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Classes to continue online until 3 May, no plan to advance summer break: HRD ministry

Following fresh MHA guidelines, HRD ministry has asked educational institutions to continue online classes in the second phase of the lockdown.

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New Delhi: The Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) Wednesday asked all education institutions to maintain the academic calendar through online teaching during the second phase of the lockdown. 

The order came after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in fresh guidelines issued Wednesday, asked education institutions to remain shut until 3 May, when the ongoing lockdown is scheduled to end. “However, these establishments are expected to maintain the academic schedule through online teaching,” the guidelines state.

Speaking to ThePrint, HRD Secretary Amit Khare said the “detailed guidelines… issued by the MHA for the functioning of education institutions… will be followed”. “All education institutions will continue teaching through online mode,” he added.

Asked if there were plans to advance the summer vacation in schools or colleges, which usually last from May to July, a senior official of the HRD Ministry said there was no such proposal as of now. 

According to the official, the academic session, which many institutions have begun on schedule through online classes, will continue as is. 

Meanwhile, the University Grants Commission (UGC) is waiting for a report from a seven-member expert panel headed by Central University of Haryana Vice-Chancellor R.C. Kuhad. The committee was formed to take a call on conducting exams and changing the academic calendar for higher education institutes in light of the current situation.

Exams in most higher education institutions had to be postponed because of the restrictions put in place to control the spread of coronavirus.


Also Read: How India’s young IAS officers ensured a smooth lockdown in every corner of the country


Going online

Schools and colleges around the country have been shut since early March as part of social distancing norms implemented by the government to arrest the spread of Covid-19.

On Tuesday, PM Modi extended the nationwide lockdown in place since 25 March by another 19 days, until 3 May.

The guidelines issued by the MHA Wednesday seek to outline the implementation of this extended lockdown. While weighing in on education, the guidelines suggest “maximum use of Doordarshan and other educational channels for the purpose of education”.

As far as online learning is concerned, the ministry is conducting lessons through various means. Apart from digital platforms like Diksha and NCERT’s e-Pathshala, the ministry has made its educational channels available on DTH services such as Tata Sky, Airtel TV, Videocon and Dish TV. 

Under this arrangement, subject experts deliver live lectures on TV and students can ask questions through numbers given on the screen. A recorded broadcast of six hours is followed by live classes for the same duration. According to a note from the ministry issued earlier this month, “four different subject experts” conduct sessions lasting “one and half hour” each.

Schools are at liberty to decide their own programmes for online classes, as many across India have done, but can subscribe to the government service if they wish to.


Also Read: No matter how you look at it, India’s lockdown-2 can cost as many lives as it will save


 

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20 COMMENTS

  1. Sir,in many CBSE school teachers are failing students of class 9th and 11th. If compartment paper will we held in June or July so, when was children do study for next classes . Sir i am requesting you to do compartment exam soon or otherwise promote all the students.
    If lockdown increase the the compartment students unable to give exams and there year lost. Please

  2. Sir,in many CBSE school teachers are failing students of class 9th and 11th. If compartment paper will we held in June or July so, when was children do study for next classes . Sir i am requesting you to do compartment exam soon or otherwise promote all the students.
    If lockdown increase the the compartment students unable to give exams and there year lost.

  3. There is no action against Mumbai schools against fees during lockdown and no rules for icse schools Mumbai school only gives direction for state schools….

  4. But what about the students of backward areas ,we are facing problems of internet connectivity.Although there are classes going on we are unable to join.plz recognise our problems.

  5. Sir, what about the class XI compartment exams. As we know it would be held after school reopening but oon line classess for class XII in the meantime will be going on. How come the compartment students focus. Please help me.

  6. The last session was already over, and next session is two months away. Why the schools trouble the children by resorting to online classes. It’s anyway onset of summer vacation. The education administrators should rethink over this aspect.

  7. Going online ……its locked down …
    Will all majority buy computers etc .

    Average middle class got money to eat daily now .
    Most of the items are sold hiked prices due to lockdown ..
    More than MRP …

  8. It’s an important idea to take online classes .who have completed 9 th and promoted to next classes for them also start online class for the subjects like Maths and science. And I
    ‘m interested to take classes for govt schools

  9. Let me know u the online classes u r talking about is of no worth as we students of kashmir face too many problems during lectures like too much video buffering n audio problms as well. So we the students of kashmir request u to have a better decision in case of our studies as we cannot bother this much loss to our studies

  10. All students in India are getting online classes and we the people of Jammu don’t even have proper internet. In urban area there are still some broadband service provider but in remote area we don’t even have proper network coverage which make 2g even more worse. The cyber cafes are closed. It’s already 255+ days of High speed internet ban in JK and govt wants to make Digital India. Sometimes it’s feel like that govt just want to make people of Jk suffer even for their basic rights. I request all the media houses please helps us.

  11. I think HRD ministers have no idea of ground reality of our schools including the one affiliated to CBSE and less said about schools about other boards. New academic Callander should be reworked to reduce the syllabus and other non academic activities which are mostly non productive.

  12. I think online classes would not b helpful for all ..because india is not yet fully digital ..it is not yet fully developed..there are many villages with no proper electricity ,no network connections…so how will the students residing in those villages b able to attend da online classes ..n some even doesn’t hv mobile..n in my village too der is no proper power supply .der is always ups n downs in electricity though my village is one of the blocks of an Indian state…

  13. K. Sreenivasalu sir,
    Most humbly i would like to say that you hv talked about all the preventive care for a evaluator or teacher. But who will think about the students, aren’t they vulnerable and how they will reach to that place.

  14. If by educational institutions they also include colleges and universities, then it is sheer stupidity to expect them to maintain academic calendar through online teaching. Especially for lab-based subjects. Of course, in India every Govt order can be executed under every circumstances, but those involved know very well what a massive farce it will be.

  15. Now the time come up to ELEMENATE the difference of opinion on REGULAR OR DISTANCE OR ONLINE COURSES. Very particularly Government is degrading the educational qualification at the time of employment as NOT RECOGNIZED AND LEGALLY INVALID. Now due COVID-19 virus the Government must treat all qualifications obtained through DISTANCE MODE or ONLINE are legally valid.

  16. Let finalize the postponed CBSE examination dates for Class XII(for rest of India for scheduled dates between 29.03.2020 and 31.03.2020).And, Classes X & XII( some areas on Delhi due to clashes/agitations).
    I will propose the dates for two sets of occasions.
    1.Release date sheet by 20/04/2020 (10 days before)
    2. Starting date should be from 05/05/2020.
    3. Timings for examinations;
    For Class XII: 9.30 am to 12.30pm
    For Class X : 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm
    4. Two separate centre superintendents if school is
    hosting both XII & X exams.(Delhi area).
    5. Answer script bundles may be collected by CBSE
    personnel at the centre with due policeprotection.
    6. Evaluation (for already completed exams ) may be
    started with effective from 04/05/3020(Monday).
    7. Intimation about evaluation may be done on or
    before 25/04/2020.
    8. Double DA and entitled TA may be paid to
    evaluators.
    9. Proper police protection may engaged at evaluation
    centres.
    10. Medical facilities such as medical room with five beds may be arranged from contingencies.
    11. Every evaluator should produce a medical certificate that the teacher not contacted CORONA and declare that ‘ No family member(s) has not contact CORONA and not treated nor quarantined before.
    12. A healthinsurance ( for Rs.50000) may be pledged for all evaluators (either single or group insurance).
    K.Sreenivasulu
    HRM Practitioner & KV Teacher.
    9676709905

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