4,850 college students sing 'Vande Mataram’ on Malpe beach, create world record

Bengaluru, Jun 7: An eminent scientist on Sunday suggested a shift system in schools to prevent spread of the coronavirus and continuing with online classes with focus on project-based learning in a big way to promote creativity.

Former Director General of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) V K Saraswat supported the idea of online teaching in the absence of regular classes in view of closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, he said it should be organised in far better and more interactive ways so that delivery of knowledge can be better. The NITI Aayog member stressed the need for schools to have a strategy when they reopen keeping in mind the safety of students.

May be they will have to organise shifts so that within the same space they can handle the students; May be they will have to employ more teachers, and they can run two shifts. "May be half the strength in a class can come in the morning and others in the afternoon.

Or students of first to sixth standard can come in the morning and seventh to tenth can come in the afternoon, Saraswat told PTI. Reopening strategy will have to be worked out by the education department, added the former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister.

Along with normal classes, online education should be continued as a regular system in future, and promoted in a big way because that is the way technology is going to help delivery of knowledge, he added. Saraswat also raised the pitch for reforms in the education sector, saying India is facing the problem of rote learning.

Rote learning has to give way for more project-based teaching, he underlined. Children should be made to work on projects at home and that can be done online. That will also support the changeover from rote learning to creative learning.

I personally believe the education delivery system -- primary, secondary and college levels -- has to be completely changed because creativity in India is less and creativity would come only if we replace rote learning with project-based learning, Saraswat said.

On some academics holding the view that the marks-based model is killing the education system in India as it does not promote creativity, he said evaluation of any outcome is important. Even when we perform in our normal way, evaluation cannot be replaced.

Otherwise, you cant find out how much you have succeeded in delivery. Certainly evaluation cannot be dispensed with. He did not agree with some experts, who favoured a single, uniform system for school education in India by dispensing with CBSE, ICSE and state boards. I am not for normalising everything in life.

I personally believe variety should be there. This concept of one kind of a system is okay for a Communist society, society which was trying to drive everybody like a herd, he said.

Creativity comes with variety, and there is nothing wrong in having different kinds of education system, but one thing which is important is we have to integrate vocational training as part of the education curriculum," Saraswat said. Vocational part cannot be kept away from the education system, he added.

Mangaluru, Jun 3: The district administrations of Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod have issued standard operating procedures (SOP) for the movement of people between two neighbouring districts that fall under two different states.

Even though thousands of people used to commute between these two districts due to employment, education and other reasons every day, the travel has been banned for over two months due to covid lockdown.

Dakshina Kannada DC Sindhu B Rupesh has assured that travel passes will be issued for working professionals/students who have to commute every day.

Those who wish to travel to DK district from Kasargod have to register on https://bit.ly/dkdpermit for daily pass.

The pass applicant should mention the travel destinations, and the complete work address in DK. He/she should also upload Aadhaar card, proof of workplace. On receipt of the applications, the AC of Mangaluru division will issue the pass which will be valid till June 30.

The DC said that the pass details will be recorded at Talapady check post daily. Those who fail to report during the exit from Dakshina Kannada will be subjected to quarantine by the taluk administration and penal action will be initiated as per Epidemic Act, she warned.

Thermal screening of all persons entering DK will be conducted at the checkpost. Only those who are asymptomatic will be allowed to enter.

As per the SOP issued by Kasargod District Collector, those who wish to commute between these two districts have to register in COVID-19 Jagratha portal under the emergency pass category and the applicant has to mention the reason as “inter-state travel on a daily basis."

Kasaragod, Jul 19: An accused in a case registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Prevention) Act (POCSO) killed self minutes before being shifted to the jail on Sunday.

Police sources said the criminal, Shaiju, was admitted to Covid-19 observation ward after he was arrested and remanded to judicial custody after he was charged with a case under POCSO for unnatural sex with a neighbour boy recently.

The accused had made a similar attempt last month but was implicated in a case after his treatment.