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Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to closely monitor private schools to prevent arbitrary practices that burden parents financially. School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond has issued a strong warning against institutions that "pinch the pockets" of parents by compelling them to purchase costly self-published or school-specific books. Speaking on the issue, Minister Gond emphasized that such practices violate the spirit of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He stated that it will now be mandatory for private schools to adopt NCERT textbooks, which are available at affordable prices and ensure quality and uniformity in education." The state government is taking the exploitation of parents very seriously," the Minister said. "Some private educational institutions are forcing children to use their own published books purely for profit. This is unacceptable and against the National Education Policy. Children must study from NCERT books, which are reasonably priced and widely accessible. "Parents have long complained that many private schools pressure them to buy expensive books and materials exclusively from designated shops or school campuses, even though the same or equivalent books are available at much lower prices in the open market. The Minister's statement has created a stir among private school owners and management. In response, the School and Mass Education Department is preparing a detailed roadmap to curb these malpractices. Formal instructions and guidelines are expected to be issued soon to all private schools across the state.
Bhubaneswar: In a landmark step to strengthen early childhood education, the Odisha government has announced the introduction of 'Sishu Vatikas' across all government primary schools starting from the Academic Year (AY) 2025-26. The notification was issued by the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to the Government of Odisha, School & Mass Education Department on Monday and will be published in the Odisha Gazette. As part of this new initiative aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, children aged 5 to 6 years will be enrolled in pre-school education at these specially created centers. The ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Saturday withdrew its earlier decision to de-empanel three leading private sector banks -- Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank -- from handling the business and deposits of state government organisations and departments. A notification issued by the state finance department confirmed the reversal, allowing the three banks to continue as empanelled institutions authorised to manage government-related financial transactions. The government had, through a notification dated June 21, 2025, removed the banks from its empanelled list, citing their "poor perfo ...Read More >
Balasore (Odisha) [India], July 16 (ANI): Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday took to the streets, calling for 'Balasore Bandh' in protest against the Odisha government after a 20-year-old girl self-immolated herself because of alleged sexual harassment by her teacher. The BJD workers burned tyres on the roads in Balasore expressing anger over the "inaction" of government that led the girl to self-immolate herself in protest of the sexual harassment. Also Read | Mumbai Horror: 2 Teenage Male Friends Forced To Indulge in Unnatural Sex Over Money Dispute; Accused Filmed Act and Threatened Victims, Ar ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 17: The NCERT's new Class 8 textbook, while describing the Mughal emperors, highlights Akbar's regime was a blend of "brutality" and "tolerance", Babur a "ruthless conqueror" and Aurangzeb as a "military ruler" who reimposed taxes on non-Muslims The book, Exploring Society: India and Beyond, released this week, is the first in the new NCERT curriculum to introduce students to the Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, Marathas and the colonial era. While earlier versions covered some of these topics in Class 7, the NCERT says the timeline has now been shifted entirely to Class 8, in line ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Commuters, patients and examinees faced a tough time on Thursday as the Congress-led statewide bandh disrupted vehicular movement and train services. The dawn-to-dusk bandh, supported by Left parties, was called demanding justice for the 20-year-old Balasore student who died by suicide over alleged sexual harassment by a faculty member and the apparent inaction by college authorities to her complaint.Three-year-old Raju Munda, from Dhenkanal district's Kankadahad block, died after th ...Read More >
New Delhi: The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been formally declared a deemed-to-be university empowering it to award its own degrees, officials said. "The Ministry of Education, on the advice of the University Grants Commission (UGC), NCERT along with its six constituent units have been declared as deemed to be University under distinct category," an official notification said. Also Read: NCERT granted deemed-to-be university status, empowered to award its own degrees These constituent units include regional institutes of education in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhub ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 6 (ANI): The three academicians who formed part of the Textbook Development Team behind the controversial "Corruption in Judiciary" sub-chapter in the Class Eighth NCERT Social Science textbook informed the Supreme Court on Monday that they have filed their response (explanation) in compliance with the Court's earlier order. Senior Advocates Gopal Sankarnarayanan, Aravind Datar and J. Sai Deepak, representing the three expert author-cum-academics - Suparna Diwakar, Michel Danino and Alok Prasanna Kumar, respectively - appeared before a bench led by CJI Surya Kant and ...Read More >
Noida, Apr 8 (PTI) Private schools in Gautam Buddh Nagar cannot compel students to purchase books, uniforms, shoes or other items from specific vendors and have to limit fee hikes to 7.23 per cent for the 2026-27 academic session, according to an official statement issued after a review meeting of the District Fee Regulatory Committee. The decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by District Magistrate Medha Roopam on Tuesday under provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Self-Financed Independent Schools (Fee Regulation) Act, 2018, the statement said. It said schools will not compel students to pur ...Read More >
MUMBAI: The Indian equity indices opened lower on Friday as heavyweights like Axis Bank and Bharti Airtel were among the top losers in the BSE benchmark. At 9.25 am, Sensex was down 171 points or 0.21 per cent at 82, 087 and Nifty was down 35 points or 0.14 per cent at 25, 075. In the Sensex pack, M&M, Tata Steel, Power Grid, L&T, UltraTech Cement, Infosys, Tata Motors, BEL, NTPC, TCS, Trent and Maruti Suzuki were top gainers. Axis Bank, Bharti Airtel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tech Mahindra , HDFC Bank, Eternal (Zomato), HUL, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Finance, ICICI Bank, Titan and Bajaj Finserv ...Read More >
The Board of Secondary Education, Madhya Pradesh has called on eligible candidates to apply for fresh and renewal of Central Sector Scholarship for the academic year 2025-26. Candidates must note that the last date of online applications has been fixed as October 31, 2025. Sponsored by the Department of Higher Education, applications or the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University students began from June 6, 2025. In an official notice, the board informed that students w ...Read More >
Keonjhar: Odia teachers working to preserve the language in remote areas of neighbouring Jharkhand continue without salaries, allegedly due to apathy by the Odisha government. With the Jharkhand government not recruiting Odia teachers, many are engaged through Utkal Sammilani and receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 3,000, or Rs 30,000 rupees annually. Educational inspectors are paid Rs 5,000 per month. Teachers say it is difficult to survive on such meager pay, but they continue their efforts to protect the Odia language and culture. They said their contributions in preserving Odia language an ...Read More >
Balasore (Odisha) [India], July 14 (ANI): The victim student who attempted self-immolation in Odisha Balasore district is suffering from 95 per cent burn, according to her father. The student self-immolated allegedly in protest against sexual harassment by a Professor of her college, sparking widespread outrage. Following this, the student was rushed to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. She has 95 burns. Doctors have said they are trying their best and are also in touch with AIIMS Delhi. CM sir also came here yesterday (Sunday). She had complained, but the principal did not pay heed to it, said the father, ...Read More >
Medak: Telangana State BJP President N. Ramchander Rao on Friday appealed to the people to give the committed party an opportunity to meet the aspirations of the poor and downtrodden. Addressing a large gathering of party workers in Medak, the BJP chief remarked that citizens have experienced the rule of the BRS and the Congress party and have had bitter experiences with the deceitful practices of both. He urged people to support the BJP wholeheartedly in the upcoming local body elections as a way to teach the ruling Congress party a lesson for its unfulfilled promises. Rao emphasized that t ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, March 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) said on Tuesday that Odisha posted moderate growth in 2024-25 compared to the previous financial year, while cautioning against fiscal stress risks arising from the under-realisation of revenue receipts, low own-tax mobilisation, poor dividend collection, long-outstanding loans, and concentrated short- to medium-term repayment obligations. The State Finances Audit Report of the Odisha government for 2024-25, presented in the State Assembly, noted that the state's overall fiscal position remained stable, ...Read More >
New Delhi, April 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday launched a CBSE curriculum on Computational Thinking (CT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for students of Classes 3 to 8, to be introduced from the 2026-27 academic session. The initiative, themed "AI for Education, AI in Education", aims to build foundational digital and analytical skills among young learners by integrating future-ready competencies at an early stage. The launch event in New Delhi was attended by Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, along with senior officials from the ...Read More >
The books for class 9-12 will be available from 2026-27. New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reduced the prices of books for classes 9 to 12 by 20 per cent. The decision was announced by NCERT Director Dinesh Prasad Saklani during an event held in the national capital on Monday. The reduction in the prices of books will be effective from the upcoming academic year. News agency PTI quoted the minister as saying that while the textbooks for classes 9- ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Former head of Air India and chairman of the Railway Board Ashwani Lohani is the new Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) director. The official order for his appointment was issued on Wednesday. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineering (IRSME), Lohani is known for turning around various organisations during his illustrious career. Following his retirement from IRSME service, he joined the GMR Group as the CEO. According to the order dated June 4, his appointment to the post of director, Prime Ministers Museum and Library in the rank and pa ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jul 3 (PTI) The Odisha government on Thursday sought information from public regarding the stampede that took place near Shree Gundicha Temple in Puri during a ceremony related to ongoing Rath Yatra festivities in which three persons were killed and 50 others injured. The state government through a public notice urged the people to share information, video footage or any other materials related to the stampede which took place early on Sunday for a proper and transparent inquiry into the incident. The public notice issued by the Planning and Convergence department, also mentione ...Read More >
BHUBANESWAR: Learning levels of school students in Odisha has exceeded the national average. Not only are they doing well at the foundational stage but also performing better in the higher grades. The Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH) Rashtriya Sarvekshan-2024 report published by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday has revealed that there has been significant improvement in learning levels of students in grades III, VI and IX in language, science, social science and mathematics subjects. The outcomes are above the national average in ...Read More >
New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been granted deemed-to-be-university status, enabling it to award its own degrees, officials said on Friday. "The Ministry of Education, on the advice of the University Grants Commission (UGC), has declared NCERT along with its six constituent units as a deemed-to-be university under a distinct category," an official notification said. Six Institutes Brought Under New Status The status will cover NCERT's key institutions, including the Regional Institutes of Education (RIEs) in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysur ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: The School and Mass Education Department has directed the schools across the state to operate during morning hours from Saturday in view of the rising heatwave conditions. According to the new revised timings, the schools will now remain open from 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM. This revised early morning schedule will continue until the summer vacation. This move has been made to ensure the safety and well-being of students amid soaring temperatures. Morning school timings came into effect across Odisha from Saturday, as the state government rolled out the revised schedule in response to ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 9 (ANI): Following the violent protest at Kerala University, a case has been registered against 27 activists of the ruling CPM's Students Federation of India (SFI), including its state secretary P S Sanjeev, who has been named the prime accused, police said. The case also names 1,000 identifiable protesters who have been accused of damaging public property, forcibly entering the university campus, and assaulting police and university staff, police said on Tuesday. Also Read | Nobel Peace Prize 2025: From Mahatma Gandhi to Jawaharlal Nehru, Check Full ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Education has come up with some disturbing revelations about the proficiency of students in basic Mathematics in government and private schools across the country. It assessed the Maths and Linguistic proficiency of 21.15 lakh students across 74,229 schools in 36 states and union territories last year. The survey was conducted by PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 for 21,15,022 students across three different grades: Grade 3 (5,99,026), Grade 6 (6,63,195), and Grade 9 (8,52,901). According to the survey, only 50% of Class 3 students were able to recognise and classi ...Read More >
Jammu- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reviewed the ongoing restoration work of the historic Mubarak Mandi complex, which was the power centre of the Dogra kings in Jammu, and stressed on enhancing its heritage appeal. The Mubarak Mandi Complex is one of Jammu's most significant architectural heritage sites and is envisioned as a comprehensive cultural centre, housing museums, conference venues and heritage hospitality services. Accompanied by Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and MLA Yudhvir Sethi during the visit, the chief minister was briefed in detail on the multi-phas ...Read More >
New Delhi, April 1: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday launched a CBSE curriculum on Computational Thinking (CT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for students of Classes 3 to 8, to be introduced from the 2026-27 academic session. The initiative, themed "AI for Education, AI in Education", aims to build foundational digital and analytical skills among young learners by integrating future-ready competencies at an early stage. The launch event in New Delhi was attended by Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Educ ...Read More >
The proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport at Puri has received Stage-I (in-principle) forest clearance from the Centre -- a move set to boost connectivity to the pilgrim town in Odisha. In a letter to the Odisha government on April 1, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change allowed diversion of 27.886 hectares of forest land for the project, while setting conditions for final (Stage-II) approval. The Stage-I nod for the greenfield airport follows a recommendation b ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: In the wake of FM Autonomous College tragedy, the Odisha government has directed all universities and colleges to prominently display the Women Helpline Number 181 across key locations on campus. The instruction issued by the Higher Education Department in this regard will be applicable to all universities and colleges under its jurisdiction, including government, aided, and private institutions. The educational institutions have also been instructed to organise awareness workshops on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Centre has entrusted the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) with the responsibility of granting certificates equivalent to that of the Secondary (Class 10) and Senior Secondary (Class 12 certificates awarded by various School Education Boards in India, officials said on Friday. This is aimed at facilitating smooth inter school education board migrations, they added. An official release from the Education Ministry said, "This responsibility will be exercised for the purpose of admission of students to higher education institutions and employment under ...Read More >
New Delhi: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a notice stating that the process for the submission of the data to the QS World Rankings 2027 has officially been initiated. The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, has requested the higher education institutions in the country to submit the necessary information, such as the sustainability information, to the QS Hub Portal qs-hub2.qs.com by April 12, 2026, to ensure proper representation in the rankings. The notice has clearly stated the importance of the accurate and timely submission of the information by the ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Friday enumerated himself digitally at his official residence in Bhubaneswar in presence of Odisha Census Operations director Nikhil Pawan Kalyan. Majhi also issued an appeal to the people of the state to join the national exercise, highlighting its importance for future planning and development. "The census programme has commenced in Odisha through a collaborative effort between the Directorate of Census Operations under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Revenue and Disaster Management Department of the state government. The first phase of the Ce ...Read More >