23, Oct 2024
United Way Bengaluru and AMD India enable digital classrooms in Davangere

Smart Classroom 3

Bengaluru, 23rd October 2024: United Way Bengaluru (UWB) in partnership with Zila Panchayat, Davangere supported by Advanced Micro Devices India Pvt. Ltd. (AMD), has set up digital classrooms enhancing coaching for students in Davangere district. These smart classrooms have been set up in 21 Pre-University Government colleges in the district.

The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) by the National Testing Agency (NTA) under the Ministry of Education (MoE), Govt. of India is the basis for students entering the engineering stream. Considered as one of the toughest examinations in India, the JEE is the gateway for pursuing engineering as a career for students. In recent years, the quality of coaching has become a crucial factor in the probability of students getting a college and stream of their choice. Many students have to move cities to get quality training which uproots them from their family and local communities; it is also a large financial burden for the families to sustain such an effort. These barriers are a key reason many students find it difficult to score well in the JEE.

Recognizing this gap in the system, the Zila Panchayat, Davangere embarked on bringing world-class infrastructure available in the metros to Davangere by expanding access to technology with new smart classrooms. The ease of access and locally available infrastructure aim to bring quality training infrastructure to those who otherwise could not afford to travel to metros and to girls who have an interest but could not find coaching infrastructure locally.

It is anticipated that more than 6500 students studying in Davangere will benefit from these digital classrooms.

Speaking on the occasion Ms. Gunjan Krishna (IAS), Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director, Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Karnataka said, “Enhancing opportunities by providing quality learning is the cornerstone of increasing the per capita income of the district. The children in Davangere have the talent to outshine their peers if we can give them the same infrastructure that the others have. The effort made by United Way Bengaluru and AMD to come together and help enhance the possibilities for children from the district to become engineers is laudable.”

Jaya Jagadish, Country Head, AMD India & SVP, Silicon Design Engineering said, “No child must have to live with the regret that they did not get the opportunity to make their life better. At AMD we draw from the societies we live in and Davangere is a prime example of how companies like AMD can build stronger and more resilient fraternities which contribute to nation building. Through our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, AMD provides many such enablement in STEM leadership for students. We are proud to have this opportunity to give back to society.”

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Rajesh Krishnan, CEO, United Way Bengaluru said, “United Way connects partners, donors, volunteers, and community leaders to tackle the root causes of the world’s most complex challenges while making a positive impact in the lives of millions of people. Together we are taking meaningful steps promoting inclusive and accessible education, ensuring that students have the tools they need to thrive in today’s digital age. The initiative of the Zila Panchayat will go a long way in bridging the gap and building talent while scaling the incomes in Davangere.

19, Feb 2024
The Foundation for the Idea of Transparency: The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024

By- Prof. (Dr.) Amit Gaurav, Controller of Examination at Noida International University

cropped-NIU-logo_2 (3)

By enacting the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, of 2024, the government has shown remarkable initiative. This measure guarantees the consequences and punishments for the victims who use unfair methods during the public examination, endangering the people’s ability to have a credible and equitable ecosystem for the nation. The following are included in the measure that was presented to the parliament:

The scope of the bill is tests administered by several government bodies, such as the UPSC, SSC, Railway Recruitment Boards, and others; some of the well-known tests included by the bill are NEET, JEE, UGC NET, and UPSC CSE.

– Possible Extension: To increase the reach of the provision, the Central Government may inform additional authorities.
– Investigative Authority: Under the Act, officials holding positions equal to or higher than Assistant Commissioner of Police or Deputy Superintendent of Police shall investigate offenses.
– Penalties for Offenders: Unfair methods of operation can result in fines of up to ten lakh rupees
and sentences of three to five years in prison.
-Character of Offenses: All offenses covered by the Bill are cognizance-based, bail-free, and cannot be compounded.
– Service Provider Liability: Service providers that support unfair tactics run the risk of a four-year ban from conducting open tests in addition to fines of up to one crore rupees.
– Penalties for Officers and Institutions: Directors, senior management, or people in control of service provider organizations may face fines of up to one crore rupees and a three-to-ten-year prison sentence if they are found to be complicit in the crime. Criminal action carried out by individuals or organizations planning to falsify or influence public tests to obtain unfair advantage is referred to as organized crime.

– Covered Offenses: These include tampering with response sheets, assisting candidates without permission, disclosing private information, and interfering with test administration.
– Use of Premises: It is illegal to hide the use of unfair techniques, and public exams may only be conducted on licensed testing grounds.

Unjust measures at the college or school level can be stopped by educating the students about the possible implications and how they may impact their lives. Strict policies should be established and enforced, as this will help pupils avoid bad behavior and do well on
assessments.
With the largest population in the world, India is a major country with high stakes due to the intense pressure that can lead to bribery, inadequate oversight, insufficient monitoring, and a lack of ethical training. Additionally, and this is quite troubling, technological advancements make it easier for papers to be leaked electronically. These concerns highlight the need for increased monitoring and security during exams, as well as the encouragement of ethical education, to address socioeconomic disparities in education. Strictly prohibiting malpractices through law may also be advantageous.

29, Jan 2024
Analysis of JEE (Main) paper of January 27, 2024 (Evening Shift)

NTA has changed the difficulty level of Shift-2 as compared to the one asked in shift-1. The evening shift (shift-2) paper was a bit more difficult as compared to the one asked in Shift-1. The JEE MAIN paper of January 27, 2024 (Evening Shift) was of Moderate level. In this paper, Physics were on the moderate to difficult level whereas Chemistry was on the easier side. A detailed subject-wise analysis is given below.

Chemistry

The paper was by and large based on NCERT books. Very few questions in this shift were asked from Organic chemistry. Most of the questions were from the Physical Chemistry part. 2-3 questions were asked from d-block elements. Questions from prominent chapters like Thermodynamics, Bonding Alkyl and Aryl halides were asked. Overall coverage of the chapters was uniform.

Physics

The physics part was of moderate to difficult level as some good assertion-reasoning questions were there. Questions from Modern Physics, Work Power and Energy, Fluids, and Thermodynamics were there in the paper. Most of the questions were asked from the 12th class syllabus. If somebody has gone through the PYQs of the previous year’s papers, he/she will have an upper hand in the paper.

Mathematics

Mathematics paper was moderate to difficult just like the Shift-1 paper. Questions from Algebra were dominant in the paper. A good number of questions were asked from Vectors, 3D and Limits, Continuity, and Differentiability. Questions from Integration and Matrix and Determinants were there in the paper. Almost all the topics were covered.