CBSE class 10, 12 board exams 2021: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has extended the last date to apply for class 10 and 12 board exams by private candidates. Those who have not yet applied can do so at cbse.gov.in. Earlier the registration process was to end on February 22 which now will end on February 25, as per the official notice by CBSE.
The board will hold the class 10 and 12 exams from May 4 to June 10. The class 12 exam will be conducted in two shifts to ensure most exams in the shortest time. In 2020, the exam schedule was of 45 days, however, in 2021 exam schedule is of 39 days. Accordingly, six days less is taken to conduct the exams in 2021. However, the board claims to have given “sufficient” time between exams of two main subjects to help students prepare.
The syllabus has been reduced by 30 per cent because of the loss of instructional hours due to the pandemic. The result will be announced by July 15, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had informed earlier. The exam will also have more application-based questions than earlier.
CBSE had last year introduced MCQs or application-based questions. The Ministry of Education, in an official notice, informed that the number of competency-based questions for classes 10 and 12 board exams will increase by 10 per cent every year in a phased manner.
Further, the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 suggests that CBSE to offer two-level examinations for English and Sanskrit languages. Currently, the mathematics exam is conducted in two-level — standard and basic for class 10.
Alpine said Alonso was involved in a road accident but did not give further details.
Fernando is conscious and well in himself and is awaiting further medical examinations tomorrow morning, the team said in a statement. Alpine F1 Team will not make any further statement at this point in time. Further updates will be given tomorrow (Friday).
The 39-year-old Spaniard has won 32 F1 races, with 97 podium finishes. He is returning to F1 this year after retiring at the end of his final season with McLaren in 2018.
Alonso won his two world titles with French manufacturer Renault, which was re-branded as Alpine for 2021.
Preseason testing begins at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on March 12 and the first race will also be held there on March 28.
RULES SCRAPPING the one-year LL.M programme will be brought into force only from the 2022-2023 academic session, the Bar Council of India (BCI) on Thursday told the Supreme Court, which is hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the changes.
Appearing for the BCI, Senior Advocate Vivek Tankha conveyed this to a bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde which recorded this in its order.
“Vivek Tankha, senior counsel on instructions from Manan Kumar Mishra, Chairman of the Bar Council of India who is present before us, states that the impugned rules are proposed to be brought into force from the academic sessions i.e. 2022-2023,” the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, recorded in order as it issued notice to the BCI seeking its reply to the petitions.
The court asked BCI to file its response within four weeks.
The court was hearing petitions, including one by the Consortium of National Law Universities, against the Bar Council of India Legal Education (Post Graduate, Doctoral, Executive, Vocational, Clinical and other Continuing Education) Rules, 2020, scrapping the one-year LL.M programme. The rules also state that foreign LL.M degrees would be equivalent to LL.M in India only if it is taken after obtaining LL.B degree from any foreign or Indian university which is equivalent to the LL.B recognised in India.
Furthering efforts to ensure equal opportunity to persons with disabilities, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to ensure framing of proper guidelines within three months to regulate and facilitate the grant of scribe facility to candidates whose nature of disability imposes a barrier to writing an exam.
A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna said this while holding that a civil services candidate with writer’s cramp – dysgraphia – was entitled to a scribe. The court overruled the UPSC stand that scribe can be provided only if there was “benchmark disability” as set by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment guidelines under The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
During the hearing, the ministry took the stand that writer’s cramp is not specifically included in the list of disabilities in the schedule to the Act and accordingly the guidelines are not applicable to a person suffering from it.
The SC noted that the ministry has recognised the prevalence of other medical conditions “not identified as disabilities per se” but which may hamper the writing capability of a person and had left it open to every examining body to consider such cases… in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare against the production of a medical certificate…”
Writing for the bench, Justice Chandrachud termed the “divergent views of two Central Ministries before the Court… symptomatic of a policy disconnect” and added “we express our disquiet about the fact that, in a policy matter with profound consequences for India’s disabled population, the left hand does not know what the right one is doing”.
The court held that “conflating the rights and entitlements which inhere in persons with disabilities with the notion of benchmark disabilities does disservice to the salutary purpose underlying the enactment of the RPwD Act 2016” and “worse still, to deny the rights and entitlements recognized for persons with disabilities on the ground that they do not fulfill a benchmark disability would be plainly ultra vires the” Act.
The ruling came on the plea by a 2016 MBBS graduate, Vikash Kumar, who while attempting civil services exam in 2017 was provided a scribe but denied the same in 2018.
The composer of one of the most iconic tunes of 90s, Mile Sur Mera Tumhara, Louiz Banks turned 80-year-old today. Known as the Godfather of Indian Jazz, Banks’ contribution to contemporary and Indo-fusion jazz is incomparable. A book on Banks titled Louiz Banks, A symphony of Love by Ashis Ghatak, which was published on the occasion of his 80th birthday, traces the journey of the musician from clubs of Calcutta to International acclaim, his golden stint at Bollywood with RD Burman and gives many wonderful details about India’s jazz scene of the 60s, and 70s.
Ustab Zakir Hussain wrote a forward of this book, in which, he called Banks an unparalleled Genius, and a top-shelf educator. In the book, Hussain writes, “When I think of Louiz, the image that appears in my mind is that of a gentle, legendary giant of, not just the music world, but also art at large. A performer of unparalleled genius, a composer par excellence, a top-shelf educator, a painter of some reckoning and a larger-than-life father figure, he is a source of inspiration to a horde of aspiring young musicians of all genres of music.”
Banks had been at the helm of things when the new age of jazz era reached its epoch in the late 70s and Bombay became the greatest hub of jazz music. In the book, Ghatak writes,
“Jazz which had ever been a nest of the niche got a new lease of life as it reached the masses. The Jazz Society was formed in Bombay in 1975. But it needed a spearhead like Niranjan Zaveri, a connoisseur and jazz enthusiast. In his early life, he once chanced upon a stack of records of old jazz standards.The unique style of those jazz musicians made him initially scoff off their typical histrionics till the time came when gradually these songs grew on him after persistent listening. He became a jazz impresario who took a vow of disseminating jazz in India. Under the aegis of The Jazz Society of Bombay, the International Jazz Yatra was started in 1978.
…Zaveri took up the challenge of bringing the contemporary greats and overcame the insurmountable task of organizing a week-long musical extravaganza in Rang Bhavan of Bombay. While inaugurating the show that was held from 12–18 February 1978, Niranjan Zaveri proclaimed, ‘Today is the first day of spring. Today is the first day of Indian Jazz music.’
The show was flagged off by none other than the great Willis Conover, the man who never played any instrument in his life but had inspired a generation of jazz musicians and listeners with his shows on the radio. Rudy Cotton, India’s tenor saxophonist, was the first performer of the event when he played his composition adapted from what was at one time, the signature tune of All India Radio. Later that week, Jazz-India Ensemble featuring Louiz Banks and Braz Gonsalves put up an inspiring performance. It had prompted many to think that they should have been the ideal show-opener of the event.
The event proved to be a milestone in Louiz’s career as he displayed his skills of the keyboard in front of many others, including the ones he had idolized in several phases of his life. The unfailing attraction of playing in Blue Fox again prompted Louiz to get back to his favourite city. His acquaintance with Niranjan Zaveri eventually turned out to be another example of meeting someone godsent in his life. The International Jazz Yatra used to be a biennial event that ran till 2004.
From the next edition of International Jazz Yatra, Louiz Banks and his band found a new way to glory. But then he had to tear the umbilical cord with his beloved Calcutta and coincidentally, certain events unfolded which pushed Louiz only in that direction.”
The author writes that for Louiz Calcutta epitomized ‘a magical space’ and his love for the city was so great that he had earlier rejected to stay back in Bombay, despite the request of RD Burman. However, as Calcutta was engulfed by the Naxal movement, and most jazz bars found it difficult to survive, amid such a political turmoil, Banks decided that it was best to leave the city for Mumbai. In the book, Ghatak writes,
“Calcutta in the meantime had experienced a slow but stark metamorphosis. The Naxalite movement had left a tell-tale impact in all parts of the city. The exotic land had started to lose its usual sheen when the tentacles of trade unionism imperceptibly reached even Park Street. There was an acute crisis of work and the once lighted chandeliers that gleamed to warm up the jazzy evenings, turned dim, hiding in their dusty halos the memories of a nostalgic past.
The exorbitant rate of entertainment tax had reduced the number of musical shows. The spirit of Park Street soon faded into oblivion with the departure of the Anglo-Indians and a large-scale infiltration of provincial culture. Music lost its enriched taste. This time Louiz made up his mind to respond to the call of opportunity he had got from Bombay, keeping the memories of Calcutta somewhere deep in the heart.
‘Every night, there were power-cuts. We had no work. Every evening we would stand on the pavement waiting for the power to come on. We were on the verge of losing our job. I told my wife that time had come to call it a day and the best place for me to go was Bombay,’ Louiz said as the live music scene in Calcutta gradually shrunk to some unknown and seedy joints.
Louiz felt the closing down of music in Blue Fox was the dictum of God. Along with Lorraine and his three children, he boarded the train with his Rhodes model of piano and ₹300 in his pocket for yet another unseen future. He spoke of the event with hearty laughter saying that the day when he was taking his journey in the general unreserved compartment from Howrah to Bombay, the compartment was packed. Much to the consternation of the passengers, he placed his piano in the passage between two rows of seats. Before the unrest of the passengers went out of control, he allowed everyone to stretch their legs over the piano. They gradually calmed down. Now sitting in his plush Santacruz Bangalow, the reminiscences of those days of struggle of the poor pianist indeed sounded almost fictional.”
The following excerpts have been published with permission from Rupa Publishers.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has suggested that the next academic session be commenced on April 1, in a letter addressed to the heads of schools affiliated to it.
“It would be appropriate to start the academic session 2021-2022 from 1stApril, 2021 to the extent feasible subject to instructions of the State Government,” read the letter signed by Controller of Examinations Sanyam Bharadwaj.
The 2020-2021 academic session had begun in the early days of the lockdown and continues to be conducted remotely for most students, except in states which have recently allowed re-opening of schools. In most cases, this reopening has been either only for board year students, or classes IX to XII. The central board has also advised that schools take steps to conduct examinations for class IX and XI students, and to identify learning gaps in students of those grades. Offline board examinations for class X and XII students are set to begin on May 4.
Stating that schools should be prepared to welcome class X and XII students for face-to-face classes leading up to their board exams, the letter stated: “For classes IX and XI also, schools should take steps to identify and remedy the learning gaps and thereafter, conduct examinations by strictly following COVID safety protocols as per Examination Bye-Laws. This will also help in identifying learning gaps which could be addressed by the schools in new academic session by having a bridge course specially designed to address learning gaps.”
The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) today launched diploma programme in value education (DPVE). The candidates with higher secondary (10+2) pass certificate can apply for the programme at ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in.
The course will focus on to inculcate positive values in teachers, professionals, students, parents and the community by integrating values in their transactional process of teaching and learning.
The one-year programme will cover topics like overview and perspective of values, socio-psychological basis, pedagogy of values, application, support skills and activities, life skills education, human rights in India. The coordinators are Dr Grace Don Nemching, Prof.B.K.Pattanaik. The programme will be offered both in January and July sessions.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)‘s Accounting Research Foundation (ARF) — which has supported students to carry research in the areas of accounting, auditing, capital markets, fiscal policies, monetary policies etc — will now also offer training to make class 12 pass students employable. The ICAI has on Wednesday launched an accounts assistant scheme in this regard.
Under the scheme, students will be offered training to develop skill sets in the subject of accounting, tax compliances and related topics and to develop expertise on book-keeping, GST, and Income Tax compliances. Students who will clear this scheme will get the chance to intern with experience CAs, organisations etc. The experience gained by the students would help them to get jobs locally and through ICAI job portal, they will have ample career opportunities.
Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Anurag Singh Thakur — who launched the pilot project — said, “This Pilot Project of ICAI ARF is being launched initially for local youth of Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. This scheme is going to help the students who are above the age of 21 years and will train the local youth for book keeping, GST filing, and understanding the tax procedures of GST. This is a major step towards employment of the local youth and the fee structure is also were reasonable.”
“The scheme will offer skill-based training and evaluation through a rigorous process controlled by ICAI ARF. The scheme may be offered jointly with an NGO/Trust, to mobilise youth at the ground level,” the ICAI said in an official statement.
CA. Atul Kumar Gupta, President, ICAI said “Education brings forth the treasure of life’s innate dignity and releases the capacity to freely shape the future. The importance of learning enables the individuals to put their potential to optimal use.”
NTA IIFT MBA (IB) 2020: The application correction facility for the National Testing Agency Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) MBA (IB) programme has opened. The candidates who want to make corrections in the application form can do so through the website- ift.nta.nic.in till February 12.
According to NTA, “Candidates will be able to make corrections in the fields of category and academic qualifications only, in their exam application form online through the correction window. Those who had selected others in their graduation are required to check their application and indicate their specific qualification in the form.”
The entrance exam is a multiple-choice objective-type written test. The duration of the test is two hours and it assesses students on the topic including English grammar, vocabulary and comprehension, general knowledge and current affairs, logical reasoning, data interpretation and quantitative analysis.
Candidates are advised to be in touch with the NTA website- nta.ac.in. “For any clarification, candidates can get in touch with the NTA help desk at 0120 6895 200 or write to NTA at iiftmba-ib@nta.ac.in,” NTA notification mentioned.
Lee Maan Ki from Hong Kong won the 7th International IIHM Young Chef Olympiad 2021 organised at International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) Kolkata’s campus. Besides a gold medal, Lee Maan Ki, a student of Hong Kong’s International Culinary Institute, has won a cash prize of $10,000. The silver medal is secured by Srijaenthi Natraj of UAE, and Jessica Louise Hoskins of New Zealand received bronze.
Around 50 countries participated in the event this year which was held virtually due to COVID-19pandemic.
Suborno Bose, Chairman, YCO said, “We can confidently say that hospitality industry is bouncing back and YCO 2021 is showing the path and giving hope to everyone. The young chefs of the world have overcome all barriers to make this competition happen. The commitment, passion and hard work of judges made this culinary competition possible.”
India was represented by Swetang Ranjan, a student of IIHM Kolkata. Other culinary educational institutions which participated in the event were- International Culinary Institute (ICI) of VTC (Hong Kong), IIS Almerico Da Schio – Vicenza (Italy), Canadore College (Canada), B.H.M.S. Business & Hotel Management School (Switzerland), International Centre for Culinary Arts (UAE), Kasem Bundit University (Thailand), Turkish Culinary Academy (Turkey), Escola Superior d´Hostaleria de Barcelona (Spain) and Wellington Institute of Technology (New Zealand) among others.
