Yogesh Avasthi

By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, November 05, 2008 The scheme envisages creating infrastructure and resources in secondary educationThe state government will implement Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) from the next academic year beginning June, 2009. The main objective of the centrally-sponsored programme is to make quality secondary education available, accessible and affordable to children in the age group of 15-16. According to a senior official in the Education Department, the major target of the scheme is universal access to secondary level education to stu-dents in the age group of 15-16 by 2015. This will be done setting up a secondary school within 5 km of any habitation and a higher secondary school within 7 km. The scheme envisages creating infrastructure and resources in secondary education, increasing the capacity of secondary schools, and improving quality of learning in schools. Also, the scheme has provision for filling the missing gaps in the existing se

Colleges affiliated to Gujarat University are unable to find eligible academicians By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, November 08, 2008 (Ahmedabad Mirror) Around 90 per cent B Ed colleges affiliated to Gujarat University do not have principal. Most of these colleges are self-financed institues (SFI) and officials say they do not find eligible candidates. “According to the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, the candidate should have a Ph D degree and 10 years of experience in the field. But management is not able to find eligible academicians,” said Saurabh Chowksi, president of Gujarat University-affiliated Colleges Principal Association.He also added that most of the self-finance institutions never had principals as they were facing this problem right from the day they came into existence. “However, we have come across many incidents in which SFIs and grant-in-aid colleges have refused to fill the post as the management does not want to lose its control over the college

By Yogesh Avasthi and Hemington James Posted On Friday, November 14, 2008 (Ahmedabad Mirror) After training around 7,600 teachers in primary eye examination of school children in 2006-07, the State Education Department will once again train teachers under its Blindness Control Programme for 2008-09.Under the programme, a teacher from each primary school, preferably a lady teacher wearing glasses, will be trained for conducting primary eye examination on a student. The day-long training programme will be conducted on November 15 at Scout Bhavan, NP Thakkar College in Paldi. A circular by the Ahmedabad district education officer, detailing the training programme, was sent to all schools on November 10. According to data available with the government, approximately 7 per cent of the children in the age group 6 to 14 suffer from vision problem and around 5 per cent drop out of school due to this.The state government is celebrating 2008 as “Nirogi Baal Varsh” (Healthy Child Year). Under thi

Six groups debate merits, demerits of open book format at edu dept meet; parents want to know if guides, notes will be allowed during exam; bright students decry proposed system By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, November 21, 2008 (Ahmedabad Mirror) Class VIII students of Nirman School take an exam under open book system conducted by AM on an experimental basisA cross-section of stakeholders in the education sector met in Gandhinagar on Thursday to discuss the open book exam format, adding another chapter to the debate that ceases to die down.The education department had invited six groups of participants directly related to education vis-à-vis teachers who have excelled in the fields, representatives of teachers’ associations, representatives of school managements, brilliant students, parents’ association and principals of schools that produce the top most and poorest students. The meet was the first comprehensive discussion on the issue after the idea was floated in September. Brigh

Varsity holds term papers under new format in MEd course By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, November 25, 2008 (Ahmedabad Mirror) Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) in Surat has already introduced the open book concept for MEd While the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) is still discussing the open book concept with experts, educationists, parents and students, Gujarat University introduced the format for students of M Ed recently. The university began the open book experiment in a terminal exam in the M Ed course, and will introduce the format for all M Ed exams beginning next academic year. Vice-chancellor Parimal Trivedi said, “We have decided to introduce a pilot project for students of post-graduate programme in the education faculty as the numbers there are few. Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) in Surat has already introduced the open book concept for M Ed, and it is working well.”GU plans to extend the format to other post-gra

The facility will be installed at a cost of Rs 40 lakh By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, November 24, 2008 (Ahmedabad Mirror) In a bid to make Ahmedabad railway station more passenger-friendly, the station authorities have decided to display electronic reservation charts on LCDs at a cost of around Rs 40 lakh. These LCD charts will soon replace the conventional reserva-tion charts found on boards at platforms and outside compartments.Now, passengers don’t have to wait in queues for hours to have the latest info on reservation and trains. The LCD charts will give information on reservation, RAC status, waiting list and information re-lated to train arrival and departure. The authorities will initially put up four LCD charts each on four platforms and gradually add more in a phased manner. Udhayshankar Jha, senior divisional commercial manager, Ahmedabad, said, “We have initiated the tender process. While Rajkot station is already equipped with this facility, Vadodara station will soon

In-service diesel engines will be modified at Sabarmati loco shed before being shipped to Africa via Kandla port By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, November 25, 2008 (Ahmedabad Mirror) With diesel locomotives turning obsolete following large-scale gauge conversion in the country, Indian Railways has decided to export these to developing countries, especially Africa. The Sabarmati loco shed will serve as an export hub of the nation for this.Railway board sources said out-of-use diesel engines from all over the country will be modified at Sabarmati railway shed before being shipped to Africa via Kandla port.Gauge conversion has till date phased out 75 per cent of all diesel engines in the country. The Ahmedabad railway division currently has 50 diesel locomotives, down from 164 in 2005. And the figure is reducing by the day. Looking to the scenario, Rail India Technical and Economic Service Ltd (RIGHTS) decided to export in-service metre gauge diesel locomotives to African countries wi

Railways adds berths/seats to coaches to boost revenues, but forgets all about discount of 5 to 10% Lalu had promised to passengers for the inconvenience By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, November 27, 2008 (Ahmedabad Mirror) Even as passengers fret over cramped compartments following introduction of an additional berth in each cabin in some trains, they are blissfully unaware of the fact that the Railways is laughing its way to the bank at their expense. Six months back when the Railways set about upgrading bogies to accommodate more passengers in every cubicle of a compartment, it was decided that each passenger in such bogies would get 5 to 10 per cent discount in fare. This was perhaps the Railways way to compensate passengers for the inconvenience or may be a generous offer to share the ‘spoils’. But the fact remains that not a single passenger in the last six months has been given this discount. Almost every train in India now has at least some bogies with this new configurati

Ahmedabad teen Jasmeen Gulyani hasn’t missed a day of school in 8 years By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, July 19, 2008 (Publish : Ahmedabad mirror & Mumbai Mirror) Jasleen says she attended school even when she had jaundiceAhmedabad: This is the picture of Ahmedabad’s Ms Perfect Attendance. Jasmeen Gulyani of Delhi Public School (DPS), Bopal loves school so much that she has not missed a day in eight years.Fourteen-year-old Gulyani joined the DPS in Class II, and this Saturday, she will be on the podium, receiving the school award for 100 per cent attendance for the eighth time in a row.Vastrapur resident Jasmeen said she was determined not to miss school. She said, “I don’t know how it happened. My parents say I was stubborn from the very beginning. What I do recall is a promise made to myself that I will not miss school come what may. I guess it all started from there and I want to keep the slate clean all through my academic years.”A class nine student, Jasmeen hailed her p

Anup Krishna Jhingron, who retired as Western Railway GM last fortnight, has been asked to shell out a hefty penalty for the eight ACs he used at his official Altamount Road residence By Yogesh Avasthi and Nilesh Nikade Posted On Thursday, November 13, 2008 (Mumbai mirror) Anup Krishna Jhingron, Western Railway’s ex-GM (below) and one of the eight ACs (circled) at his residenceAnup Krishna Jhingron, who retired as the general manager of Western Railway on October 28, liked to keep things cool. So cool that he had an air-conditioner in his gym at home and in each of the bedrooms at his lavish Altamount Road official residence.Unfortunately for him he was permitted to install only two ACs instead of the eight that he used and now, Jhingron is left facing the heat. Following a vigilance inquiry the bureaucrat has been asked to shell out Rs 68,000 towards electricity bills. The Vigilance Department had conducted an enquiry after an anonymous letter regarding this was sent to the Chief Vigi

City station to get 100 per cent CCTV coverage, automatic vehicle and luggage scanners and its own bomb squad by March 2009 By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, November 11, 2008 An alert bomb squad, a baggage scanning system, a network of CCTV cameras and a concrete compound wall. Elaborate security for the airport? Not really. These are new measures planned for Ahmedabad railway station by the Indian Railways under its new Integrated Security System.Among the new measures, the city station will for the first time have its own bomb detection and disposal squad, an automatic vehicle scanner, 100 per cent CCTV coverage and luggage scanning devices. Given the need to check terrorist activities, the bomb squad will also have its own sniffer dogs and modern equipment. Four RPF jawans are currently being trained in bomb disposal. Railway stations till now relied on police and other security agencies for such emergencies. Passenger entry into the station will be monitored minutely. The railw

The Ahmedabad Railway Division is all set to procure as many as 150 brand new electromotive diesel locomotives (EMD) with higher horsepower capacity to run passenger and goods trains. This means that once fitted with the new engines, the trains can now cut down on travel time sharply. “Yes, we are procuring the new locos. The maintenance facility for these is being constructed at diesel shed in Sabarmati and is likely to be completed by the first quarter of next year,” informs Vishal Kapoor, senior divisional mechanical engineer of Ahmedabad.According to sources in the Indian Railway, one EMD locomotive will cost Rs 14 crore. The Ahmedabad Railway Division is planning to procure 150 such locos as part of its upgradation plans.The new 160 kmph locomotives — WDP4 (passenger loco) and WDG4 (goods loco) — from General Motors Electro Motive Division with 4,000 HP (horsepower) will be introduced in addition to the conventional 3,300 HP ALCO (American Locomotive Company) locomotives by next y