Paromita Sengupta with bureau inputs PUNJAB Chandigarh, May 3. Chief minister Amarinder Singh constituted a committee to recommend examination reforms and review curriculums for improving the quality of higher education in the state. Chaired by Dr. Jaspal Singh Sandhu, vice chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, the committee will also explore the feasibility of introducing new study programmes and courses. The committee has been directed to submit its report within 60 days. Also reviewing progress of the higher education and languages department, the chief minister directed the education ministry to speed up the process of recruiting 931 assistant professors in government colleges. MAHARASHTRA Covid management course Aurangabad May 13. Dr. Kananbala Yelikar, dean of Aurangabad Government Medical College, has proposed the introduction of a certificate course in Covid-19 prevention and management in all government medical colleges. The syllabus of the six month certificate course proposed for MBBS, homeopathy, Ayurveda and dentistry students currently engaged in treating Covid-19 patients, has been submitted for approval to the secretary and director of medical education and research, and registrar of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. According to Yelikar, the syllabus will cover virology, safety measures, quality control, pathogenesis of infectious diseases, diagnosis of Covid-19 and management, ventilator support awareness and vaccination. “We are currently working with a manpower deficit. This course will augment the pool of skilled manpower, which will prove useful during a possible third wave of the pandemic,” she told a media conference. TRIPURA Remedial education channel Agartala, May 17. Chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb launched Vande Tripura, a 24×7 dedicated education television channel, to broadcast content mapped to the NCERT syllabus which will benefit students enrolled in 4,500 government schools and “make up for lost learning time” during the prolonged closure of schools statewide because of the pandemic. “We attach maximum importance to education and have taken several steps to improve quality. Last year, we successfully reached 90 percent of all students with lessons delivered over television channels and mobile phones. Vande Tripura will further enable students in the process of learning during the pandemic,” said Deb speaking on the occasion. RAJASTHAN Frontline workers status Jaipur, May 20. Teachers and personnel of the department of secondary education will be classified as frontline workers and vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus on priority basis, according to an order issued by the National Health Mission director Sudhir Kumar Sharma. “Education ministry personnel are working round-the-clock without caring about their lives. Therefore, in discharge of our responsibility to protect them, orders have been issued to vaccinate them on priority basis,” said the state’s school education minister Govind Singh Dotasara in a tweet message to the public. JHARKHAND Final rites deployment protest Dhanbad, May 21. Primary school teachers staged a protest against their deputation to cemeteries and crematoriums for disposal of the remains of Covid-19 victims. The protest followed a notification by Vikash Kumar Rai, Nirsa block development officer, deploying 30 government primary school teachers as nodal officers to burial grounds. According to Brijendra…
