Maharashtra

World’s Best School Prize

Pune, october 3. Jalindarnagar Zilla Parishad School in Khed tehsil was declared Community Choice Award winner of the prestigious World’s Best School Prize 2025, announced by London-based T4 Education at a virtual ceremony recently.

Among other initiatives, the award recognised the school’s innovative peer learning system under which students of different ages are divided into groups, with older, more knowledgeable students becoming “subject leaders”. These leaders help younger students with lessons and homework.

The T4 Education World’s Best School Prizes are presented annually under five categories: Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity and Supporting Healthy Lives. The Community Choice Award is given on the basis of public voting.

In 2022, district authorities were about to shut down the school which had only five students on its muster roll. After national award-winning teacher Dattatray Ware was transferred to the school, novel teaching-learning practices were introduced, and local residents were mobilised to rebuild the school infrastructure that led to a rise in enrolment. Currently, the school has 120 students on its muster roll.

Delhi

New KVs sanctioned

Delhi, october 2. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved  establishment of 57 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) countrywide at a project cost of Rs.5,863 crore over nine years, to meet the educational needs of children of Central government employees. For the first time, these KVs will include Balvatikas — three-year foundational stage pre-primaries — in line with recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Currently, 1,288 KVs including three sited abroad, serve 1.3 million students.

Each full-fledged KV will accommodate 1,520 students and employ 81 teachers with the expansion generating 4,617 direct permanent jobs and benefiting an additional 86,640 children.

Tamil Nadu

IIT-M teacher training program

Chennai, september 9. The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has announced the second phase of its flagship initiative ‘AI for All’, to provide free-of-charge online Artificial Intelligence (AI) courses for K-12 teachers countrywide.

Offered through the SWAYAM Plus platform in collaboration with the IIT-Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation, this initiative aims to equip K-12 educators with foundational AI knowledge and practical tools to upgrade teaching, assessment, and student engagement.

“AI is reshaping the future of learning, and K-12 teachers need to play a vital role in bringing this change into classrooms. By equipping them with AI skills, we are not only strengthening education but also contributing to nation-building,” said Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT-M, speaking at the launch event on the IIT-Madras campus.

Added Prof. R. Sarathi, Dean (Planning) and SWAYAM Plus Coordinator: “No prior experience in AI or coding is required. Basic digital literacy and a willingness to learn are sufficient.”

Bihar

Credit card concession

Patna, september 18. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently announced on X that all loans under its Student Credit Card Scheme will become interest-free for students in higher education.

The revised policy, effective immediately, applies to all students who have cleared class XII board examinations. Hitherto, loans of up to Rs.4 lakh were available at an interest subvention rate of 4 percent for male applicants, and 1 percent for female, differently abled and transgender applicants. Launched in October 2016, the Student Credit Card Scheme was designed to improve access to higher education.

Addressing the media, the chief minister said the new measures will encourage students to pursue further studies with “greater enthusiasm and dedication”, contributing to the development of Bihar and the nation.

Arunachal Pradesh

Successful children’s protest

Itanagar, september 16. Ninety students of the all-girls Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Nangnyo, Pakke Kessang district, marched 65 km to protest an acute shortage of teachers in their school. The residential school promoted by the Central government, has 13 teachers, a headmistress and a warden, but lacks subject specialists, said the protesting students.

Dressed in blue uniforms, and led by class XI-XII students, the protestors demanded immediate recruitment of geography and political science teachers, saying repeated appeals to school authorities and the education ministry had gone unanswered.

District education officer Deepak Tayeng confirmed the shortage and said the ministry has approved appointment of required subject teachers. The students were later transported back to their school in vehicles arranged by education ministry officials.