Vidya Mandir Public School, Faridabad, organizes graduation day

Vidya Mandir Public School, Sector 15A, Faridabad, celebrated the graduation day of class V. The programme started with a talk among class IV and V students in which juniors applauded their seniors for their continuous support and guidance and assured them that they would follow their tips. There were some cultural performances as well. The students sang a heartwarming farewell song. The programme concluded with inspiring words by school principal Anand Gupta who congratulated all the students for their achievements. 

Sachdeva Public School, Rohini, conducted a workshop based on 'Learning Disabilities' for the parents of school students. Parents were made aware of various types of learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and dyspraxia, and their role in identifying these. School director Sanjay Sachdeva and principal Ravija Prakash also found the workshop useful. Ramakrishna Senior Secondary School, Vikas Puri, organised a winter carnival for 2013-14. 

The programme commenced with the lighting of a lamp by school principal Mamta Aggarwal, which was followed by a series of events — baby photogenic, fancy dress, caricature , boogie-woogie (solo), group dance and instrumental (with/without vocal). An open talent hunt show was held in which students from West Delhi schools participated. Parents were also invited to watch the programme. Manav Rachna International School, Sector 21C, Faridabad, celebrated Spring Summer Fiesta 2014. Various activities were organised encouraging the participation of parents in the fashion show and the flower arrangement competition wherein the best were chosen under four categories. An exhibition was organised where children's work was showcased under the title Sense-o-Green. 

Chief guest Hasleen Kaur, Femina Miss India Earth and actress, spoke of the involvement of parents in the success of the child. Sanyogita Sharma, director, MRIS 21C, and Ikwinder Singh, principal, MRIS 21C, inspired the parents with their encouraging words. Happy Senior School, Kirti Nagar, celebrated its annual sports day, Parakaram, at the Chhatrasal Stadium. The event opened with chief guest, Air Commodore Anil Sabharwal (VSM) lighting a lamp and Asheema Sabharwal , president, Air Force Wives Welfare Association, releasing balloons. The celebrations included a plethora of cultural performances showcasing various dance forms such as lavani, salsa and bhangra. The winners in athletic events were awarded medals. The day also saw the announcement of the annual JK Fellowship awards; the merit-holders were awarded the scholarships by school principal Rita Ghai. 

The event concluded with the felicitation of Umesh Ghai, managing director of the school. Queen Mary's School, Northend, Model Town, hosted a farewell party on the theme Hasta La Vista (Spanish for good bye). The programme commenced with a slide show retracing the moments spent by class XII students in the school. Many dance performances, and a skit were presented by class XI students. Class XI students sang a melodious song. Saumya Berry was crowned Miss Queen Marian '13. 

The event concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony by principal Anupma Singh, coordinators, teachers and class XI and XII students. N K Bagrodia Public School, Sector 9, Rohini, bagged the Tony Blair Face to Faith Foundation Gold Award for their extraordinary achievement in bridging the gap between students from different religions and cultures using digital technology. A number of video conferences were held with children across the globe enhancing their interpersonal skills and adding an international dimension to the curriculum. Greenway Modern School, Dilshad Garden, organised a book fair where children's author, Ruskin Bond, interacted with the students. The day also saw the author share his golden moments with youngsters where he candidly answered their queries. Students also got a chance to get their favourite books autographed and click photos with the guest. St Mark's Girls Senior Secondary School, Meera Bagh, under the aegis of Spic Macay, organised a special programme to celebrate the spirit of music. 

The Karl Seglem Acoustic Quartet performed in front of the students and teachers. Everyone was left yearning for more by their scintillating and inspiring performance. Concerts Norway, headed by Seglem, emphasises musical diversity, innovation and cooperation. Students of class IV and V of Bal Bharati Public School, Pitampura, accompanied by eight teachers went to Jaisalmar and Jodhpur for an excursion. The visit gave them an insight into the rich cultural heritage of the places. The tour of Mehrangarh Fort and Umaid Bhawan Palace was informative. The experience on the sand dunes, spiced up by camel rides and folk performances, left the group awestruck.

Karnataka HC prevents transfer of 172 KV students

BANGALORE: The high court on Friday passed an interim order restraining the principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV), Kudremukh , from issuing transfer certificates (TCs) to 172 students. Justice Anand Byrareddy passed the order on a petition filed by Kudermukh Shrama Shakthi Sanghatan , an organization representing the workers of Kudremukh Iron Ore Corporation Limited (KIOCL). 
The petitioners challenged the proposal to close the Kudremukh KV in Chikmagalur district from April 1. Government advocate B Veerappa told the court that the state is ready to accommodate these students in nearby government schools.

Madras University distance education exams: April 7 is the last day for submitting forms without penalty

CHENNAI: The University of Madras has announced that April 7 is the last date for submitting without penalty the filled in application forms for all the UG examinations conducted by its Institute of Distance Education.

Students can submit the forms with penalty till April 15. The examinations will be held in May 2014.

The university would not send the application forms to the candidates. Instead, they have to download the forms from the university website, www.ideunom.ac.in, according to a release from the university.

Indian Naval Academy signs MoU with IIT Madras

KANNUR: The Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) with the aim of collaborating together for academics and research in the areas of mutual interest, exchange of academic information, scholarly information, materials and publications.

The MoU signed earlier this week in Chennai will also facilitate the cadets and students of both the institutions to participate in project competitions, faculty exchange programmes, sponsorship of cooperative seminars, workshops, etc and facilitate faculty development programmes, said a press release.

Speaking on the occasion, professor Bhaskar Ramamurthy, director of IIT Madras, said that the IIT Madras engages in interactions with society, organizations and industry through a variety of outreach programmes.

"It is always a special privilege to work with the armed forces. With the signing of the MoU, we have committed ourselves formally to work together more closely towards our common goals," he observed.

Vice admiral Ajit Kumar P, commandant, INA while thanking the director, said the Indian Naval Academy, which is already the largest Naval Academy in Asia, and aims to become the best Academy of its kind in the region, would benefit immensely from the IIT Madras which has a rich experience and legacy of more than five decades.

The INA had earlier signed a MoU with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and also Govt Engineering College Kannur (GECK) at Mangattuparamba, to collaborate together at the academic level.

CBSE to shift history lessons outdoors

CHANDIGARH: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked its affiliated schools to take students on excursions to historical sites to make studying history more interesting.

A CBSE official said: "This has been done keeping in mind that the subject is normally not considered very interesting. History, if taught by taking students near historical monuments and sites, will become fascinating. This move will be of assistance to students and they will be able to study in an enhanced manner. It will also help students do well in projects."

Rakesh Sachdeva, principal, DAV Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 15, and CBSE exams counsellor, echoed similar sentiments: "Visual contact has a different impact on students. For example, if we talk about a monument mentioned in the history book and take them on a visit to the structure, it will be really interesting and easy to learn facts about it." She added, "Expenses do not matter if the kid is learning something out of it".

Students and parents too appreciated the board move.

Aditi Singh, a Class IX student of Hansraj Public School, said: "It's easier to see the places than cram textbooks. It is going to be a great experience to see the places and monuments. It would seem as if the pictures and words would come out and present themselves in the form of historical places."

Jitender Verma, whose child is admitted to a CBSE-affiliated school, said: "It's a good step by the CBSE. I won't mind paying money for the excursion. My child would learn something in a more interesting manner. And if the school plans trips in groups, the fun would be doubled."

Some feel that the subject could be made more interesting through video clips and plays. Amita Khurana, principal, Shishu Niketan School, Sector 22, said," Since the board has now asked schools to conduct these trips, the subject will get more interesting. But there are various other options as well like video clippings or movie. As we have smart schools here, we should take advantage of that".

R J Khanderao, regional officer, CBSE, said, "Our students would be taken to these places and explained in detail about their historical significance. We have to take students on outdoor visits so that they can have a clear picture."  

DU cutoffs set to break all records

NEW DELHI: If numbers are any indication and excess admissions in undergraduate courses are curtailed, the cutoffs will touch an all-time high across all courses in DU this year. The pattern in Delhi's second largest university, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, where admissions are on, is also not encouraging. It has so far received 34,000 applications for just 250 seats in medicine and the application process will continue till April 10. BTech programmes have seen 39,000 applications already. 

The IP university has received 1.2 lakh applications for about 20,000 UG and 9,000 PG seats. DU has 54,000 seats but more than 60,000 get admission annually as the university policy allows admission to all candidates meeting the cutoff and fulfilling the additional criteria. The city's universities together have about 82,000 seats, including those in Ambedkar University, Jamia Millia, Delhi Technological University and Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University. According to CBSE, 2,91,414 students have registered for the Class XII boards, 30,000 more than last year. 

The increase in board exam candidates, along with the constant intake capacity, signals higher cutoffs. DU vice-chancellor Dinesh Singh suggested changes in the undergraduate admissions this year. "We will streamline UG admissions further to help aspirants in filling forms with minimum difficulty. And excess admissions have to stop. Because you (colleges) have a sanctioned strength, you must stay within that strength. We will also ensure the reserved category seats are filled." 

This means there will be no admission beyond the intake. Last year, there was chaos during admissions to BTech and police were called in to manage the large number of students at Maharaja Agrasen College asking for admission. There were instances of colleges admitting nearly 500 students for 60 seats in chemistry. In 2013, the first cutoff had 43 out of 56 colleges offering commerce at 90% and above, while 23 colleges recorded 95% and above.

Surat boy is IIM-Ahmedabad topper this year

SURAT: He is a rare talent, someone who has excelled in different branches of academics and sports. Twenty-five-year-old Hemant Mundra, who is first from Surat city to have topped the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), is a born achiever. It is not for nothing that he has been offered Rs 50 lakh per annum package from March 24, 2014 by Kedaara Capital, one of the largest private equity funds in the country.

Hemant, who is son of textile businessman Omprakash Mundra, studied at Seventh Day Adventist School in the city. He graduated in chemical engineering from IIT, Mumbai and topped his batch. He passed the chartered accountant course and chartered financial analyst level three certification examination subsequently.

"I realized I loved accounts more and so did CFA and tried for the IIM. I am happy that I am a management graduate now," Hemant said, who received two gold medals with five scholarships and other awards for being the IIM-A topper this year.