Articles by Niraj Pandit
Maha Guv tells VCs they will be held accountable for Univ mistakes
The governor was addressing the VCs of the traditional, agricultural, health sciences, technological and open universities at Raj Bhavan to review the progress of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 from the forthcoming academic year 2023-2024
Updated on May 16, 2023 12:50 AM IST
Now politics enters Marathi theatre council elections
The executive committee poll of the Akhil Bharatiya Natya Parishad, the apex body of Marathi theatre, has been taken over by two groups linked to three political parties. Industries minister Uday Samant of the Shiv Sena has the support of NCP chief Sharad Pawar to back actor Prashant Damle?s Rangkarmi Samuh panel against producer Prasad Kambli?s Aple Panel supported by BJP Mumbai chief Ashish Shelar. This is the first time that the elections of the Marathi Natya Parishad are being so blatantly politicised.
Updated on May 16, 2023 12:44 AM IST
Contempt notice to MU for not paying contractual staff equal wages
The university recently had to pay a fine of around ₹32 lakh to the Employees Provident Fund Office for not paying employees their PF on time, and one of ₹5 lakh to the industrial court for wrongful termination of 113 contractual employees.
Updated on May 13, 2023 11:30 PM IST
TISS student alleges she was barred from convocation over harassment case
A student of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) was allegedly prohibited from attending the convocation ceremony and receiving her degree in MHA, after filing a sexual harassment case against a faculty member. The Bombay HC had ruled in her favor in December 2022, but the institute is yet to respond. The student claims that the institute made no effort to resolve the matter until the week of convocation. A spokesperson for TISS stated that the matter is subjudice, and they are waiting for directions from the HC.
Updated on May 13, 2023 11:15 PM IST
IIT-B drops one subject per semester for 1st yr students
The decision was taken at the 256th meeting of the IIT-Bombay senate held on Friday after considering an internal committee report that brought forth the academic stress and its reasons on first-year students. IIT-Bombay is among the front runners during admissions every year, with computer science being the most popular branch
Updated on May 13, 2023 12:45 AM IST
Students find Karjat’s Universal Business School degree not valid, file complaints
Students from the Universal Business School in Mumbai are facing problems with the equivalency of their Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree, which cost over INR 18 lakhs ($24,000). The university, which started the programme in affiliation with a UK-based institution in 2013, has now been named Universal AI university, and some students have filed a complaint with the office of the joint director of higher education in Panvel. An initial inquiry has been conducted, with a detailed inquiry recommended to probe the students' concerns about the institution's approval prior to commencing the foreign university-affiliated course.
Updated on May 10, 2023 12:52 AM IST
Educators up in arms over govt’s new credit system for BSc
Maharashtra's new credit system for degree courses, starting in June, has raised concerns among educators about the dilution of basic science education. The new credit scheme reduces practical hours and credits in minor subjects, leading to worries that it will hamper the building of scientific temper. Educators have written to the director of higher education and the department's principal secretary, saying the changes are not in favour of science education and go against recommendations by the University Grants Commission and the National Education Policy. The changes could distract students from pursuing education in research, said a college principal.
Updated on May 09, 2023 12:48 AM IST
Former V-C, pro V-C in fray for MU top post
Former vice-chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh and pro-vice-chancellor Ravindra Kulkarni of the University of Mumbai (MU) are in the fray for the post of V-C, sources said. With these two big names, around 10 professors from various departments of the university are on the shortlist, sources have confirmed
Updated on May 08, 2023 12:44 AM IST
State to bring private kindergartens under NEP framework
The Maharashtra state government is set to bring private kindergartens under the framework of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to create a common curriculum for children in pre-primary schools. The move aims to improve the quality of early education and bridge the gap between anganwadis and primary schools. The state government has also decided to attach 1,10,000 anganwadis to state-run primary schools to provide formal education to children. A team has been formed to train teachers and the NEP will be introduced in a phased manner.
Updated on May 08, 2023 12:36 AM IST
BMC’s education officers, inspectors to be booked if they fail to act against illegal schools
In Mumbai, 218 schools were declared illegal, of which only 62 have been shut down. Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) education department said that 30 more schools have been given a letter of closure and that further processes are still going on.
Updated on May 07, 2023 12:15 AM IST
Vocational courses from class 6 onwards in govt schools
Students in government and aided schools in Maharashtra, India will receive vocational education from the upcoming academic year, in line with the National Education Policy of 2020. The scheme will equip students with skills in addition to general education to prepare them for industry demands. Vocational courses for students in classes 6 to 8 will provide them with skills required for various occupations in different sectors. The National Council of Educational Research and Training will provide detailed guidelines for these vocational courses. Additionally, the state will introduce an agricultural curriculum from class 6.
Updated on May 05, 2023 12:20 AM IST
SC-ST cells at 16 of 19 IITs are defunct, RTI data finds
Data obtained under the Right to Information Act has revealed that 16 of the 19 SC/ST cells in Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) are non-functional. Four IITs don?t have SC/ST cells. Of the 19 cells, 18 have no funds allocated, and 16 have not conducted any events since August 2022. As many as 12 cells have no room allotted for meetings and discussions and ten of them do not have information about the reservation or a mechanism to check the quota implementation, the RTI application, filed by Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), has found.
Updated on May 03, 2023 12:34 AM IST
Niraj Pandit, Mumbai
Research scholars in a fix after MU delays theses uploading on Shodhganga
Two research students at the University of Mumbai were left in shock after discovering the PhD topic they had spent 18 months working on was no longer relevant. They claimed that a failure by the university to upload PhD theses on the Indian digital repository Shodhganga had led to a waste of their academic time. The University has been accused of violating University Grants Commission guidelines by failing to upload all theses on the platform, with the Mumbai University and College Teachers? Association demanding action against the responsible party.
Updated on May 02, 2023 12:08 AM IST
MU fouls up again, gives BA psychology students 100 marks, zero marks
Earlier this month, many third-year Business Management Studies (BMS) students received ‘00 RR’ marks in a subject. BA students of psychology are now faced with a similar issue.
Updated on May 01, 2023 12:44 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
Five years on, how GI tag failed Hapus
Despite being awarded a GI tag in 2018, farmers in India's Konkan region are concerned about the rampant adulteration of the Alphonso mango, or Hapus, with cheaper varieties. The GI tag was meant to protect the produce and give farmers legal protection, but the lack of strict enforcement of quality standards and inadequate monitoring and testing facilities has led to a rash of national and international variants being sold as Hapus. Farmers are calling for a collective effort to garner the benefits of the GI tag, including strict enforcement of quality standards and public awareness campaigns.
Updated on Apr 30, 2023 12:59 AM IST
Niraj Pandit, Ratnagiri
Ayurvedic college student falls to his death, negligence alleged in treatment
According to a student, Kale, who stayed at the hostel in the hospital complex, had gone out for a walk after dinner. He climbed a mango tree to pick mangoes, but lost his balance and fell to the ground. Students who were playing nearby took him to the casualty department of the hospital but allege that there was no resident medical officer or chief medical officer present. “Some senior students tried to give him first aid,” said a student. “There was an oxygen cylinder but without the mask. It was a big problem for us.”
Updated on Apr 28, 2023 12:24 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
Angered by delay in appointments, 200 MPSC candidates sit on hunger strike
Over 200 candidates who cleared engineering exams for Maharashtra's water resources and public works departments have begun a hunger strike, awaiting appointment letters eight months after the results were announced. Despite fulfilling all requirements, the state government has not issued appointment letters, causing financial and mental distress. The delay has raised questions about the government's commitment to creating jobs and providing opportunities to the youth.
Updated on Apr 27, 2023 12:38 AM IST
Niraj Pandit, Mumbai
Quick thinking cops save the day as Mulund flat catches fire
The fire was reported to Mumbai Fire Brigade around 11:40am and was doused at 12pm. The rescued boy, Hiraman Mishra, said that he was taking a bath when he heard some noise. When he came out to check, he saw that the tubelight in his parents’ room had caught fire and the room was filled with smoke.
Updated on May 01, 2023 05:05 PM IST
Private schools force RTE students to pay uniform and book fees
Parents from the economically weaker sections in Mumbai are being asked to pay uniform and book fees in violation of the Right to Education Act. Schools are charging far higher fees than those for books sold in stores, causing financial strain for parents. Despite the government only paying tuition fees for students admitted under the Right to Education quota, schools are facing financial crises as the government owes more than ₹1,200 crore in reimbursement of fees across Maharashtra. Education activists have called for schools to fight with the government rather than deny admission to students.
Updated on Apr 24, 2023 12:35 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
Decoding the sect that has swayed Maha
Nanasaheb belonged to an agrarian family, owning fair parcels agricultural land. He worked as a purohit and an astrologer on the side. Aided by sound oratorical skills, he became popular as a religious preacher and popularised the Shree Baithaks to propagate Ramdas’s literature
Updated on May 01, 2023 05:45 PM IST
Scientific community demands restoration of Darwin’s theory in textbooks
Scientists and educators are outraged at the National Council for Educational Research and Training's decision to remove the theory of biological evolution from Class 10 CBSE, stating that it is crucial for building a scientific temper and understanding the world around us. An open letter demanding the restoration of the theory has been signed by over 1,800 scientists and educators. The NCERT rationalised content in textbooks for Class 10, dropping topics such as Charles Robert Darwin, evolution, and human evolution, even though schooling has gone back to offline mode.
Updated on Apr 21, 2023 12:21 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
Shahir Sable biopic dialogue connected by netizens to Thackeray-Shinde clash
The trailer has already gone viral on social media, perhaps for the wrong reasons: netizens have been connecting a dialogue mouthed by Sable to the political clash between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde
Updated on Apr 13, 2023 01:16 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
Media, arts students of MU still await results after 156 days
Meanwhile, it has been 95 days since the first and third semester examinations of Master in Arts (MA) Marathi, Hindi, and Psychology subjects and postgraduate courses were held in January, but the results are not out.
Updated on Apr 11, 2023 01:04 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
Rural school kids in Satara learn Japanese, will take official exams
Jadhav’s own initiation into Japanese began when he started reaching out to children during the pandemic lockdown and telling them stories on the phone. Mukund Chaskar, a linguist of Indian origin from Japan, contacted him after reading the news, and told him he was willing to teach him the Japanese language for free. With this email began Jadhav’s foreign language learning and teaching journey
Updated on Apr 10, 2023 12:57 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
Ongoing MU exams illegal, says teachers’ union
The Mumbai University and College Teachers Association (MUCTA) has claimed that the current exams taking place at Mumbai University are illegal due to the absence of Boards of Studies (BoS). The university requires BoS to administer exams according to the Maharashtra Public University Act, but MU has no elected BoS and no temporary one in place. MUCTA has written to the governor of Maharashtra to demand action. Students have experienced problems during the exams due to the lack of BoS, and Shri Shivpratishthan Yuva Hindustan has requested permission from MU for a mass reading of relevant sections of the Act on campus.
Updated on Apr 08, 2023 12:15 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
Mumbai University goofs up in exam centre allotment, students suffer
MU, for the first time, had issued hall tickets for over two lakh undergraduate and postgraduate students via its digital university portal through student login accounts about two months ago. A majority of the hall tickets, however, were riddled with errors
Updated on Apr 06, 2023 12:34 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
When college staff double up as house helps and waiters
Teachers have petitioned before HC since 2010 for the government to implement the pay commission. However, soon after the HC ruling, it declared that the treasury was low on funds, and the matter was put on the back-burner.
Updated on Apr 05, 2023 12:33 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
TISS permits Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture with rider
Mumbai: Following a midnight protest by the students, the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) has given permission to the Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture (BSML) scheduled for March 23
Updated on Mar 23, 2023 12:32 AM IST
Niraj Pandit
We want our footpaths back, say citizens
As BMC continues to duck High Court orders to clear the walkways, Mumbaikars play hop-skip-and-jump between road and footpath. Citizens brave the uneven roads to accompany Team HT on a test drive across the city and suburbs
Updated on Mar 22, 2023 07:56 PM IST
Jeet Mashru, Niraj Pandit, Shashank Rao and Sajana Nambiar
TISS cancels lecture series on Bhagat Singh
he Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF) of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) held a protest at the director’s bungalow on Tuesday at 9.30pm after permission was cancelled for the Bhagat Singh Memorial Lecture series (BSMLs) scheduled for March 23 on the revolutionary’s 92nd death anniversary
Published on Mar 22, 2023 12:47 AM IST
Niraj Pandit