyword id="48505" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ncert" source="Orion">NCERT</keyword>) has removed paragraphs from Class 12 Political Science textbooks that contained information about the ban briefly imposed on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by the then government after the assassination of <keyword id="6355532" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mahatma-gandhi" source="Orion">Mahatma Gandhi</keyword>. Along with this, paragraphs which stated that Gandhi's quest for Hindu-Muslim unity provoked Hindu extremists have also been removed from the curriculum. Significantly, NCERT had made several changes in the textbooks of Class 6 to Class 12 last year. Among these, chapters titled 'Rise of Popular Movements' and 'Era of One Party Dominance' were removed from Class 12 textbook, 'Politics in India since Independence'. Similarly, chapters on 'Democracy and Diversity', 'Popular Struggles and Movements', and 'Challenges to Democracy' were removed from Class 10 textbook 'Democratic Politics-II'. Significantly, since the last 15 years, Nathuram Godse was referred in the History book of Class 12 as a 'Brahmin from Pune' who assassinated Gandhi, which has been removed now. As per NCERT, they had been receiving complaints of Godse's caste mentioned in the books from CBSE and several state education boards since long, stating that one's caste should not be unnecessarily mentioned in school textbooks. Speaking on the matter in Parliament, Minister of State for Education Annapurna Devi stated that the syllabus of books was rationalised in view of the loss of education in the pandemic and it was done to reduce the stress faced by students. NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said that the load of textbooks was reduced as the students had suffered a lot in the pandemic and it was an attempt to help the stressed students and as a responsibility towards society and the nation. Along with this, the NCERT has categorically rejected allegations that the changes have been made to suit a particular ideology. New NCERT books have arrived for the new session this year. Last year, many chapters and facts were removed from the books of various subjects in NCERT. With these changes made by NCERT, now these new books are being made available for the students.

NCERT removes portions related to RSS, Gandhi & Godse from books

<ul><li>Amid the ongoing row over the reduction of course syllabus for school students, the Union Cabinet Minister <keyword id="60487" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ramesh-Pokhriyal">Ramesh Pokhriyal</keyword> today said that the current debate “resorts to sensationalism by connecting topics selectively to portray a false narrative.” </li><li>The Human Resource and Development Ministry clarified that this is a one-time measure, which is being implemented considering the COVID-19 situation. </li><li>Apart from the political science topics that have been eliminated, Pokhriyal argued that there are a wide range of topics across subjects like biology and maths etc that have been deleted from the syllabus this year. </li><li>Properties of determinants, consistency, inconsistency, and number of solutions of the system of linear equations are some of the mathematics topics that will not be a part of the syllabus this year. </li></ul>Amid the ongoing row over the reduction of course syllabus for school students, the Union Cabinet Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal today said that the current debate “resorts to sensationalism by connecting topics selectively to portray a false narrative.” <div type="twitter" handle="DrRPNishank" handlename="Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1250023125191819266/Bx7kBZRg_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2252" retweetcount="363" status="It is our humble request: #Education is our sacred duty towards our children. Let us leave politics out of educatio… https://t.co/ofjlXTpTEz" createdat="1594276338000" id="1281113935685406722"></div> The Human Resource and Development Ministry clarified that this is a one-time measure, which is being implemented considering the COVID-19 situation. The schools have been asked to follow the alternate calendar proposed by the NCERT (National Council Of Educational Research And Training). “While it's easy to misconstrue exclusion of 3-4 topics like nationalism, local govt, federalism &amp; build a concocted narrative,a wider perusal of different subjects will show that this is happening across subjects,” the ministry said in a tweet. Apart from the political science topics that have been eliminated, Pokhriyal argued that there are a wide range of topics across subjects like biology and maths etc that have been deleted from the syllabus this year. “The topics excluded in economics include measures of dispersion, balance of payments deficit, etc while topics excluded in physics are heat engine &amp; refrigerator, heat transfer among others,” he tweeted. The course syllabus will no longer have topics such as federalism, nationalism and secularism, environmental chemistry for class 11th while the chapters including India’s relations with the neighboring countries, demonetisation will be eliminated from the class 12th syllabus. The board has also deleted course material on democracy and the challenges, gender and religion, and popular movements in the history for class 10th students, Print <a href="https://theprint.in/india/education/cbse-revises-syllabus-for-class-9-12-axes-chapters-on-indias-foreign-policy-demonetisation/456518/">reported</a>. Properties of determinants, consistency, inconsistency, and number of solutions of the system of linear equations are some of the mathematics topics that will not be a part of the syllabus this year. This comes as the course syllabus for the Central Board of Secondary Education (<keyword id="6356155" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cbse">CBSE</keyword>) and Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE) has been reduced by up to 30%. “The only aim is to relax the stress on students by reducing the syllabus by 30%. This exercise has been carried out following the advice &amp; recommendations of various experts and considering the suggestions received from educationists through our #SyllabusForStudents2020 campaign,” Pokhriyal tweeted. The changes will be implemented from the 2020-21 academic session.

India's Education Minister defends the choice of topics deleted from CBSE syllabus

The Central Board of Secondary Education (<keyword id="6356155" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cbse">CBSE</keyword>) is considering rationalising the syllabus for classes 9 to 12 for the next academic year to make up for lost time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The board is presently in the process of assessing the situation as well as the loss and a call in this regard will be taken accordingly. The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) had last week announced an alternative academic calendar for students enrolled in classes 1 to 5 to be followed as they study at home due to the lockdown.The council is in the process of developing similar plans for higher classes as well. "NCERT has come out with revised activities calendar for classes 1-8 , the CBSE is assessing the situation and loss time to rationalise syllabus for classes 9-12 and inform in due course of time," a senior board official said. On April 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the 21-day nationwide lockdown till May 3. All schools were closed and exams postponed at least a week before the lockdown on March 25 was announced. The annual academic schedule has been thrown out of gear due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) as well as many other state boards had to either postpone or cancel board exams. Several schools were conducting teaching and learning activities online but there were no uniform guidelines for the purpose before the calendar was announced. "The alternate calendar contains week-wise plan consisting of interesting and challenging activities, with reference to theme or chapter taken from syllabus or textbook. "Most importantly, it maps the themes with the learning outcomes. The purpose of mapping of themes with learning outcomes is to facilitate teachers and parents to assess the progress in the learning of children and also to go beyond textbooks," a NCERT official said. The board had earlier announced that it would conduct pending board examination only for 29 subjects, which are crucial for promotion and admission to higher educational institutions. The board had also announced that it will not conduct pending class 10 and 12 examinations in foreign countries due to the coronavirus pandemic. "It is difficult to decide as of now about when exams will be held but students will be given at least 10 days of prior notice before the exams are conducted," the CBSE official said. According to Human Resource Development Ministry officials, competitive exams, including the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), are likely to be conducted in June end but no decision has been taken in this regard yet. The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 507 and the number of cases to 15,712 in the country on Sunday, according to the Union Health Ministry. The total number of cases includes 77 foreign nationals. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/over-a-million-cbse-students-will-be-promoted-to-next-grade-without-writing-exams/articleshow/74934052.cms">Over a million CBSE students will be promoted to next grade without writing exams</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/cbse-launches-toll-free-helpline-for-students-parents-on-coronavirus-safeguards/articleshow/74744499.cms">CBSE launches toll-free helpline for students, parents on coronavirus safeguards</a>

CBSE to rationalise syllabus for classes 9-12 to make up for time lost due to Coronavirus lockdown

The <keyword id="440822" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Council-of-Educational-Research">National Council of Educational Research</keyword> and Training (NCERT) has developed an alternative academic calender for school <keyword id="3216" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="students">students</keyword> to engage them meaningfully as their stay at home during the lockdown imposed to fight COVID-19.The calendar was released by Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on Thursday. "The calendar provides guidelines to teachers on the use of various technological tools and social media tools available for imparting education in fun-filled, interesting ways, which can be used by learner to learn even while at home. However, it has taken into account, the varying levels of access to such tools-Mobile, Radio, Television, SMS and various social media. "The fact that many of us may not have internet facility in our mobiles, or may not be able to use different social media tools- such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter and Google, the calendar advises teachers to further guide parents and students through SMS on mobile phones or mobile call. Parents are expected to help elementary-stage students to implement this calendar," Nishank said. This minister said all Classes from I-XII and subject areas will be covered under the alternative calendar, which will also cater to children with special needs using links to audio books, radio programmes and video programmes. "The calendar contains week-wise plan consisting of interesting and challenging activities, with reference to theme or chapter taken from syllabus or textbook. Most importantly, it maps the themes with the learning outcomes. The purpose of mapping of themes with learning outcomes is to facilitate teachers and parents to assess the progress in the learning of children and also to go beyond textbooks," Nishank said. The minister also said that all the given activities are suggestive in nature and neither the prescriptive, nor the sequence is mandatory. "Teachers and parents may opt to contextualise the activities and do those activities that the student shows interest in, irrespective of the sequence. This will empower our students, teachers, school principals and parents to find out positive ways to deal with Covid-19 using on-line teaching-learning resources and also improving their learning outcomes getting school education at home," he said. The country is under a lockdown since March 24 to contain the spread of <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. However, schools were closed and exams postponed at least 10 days before the lockdown was announced. The lockdown has now been extended till May 3. According to Union health Ministry, the death toll due to coronavirus rose to 414 and the number of cases to 12,380 in the country on Thursday. While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 10,477, as many as 1,488 people have been cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said. The total number of cases includes 76 foreign nationals. Twenty-two deaths were reported since Wednesday evening, the ministry said in its updated data. GJS IJT

NCERT develops alternative academic calendar to engage school students during lockdown

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/56356226.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" />If you are finding it difficult to get your kid off the tablet or PC, you can now use their addiction to these gadgets to their own benefit. 
 
ConveGenius, an Ed-tech company that offers mobile solutions for kids, has come out with what a hi-tech gadget called CG Slate for children between the ages 3 and 12 years. 
 It is a <keyword id="13722" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lenovo">Lenovo</keyword> tablet that comes pre-installed with a ConveGenius software, which has all the content mapped to the NCERT syllabi and it's in the form of games. It is a complete educational tablet with child-friendly interactive books, educational videos, games, worksheets, etc. in the Learn Zone and cartoons, movies, and more games in the Play Zone. 
 
The crux of the product is captured in these three words ‘Learn, Play, Shop’, and these are represented by the three available zones on CG Slate, the Learn Zone, the Play Zone, and the Shop Zone. It also features an Android Zone for parents to use it as a normal android tablet. 
 
The Slate brings together 1500+ premium learning modules mapped to NCERT curriculum, play-way learning methods and incentivisation techniques that motivate a child to enjoy learning, and help him/her stay focused. 
 Subjects are broken down into levels and stages, and as the child learns, the learning scores provide access to more play time to enjoy games, cartoons, videos etc. The learning can also yield cash backs on their favourite toys on <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>. 
 
Through adaptive content recommendations, advanced parental controls, automatic SMS/Email reports, it helps to keep track of a child's progress, and helps gauge his/her long term interests. So, parents can also regularly track the child’s progress and be more involved with the online report card. 
 Last year in the festive season, CG slate was up for grabs on Flipkart and <keyword id="18635" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword>, at approximately Rs 5999 instead of the original Rs 8499. 
 
Clearly, ConveGenius focuses on Gamification of learning, where the process of learning is a game. CG Slate, the company claims, can be a kid's best learning companion. It is a tablet that helps them learn in a fun and engaging way, so that they retain concepts, longer and stronger. 
 What's more, the company has recently launched the Micro SD Card version of CG slate. It will be available in three variants – for Classes KG-2, Classes 3-5, and Classes KG-5, all mapped to the NCERT curriculum. With this, any smartphone or tablet can be converted into a CG Slate merely by inserting the Micro SD Card and loading the CG Slate app (from the <keyword id="6369511" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google-Play-Store">Google Play Store</keyword>). 
 
With the newest app update, the app also restricts access to other applications on the phone, if set in the restrictive mode, hence allowing parent to safely let their children use their personal devices. The Micro SD Card is available at Rs. 1999 onwards. Currently, it is is available exclusively on the CG Slate Official Website. 
 
Here's a little demo to give you a ride through what the new educational experience is like. Watch this video: 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yDhqg0AfPWQ" width="560"></iframe> 
So, what are you waiting for? Times have changed, parents. Gift your child one of the smartest educational toy in the market!

Ditch those boring NCERT books! Here's a Tablet using Gamification to make your academic syllabus a whole lot of fun

(Eds: Adds details) New Delhi, Jul 7 () The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has rationalised the syllabus by up to 30 per cent for classes 9 to 12 for the academic year 2020-21 to reduce course load of students amid the COVID-19 crises, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' announced on Tuesday. The curriculum has been rationalised while retaining the core elements, "Looking at the extraordinary situation prevailing in the country and the world, CBSE was advised to revise the curriculum and reduce course load for the students of classes 9 to 12. "To aid the decision, a few weeks back I also invited suggestions from all educationists on the reduction of syllabus for students and I am glad to share that we received more than 1.5K suggestions. Thank you, everyone, for the overwhelming response," Nishank tweeted. "Considering the importance of learning achievement, it has been decided to rationalise syllabus up to 30 per cent by retaining the core concepts," he added. The Union minister said the changes made in the syllabi have been finalised by the respective course committees with the approval of the curriculum committee and the Governing Body of the Board. "The heads of schools and teachers have been advised by the board to ensure that the topics that have been reduced are also explained to the students to the extent required to connect different topics. However, the reduced syllabus will not be part of the topics for internal assessment and year-end board examination. "Alternative academic calendar and inputs from the NCERT on transacting the curriculum using different strategies shall also be part of the teaching pedagogy in the affiliated schools," a senior official of the HRD ministry said. For classes 1 to 8, the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) has already notified an alternative calendar and learning outcomes. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the central government announced a nationwide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day. While the government has eased several restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed. GJS KJ

COVID-19: CBSE rationalises syllabus by up to 30 pc for classes 9 to 12 to reduce course load

<ul><li><keyword id="48505" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="NCERT">NCERT</keyword> has <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/puducherry/no-homework-for-cbse-kids-till-class-ii-ncert/articleshow/63837831.cms">ordered</a> the 18,000-odd schools under the <keyword id="69419" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Board-of-Secondary-Education">Central Board of Secondary Education</keyword> to not give <keyword id="6453721" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="homework">homework</keyword> to children up to Class II.</li><li>It has also condemned the practice of bifurcating classes on the basis of student proficiency, like ‘elegant’ and ‘amazing’ as it only promotes discrimination. </li><li>Earlier, the <keyword id="6356155" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cbse">CBSE</keyword> had asked affiliated <keyword id="6356508" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="school">school</keyword>s to limit the weight of a school bag to be no more than 10% of the child’s body weight. </li></ul> The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/puducherry/no-homework-for-cbse-kids-till-class-ii-ncert/articleshow/63837831.cms">ordered</a> the 18,000-odd schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to not give homework to children up to Class II. Additionally, the amount of homework given to students from classes III to V should not exceed two hours a week. Homework for middle school students will be limited to an hour per day and those in high and higher secondary classes can be given homework for two hours a day. The NCERT filed a counter affidavit addressing a writ petition seeking a direction to CBSE-affiliated schools to strictly adhere to the syllabus prescribed by NCERT, and not to overload students. This petition was moved by advocate M Purushothaman in the <keyword id="6360667" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="madras-high-court">Madras High Court</keyword>. The National Curriculum Framework-2005 also limits books for students in classes I and II. These should only be language and mathematics now. Whereas, for students from class III to V, the NCERT prescribes language, environmental science and mathematics books. It has also acknowledged that the manner in which subjects like General Knowledge are taught only perpetuates useless rote learning. It suggested that children should be taught to access information instead of memorising their textbooks. The organisation has also condemned the practice of bifurcating classes on the basis of student proficiency, like ‘elegant’ and ‘amazing’ as it only promotes discrimination. The council said, “The demonising effect of such labelling is devastating on children. Therefore, parents need to be vigilant about these practices, and rather than taking pride of the fact that their wards are studying in a school where these discriminating practices prevail, they need to stand against these to prevent discrimination in the society on the basis of abilities.” That said, such directions have been given before. In September 2016, the CBSE asked affiliated schools not to assign homework to students of class I and II and to lighten the load of their school bags that was affecting their backs. The weight of a bag was directed to be no more than 10% of the child’s body weight. According to a <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/schoolbags-of-kids-too-heavy-smash-limit-by-20/articleshow/61176680.cms">TOI report</a>, these directives were clearly disregarded as kids were lugging 5-10kg bags, roughly 15% to 20% more than the weight they should have carried.

No more homework for classes I and II students: National Council of Educational Research and Training

Bifurcating the academic session, holding two term-end exams and rationalising the syllabus were part of the special assessment scheme for class 10 and 12 board examinations in 2021-22 announced by the <keyword id="69419" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Board-of-Secondary-Education">Central Board of Secondary Education</keyword> (<keyword id="6356155" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cbse">CBSE</keyword>) on Monday in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The term one exams will be conducted by the Board in November-December, 2021 while the second term exams will be conducted in March-April, 2022, as per an official order by <keyword id="606469" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Joseph-Emmanuel">Joseph Emmanuel</keyword>, Director (Academic) of the CBSE. The syllabus for the board examination will be rationalised, similar to that of the last academic session, and will be notified in July 2021, it said and also announced plans to make the internal assessment and project work more "credible" and "valid". At the end of the first term, the board will organise exams in a flexible schedule between November-December 2021 with a window period of 4-8 weeks for schools situated in different parts of the country and abroad. "The exams will have Multiple Choice Questions (<keyword id="110202" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="McQ">MCQ</keyword>) including case-based MCQs and MCQs on assertion-reasoning type. Duration of test will be 90 minutes and it will cover only the rationalised syllabus of the first term. The question papers will be sent by the CBSE to schools along with the marking scheme. "The exams will be conducted under the supervision of the external center superintendents and observers appointed by CBSE. The responses of students will be captured on <keyword id="6470854" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="omr">OMR</keyword> sheets which, after scanning may be directly uploaded at the CBSE portal or alternatively may be evaluated and marks obtained will be uploaded by the school on the very same day," he added. At the end of the second term, the board would organise Term <keyword id="254453" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="II">II</keyword> or year-end examination based on the rationalised syllabus. "This examination would be held around March-April 2022 at the examination centres fixed by the board. The paper will be of two hours duration and have questions of different formats (case-based/ situation based, open ended- short answer/ long answer type). "In case the situation is not conducive for normal descriptive examination a 90-minute MCQ-based exam will be conducted at the end of the second term also," Emmanuel said. The CBSE has decided that in case the situation of the pandemic improves and students are able to come to schools or centres for taking the exams, the board would conduct Term I and II examinations at schools or centres and the theory marks will be distributed equally between the two exams. "In case the situation of the pandemic forces complete closure of schools during November-December 2021, but second term exams are held at schools or centres, the Term I MCQ based examination would be done by students online or offline from home but their weightage will be reduced in the final score," he said. Similarly, if the November-December exams are conducted in schools or centres and situation is not conducive in March-April, the result will be declared on basis of first term exams. "In case the situation of the pandemic forces complete closure of schools and Board conducted Term I and II exams are taken by the candidates from home in the session 2021-22, results would be computed on the basis of their marks clubbed with internal assessment subject to the moderation or other measures to ensure validity and reliability of the assessment," Emmanuel explained. The syllabus for the academic session 2021-22 will be divided into two terms by following a systematic approach by looking into the interconnectivity of concepts and topics by the Subject Experts. "The Board will conduct examinations at the end of each term on the basis of the bifurcated syllabus. This has been done to increase the probability of having a board conducted classes 10 and 12 examinations at the end of the academic session," he said. Schools will also use alternative academic calendar and inputs from the NCERT on transacting the curriculum. "Efforts will be made to make internal assessment, practical, project work more credible and valid as per the guidelines and moderation policy to be announced by the board to ensure fair distribution of marks," he added. The announcement by the CBSE comes after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of board exams this year after much uncertainty. Last year too, exams of some subjects were not held. "The cancellation of exams also necessitated deliberations over alternative ways to look at the learning objectives as well as the conduct of the board examinations for next academic session in case the situation remains unfeasible," Emmanuel said. The board said that the decision has been arrived at following stakeholder consultations with government and private schools from across the country including the ones from remote rural areas and a majority of them have requested for the rationalisation of the syllabus, similar to last year in view of reduced time permitted for organising online classes. "The board has also considered the concerns regarding differential availability of electronic gadgets, connectivity and effectiveness of online teaching and other socio-economic issues specially with respect to students from economically weaker section and those residing in far-flung areas of the country," Emmanuel said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/aamir-khan-backed-furniture-rental-startup-furlenco-raises-1000-crore/articleshow/84132797.cms">Aamir Khan-backed furniture rental startup Furlenco raises ₹1,000 crore</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/info-edge-will-now-only-sell-shares-worth-375-crore-in-zomato-ipo/articleshow/84131589.cms">Info Edge will now only sell shares worth ₹375 crore in Zomato IPO</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/iphone-wi-fi-bug-could-prevent-you-from-connecting-to-wi-fi-networks/articleshow/84133617.cms">New iPhone Wi-Fi bug could prevent you from connecting to Wi-Fi networks</a>

Board exams 2022: CBSE announces special assessment scheme, two term-end exams to be conducted

<ul><li>The scope of learning and education is not limited to textbooks anymore. But, that’s not all. </li><li>The Ministry of Human Resource &amp; Development (MHRD) and state governments are pushing QR (Quick Response) codes-based learning systems — to help school students and teachers learn and evaluate performance in real time. </li><li>Over 500 million school textbooks now provide digital content by scanning QR codes. </li><li>In fact, <keyword id="6356155" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="cbse">CBSE</keyword> is now looking to digitize all the <keyword id="440822" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Council-of-Educational-Research">National Council of Educational Research</keyword> and Training (NCERT) books too — across first to tenth grade.</li></ul>Students now can now listen or even watch their lessons on apps, thanks to <keyword id="1488586" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-learning">digital learning</keyword> practices. While a few pre-schools are now providing their parents with VR apps that ‘show’ children early learning like body parts, geography etc, it is not relegated to the elite anymore. Many state syllabus text books also come with QR codes that will guide students to online platforms. The Ministry of Human Resource &amp; Development (MHRD) and state governments are pushing <a href="https://www.pressreader.com/india/business-standard/20200220/281621012356290">QR (Quick Response) codes-based learning systems</a> — to help school students and teachers learn and evaluate performance in real time. QR codes are an enhanced version of barcodes which contain information in a machine readable format. The code, when scanned takes the user to the landing page of the learning modules. The chapters of a textbook have up to three codes containing information. This information can be audio, video or text format. In 2017, the ministry launched project ‘Diksha’, which uses an open source platform Sunbird to produce the content. This subject-wise content is made centrally available on the application. The students can access it by scanning the patterns in the textbook on the Diksha app. The project that initially kicked off in five states is now being implemented across 28 states in India. The app has garnered over 7 million downloads since the launch and over 500 million school textbooks now provide digital content by scanning QR codes. “The way we look at it is, use technology as an enabler and see what problems we can solve through it. We have to first understand the problem we want to solve and then use technology to distribute the ability to solve ‘societal platform thinking,’” said Rohini Nilekani of <keyword id="3997740" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ekstep-foundation">EkStep Foundation</keyword>. In fact, CBSE is now looking to digitize all the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) books too — across first to tenth grade. In addition, it is also planning to create a resource pool for students to access explanation videos, powerpoint presentations and much more. "These codes will be mapped with the content of each textbook from Class 1 to 12 and will be linked with a <keyword id="1011037" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="QR-code">QR code</keyword>, which will be printed in the textbooks," CBSE officials earlier <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/news/story/ncert-textbooks-qr-codes-1293247-2018-07-23">said</a>. The larger rationale is to digitally empower both students and teachers. As of now, the initiative caters to approximately 120 million children and 4 million teachers. This content is then used in schools across states. “The content which has been developed by one state can now be consumed easily by another state. All they need to do is put a subtitle or voice over and reuse the video by putting it in their QR codes — and this is happening a lot,” Anita Karwal, chairperson of CBSE told Business Standard. The Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu governments have been experimenting with this digital system well enough. For instance, Maharashtra has already coded all textbooks in eight languages. While Tamil Nadu is looking to capitalise on 3D content for better understanding. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/dont-expect-more-than-10-salary-hike-this-year-unless-you-are-an-ai-expert/articleshow/74220754.cms">Don’t expect more than 10% salary hike this year unless you are an AI expert</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/fms-delhi-and-mdi-gurgaon-have-seen-placement-offers-as-good-as-those-at-iims/articleshow/74184992.cms">These two B-schools have seen placement offers as good as those at IIMs</a>

500 million school textbooks now provide digital content via QR codes

If you aspire to <a href="https://www.india.com/education/12th-class-students-8-easy-tips-to-become-ias-officer-in-2021-1568976/">become an IAS officer </a>in India, it is good to start your preparation when you are in high school. Even little things you do towards this end in a planned way can boost up your IAS preparation immensely in the long run. Here are some steps that will help you to become an IAS officer. Retain your books The General Studies of UPSC Civil Services Prelims of the IAS exams are usually considered to cover the syllabus of the 12th class. Hence the books and notebooks you used for your 12th class will be of great help during exam preparation. Do not discard your books and notebooks. Keep them safely after your board exams. Diversify your interests One of the most desired qualifications expected in a candidate aspiring to become an IAS officer is diverse interests. The UPSC exams expect you to have mastered the basic general knowledge of all the subjects be it social studies or science. Spend some time on a weekly basis to go through the NCERT books of lower classes right from class 6. Learn from others Get some class notes from your other friends and go through them. If you belong to science stream, get notes from arts background and vice-versa. Develop interest Develop an interest in other subjects too. This can help you prepare for the IAS exams more efficiently. Watch some videos pertaining to other subjects. This practice will help you gain a deeper knowledge across multiple domains. Read newspapers regularly Make it a regular practice to read a good newspaper. Often candidates preparing for the exams complain they lack enough time to go through newspapers. Identify the news relevant for the exams and spend some time to update yourself on the current trends and current happenings. Know the exam thoroughly Sit with some experts and gain a thorough acquaintance with the IAS exam, its syllabus, exam pattern, preparation method, and previous years question papers and all other pieces of information. Socialize Get some friends who are working with similar goals. Share your knowledge with them and be prepared to learn from them too. This will help you stay in focus and also augment your knowledge easily. Develop the habit of studying Most students can miss the boat on preparation during their college days. Many students sit for the exam preparation just before the exams. One should cultivate the habit of studying and working hard. The tips you learnt above will make your UPSE <keyword id="6439613" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ias-exam-preparation">IAS exam preparation</keyword> a much easier and organized approach. When you work hard in a systematic and regular manner, you can show good progress when compared to many others around you. The approach discussed above can certainly help you deepen your knowledge and equip yourself to face the IAS exams confidently and efficiently. The little efforts you put on a daily basis can end up giving immense results that will surprise you in the long run.

You Searched For "NCERT syllabus" and got 15 results

NCERT students of classes 6-8 to enjoy 10 ‘bagless days’, internships and field trips

BI India Bureau

New curriculum, books for grades 3-6 from 2024-25, no change in syllabus for other classes: CBSE

PTI

CBSE opposes PIL in Delhi HC seeking common syllabus across India

IANS

Bring back chapters on climate crisis, teachers body tells NCERT

IANS

Chapters on Mughals have not been dropped, NCERT chief clarifies

ANI

NCERT removes portions related to RSS, Gandhi & Godse from books

IANS

India's Education Minister defends the choice of topics deleted from CBSE syllabus

Prerna Sindwani

CBSE to rationalise syllabus for classes 9-12 to make up for time lost due to Coronavirus lockdown

PTI

NCERT develops alternative academic calendar to engage school students during lockdown

PTI

Ditch those boring NCERT books! Here's a Tablet using Gamification to make your academic syllabus a whole lot of fun

Anushree Singh

COVID-19: CBSE rationalises syllabus by up to 30 pc for classes 9 to 12 to reduce course load

PTI

No more homework for classes I and II students: National Council of Educational Research and Training

Board exams 2022: CBSE announces special assessment scheme, two term-end exams to be conducted

PTI

500 million school textbooks now provide digital content via QR codes

Prerna Sindwani

How to become IAS officer in India

BI India Bureau