Keeping in view the ongoing crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic, ABVP has decided to roll out online language learning classes. The classes are expected to benefit students the most. 

According to a dissertation, students from JNU are also participating in it. This endeavour is known as Bhasa Sangam, which was inaugurated on June 26. Under the program, students can learn any Indian and foreign language. 

Once the program was floated, students from across the country and abroad showed curiosity to register themselves for the program. “We got a very favourable visual response for language courses. The classes are all set to commence from Saturday,” Shivam Chaurasia, President ABVP, JNU said.

The members of ABVP who are also students of JNU said, this invention will be effective and fruitful for students who are looking forward to learning basics and International fellowships to study abroad.

The classes will be conducted through Google classroom and will be a free introductory course. JNU Bhasa Sangam program has received immense appreciations and over a thousand enrollments from India and abroad.

Around 50 language experts, teachers and research scholars would be giving lectures on the basics of various languages. It is worth noting that students, professionals and common citizens have registered for learning.

“For a student learning to speak is the basic basement to build-up career ahead. This is a huge opportunity to understand the basics of culture and diversity associated with it. This is the time to claim to lighten our Indian culture and language Globally, through Bhasa Sangam. ABVP JNU is facilitating a possibility to glorify the communication skills of students during the lockdown.”

 Article Written By JP Sahu

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The onset of the pandemic Covid-19 has brought significant changes in the lives of humans around the globe. The virus made the people resort to the changes which were unimaginable and scary in the beginning.

To everyone’s surprise, everyone understood that humans have the ability to survive through difficult times by discovering newer survival methods as a part of new normal.

While being locked in, people forged bonds with each other better than ever, there was a steep rise in mental health issues and cases of domestic violence, online bullying and harassments.

Although the economy has been hit and run over by the vehicle of corona in such a brutal way that life has started to seem hopeless, in order to keep the normal lifestyle in a run, WFH (or Work from Home) has been introduced for people to keep their basic income intact.

While, WFH has provided a safe working environment for some people, it has become a grave concern for others. Online classes aren’t a new thing in India. Various educational companies are climbing the success ladder due to their ability to reach each and every student around the nook and corner of the country through technology.

Although it is a great initiative for teachers as well as students to decrease the gap of physical distance through the same interest of a thirst for knowledge, it has become a bane for the teachers who have spent their entire lives in conventional teaching methods.

In order to survive through the pandemic and keep the education going on, the government gave the order to make online teaching classes compulsory for every student and teacher.

Therefore, all the teachers started to hoard a tripod stand, a black or a white board, chalks, markers and most importantly learnt how to use technology to their advantage.

However, it was easier said than done. In recent days, viral news has come to light where an aged teacher was abused and harassed while taking online classes. The post went viral after an Instagram account, Ted The Stoner shared a picture talking about a 55-year-old teacher’s ordeal.

The account also shared an important message on why students should not abuse teachers. The caption talked about how teachers are helpless like any of us during these changing times.

It sheds light on the teaching patterns that have changed during the pandemic. It has also created a lot of pressure on teachers. It was a thought provoking post which really made people teary eyed and forced everyone to ponder over where we have reached in the name of advanced civilization.

The basic sense of empathy, understanding and respect seems to be vanishing with the passage of time. In India, we are taught that if one wants to find God, one should look at his teacher.

Teachers are the mirror who shows us the right pathway to live our lives. Yet, in the era of social validation in the name of coolness, we have turned to notoriety which has forgotten to distinguish itself with harassments.

The youth forget that the older generation is trying to keep up with the fast pace of the world. The 55 -year -old teacher, for whom the online zoom classes were a completely new thing, had asked his daughter to teach him how it works.

When he sets up the camera, the white board and started to teach with shivering hands when the nervousness grips him, one of the students made an unknown ID and started to abuse him with various derogatory words and threatened him.

This confused him and out of embarrassment, he shouted and then ended the session. For the students, it was fun and cool, yet for the teacher and several other teachers like him, it is traumatic as they face the same ordeal in a never-ending cycle.

For us, who grew up with computers and 3G phones, it’s easier to understand and adapt to newer technologies. And still, many of us often struggle with new software and devices. But when it comes to the older generation, one that never got a formal introduction to computers and smartphones, it’s undeniably a lot more taxing.

Yet, look how unforgiving and pathetic we’ve become to harass and humiliate a teacher trying to do the best for his students! Various such cases have been reported where the lady teachers too, have been verbally abused and harassed by various students through unknown IDs.

They have commented on their bodies, looks and are given death threats as well. The entire life’s hard work that the teachers do to gain respect vanishes due to the absence of our basic moral education.

Our lack of consideration, empathy, a flawed idea of validation and aggression has made us bestial enough to harass whoever we feel doesn’t match up with our pace.

The question is, can we do something about it? Yes. We as sensible students have to make sure to be considerate towards our teachers who are teaching us online for the first time. Even if we do not like some of them, we can calmly leave the session but shouldn’t disrupt their confidence and morale for our personal issues during online classes.

We have to help our fellow classmates to understand the basic concept of kindness so that they do not do something sick in the name of fun. The institutions should adequately train and equip their teaching staffs who need help with learning new technologies and taking virtual classes. If a bit of care and concern is shown, many issues occurring during online classes will simply be out in no time and things will return to normalcy.

Article Written By Ishani Panda

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The result of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) was declared on Monday where class XII students of SAI International schools scored with flying numbers.

Dr Bijaya Kumar Sahoo, Founder of SAI International Group informed that the students passed with 100 per cent of the first division. On behalf of all the guardians, he thanked the CBSE authorities for declaring the results in this tough situation and made it possible.

Sanskriti Pattnaik of Humanities stream scored 99.4% in the best of five subjects and scored 98.8% in English which can lead her to the State and Region topper. Richa Roy Choudhury stands as the second topper of Commerce stream with 98.6% and Ashutosh Panigrahi stands as the third topper holding with 98.4%.

From the commerce stream, Anushka and Saloni Patnaik got the second position with 98.2% and Arpita bagged the third position with 97.8%. In the Science stream, Jigyasha Sharma got second place with 98.2%, and Sohan Paikray the third place with 98%.

This year around 552 students had appeared for the final examination in which 98% of students secured more than 75% of marks and 61% of students scored more than 90%. Last year the school average was 86.8%, to which this year it increased to 90.1%.

Article Written By Dikhya Mohanty 

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The Odisha Government has launched an online admission portal which will help to make the process of admission much simplifier for the differently-abled children.

The Social Security & Empowerment of persons along with Disability Minister Ashok Chandra Panda shared the information. A portal was launched as a part of the website of the Department of Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disability.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Odisha Government has developed for procession admission to all the 103 special schools under GIA of this department for the academic session 2020-21.

Ashok Panda stated that the new initiative was executed keeping an eye on the safety issue and the interest of differently-abled students during this ongoing pandemic crisis.

 “With the help of the online admission system, both parents and students can maintain social distancing norms. A decision regarding how the schooling will be done is yet to be taken,” said Panda.

Parents/ Guardians of Children with Disabilities may apply in the portal-http://ssepd.gov.in/swp/admissionFormForSpcISchool – for admission of their children.

Article Written By Dikhya Mohanty 

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The Federation of Central Universities Teachers Association (FEDCUTA) has written an open letter to UGC chairperson D P Singh claiming that the new revised academic guidelines do not take into consideration the present scenario in the country.

Coronavirus has brought our life to a full stop, but the UGC authorities need to have the examination. Why the UGC guidelines are problematic and what are the impacts on Indian student? Millions of students can be affected and the mainstream media is not covering any of the aspects.

UGC is a statutory body that maintains the standards of higher education in India. India is now the 3rd worst-most affected nation in the world and now UGC wants final year exams to be done before 30th September 2020.

Where many states have cancels their final year exam. What should a student do, trust his state or UGC? And the guidelines are not advisories to states. The university comes under it they have to follow the guideline.

Even at the exam centre, how will the social distancing be maintained? Who will be the response if a student gets COVID positive due to the exam? Not only for students what about supervisors and other support staff?

We don’t have any tried and tested infrastructure for online exams. The mock test that happened was called the “mockery” test by the student. As BPUT, ODISHA conducts the mock test online, students face technical glitches.

Many students don’t have the proper internet access to their village or home. Should they wait for December for offline exams, which has been uncertain? Should they leave their jobs, internship, higher study? Does anyone think about the mental health of a student?

Some people argue that liquor shops are open, buses are working, and there may be the risk of getting COVID positive. Any sensible person can choose not to go out; do students have the same choice?

Nobody is asking to gift a degree for free. To evaluate their understanding and knowledge, traditional exams are not only the option. They can submit projects, assignments, etc. Travelling and going to the exam centres will make this situation even worse. Exams are not equal to credibility but it is a part of the system.

Article Written By Somanath Sahoo

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