Category Archives: Education

School kids aim to paint for 72 hours straight to break world record

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All, World Opinion

Meerut :

A group of seven school children have come together in the city to break the existing world record of the maximum number of hours spent painting. The record is currently held by France, where a group painted for 60 hours. The attempt comes close to the heels of the city holding the position of the longest painting by numbers.

Children from Class X and XI of Guru Tegh Bahadur Public School started started painting on Monday afternoon, and will be allowed a two-hour break per student, in a manner that five students are always painting for 72 hours.

Arrangement of proper food has been made on the school premises and authorities have also commissioned a team of doctors. The theme of the painting marathon is ‘Cleanathon’ and aims to showcase Swachch India. The school authorities have also put up the event on record by means of a video camera and it can be seen on a projector in the school hall, which will be open for school students and parents who wish to have a look at the record being made.

The students vying for the record include Bhanu Dev Sharma, Akhil Kumar, Jatin Kumar, Sawan Verma, Piyush Kumar, Lakshay Verma and Bhavya Grover.

“When Meerut got its name for the longest painting by numbers, all students interested in art started looking up for records that could be broken. We researched well, and discussed it with the school authorities, who readily agreed,” says an elated Bhanu.

Bhavya Grover, a Class X student, who is also suffering from Cerebral palsy, said, “I have a difficulty in walking but the doctor here ensures I don’t put a lot of pressure on my legs. The small breaks I get are also good enough. I want to give thi my best.”

Speaking to TOI, Kapil Sood, the school’s principal, said, “A dietician and a doctor will be attending to the students from time to time. Also, two teachers and two class four staff will have a duty every night to keep a check on anything that the students might need. We’re supporting the students in every way possible.” Authorities added that going directly to Guinness was an expensive affair, which is why they chose to go via India Book of Records, which can further refer it.

Poorti Garg, one of the two adjudicators from India Book of Records, said, “We will keep a close eye on the students and ensure that no rules are broken. If they succeed in their attempt, they will break the already existing world record of 60 hour non-stop painting marathon created by team Roland Paulmaters and group from France.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Meerut News / by Ishita Bhatia / TNN / February 14th, 2017

Gold medal winners show heart of gold that beats for poor

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features
King George’s Medical University

Lucknow :

A number of graduates who received gold medal at the 12th convocation of King George’s Medical University on Sunday would prefer to work in government sector-academics or practice to help the under privileged.

“Millions die every year for lack of proper treatment of neurological disorders, so I look forward to help those in need,” said Imran Rizvi, who bagged the Dr A M Kar centenary Gold Medal for best performance in DM (Neurology).

Recipient of the highest honour, Mohammad Tabish too wants to work in his home district comprising villages of Muzaffarnagar. Resident of Basti, BDS topper Abhishek Kumar Gupta said he ultimately wanted to open a clinic in Basti and serve in his home town. Similarly, Chancellor’s gold and university honours medal winner Avinash D Gautam too wants to serve the poor.

Sharing the dream of going abroad, Harsha A H and Shiva Rajan wish to work for the welfare of the society. “I wish to make discoveries and invent technologies that would help treat patients,” said Harsha, who received the ‘Sursari Dayal Memorial Gold Medal’.

The gold medal in the name of Vice Chancellor Prof Ravi Kant was conferred on Himanshu Yadav who believes in healing patients, rather than treating them. “I want to put in whatever I have learnt till date in serving impecunious,” added Yadav.

One of the gold medallists said she took up medical studies only to relieve the poverty-stricken. Vikram Holla, who will soon be joining as an assistant professor in a government medical college, said, “I am ready to work with any organisation that works ethically, and prioritises needs of the under- privileged.”

There was a good number of passouts who wanted to work in the government sector but Madhusudan Patodia, recipient of Prof T C Goel Gold medal said he would like to work in a private hospital since they are technologically more advanced. Patodia’s field of specialisation is kidney transplant.

source: http://www.timesofindia.inditimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / TNN / January 30th, 2017

MNNIT’s alumni meet begins today

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education

Allahabad :

Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) alumni from all over the world will congregate for the two-day convention organised by its alumni association. On November 12, the institute is holding its 12th global alumni convention.

Institute director and patron of the convention, Prof Rajeev Tripathi, said, “The chief guest of the event would be SD Dubey, chairperson of central electricity authority, Union ministry of power and part-time director on the board of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. RN Mishra, chairman and managing director of SJVN Limited and an alumnus of MNNIT-Allahabad, will be the guest of honour.

The director said that events like the inaugural function, felicitation of retired faculty members, felicitation of ‘1966 Golden Jubilee Batch’ and ‘1991 Silver Jubilee Batch’ and ‘Dosti ke Pachas Varsh’ 1966 entrant batch have been scheduled on the first day of the convention.

“This will be followed by alumni interaction with students. Later a cultural programme will also be held,” said Avanish Kumar Dubey, vice-president, alumni association and chairman of the convention. Dubey added that the convention would conclude on November 13.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Allahabad News / TNN / November 12th, 2016

IVRI researcher develops safer, more effective vaccine against livestock disease

Agriculture, Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Bareilly :

A research scholar from the city-based Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) has developed a safer, more effective version of the currently available vaccine against brucellosis, a disease that inflicts 20% of livestock in India.

Brucellosis causes infertility and reproductive disorders among livestock. Pallab Chaudhury, head of the genetic engineering laboratory at IVRI, told TOI, “The disease is caused by the brucella bacteria. It occurs primarily in livestock, including cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats. Brucellosis can also be transmitted to humans through contaminated milk and unpasteurised dairy products. In humans, it causes fever, headache, joint pain and sweating.”

Chaudhury said the modified version of the vaccine is safer and provides greater immunity against the disease. “This has been proved in a laboratory model. The research scholar who developed the modified version, Jonathan Lalsiamthara, was conferred the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research in Agriculture last month for his work. However, we will continue to pursue research on the vaccine to establish that it can be administered to cattle and buffaloes,” he said.

“Lalsiamthara, who pursued his PhD under my guidance, generated brucella with defective lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through genetic manipulation as part of his research. The modified organism is less virulent than the original bacteria,” said Chaudhury.

Chaudhury said the vaccine available at present is not very safe and cannot be used in adult animals. “A project has been under way at the genetic engineering laboratory for developing a safer and more potent vaccine.

It has been funded by the department of biotechnology.”

Lalsiamthara’s research paper was published in a reputed international journal. He is currently pursuing his post-doctoral research at Chonbuk National University, South Korea. IVRI director R K Singh congratulated Lalsiamthara for upholding the institute’s tradition of excellence by winning the Jawaharlal Nehru award.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bareilly / Priyangi Agarwal / August 16th, 2016

Another prodigy sprouts from Lucknow’s ‘talented family’

Amazing Feats, Education, Records, All
Just short of her fifth birthday, Ananya is all set to get admission in Class 9 in a Lucknow school if the state education department gives its consent. (Handout image)
Just short of her fifth birthday, Ananya is all set to get admission in Class 9 in a Lucknow school if the state education department gives its consent. (Handout image)

As her name suggests, Lucknow’s Ananya Verma is a unique child.

Just short of her fifth birthday, Ananya is all set to get admission in Class 9 in a city school if the state education department gives its consent. And it will be the first time she will ever go to a school.

The story of her two elder siblings is no different. Her brother Shailendra became the country’s youngest computer science graduate in 2007 when he was just 14 and sister Sushma holds the Limca Book of Records for becoming the youngest matriculate at seven. She enrolled in a PhD course at the age of 15 last year.

Born on December 1, 2011, Ananya can read all kinds of books, including the Ramayana and the Hanuman Chalisa, with ease.

“My elder daughter, Sushma, went to St Meera’s. This school is willing to take the child (Ananya) in Class 9. But there are certain formalities and hence she cannot be enrolled without official permission,” Ananya’s father Tej Bahadur, who works as a peon in a university, said.

“We never force her to study. When I return home from the university, she insists that I help her in her studies. Her ability to grasp new topics is commendable,” Sushma, who mostly helps her in mathematics, said.

The school has allowed Ananya to attend classes as she waits for the education department’s permission. She has been going to school regularly for the last 10-15 days and is already quite popular among students.

The management of St Meera’s School is also very happy to have Ananya.

“We spotted abundant talent in Ananya just like Sushma. We groomed Sushma after she came to our school in Class 9 when she was just 5. We will work extra with Ananya also. Her fingers are very small. She needs to be given special attention, particularly in mathematics. Our trained educators will conduct extra sessions with her,” school manager Vinod Ratra said.

He said in Sushma’s case the then district inspector of schools Vikas Srivastava gave her the permission and she could then attend school.

“We are awaiting approval from the secondary education department. Ananya is coming unofficially to the school and attending classes. But formal admission will be given once we get the approval,” Ratra added.

Tej Bahadur has no words except those of gratitude for the goddess of learning, Saraswati, who he says has blessed his children.

“I am illiterate and cannot guide my children. Whatever they have achieved is the grace of Ma Saraswati,” he said.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home / by Rajeev Mullick, Hindustan Times,Lucknow / August 09th, 2016

Indian teen from LA gives self-defence training to Bareilly girl dropouts

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Nri's / Pio's, Sports

Bareilly:

When an assailant grasped the hand of Taravati (who uses only her first name), the young girl twisted his arm and pushed him away, and then kicked him. Taravati, a class XII student, received appreciation from other girls and even from the assailant for her defensive skills.

Taravati is one of the 50 girls of Dhaneli village under Meerganj tehsil of Bareilly district who were briefly forced to discontinue studies due to continuous harassment by a group of youths on the way to school. They resumed studies only after police increased security in the area.

However, when Pooja Nagpal, 18, a Los Angeles resident and second-degree black belt in taekwondo, read the TOI report on the incident, she decided to visit Dhaneli to give the girls some handy self-defence tips.

“After I read the TOI report, I felt bad for the girls. I decided to visit this village to make them confident so they can take on the assailants on their own in future,” the teenager said. Nagpal has been learning different forms of martial arts since she was 12 and has been running her own organisation: For a Change — Defence.

“The Nirbhaya gangrape case really touched me and I decided to train girls in India during my summer vacation. I have conducted workshops for girls in remote areas of Himachal Pradesh and orphanages in Delhi and Chandigarh. I was teaching at a school for the visually impaired in Chandigarh when I read about the these school girls and came here,” she said.

Her father, college teacher Pawan Nagpal, “When she said she wanted to visit Bareilly, my friends told me the place is not safe. I was reluctant to come here but she had made up her mind. It was a proud moment to train these girls.”

On Friday, Pooja trained 50 girls from Dhaneli and another 150 from neighbouring villages at Dunka Inter College, nearly 40 km from Bareilly. “The girls were initially shy and kept on saying that they will not be able to punch hard. However, after a few rounds, they opened up and quickly learned a few defensive techniques. I wish I had more time to teach them but my college starts this month,” said Pooja, who will now study electrical engineering and computer science at University of California, Berkeley.

Devwati (who uses only her first name), a class XII said, “The workshop was very informative. If anybody tries to harass me, I now know how to teach him a lesson.”

Nikita Soman, from class XI, said that she will keep practising the techniques and teach other girls in her neighbourhood.

Principal of the school, Vinod Kumar said, “We will make sure the girls continue to practice these defensive skills in their games period.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Bareilly / by Priyangi Agarwal / TNN / August 12th, 2016

Kanpur boy develops Web app, wins global competition

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Kanpur :

Simran Singh, a student of Class 12 of Sheiling House School, brought laurels to his parents and the institution by winning a global competition, ‘Imagine Cup-Earth’ which was conducted by Microsoft. Simran, who had been learning the basics of coding since 13 years of age, managed to design a web application (app) on algae named, ‘Project Vision’ which predicts algae levels and plots it in the form of an image on the desktop monitor or laptop screen.

Simran won the first prize in the competition and was awarded a cash prize of $3000 and a gift hamper. He also had the privilege of meeting Satya Nadella, CEO Microsoft at an event of the company in New Delhi on May 31 where he introduced his web app to him. Simran had never thought of that he would ever get a chance to meet CEO of Mircosoft and when he got a mail from Mircosoft in which he was apprised about his meeting with the top boss of Microsoft, the boy could not believe this. He even practised for days what to say upon meeting Microsoft CEO.

The school which earned a name because of Simran, ensured felicitating this meritorious boy in the morning assembly. The parents of Simran are an extremely delighted lot who see a bright career for their son in coming future. Simran is now both preparing for his Class XII board exams and JEE Mains scheduled to be held next year.

“One day in the month of October 2015, I got a mail from Microsoft in which there was a mention about the global competition named ‘Imagine Cup-Earth’. As I knew coding, I decided to take part in the event and informed my parents about it. Due to my exams, I had to leave the task of developing the app in the midway. It was just two days before the deadline that the app could be readied. Once it was ready, I gained confidence of winning this competition and this proved to be true”, said Simran while talking to TOI.

He mentioned that there was a requirement of developing the web application and posting its three images and a video along with the link to access it on given website address for taking part in the competition. He also said that the friends proved to be of a great help in developing the web application.

On being asked about what this web application can do, Simran said that this app can predict the level of algae in the sea by providing certain details such as weather, level of salt in the water etc.

“I was asked by Microsoft CEO during our meeting in Delhi on May 31 about the future use of this web application to which I had apprised him that this app could be integrated with the computerised machines that do weather forecast. Along with the weather forecast, the level of algae could also be known. I told Satya sir about the functioning of the app,” Simran said.

He added that the level of algae in sea has to be at optimum level. “If algae increases in water it prevents the sunlight from penetrating deep inside the sea and this is harmful for the aquatic life. If the level of algae decreases, it reduces the dissolved oxygen in water,” informed Simran while talking to TOI.

“It was wonderful meeting Satya sir. I had never thought of getting this moment in my life. The school also felicitated me during the morning assembly. My parents are a proud lot and now I look forward to pursue BTech in Computer Science engineering from renowned IIT next year for which my preparations are underway,” said Simran, whose parents own a business in Jawahar Nagar.

Simran’s parents Jaspal Singh and Harvinder Kaur and school principal, Vanita Mehrotra could not stop praising this meritorious boy on achieving this feat.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kanpur / by Abhinav Malhotra / TNN / August 06th, 2016

VC of UP Rajashri Tandon Open University honoured

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

Allahabad :

Making the city and the institution proud, the vice-chancellor of Uttar Pradesh Rajashri Tandon Open University, Prof M P Dubey has been felicitated with the special ‘higher education leadership award. The award, conferred on Prof Dubey for his exemplary role in the field of higher education was given at the 7th World Education Summit 2016 which was supported by digital learning, Asia’s premier magazine on ICT for Education.

The summit, which concluded at Delhi on Saturday, aims to create a global knowledge sharing platform for thought leaders, policy makers, education leaders and industry leaders to initiate change in the entire education system. Earlier summits were held at Kuala Lampur, Singapore, Dubai, Colombo, Dhaka and New Delhi.

This felicitation is the recognition of the achievements of the UPRTOU in the field of ICT as with the aim to meet the challenges, this lone open university of the state has kept abreast the expanding frontiers of knowledge in different branches of learning, tried to prepare skilled and socially motivated human resources. The quest for quality and the concern for excellence in the academic sphere has been made sensitive to the countervailing need for assuring equity through special provisions and efforts to meaningfully help socially and academically underprivileged students, and fulfil the opportunity for higher learning.

As the University trains its teachers in modern pedagogy and updates their knowledge, they would be encouraged to use online material such as MOOCs and TED talks liberally. Mobile Apps developed by the university would make the system much more student friendly. It has implemented CBCS (choice based credit system) since July 2015 by restructuring and modernising all the syllabi.

Steps has been taken to raise the quality of administrative and financial management towards making the system ‘user’ friendly, time-conscious, cost-efficient, self-critical and team-work oriented, speedily responsive to problem situations, amenable to intervention-oriented monitoring and imbued with a positive work ethic. The accelerated automation and computerization of offices and administrative work has been of major help in this regard. The internal quality assurance cell has also been set up for the purpose of creating and maintaining quality and standard.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / Rajeev Mani / TNN / August 06th, 2016

New batch of IITKanpur students attempt to make a world record of flying maximum paper planes

Amazing Feats, Education, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Kanpur :

The new lot of undergraduate and postgraduate students who have just taken admission in IIT-Kanpur, attempted to make a new Guinness world record of flying maximum number of air planes. A total of 2100 paper planes were flown in the air on Tuesday afternoon by 1050 students. The unique activity undertaken was aimed at giving a social message to the students. The entire process was filmed by the drone cameras and was also manually monitored so that the authenticity of the paper flying event could be established before the office bearers of Guinness World Records. The event had been organised a day before the commencement of the classes of the new students by the ‘Counselling Service’ of IIT-Kanpur. The previous record attempted by was students of a college in Indore in 2015 in which 2000 air planes were flown.

Talking to TOI, head, Counselling Service, IITKanpur, Prof MK Ghorai said, “We attempted to break the record of flying 2000 air planes by a college in Indore last year. A total of 1050 students participated in the World Record bid of flying 2100 planes. Each student had been given two paper planes to fly and on each paper plane a unique social message was written. After the planes came down on the ground they were picked by the students who participated in the event. They then came across the messages that were written on them. The students vowed that they will follow these messages as a practice in their life.”

Prof Ghorai said that while students had written messages that they will donate their eyes, others had written that they will donate blood. He said that students wrote that they will help the poor and ensure that they teach students free of cost.

During the event senior officers of SBI and Union Bank of India were present as observors. On each participating first semester student, student guides (senior of second year) was appointed by the counselling service to monitor the attempt made to make a world record of flying maximum number of paper planes. This was done to maintain transperancy and to ensure that all the 2100 air planes took flight in air.

Dean of Students Affairs, Prof AR Harish said that the main purpose of the event was to give social message to the students who have just joined the institute and would be staying here for a duration of four years during their BTech course.

Prof Ghorai said that the soon the entire set of documents including the footages shot by the drone camera to the Guinness World Record office so that they could cross-check our game.

The event was held in the auditorium ground of the institute. The event turned out to be colourful one with 2100 paper planes taking flight. From Wednesday, the first semester students will have their first class and this activity had been planned in such a way that it could be executed a day before the start of the classes.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kanpur / by Abhinav Malhotra / TNN / July 27th, 2016

Indian students win 5 medals at Olympiad

Education, Records, All, World Opinion
With flying colours:The Indian contingent at the 47th International Physics Olympiad at Zurich, Switzerland. —Photo: Special Arrangement
With flying colours:The Indian contingent at the 47th International Physics Olympiad at Zurich, Switzerland. —Photo: Special Arrangement

Five Indian students, who participated in the 47th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Zurich in Switzerland, last week, have got three gold medals and two silver medals, officials from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) said on Monday.

Debaditya Pramanik from Kolkata, Preey Hiten Shah from Mumbai, and Gowtham Amirthya S.N. from Hyderabad won gold, while Divyansh Garg from Jaipur and Manan Bhatia from Lucknow got silver, showing a 100 per cent result at this year’s Olympiad. They will be felicitated at a ceremony at TIFR’s Mankhurd office on Tuesday.

The 47th edition of the IPhO was held from July 11 to July 17. A total of 398 students from 84 countries took part. The competition had a theoretical and an experimental examination, each of five-hour duration.

The Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, a national centre of TIFR, is the nodal centre in the country for all science Olympiads (physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy and astrophysics and junior science) and the mathematical Olympiad. The centre selects and trains the Indian teams.

The five winners were selected through a three-stage process. The first one consisted of a nationwide physics examination for which over 44,000 students appeared across 1,300 centres. The remaining two stages had a series of selection tests: theoretical and practical.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mumbai Local / by Special Correspondent / Mumbai – July 19th, 2016