New Delhi, The first IIT campus outside India will come up in Tanzania's Zanzibar, the <keyword id="6374106" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ministry-of-external-affairs" source="Orion">Ministry of External Affairs</keyword> (MEA) said on Thursday. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed for setting up of a campus of <keyword id="6356755" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iit-madras" source="Orion">IIT Madras</keyword> in Zanzibar, which is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. The agreement was inked on Wednesday in presence of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Zanzibar's President Hussein Ali Mwinyi. Jaishakar is on a visit to Tanzania. "The first IIT campus to be set up outside India will be in Zanzibar," the MEA said. It said an MoU was signed between the India's education ministry, IIT Madras and Zanzibar's ministry of education and vocational training. "This campus is reflective of the longstanding friendship between India and Tanzania and a reminder of the focus India places on building people to people ties across Africa and the Global South," the MEA said. It said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommends that "high performing Indian universities will be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries". "Recognising the strategic partnership between Tanzania and India, the relationship of educational partnership has been formalised by signing the document which provides the framework for the parties to detail out the setting up of the proposed campus of IIT Madras in <keyword id="17916122" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zanzibar-tanzania" source="Orion">Zanzibar-Tanzania</keyword>, with plans to launch programmes in October 2023," the MEA said.

IIT Madras to set up a campus in  Zanzibar in Tanzania

Board examinations will be conducted twice a year and students will get an option to retain their best score, according to the <keyword id="18508895" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="New-Curriculum-Framework" source="Orion">New Curriculum Framework</keyword> prepared by the <keyword id="263716" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ministry-of-education" source="Orion">Ministry of Education</keyword>. Aiming to make the exams "easier" rather than "high stakes", the boards have also been asked to develop capacities to be able to conduct "on-demand" examinations in due course of time. The New Curriculum Framework (NCF) document accessed by PTI also states that there should be no hard separations between <keyword id="6435122" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="arts" source="Orion">Arts</keyword> and Sciences, curricular and extra-curricular activities, and vocational and academic streams. "Board examinations should be offered at least twice a year to ensure that students have enough time and opportunity to perform well. Students can then appear for a board examination in subjects they have completed and feel ready for. "This process could be made possible through the creation of a comprehensive test item bank which can be used to create tests using suitable software. This will enable the move towards a system of on-demand examinations in the near future as described in NEP 2020," the NCF stated. The Ministry of Education has noted that in the long term, all boards should change to semester or term-based systems, where students can test in a subject as soon as they have completed the subject, which would further reduce the content load being tested in any one examination. However, this is not the first attempt at reforming <keyword id="32862" type="General" weightage="90" keywordseo="board-exams" source="Orion">board exams</keyword>. The Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) was introduced for class 10 in 2009, but was revoked in 2017 and the board reverted to the old model of year-end exams. The board exams for classes 10 and 12 were also split into two terms during the pandemic as a one-time measure, but the old format of year-end examination was resumed for the crucial exams this year. The NCF prepared by the national steering committee, headed by former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan, also suggests that the current practice of streaming into <keyword id="41551" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="science" source="Orion">Science</keyword>, Arts or Humanities, and Commerce will be replaced by a design that enables both breadth through engagement with a variety of courses across streams and depth in areas chosen by students. "There should be no hard separations between Arts and Sciences, between curricular and extra-curricular activities, and between vocational and academic streams. This will eliminate harmful hierarchies among, and silos between, different areas of learning, "it said. The Kasturirangan panel has noted that in recent decades, there has been an unfortunate trend in India to see grades 11 and 12 as merely a means to gain admission into higher education. "The curricular logic often gets twisted due to this kind of instrumental thinking. The purpose of the secondary stage of schooling, particularly grades 11 and 12, must not be imagined as a mechanism for selecting and sorting students for different programmes in higher education," it said. The NCF noted that board examinations should assess the understanding and achievement of competencies rather than focusing on months of coaching and memorisation. "These examinations should provide a valid and reliable picture of student performance as per the competencies in the curriculum. It is the responsibility of Boards of Examination to design and implement fair, reliable, and valid testing processes and instruments to assess achievement of the articulated competencies and certify students on the basis of this achievement," it added.

Board exams to be conducted twice a year now, students can retain best score

IT services and consultancy major <keyword id="6357585" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-consultancy-services" source="Orion">Tata Consultancy Services</keyword> (TCS) has partnered with Gujarat's Samagra Shiksha, <keyword id="14252886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gujarat-council-of-school-education" source="Orion">Gujarat Council of School Education</keyword> to train school students as well as teachers in new-age <keyword id="1458566" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-skills" source="Orion">digital skills</keyword> such as computational and design thinking. According to a statement by TCS on Tuesday, TCS' Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program will bring the company's flagship global initiatives - Ignite My Future and goIT - to students and teachers in Gujarat, helping build the next generation of thinkers and innovators. TCS' Ignite My Future program is a pioneering effort to empower educators around the world through a unique approach that integrates computational thinking into core subjects like math, science, literacy, social studies, and arts. The initiatives align with the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), and look to inculcate global citizenship in students, building empathy towards critical issues in society and opening their minds to become problem solvers. In addition, it aims to build awareness among students and prepare them for the new digital economy, the statement said. "We are glad to be part of an initiative that works to add value to a student's education and help them build digital skills. The collaboration with the <keyword id="6370685" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gujarat-government" source="Orion">Gujarat government</keyword> is part of our larger vision to empower people and communities. Our flagship programs - TCS Ignite My Future and goIT will be made available to 14,486 schools across Gujarat," Balaji Ganapathy, Global Head, of Corporate Social Responsibility, at TCS, was quoted in the statement. "Through this teaching-learning process, we look forward to providing regional, national, and global platforms for teachers and students to showcase some of their notable efforts in their journey of computational thinking and design thinking. We are also looking to identify and build an expert team of teachers for the State Education Department to use as a resource team for the future," Balaji Ganapathy added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/tata-motors-to-hike-prices-of-commercial-vehicles-by-up-to-2-from-january/articleshow/96193372.cms" style="">Tata Motors to hike prices of commercial vehicles by up to 2% from January</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/five-women-newsmakers-in-2022-in-india-droupadi-murmu-madhabi-puri-buch-samantha-ruth-prabhu-in-the-list/slidelist/96191677.cms" style="">Droupadi Murmu, Madhabi Puri Buch, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and more: Five women newsmakers of 2022</a>

TCS partners with Gujarat government to impart digital skills in schools

A nationwide change will take place in the higher education system, especially in undergraduate courses as language will cease to be a barrier in BA, B.Com, and B.Sc courses. Students will be able to graduate in their mother tongue. In view of the same, preparations have begun to make the course books available in languages like Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Tamil and Telugu among others. The <keyword id="56459" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="university-grants-commission" source="Orion">University Grants Commission</keyword> (<keyword id="44171" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ugc" source="Orion">UGC</keyword>), under an initiative by the <keyword id="10025694" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="union-ministry-of-education" source="Orion">Union Ministry of Education</keyword>, is engaging with publishers to translate English textbooks to various Indian languages. Pearson India, Narosa Publishers, Viva Books, S. Chand Publishers, Vikas Publishing, New Age Publishers, Mahavir Publications, Universities Press and Taxmann Publications are some of the major publications involved in the process. Along with these, representatives of <keyword id="118548" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="oxford-university-press" source="Orion">Oxford University Press</keyword>, Orient Blackswan and Elsevier also participated in the high-level meeting. The UGC recently held discussions with representatives of Wiley India, Springer Nature, Taylor &amp; Francis, Cambridge University Press India, Cengage India and McGraw Hill, India on bringing out undergraduate English textbooks in Indian languages. UGC, as a part of NEP 2020, is working towards getting the most popular textbooks translated for UG programmes in higher education institutions across the country in the 12 Indian languages. UGC Chairman Professor M. Jagadesh Kumar told IANS that the <keyword id="6355822" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="commission" source="Orion">Commission</keyword> will act as a nodal agency to provide help and support to the publishers with regard to identification of textbooks, translation tools and editing experts so that the books can be made affordable in the digital format. He added that the Commission will proceed further in two ways, wherein popular textbooks of the programmes will be identified and translated and simultaneously, Indian authors will be encouraged to write the textbooks in Indian languages for non-technical subjects. Kumar was all praise for the publishers who participated in the mission and said that the Commission intends to get several books translated within six to twelve months, for which it has constituted an apex committee to prepare a road map and work towards the goal. Kumar said that the focus will be on the translation of existing textbooks which will later be extended to postgraduate programmes. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/i-am-glad-i-fd-up-so-much-in-life-that-it-is-content-now-says-ankur-warikoo/articleshow/96282722.cms">I am glad I F**%*D up so much in life that it is content now says Ankur Warikoo</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/tech-layoffs-surpass-great-recession-levels-set-to-get-worse-in-early-2023/articleshow/96314678.cms">Tech layoffs surpass Great Recession levels, set to get worse in early 2023</a>

UGC prepares ground for Bachelor's exams in 12 Indian languages

With only weeks from the most important UN climate event or COP27 happening in Egypt's coastal city of Sharm El-Sheikh amid a growing realisation that the impact of climate change is here and the world needs to come together to act now, <keyword id="105681" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IANS" source="Orion">IANS</keyword> takes a look about how <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s updated climate plan, comprising 45 per cent reduction in emissions intensity by 2030, adds to set a good momentum. According to a new study published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications and authored by researchers at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), who modelled the Indian power sector transition in a state-wide resolution on an hourly timescale up to 2050 for the first-time, the authors estimated that the cost of electricity can come down by 40 per cent. Solar will become cheaper to be one-fifth of coal by 2030 and one-tenth of it by 2050. They say coal plants will be at a risk of becoming stranded during the transition period as they have very low capacity factors. And coal can phase out from some of the major coal dependent states like <keyword id="6357713" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="uttar-pradesh" source="Orion">Uttar Pradesh</keyword>, Odisha, West Bengal, <keyword id="13126" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="maharashtra" source="Orion">Maharashtra</keyword>, Gujarat and Jharkhand by 2040. "Moving to solar is the obvious choice for India. Not just the cost of solar, the cost of battery storage is expected to drop further making it even easier for grid balancing and managing peak demand. Our study shows that any new investments in fossil fuel based thermal power capacity today is economically unviable and could be a burden for a future flexible power system," Manish Ram, an author of the study, told IANS. The recent slew of policies show that India is serious about meeting its 2030 decadal targets, which can set the pathway for its 2070 net-zero decarbonisation, pledged by Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="Orion">Narendra Modi</keyword> in November at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, UK. The draft National Electricity Plan 2022 (NEP2022) sees significant increase in installed solar power capacity by 2027, 2030, and a downward revision of installed coal capacity when compared to Central Electricity Authority's (CEA) Optimal Generation Capacity Mix report that was released in 2020. According to NEP22, solar targets for 2032 have increased by 18 per cent compared to India's earlier estimates. India also increased its battery storage target from 27GW of four-hour storage to 51GW of five-hour storage. Whereas 2031-32 installed coal capacity was reduced by 18GW when compared to CEA's Optimal Generation Capacity Mix 2029-30 report released in 2020. According to the International Energy Agency's 2021 India Energy Outlook, India is on track to reach net-zero emissions beyond the modelling horizon -- in the mid of 2060s. R.R. Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute, said, "We should be focussing on 2030 instead of net-zero in the long run. While net-zero is of course part of the discourse now, it needs to be seen from the context of strategic and sectoral decarbonisation policies, which are part of the long-term strategy and India is also moving in that direction. "Further enhancement of the NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) should await the outcome of the global stocktake, which is about a year away." While there seems to be a positive environment for India's decarbonisation with the political and policy leadership on the front, the market momentum cannot be ignored and it will drive and accelerate this pickup. A CEEW-IEA report analysed that there is a 300 per cent surge in the total value of acquisitions in India's renewable energy sector in the first 10 months of 2021, this signals an enhanced appetite for companies to invest in climate-friendly technologies. Big businesses like Adani and Reliance are betting big on clean energy as the next big pillars of their business portfolios, setting the trends for market and capital. Global energy think tank Ember released its latest analysis last week, showing that India by August had achieved two-thirds of its end of year 175 GW renewable target. Gujarat joined Telangana, Rajasthan and <keyword id="6354780" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="karnataka" source="Orion">Karnataka</keyword> in achieving this target. Four states account for the majority of the shortfall, namely Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and <keyword id="6355554" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="madhya-pradesh" source="Orion">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>. The analysis shows that solar is becoming mainstream in India. It has experienced strong solar growth in 2022, with new solar installations rising by 22 per cent in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period last year. With the UNFCCC COP27 coming up in November, India's Environment Ministry is in the middle of developing its long-term strategy, which will give shape and contours to the net-zero target by 2070. Experts told IANS while internationally India's NDCs may not seem ambitious enough, domestically it is going much further and keeping the eye on how the next decade will chart the path for 2070.

India 2030 climate targets set momentum ahead of COP27

<ul><li>India’s <keyword id="12134566" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-budget-2022" source="Orion">Union Budget 2022</keyword> is expected to focus more on the learning loss due to COVID-19, and the implementation of the new National Educational Policy.</li><li>Last year, the budget allocation for the education sector was ₹93,224 crore, constituted 2.67% of the central government’s estimated budget for 2021-22.</li><li>Here’s what we can expect from the Union <keyword id="12134563" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget-2022-23" source="Orion">Budget 2022-23</keyword>.</li></ul>India’s Union <keyword id="10547300" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget-2022" source="Orion">Budget 2022</keyword>, which will be presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, is expected to focus more on the learning loss due to COVID-19, and implementation of the new National Educational Policy. Last year, the budget allocation for the education sector was ₹93,224 crore, which was ₹6,000 less than the previous year, constituted 2.67% of the central government’s estimated budget for 2021-22. <div type="image" title="Education sector budget over last five years" msid="89176503" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Education sector budget over last five years&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> According to the Economic Survey 2020-21, the expenditure on education by the union government as a proportion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been around 3% between 2014-15 to 2018-19. The National Education Policy (NEP), 1968 recommended the spending on education to be 6% of the GDP. NEP 2020 has reaffirmed this recommendation. However, the experts expect this percentage (2.67%) to go up to at least 8-9% this year. “At least 8-9% of GDP should be put aside for education. More allocation isn't only necessary at primary, secondary and higher education but, we need to also look at schemes for skilling our youth that are outside of the education system and make them eligible for employment opportunities currently there,” said Prateek Shukla, cofounder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Masai School. Here’s what we can expect from the Union Budget 2022-23 — 1. Increase in spending on teachers’ training The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the teaching mode from offline to online, which was difficult for some teachers to cope with the latest technology. Experts say that the government should draw their attention towards the teachers training programmes, as there is a massive need for the educators to be well versed with the latest technologies. Budget allocation to National Education Mission (NEM) in 2021-22, which consists of — Samagra Shiksha and teacher training and adult education, was ₹31,300 crore — a 2% decrease as compared to 2019-20. The Budget 2021-22 allocated to teachers training and adult education was ₹250 crore. “There is a gap in faculty training. We need to empower our experienced educators to understand new tools and techniques. It is important now to allocate budgets toward upskilling the existing instructors and training of fresher teachers, ensuring qualitative pedagogy. Further, there is a need to reimagine effective assessments focused on using digital methods and amplifying their benefits," said Ravi Panchanadan, managing director (MD) and CEO of Manipal Global Education Services (MaGE). Puneet K, President of the Narayana Group said, “There is an urgent need to raise the quality of our teachers, at the level of subject knowledge and in the use of technology and other tools for teaching. Furthermore, implementing the NEP requires a fundamental shift in the mindset of teachers towards engagement rather than instruction. This can only be achieved through a significant investment of time, effort, and funds on teacher upskilling. The government must consider this in its budgetary allocations.” 2. Access to smart devices like laptops, smartphones at subsidised prices Shifting of classes to online mode created a huge requirement for laptops and smartphones. A National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) survey conducted in August 2020 revealed that at least 27% students in India did not have access to smart devices, which ultimately led to learning loss during the COVID-19 lockdown. According to a PRS India report, the Central government shared ₹818 crore across states and union territories to promote online learning. The Economic Survey 2020-21 observes that, as of October 2020, the percentage of students in government and private schools owning a smartphone increased from 36.5% in 2018 to 61.8% in 2020 in rural India. Experts believe that this year the government should roll out more initiatives, which can help students to get access to laptops and smartphones at subsidised rates because the future is online and the online classes will continue even after the pandemic comes to an end. “While we have ensured continuity, it is mainly limited to city limits due to erratic digital connectivity, which must be fixed on a war footing. Along with accessible internet, it is also vital to ensure that learners in need of digital assets are supported. Scholarships or subsidies to purchase laptops, smartphones, and other tech requirements, including more imaginative ways to utilise old digital assets, need to be explored, further,” said Panchanadan of MaGe. 3. Bring more focus on the edtech sector The edtech sector in India has been exponentially growing especially during the pandemic when the entire world moved towards digitalisation. The industry, which attracted a lot of private players like Byju’s, Vedantu, UpGrad and many more, is poised to become a $30 billion in size in the next ten years, according to a report by advisory firm RBSA Advisors <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/indian-edtech-industrys-market-size-to-reach-30-billion-in-10-years-report/articleshow/82295097.cms">cited</a> by the Economic Times. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, on January 3, 2022, said that the Ministry of Education is in talks with the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology to work out a common policy to regulate the edtech sector in India as it has been gaining traction from the past two years. The edtech players in the market are expecting the Budget 2022-23 to have higher focus on the edtech sector and are also expecting to bring down the GST slab on educational services. “The 2022 budget is expected to have a higher focus on the edtech sector as a whole, with significant investments to enhance greater access to robust and improved digital infrastructure. The GST for educational services is expected to be brought down to 5% from the existing 18%, to increase accessibility and feasibility for students from lower and middle-class families. With greater internet penetration, the upcoming budget is expected to announce various initiatives to accelerate digital innovation in the edtech sector,” said Vaibhav Singh, co-founder of Leap Scholar, an online platform which provides guidance and coaching for study abroad. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2022-needs-to-maximise-on-lithium-ion-battery-manufacturing-for-rising-ev-demand/articleshow/89174199.cms">Budget 2022 needs to boost lithium-ion battery manufacturing for rising EV demand</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/railways-stocks-rally-on-expectation-of-strong-budget-allocation-to-the-sector/articleshow/89173796.cms">Railway stocks have been buzzing for the last one month on expectation of significant budget allocation</a>

Indian education sector’s budget wishlist – Subsidised access to laptops and smartphones, focus on edtech

Union minister <keyword id="6612" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smriti-Irani">Smriti Irani</keyword> on Wednesday said the new National Education Policy will lead to a transformative restructuring of education in India that will encompass every stage of learning. The former HRD minister noted that she was part of the extensive exercise in 2015. "#NEP2020 is outcome of the most exhaustive consultations carried out by GOI under PM @narendramodi Ji's leadership. Honoured to be part of the extensive exercise initiated in 2015 and thankful to @PrakashJavdekar Ji &amp; @DrRPNishank Ji for supplementing the efforts of @HRDMinistry," she said in a tweet. The Union Cabinet approved <keyword id="9464889" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-national-education-policy">the National Education Policy</keyword> (NEP) 2020 on Wednesday. The education policy, framed in 1986, was last revised in 1992. A new education policy was part of <keyword id="1205297" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Bharatiya-Janata-Party">the Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword>'s manifesto ahead of the 2014 general election. The K Kasturirangan panel had submitted the draft of the new NEP to <keyword id="1026157" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Human-Resource-Development">Union Human Resource Development</keyword> Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' when he took charge last year. The drafting experts also took into account the report of a panel headed by former cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian and formed by the HRD Ministry when it was headed by Irani. In a series of tweets, Irani lauded the government's efforts in formulation of the policy. "Grateful to PM @narendramodi Ji &amp; Cabinet for approving National Education Policy 2020 - a transformative restructuring of Education in India encompassing every stage of learning from early education to higher education with greater emphasis on technology &amp; digitisation. #NEP2020," she said in a tweet. "Laying emphasis on education in early years, #NEP2020 provisions for quality early childhood care &amp; education for children between 3-6 years through Anganwadis &amp; Schooling. @WCDMinistry with @HRDMinistry &amp; other line Ministries will strive to achieve the aim of ECCE by 2030," the Women and Child Development minister said. Noting that the gender inclusion fund to be created under the policy is an important feature to ensure no child is devoid of education due to birth or background, she said it will provide quality education for all girls as well as transgender students, an important step towards inclusive education. A single regulator for higher education institutions, multiple entry and exit options in degree courses, discontinuation of M.Phil programmes, low stakes board exams, common entrance exams for universities are among the highlights of the NEP. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/slums-in-mumbai-are-showing-signs-of-herd-immunity-but-it-is-too-soon-to-conclude/articleshow/77238721.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">The slums in India's financial capital are showing signs of herd immunity but it is too soon to conclude</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/india-revamps-its-education-policy-after-34-years-scraps-mphil-proposes-vocational-courses-from-class-6-ug-colleges-to-become-autonomous/articleshow/77241851.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">India revamps its education policy after 34 years — scraps MPhil, proposes vocational courses from class 6, UG colleges to become autonomous</a>

New education policy will lead to transformative restructuring of education in India, says union minister Smriti Irani

<ul><li>The Prime Minister said that the new 'mantra' for new-age learning is '<keyword id="795595" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="engage">Engage</keyword>, Explore, Experience, Express, and Excel'.</li><li>He was speaking at a two-day conclave on 'School Education in 21st Century' under the new National Education policy 2020. </li></ul>Emphasising on the need to impart learning in a language that a student understands, Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> on Friday asked students to engage in <keyword id="2394586" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="critical-thinking">critical thinking</keyword> and study new things. The Prime Minister said that the new 'mantra' for new-age learning is 'Engage, Explore, Experience, Express, and Excel'. He was speaking at a two-day conclave on 'School Education in 21st Century' under the new National Education policy 2020. "We have to take students forward in the 21st century with skills of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, curiosity and communication." He emphasised that a subject's study should be undertaken in a language a student understands easily. That was the reason why many countries impart primary education in the children's mother tongue. "Education up to Class 5 should be in one's mother tongue only, but it does not mean that no other languages can be taught," Modi said. The Prime Minister said that a marksheet had become a "mental pressure sheet" for the children, and the NEP 2020 aimed to remove this pressure. Also, teachers will have to learn and also unlearn many things under the new NEP, he added. He said that in a week's time, the Union government had got around 15 lakh feedbacks on how to implement the new education policy. The Prime Minister expressed happiness about the enthusiasm of students and asked them to develop mathematical and scientific skills, especially in the field of robotics and data sciences as the future learning will depend more on Artificial Intelligence. He said that the new education policy is the new hope for the future while the previous policy was based on exam marks and to certain streams. However, the new NEP will focus on learning, he added. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/india-reports-96760-new-coronavirus-cases-in-last-24-hours/articleshow/78051725.cms">India reports 96,760 new coronavirus cases — the biggest single-day addition by any country since the pandemic began</a>

PM Modi advises students to engage in critical thinking

Dhekiajuli (Assam), Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> on Sunday pitched for setting up at least one <keyword id="27558" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Medical-college">medical college</keyword> and a technical institution in each state that will impart <keyword id="6355445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="education">education</keyword> in the native language. He was addressing a gathering after launching 'Assam Mala' scheme to upgrade state highways and laying the foundation for two medical colleges. "There is no dearth of talent in the villages and far-flung areas. I have a daring dream of each state having at least one medical college and a technical institution imparting education in the local language," he said, promising setting up such institutions in Assam after the assembly elections. He said this will improve medical services in remote areas as more and more doctors will be able to reach out to people in their mother tongue and understand their problems. The two medical college and hospitals will come up in Biswanath and Charaideo districts. In India, teaching and learning have largely been in a foreign language but that could change with the advent of the <keyword id="361871" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Education-Policy">National Education Policy</keyword> (NEP) 2020. "Taking inspiration from the National Education Policy, it will now be tried to teach all technical courses including medical, engineering in mother tongue," <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> had tweeted after the unveiling of the NEP. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/heres-why-you-arent-being-able-to-apply-for-brookfield-reit-ipo-through-zerodha-groww-angel-broking-and-other-stockbroking-apps/articleshow/80686457.cms">Here's why you aren't being able to apply for Brookfield REIT IPO through Zerodha, Groww and other stockbroking apps</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/analysts-explain-why-indigo-paints-shares-fell-with-a-thud-just-like-burger-king-and-mrs-bectors-and-what-to-do-with-it-now/articleshow/80704864.cms">Indigo Paints joins the league of Burger King and Bector's — frenzied IPOs that fizzled out</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-india-stack-that-bill-gates-and-sundar-pichai-so-love-is-set-to-get-much-bigger-thanks-to-the-indian-governments-new-blockchain-strategy/articleshow/80718403.cms">The India stack that Bill Gates and Sundar Pichai so love is set to get much bigger – thanks to the Indian government’s new blockchain strategy</a>

PM Modi pitched to set up one medical college, tech institute in each state to teach in mother tongue

The new National Education Policy evoked mixed reactions among academicians on Wednesday with some hailing it as a "groundbreaking" action plan that promotes holistic and multi-disciplinary learning and others arguing that it will pave the way for privatisation of education. A <keyword id="6751919" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="single-regulator">single regulator</keyword> for higher education institutions, multiple entry and exit options in degree courses, discontinuation of M.Phil programmes, low stakes board exams, common entrance exams for universities are among the highlights of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. Former Delhi University vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh, who was an official reviewer of the document when it was being formulated, said the policy lays down the road map pretty nicely. The policy has a good vision for school education, which is the foundation for higher education, he said. "They have talked about experiential learning which is so useful. Unless you improve school education, you cannot improve higher education. The concept of transciplinarity, hands on experience, breaking down of barriers between subjects and connecting them to society are some of the key points in the policy. This is the best chance of universities to create curricula around the challenges of society," he said. Elaborating with an example, he said there is a discipline in Mathematics called fluid dynamics but not one student in this country has any idea how to use fluid dynamics and computer science to create fighter jets and they are imported all the time. "At last, we have found a document which at least gives us a chance," he added. Singh also said that he has not been extremely enthused about regulators and feel they "are disabling you all the time". "They make you do silly things. They are talking about having a single regulator because otherwise things are not working well. I believe it's good. They will need a lot of good people. I am hoping that it will restore the autonomy of the varsities. Hopefully they will not prescribe too much," he said. Jamia Millia Islamia vice-chancellor Najma Akhtar called the NEP "groundbreaking" and said the higher education in India will now be holistic and multi-disciplinary with a shared focus on Science, Arts and Humanities. "A single regulator for all higher educational institutions is a great idea as it will bring coherence of approach and purpose. It will realise the vision of education in India," she added. The approval of new National Education Policy (NEP) by the government is a positive step forward, said Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) VC M Jagadesh Kumar. "NEP is the outcome of an extensive, highly participatory and inclusive consultation process. NEP aims at meeting the existing challenges in education and build the foundation of India''s promising future.We look forward to its implementation," he added. Delhi University professor Rahul Yadav welcomed the policy, and said it talks about multiple entry and exit options and provides choices to students, and does not put any burden on them. He was also enthused about the fact that the policy seeks to promote a multi-disciplinary approach and does not seek to restrict students to just humanities or science. Delhi University professor Naveen Gaur, however, said the policy has just "jazzier things" to say and even though it says that the Higher Education Commission of India will be a single regulator, it will have four verticals, which means that one vertical will be responsible for policy formulation and another for funding which is dangerous. He also said that the policy paves the way for entry of foreign universities in India, without any regulations, which can be dangerous for the education sector. The professor argued that the policy will take away the autonomy of institutions rather than making them more autonomous. Jamia Teachers' Association secretary Majid Jamil questioned the timing of bringing the policy. "At a time when there is <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic, what was the need to hurry? The policy talks about online learning and virtual labs but there is no substitute to face-to-face learning. It also talks about four-year undergraduate programme, something which was implemented in Delhi University, but was met with opposition and was subsequently withdrawn. We do not agree with it," Jamil added. Delhi University's Academics for Action and Development (AAD), a teachers' body, called the NEP a policy of "tall ends with little means''. For instance, Indian has presently 18 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and NEP sets the goal of 50 per cent GER by 2035, it said. "How can this be achieved -- more than double of GER in next 15 years? NEP is also talking of internationalisation in the same vein and will only facilitate the entry of the foreign universities to tap the Indian educational market for their own benefits. This is a "return of Macaulay" -- building an education system in the interest of foreigners and wealthy ones," it said, referring to British officer Thomas Babington Macaulay. The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) said it was opposed to the proposal to hand over every higher educational institution to a Board of Governors, which will enjoy all powers hitherto vested in the governing authorities of colleges and universities as well as the UGC and other regulating bodies. "Autonomy has been redefined as the freedom to optimise. The empowerment of the BoG hand in hand with redefined autonomy is in parallel with the neo-liberal reforms that deregulated businesses. It amounts to converting/handing over education as a business to corporate houses," it said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/slums-in-mumbai-are-showing-signs-of-herd-immunity-but-it-is-too-soon-to-conclude/articleshow/77238721.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">The slums in India's financial capital are showing signs of herd immunity but it is too soon to conclude</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/india-revamps-its-education-policy-after-34-years-scraps-mphil-proposes-vocational-courses-from-class-6-ug-colleges-to-become-autonomous/articleshow/77241851.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">India revamps its education policy after 34 years — scraps MPhil, proposes vocational courses from class 6, UG colleges to become autonomous</a>

National Education Policy evokes mixed reactions among academicians

<ul><li>To reduce the crowd, markets and shops will be allowed to stay open for two additional hours till 9 pm from tomorrow.</li><li>Local weekly bazaars, including that of animals, will also be allowed to reopen outside containment zones.</li><li>Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed for students and regular class activity up to October 31, 2020. </li></ul>The Uddhav Thackeray government on October 14 announced new guidelines to follow under ‘Mission Begin Again’ and decided to allow metro trains in Mumbai to operate from October 15 in a phased manner. The government has decided to do away with stamping of indelible ink for domestic passengers arriving at different airports after COVID-19 testing. Health check up and stamping of passengers at railway stations will also be stopped. New unlock guidelines: What is allowed now <ul><li>Marriage, other personal family functions, and related gatherings with the number of guests not exceeding 50 will continue to be allowed. </li><li>Funeral/last rites related gatherings with the number of persons not exceeding 20 will continue to be allowed. </li><li>Gardens, parks, and public open spaces for recreational purposes will continue to be open. </li><li>Business to Business (B2B) Exhibitions will be permitted to open in areas outside containment zones from October 15.</li><li>The government allowed reopening of all state-run and private libraries from Thursday following COVID-19 protocols, as per the<a href="https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mission-begin-again-full-list-of-guidelines-issued-by-maharashtra-govt-on-october-15"> guidelines issued.</a> </li><li>Local weekly bazaars, including that of animals, will also be allowed to reopen outside containment zones. </li></ul><ul><li>With an aim to reduce the crowd, markets and shops will be allowed to remain open for two additional hours till 9 pm from tomorrow. </li><li> Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed for students and regular class activity up to October 31, 2020. </li></ul>Maharashtra remains the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/checkout-coronavirus-cases-and-deaths-numbers-in-india-state-wise/articleshow/78636826.cms">worst-affected COVID-19 state </a>in the country with over 15 lakh coronavirus cases. <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/cabinet-approves-stars-project-in-6-states-under-nep-2020-to-strengthen-school-education-system/articleshow/78661166.cms">Cabinet approves 'STARS' project in 6 states under NEP 2020 to strengthen school education system</a>

Maharashtra allows metro services, weekly market and business exhibitions  to resume from tomorrow, schools to remain shut

<ul><li>In its efforts to step up its India play and accelerate its growth plans to become the global digital powerhouse of learning, <keyword id="152222" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="pearson" source="Orion">Pearson</keyword> recently announced its first brand ambassador, <keyword id="2618061" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vicky-kaushal" source="Orion">Vicky Kaushal</keyword>.</li><li>We spoke to <keyword id="847611" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="siddharth-banerjee" source="Orion">Siddharth Banerjee</keyword>, Managing Director &amp; SVP, India &amp; Asia, Pearson to discuss the idea behind choosing Vicky Kaushal as the face of the company, trends in the education sector and Banerjee’s larger vision for the company.</li></ul>When the pandemic hit, digital education exploded across the world and with the introduction of National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020, which was widely acknowledged as a transformational move, newer ways of teaching and learning emerged in our country. It created several opportunities for learning and EdTech platforms to rise to the forefront. Learners have also slowly and steadily accepted <keyword id="6379645" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-education" source="Orion">online education</keyword>. UK-based education and publishing major Pearson has been on a mission to make learning more accessible to everyone by enabling collaboration between all the stakeholders in the education sector and removing the digital divide in India. It is aiming to construct a vibrant educational ecosystem in our country, strengthen its direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategy and direct relationship with the higher education ecosystem across the APAC region. So, to discuss what lies ahead, Advertising and Media caught up with Siddharth Banerjee, Managing Director &amp; SVP, India &amp; Asia, Pearson. We tried to understand the brand’s marketing strategy behind onboarding Vicky Kaushal, the future of online <keyword id="138878" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="education-in-india" source="Orion">education in India</keyword>, his larger vision and a lot more. Q. Can you tell us how 2021 was for <keyword id="530551" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pearson-india" source="Orion">Pearson India</keyword> and for the education sector? 2021 has proved to be a transformational one for the education and learning sector. We have seen increased investments in education and technology, and major focus on online/blended modes of teaching and learning, and new business models being developed in India - all of which provides a universe of choices to learners and helps create a diverse array of learning environments. 2021 was also a high action year for Pearson India as we ensured the delivery of our revenue plans, launched innovative products, initiated the launch of a new technology centre in India and levelled up our conversations with some of the critical stakeholders across the Indian Higher Education spectrum, all while building a high performing teamwork culture within the organization. Besides an array of partnerships, we also launched the Pearson e-Library 2.0, a comprehensive 360º digital learning platform that gives access to over 4000+ titles, gaining great response from some of India’s leading business schools and engineering colleges registering on the platform. Q. You have recently onboarded a brand ambassador. Firstly, why did you think now was the right time for the company and what was the thought behind choosing Vicky Kaushal? What are you eyeing to achieve from this partnership? Globally, Pearson’s focus is on how we can strengthen our digital-first proposition and Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) strategy to build a long-term, direct relationship with millions of learners across the globe. India is a strategic growth market for Pearson and therefore it is essential for us to establish a stronger brand connect here. Vicky Kaushal, besides being a great actor, is also one of the most popular youth icons in the country today, an inspiration for young learners to dream big and chart their own journey and hence, he’s a great storyteller for us, at Pearson India. In addition, we are going to work with study tubers, sports icons and other relevant storytellers to strengthen our brand connect with our audience. Q. Now that you have your brand ambassador, you have clearly upped your marketing budget. Which advertising medium will get your lion's share from this budget? Pearson is entering into a new era of digital and D2C with an aim of building a stronger connect with the youth. Social Media is emerging as the most active driver of brand choice amongst the youth today. It has become important for brands to mine ‘closer-to-life’ stories on social for building authentic connections with the audience. Social media &amp; PR will be key channels for us to reach out and connect with a wider audience. Q. What is your larger marketing strategy? How will your messaging change now that you have a new brand ambassador onboard? Given our larger D2C approach, the overall marketing strategy revolves around creating a learner-centric narrative and enabling digital transformation of our offerings, which will motivate learners to focus on quality content and right outcomes. While specific details will be revealed closer to the initiation of campaigns , the aim would be to inspire students to prepare with Pearson and put in their best efforts. Q. On a larger level, what are some of the trends that you are expecting to see in the Education sector? The Indian education sector is currently at the brink of a momentous digital transformation and based on some of my recent interactions with key stakeholders in the sector, here are some important trends will reshape the overall education landscape: <ul><li>The future of education will be led by learners: No-one-size-fits-all approach and hyper personalization, enabled by data analytics and artificial intelligence, to meet the unique needs of every learner will drive fresher innovations.</li><li>Technology will enable the rise of a more intuitive teacher who has access to tools to create a more conducive learning environment for each student, thus helping both, the teacher and the taught.</li><li>Imagining Education &amp; Learning in the Metaverse: Personalized, immersive, and engaging content will remain to be key for a robust education system and what’s more exciting are the ways in which this content will be consumed, especially with the emergence of AR/VR technologies.</li><li>With NEP being a potential game changer, there will also be greater collaboration between all the stakeholders in the education sector towards removing the digital divide – thus addressing the age-old debate of access of education in India.</li><li>An era of massive partnerships for the Education Ecosystem in India: Greater participation of organisations from different industries in the sector as they look to invest in building customised courses to help develop industry-specific technical skills and expertise.</li></ul>Q. How has the consumer behaviour in the Education industry changed after the pandemic? Like most sectors, the Education sector has undergone a massive digital transformation in the wake of the pandemic, which has led to a significant shift in consumer behavior. Hybrid learning models have become popular, with around 94% children, globally, engaged in some kind of online or blended learning. At Pearson, we’re committed to being at the forefront of the rapidly growing and changing learning needs, which is why we reach out to learners, educators, employers and working professionals to identify major trends in the education sector through our annual <a href="https://plc.pearson.com/en-US/future-learning/global-learner-survey">Pearson Global Learner Survey</a>. Some of the key trends that came up in 2021 show: <ul><li>The clash of COVID-19 with the world’s increasing reliance on technology has finally pulled education systems fully into the digital age.</li><li>Learners want to take control of their learning and demand innovative modes of education which provide an anytime, anywhere access model.</li><li>Focus on new, innovative, and practical skills has increased; 88% of students want colleges to teach career-oriented skills to prepare them for the 21st century workplace.</li><li>Learners are concerned about how COVID is widening the gap between the haves and have nots, especially for younger students.</li><li>Nearly 90% of world’s women are taking action to change their career paths and 81% are using the pandemic as an opportunity to re-evaluate their lives and careers.</li></ul>Q. Can you tell us what would be some of your focus areas in 2022? What is your larger vision for Pearson India? As the global digital powerhouse of learning, our larger vision is to become the preferred partner of choice for learners, educators and government and provide world-class content, tech-based learning solutions and tools to contribute towards an outcome-based learning framework in India. In order to do this, we need to address the challenges of affordable access, quality learning, and employability, in the education ecosystem which is why we will focus on (1) Strengthening our product portfolio and DTC proposition. Naturally, this will require a lot of support and collaboration from other stakeholders in the market and hence we’ll look at (2) Creating meaningful partnerships in the education ecosystem to jointly build learning solutions. The success of this will rely on the strength of our technology backbone, which is why, we will (3) Enhance process and operations by focusing on Tech and Innovation and, lastly, but importantly, all of these will be built upon a (4) Strong foundation of our people, and high performing and collaborative teamwork and culture within the organization.

Pearson’s vision is to become the preferred partner of choice for learners, educators and the government: Siddharth Banerjee

<ul><li>The Chinese government is forcing the $100 billion private tutoring and online <keyword id="6361862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="education-sector">education sector</keyword> to go non-profit.</li><li>The move is also said to be in line with Chinese president’s Xi Jinping’s top priority at the moment — boosting the declining birth rate in <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>.</li><li>India may turn out to be a possible beneficiary of China’s latest regulation on the <keyword id="1464841" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Edtech">edtech</keyword> industry.</li></ul>The government of China has pulled the rug from the edtech industry, with its latest regulation. The country is now forcing its $100 billion private tutoring and online education sector to go non-profit. To make matters worse, the Chinese government has also deprived the edtech companies from going public, taking foreign capital or issuing stocks if already public. This has shut all doors for these companies to make any form of capital and for investors to get their desired exits. Investors like Warburg Pincus, Temasek, General Insurance Corporation (GIC), Sequoia Capital, SoftBank, Tiger Global and many others have been affected by this decision, apart from the edtech startups that are operational in the country. Top Chinese edtech startups and their investors: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Chinese edtech firms </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Investors </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Yuanfudao </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">DST, CPE, Temasek, Trustbridge </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Huohua Siwei </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Trustbridge, GSR, GGV, Tencent, Carlyle, Sequoia China </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Zuoyebang </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sequoia China, SoftBank Vision Fund, FountainVest, Tiger Global </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Zhangmen </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Shunwei Capital, Warburg Pincus, CMC Capital </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Knowbox </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TAL Education Group, Bertelsmann Asia Investments, Alibaba Group </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iTutorGroup </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Alibaba Capital Partners, Qiming Venture Partners </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Huike </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">China Oceanwide, Qianhe Capital, Fosun RZ Capital </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hujiang </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Minsheng Investment Group, Baidu </td></tr></tbody></table> According to a Bloomberg<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-23/from-tiger-to-temasek-investors-scarred-by-china-edtech-assault"> report</a>, the nationwide crackdown on edtech actually stems out of a deeper backlash against the new-age educational businesses. The excessive tutoring not only torments youth, but also burdens parents with expensive fees, the report added. The edtech segment has also been accused of causing social inequalities. Edtech is allegedly triggering a social inequality among urban and rural citizens of China by providing additional coaching to those who can afford it. This especially has a greater impact in tutoring students for China’s university entrance exam, gaokao, according to media reports. The nine-hour-long test actually determines whether a student will attend an undergraduate institution or not. The test results will also determine the college a student can attend. Since there are no other alternatives in China, gaokao has turned out to be a really high stakes exam. Therefore, it is <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2097512/gaokao-how-one-exam-can-set-course-students-life-china">seen</a> as one of the most brutal educational assessments in the world. According to a report by news and analysis platform Protocol, Chinese families are willing to shell out an average of 11% of their annual family expenses for their Children’s future success. This does create inequalities among those who cannot afford to pay for additional education systems. Besides this, the policy is said to be in line with Chinese president’s Xi Jingping’s top priority at the moment — boosting the declining birth rate in China. Affordable education is likely to promote people to have more than one child. China’s latest regulation on edtech: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Companies and institution that teach the school curriculum must go non-profit </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">These institutions cannot pursue an IPO or raise any foreign capital </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Listed companies will not be able to issue stock or raise money in stock market </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Foreign companies cannot acquire or hold shares in school tutoring companies </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">All vacation and holiday curriculum tutoring is prohibited </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Online curriculum for kids below six years of age in banned </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Companies cannot teach foreign curriculum or hire foreigners </td></tr></tbody></table> This is not the first time that the Chinese government has shown interest in the nation's edtech industry. On March 31 this year, China’s Minister of Education Chen Baosheng <a href="http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A06/s3321/202104/t20210401_523901.html">announced</a> that the education department should limit the timings for online learning to ensure that primary and secondary school students get enough sleep. The ministry added that all live online broadcasting training activities should end no later than 9 p.m. Chinese crackdown a boon for Indian edtech? China is the largest education market in the world, which has attracted venture capital, from all over the globe, over the last few years. Out of the 28 edtech unicorns in the world, eight are from China as per a market intelligence firm Holon IQ <a href="https://www.holoniq.com/edtech-unicorns/">report</a>. A unicorn, in startup parlance, is a private firm valued at or more than $1 billion. Online education has been booming around the world especially during the global pandemic. According to a weforum<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/"> report</a>, about 1.2 billion students across 186 countries were out of school in 2020 due to COVID-19 and related restrictions. The global investment in edtech will grow from $18.66 billion in 2019 to $350 billion by 2025, the report added. If China shuts its doors to global capital looking for opportunities in the edtech space, it is possible that money may seek out opportunities in countries like India with a large population of students and early career professionals. 81.3% of India’s population is under the age of 45, according to Census of India <a href="https://censusindia.gov.in/census_and_you/age_structure_and_marital_status.aspx">2011</a>. Though India has only two edtech unicorns at the moment — BYJU’s and Unacademy — the sector has been gaining a lot of momentum over the last one year. BYJU’s is currently the biggest edtech startup in the world in terms of valuation, at an estimated $16.5 billion. The Bengaluru-based company has raised $2.7 billion in the last decade, from marquee investors like Prosus, General Atlantic, Tencent, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Tiger Global, Silver Lake and more. Besides this, the Indian government’s <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/india-revamps-its-education-policy-after-34-years-scraps-mphil-proposes-vocational-courses-from-class-6-ug-colleges-to-become-autonomous/articleshow/77241851.cms">National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020</a> that promotes digital and remote learning is going to further boost the segment in India. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/subscribe-to-glenmark-life-sciences-ipo-because-of-clean-regulatory-history-and-good-track-record-as-per-analysts/articleshow/84748115.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">One may subscribe to Glenmark Life Sciences IPO because of clean regulatory history, strong promoter backing and good track record, say analysts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/yes-bank-shares-surge-5-after-it-reports-strong-profit-growth/articleshow/84751116.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">YES Bank shares surge 5% as investors see a ray of hope after bank reported four fold growth in profit</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/a-man-used-ai-to-bring-back-his-deceased-fianc-but-the-creators-of-the-tech-warn-it-could-be-dangerous-and-used-to-spread-misinformation-/articleshow/84717296.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">A man used AI to bring back his deceased fiancé. But the creators of the tech warn it could be dangerous and used to spread misinformation.</a>

The Chinese government believes online education is bad for students, parents and the society

<ul><li>In an interview with Business Insider, <keyword id="4697979" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Akshay-Sahi">Akshay Sahi</keyword>, <keyword id="9707445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Prime-India-head">Amazon Prime India head</keyword> shares how the e-commerce giant’s Prime Day preparations paused five months ago and was redone. </li><li>Prime Day is now live, having taken a detour from being a global event, making India the first country to host the sale event this year. </li><li>Being a major sale event at a time when customers have not been able to go out and shop, could also be an added advantage for Amazon. </li></ul>Amazon’s marquee sale event – Prime Day is now live, having taken a detour from being a global event at the same time to India being the first country to host the sale event this year. Usually, the planning for any Prime Day begins right after the current one concludes and it was going the same way for the 2020 sale event, until the coronavirus pandemic hit. So, five months ago, the team put a stop on their initial planning and revisited their entire approach to Prime Day. “As we came across unprecedented times, we all paused. That’s the beauty of Amazon – our leaders are always ready to step back to serve the customers the right way. We went back and reevaluated and looked at what the reality is in each country. Eventually, we have planned the entire event in one-third of the time that we would normally take to plan Prime Day,” Akshay Sahi, Amazon Prime India head told Business Insider. Sahi shared that with the situation looking so different everywhere, each country was given the ability to determine when they would host the sale event. The India leadership team of Amazon sat down with stakeholders and came up with what they felt was the right time for Prime Day – with the shopping season setting in in India. “A lot of festivals are coming up. And we also felt that this is the right time to help our sellers and help them get back on their feet. We also got the same feedback from our delivery partners,” said Sahi. Amazon collected its findings, based on a Nielsen Holdings survey, which said that 43% of the sellers were looking forward to Prime Day as an opportunity to revive their business. During this Prime Day, over 1,000 new products are being launched by small businesses, while 150 new exclusive prime launches are also taking place. Being a major sale event at a time when customers have not been able to go out and shop, could also be an added advantage for Amazon. But Sahi believes there are two sides to that. “Customer needs have changed but they haven’t disappeared. There hasn’t been any large sale like event so there's pent up demand but also the current economy has to be taken into account,” he said. Safety became the biggest priority Until last year, one of the biggest priorities for Amazon was to deliver as fast as possible. This time it is added on with the challenge of several employees working from home, and also keeping the safety of all in mind while managing a huge sale event. <div type="image" title="Face shield." msid="77385693" hostid="261"></div> “We have taken the last 5 months to organize and ensure that the biggest priority is actually safety, across the ecosystem that we serve – sellers, delivery partners, our employees and obviously our end customers. We have taken steps to ensure that the product is safe while in the Fulfillment Centre, leaving the FC and of course while reaching the customer. It is confidence in our ability to do that which has allowed us to host something like Prime Day,” said Sahi. Amazon has made over 100 changes in its on-ground operations to maintain social distancing in its buildings. These include staggered break timings, reduction of number of people allowed in the canteen at any time, marking on the ground to maintain distance, only one person allowed to unload and the arrival time of drivers and delivery associates have also been staggered to avoid crowding. <div type="image" title="Social Distancing in in Amazon Fulfilment Centre (1)" msid="77385686" hostid="261"></div> “We have also built technology which allows us to prioritise essentials between non-essentials so that necessary items can reach consumers first, deliver in containment zones safely and more,” said Sahi. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/byjus-acquisition-of-white-hat-jr-comes-in-line-with-neps-decision-to-teach-coding-in-schools/articleshow/77384750.cms">Byju's acquisition of White Hat Jr comes in line with NEP's decision to teach coding in schools</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/flipkart-and-amazon-gear-up-for-sale-day-this-week-smartphones-laptops-apparels-and-more-come-with-deep-discounts/articleshow/77342456.cms">Flipkart and Amazon gear up for ‘sale day’ this week - smartphones, laptops, apparels and more come with deep discounts</a>

You Searched For "NEP 2020" and got 14 results

IIT Madras to set up a campus in Zanzibar in Tanzania

PTI

Board exams to be conducted twice a year now, students can retain best score

PTI

TCS partners with Gujarat government to impart digital skills in schools

ANI

UGC prepares ground for Bachelor's exams in 12 Indian languages

IANS

India 2030 climate targets set momentum ahead of COP27

IANS

Indian education sector’s budget wishlist – Subsidised access to laptops and smartphones, focus on edtech

Vaamanaa Sethi

New education policy will lead to transformative restructuring of education in India, says union minister Smriti Irani

PTI

PM Modi advises students to engage in critical thinking

IANS

PM Modi pitched to set up one medical college, tech institute in each state to teach in mother tongue

IANS

National Education Policy evokes mixed reactions among academicians

PTI

Maharashtra allows metro services, weekly market and business exhibitions to resume from tomorrow, schools to remain shut

BI India Bureau

Pearson’s vision is to become the preferred partner of choice for learners, educators and the government: Siddharth Banerjee

Karuna Sharma

The Chinese government believes online education is bad for students, parents and the society

Kritti Bhalla

Behind the scenes of Amazon Prime Day – the India head shares how e-commerce giant planned its biggest sale event amidst a pandemic

Sanchita Dash