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Top 10 News in Academia, 2015

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As we prepare ourselves to bid adieu to yet another eventful year, GNBC brings you 10 reasons to cheer and start a new year on a positive note. The ‘Top 10 News 2015’ is a collection of best news of the year in each category. Only those Good News are selected that have had a commendable impact on different sections of the society.

1. UNICEF Launched Digital Gender Atlas to Advance Girls’ Education

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On 9th March, 2015 Union Ministry of Human Resource Development launched a Digital Gender Atlas, developed by UNICEF in order to bring about advancement in girls’ education, for those belonging to marginalised groups like scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and Muslim communities. The main aim of the portal is to ensure that girls from marginalised groups and with disabilities secure equitable education as compared to the boys.

News Source: DNA India
Image Source: Sakshieducation

2. A Clear Jump from Rank 10th to 6th in Indian Science Publications

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Mr Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology shared encouraging news that Indian Science Publications have recently secured the 6th position in worldwide Science Publication registering a jump from the erstwhile 10th rank. This announcement was made at a function organised by Research Council, UK. With a better ranking, India’s Scientific Publications are finding place in better journals that are acclaimed worldwide with a higher impact factor.

News Sources: Economic Times
Image Source: Suessco

3. Kudos for Indian Literacy Rate: 71% in Rural and 86% in Urban Areas

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This is a proud moment for Indian Education System, according to a recent survey conducted by National Sample Survey Office; Literacy Rate in India has registered a rise in both rural and urban areas. The survey carried out on 30th June, 2015 maintains that Rural Areas have 71% and Urban Areas have 86% literacy rates.  The survey covered students from the entire country, aging between 5-29 years irrespective of the field of education they had chosen for themselves, be it general/technical or professional.

News Source: Economic Times
Image Source: © Nishkam Chatrath

4. Educational Loans to Students through Web Portal Vidya Lakshmi

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On the Independence Day last year i.e. 15th August, 2015 Union Government gave a useful gift to the students who aim to pursue education and need Educational Loans for the same. A web portal named Vidya Lakshmi has been developed by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited under the guidance of Department of  Financial Services under Union Ministry of Finance, Department of  Higher Education under Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and Indian Banks’ Association for the benefit of  students seeking Educational Loans.

News Source: PIB
Image Source: Vidyalakshmi

5. Census Data 2011 Announces Clean Sweep of 10% Increase in Households with Matriculation

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Good news was announced by Registrar General and Census Commissioner on 24th September, 2015 stating that the country had witnessed a hike of 10% in the households having at least one member with education till matriculation level. Earlier the figure presented by Census showed that in 1991-2001 the number was 39.4% whereas now the number has increased to 49.5 The data shows that at present the households with at least one graduate is 16.7% in 2011 as compared to 12.2% in 2001.

News Source: PIB
Image Source: Factly

6. Genome Valley Hyderabad Will Now Have Its Very Own Bio-medical Research Resource Facility

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Hyderabad’s Genome Valley has every reason to celebrate as on 18th November, 2015 Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for setting up of National Resource Facility for Bio-medical Research. Apart from getting the proposal accepted, this National Resource Facility will be the very first laboratory that will be conducting applied bio-medical research. This national facility will also lend its support to various medical colleges, bio-pharma companies and other educational institutions to advance research in the same field.

News Source: PIB
Image Source: FitnHit

7. Education Gets Revamped With Launch of E-Pathshala, Saaransh and Shala Siddhi

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Ms Smriti Irani, Minister, Union Human Resource and Development is all set to revamp the education system by introducing E-Pathshala wherein the books will be digitised in the form of e-books. This is not all, as self-assessment is a very time consuming process, a web portal by the name Shala Siddhi was launched wherein a school will evaluate itself and then work on its shortcomings. Moreover, in order to match the changing needs, web portal Saransh was also launched in which the curriculum will be updated.

You can download the  Apps from Google Play: E-Pathshala, Saransh
News Source: PIB
Image  Source: Google Play

8. New Education Policy to Receive a New Face by TSR Subramanian Committee

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New Education Policy is all set to acquire a new face through MHRD appointed TSR Subramanian Committee. In order to bring about changes in the education system to bring it at par with the other education systems of the world, the committee will have four renowned dignitaries i.e. Shailja Chandra, former Chief-Secretary, NCT Delhi; Sewaram Sharma, former Home Secretary, NCT Delhi; Sudhir Mankad, former Chief Secretary, Gujarat and J S Rajput, former director NCERT who will prepare Framework of Action latest by 26th January, 2015.

News Source: Indian Express
Image Source: India Education review

9. Visually Impaired Students Will Now Receive 3-D Printed Books by NCERT

University of Colorado Boulder students Abby Stangl and Jeeeun Kim are using 3D printers to assist the blind in understanding pictures better.  (Photo by Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado)

Braille has always been available for the visually impaired students but Braille script could not do justice to maps and diagrams, hence they were not included. However, NCERT has started an initiative wherein the visually impaired students will now get the feel of tactile books in which maps and diagrams will be included by using specially designed 3-D printing technique. The books will be available in mould-made and thermoformed versions.

News Source: The Hindu
Image Source: Mashable.com

10. Kanpur to Get Its Own Technology Centre

The Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shri Kalraj Mishra and the Minister of State for Textiles (Independent Charge), Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar witnessing the signing ceremony of an MoU between Ministry of MSME with National Textile Mill Kanpur for Technology Centre at NTC, Kanpur, in New Delhi on December 08, 2015. 	The Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Dr. S.K. Panda and other dignitaries are also seen.

Recently Union Ministry of Small, Micro and Medium Enterprise signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with National Textile Corporation (NTC) in order to set up a new Technology Centre at Kanpur. Under this MOU, the Indian youth will be provided with skill education in textile industry so that textile industry can get skilled manpower and Indian textiles can also be capacitated to compete both at National and International Levels.

News & Image Source: PIB

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