CITY VIBES - Education & Career (May 2023)

EDUCATION VIBES - Ludhiana

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Editor’s Note

AttheoutsetofMay,wheninstuons andstudentsarewaingfortheresults of Board exams and very soon new admissions will start follwed by summervacaons.

City Vibes ulizes this opportunity to start its digital monthly magazine that will help students get all the informaon that they need at different phases of their schooling and career making days

CITY VIBES ‘Educaon & Career’ monthly magazine covers important informaon relevant in helping us take informed decisions in different aspects of Parenng, Early educaon for our kids, choosing hobbies, schooling days of our kids, our selecon of right study aids in the form of coaching and tuion, preparaon for right higher studies instuons, searching for suitable career opons, Educaon opportunies in overseas condions and other relevanttopicsinourcareerandeducaonjourney

CITY VIBES serves the purpose by providing mely informaon, consultaon, Tips, interviews of the experts in field, experiences of different segments in thissectors,surveysandanalyses.

DISCLAIMER: The content of the advertisements or the articles carried in this magazine is supplied by the respective authors. The publisher does not necessarily agree with the s a m e A l l R i g h t s r e s e r v e d Reproduction of any matter or its part in this publication, in any form, is strictly prohibited without written pre approval of the publisher.

We seek support and suggesons from the school leaders,students,serviceproviders,socialacvistsand other support groups in the educaon and career sector to make this a worthwhile informaon manual forinstuons,studentsandparents

Best Wishes

Chander Mohan Sharma Managing Editor &

Publisher

M: 98154 29998

Email: cmsharmaldh@gmail.com

IIM-Sambalpur Opens Delhi Campus

The campus aims to tap people who want to pursue management studies while continuing with their professions and businesses, said the director File photo

IIM Sambalpur director Mahadeo Jaiswal said the campus will be an opportunity for professionals, execuves and entrepreneurs who wish to pursue a management d e g r e e f r o m a p r e m i e r management instute such as an IIMasthereisnoIIMinDelhi.

T h e I n d i a n I n s t u t e o f Management (IIM)-Sambalpur will onSaturdaylaunchitsnewcampus in the naonal capital with courses for working professionals and entrepreneurs. The campus aims to tap people who want to pursue management studies while connuing with their professions andbusinesses,hesaid.

Theobjecveofsengupacentre in Delhi is to tap a lot of working professionals, execuves and entrepreneurswhowanttopursue managementstudiesonweekends from a premium IIM besides connuing their respecve trade andprofession,”hesaidandadded that they would also have the

opon of a dual degree from internaonaluniversies.

Delhi,thecapitalofthenaon,and itsadjoiningNCRcieshostseveral government and public sector units, headquarters of corporate houses and big family businesses. There is a large pool of potenal candidates,Jaiswalsaid.

He said the campus will be an opportunity for professionals, execuves and entrepreneurs who wish to pursue a management d e g r e e f r o m a p r e m i e r management instute such as an IIMasthereisnoIIMinDelhi.

“There will be regular classes at the campus with a judicious mix of flipped classroom studies, lectures, case discussions, project work, term papers, seminar presentaons, assignments and m a n a ge m e nt ga m e s , a n d simulaons would be used in a blendedmodetoimparteducaon to the parcipants so that they can

transform themselves into future innovaveleaders,”Jaiswalsaid.

Foundedin2015,themaincampus of IIM-Sambalpur in Odisha offers P G , d o c t o r a l a n d M D P programmestostudents.

New Higher Educaon Regulator For IITs, IIMs, NITs and IISERs ?

According to sources, the EducaonMinistry,whiledeliberangon different provisions and powers of the proposed HECI, also considered bringing INIs and BUs within itsambit.

Instutes of Naonal Importance (INIs), including IITs, IIMs, NITs and IISERs, are likely to be brought within the ambit of the proposed single higher educaon regulator, Higher Educaon Commission of India,CityVibeshaslearned.

Currentlycentraluniversies(CUs) andINIsaregovernedbytheirown Acts of Parliament and are not answerable to the University Grants Commission or the All India Council for Technical Educaon (AICTE).Whilethecentraluniversies are sll dependent on UGC for release of their budgetary grants, theIITs,IIMsandNITsdealwiththe ministry directly on financial

maers.

According to sources, the EducaonMinistry,whiledeliberangon different provisions and powers of the proposed HECI, also considered bringing INIs and BUs within its ambit The move, if implemented by the government, is likelytocauseheartburnespecially among the IIMs which have been very protecve of their autonomy, especially since the passage of the IIMAct.

An IIM director who spoke on the condion of autonomy told City Vibes that the possibility of bringing all technical educaon instuons within HECI's control was broached during a presentaon made by the then AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe in December 2021. However, in the first few months of 2022, a few IIM directors collecvely wrote a leer totheministryopposingtheidea.

There are currently 160 INIs including AIIMS, IITs, NITs and IIMs which are empowered to hold their own examinaons, grant degrees and receive government funding and are governed by their own senates/board of governors but with some involvement from thegovernmentaswell.

The HECI is the most significant highereducaonreformenvisaged by the new Naonal Educaon Policy (NEP) released in July 2020. The idea of a single regulator subsuming all higher educaon regulators, however, predates the NEP 2020. In fact, the NDA government had introduced the Higher Educaon Council of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill' in January, 2018. But it wasneverfinalised,andwithintwo years, the NEP, 2020, was announced.

Two Indian Students Get Earth Scholarships From Brish Council

The selected scholars will be offered research place ments, training and oppor tunies to connect with Scotland-based PhD resea rchers, as well as industry and community partners forthreemonths.

Instutes of Naonal Importance (INIs), including IITs, IIMs, NITs and IISERs, are likely to be brought within the ambit of the proposed single higher educaon regulator, Higher Educaon Commission of India, City Vibeshaslearned.

Currentlycentraluniversies(CUs) andINIsaregovernedbytheirown Acts of Parliament and are not answerable to the University Grants Commission or the All India Council for Technical Educaon (AICTE).Whilethecentraluniversies are sll dependent on UGC for release of their budgetary grants, theIITs,IIMsandNITsdealwiththe ministry directly on financial maers.

According to sources, the EducaonMinistry,whiledeliberangon different provisions and powers of the proposed HECI, also considered bringing INIs and BUs within its ambit The move, if implemented by the government, is likelytocauseheartburnespecially among the IIMs which have been very protecve of their autonomy, especially since the passage of the IIMAct.

An IIM director who spoke on the condion of autonomy told media that the possibility of bringing all technical educaon instuons withinHECI'scontrolwasbroached during a presentaon made by the then AICTE chairman Anil Sahasrabudhe in December 2021. However,inthefirstfewmonthsof 2022, a few IIM directors collecvely wrote a leer to the ministry opposingtheidea.

There are currently 160 INIs including AIIMS, IITs, NITs and IIMs which are empowered to hold their own examinaons, grant degrees and receive government funding and are governed by their own senates/board of governors but with some involvement from thegovernmentaswell.

The HECI is the most significant highereducaonreformenvisaged by the new Naonal Educaon

Policy (NEP) released in July 2020. The idea of a single regulator subsuming all higher educaon regulators, however, predates the NEP 2020. In fact, the NDA government had introduced the Higher Educaon Council of India (Repeal of University Grants Commission Act) Bill' in January, 2018. But it wasneverfinalised,andwithintwo years, the NEP, 2020, was announced.

NEWS FROM LUDHIANA SCHOOLS

21 Ludhiana schools to be developed as 'NEP' Labs under PM SHRI scheme

The schools to be developed as Naonal Educaon Policy (NEP) labs under the central government's Prime Minister Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme were judged based on different parameters like student enrollment, infrastructure and extracurricular acvies along with otherachievements

21schoolsinthedistricthavebeen selected to be developed as Naonal Educaon Policy (NEP) labs under the central government's Prime Minister Schools for RisingIndia(PMSHRI)scheme. The selected schools, include

GMSSS PAU, GMSSS Cemetery

Road, GSSS Jagraon, GSSS

Kasabad, GSSS Sahnewal, GSSS

Ayali Khurd, GSSS Dehlon, GSSS Machhiwara, GSSS Jandiali, GSSS

Dakha, GSSS Galib Kalan, GSSS

Bhaini Baringa, GSSS Kotala, GSSS

Amloh Road Khanna, GSSS

Dhandra, GSSS Rupalon, GSSS BM

Raikot, GSSS Rasulra, GHS Buani, GHS Bhaini Arayian, GSSS HambowalBet. Notably, a total of 38 schools, two from each of the 19 educaon blocks were to be selected. In the first phase, 21 schools have Jointly funded by the union and state governments in a 60:40 rao, the scheme will have a total of 355 schools — 115 upper primary and 448 primary schools — vying for selecon. been selected, and the remaining 17 will be selected in the next phase. The schools were judged based on different parameters like student enrollment, infrastructure and extra-curricular acvies alongwithotherachievements. Issuing direcons regarding the same, the director general of school educaon, Vinay Bublani, said the schools covered under this scheme will not receive funding under the Samagra

Shiksha project to avoid duplicaon. He directed the district educaon officers to prepare the proposals for the schools as per theframeworkofthescheme. Giving details, GSSS Kasabaad principal, Rajesh Khanna said around 40 percent of the funding would be ulised on schoolspecific projects, which will be approved by the authories first. On the curriculum part, the schools will focus on learning outcomes, with psychological supportforstudentsofallgrades. For vocaonal educaon, a skillbased aptude test will be introduced along with linkages with sector skill councils and local industry He added that during the non-teaching hours, the schools shall work as community centers and along with sports, the level of informaon and communicaon technology (ICT) component will alsobeimproved.

Bharti Foundation Launches Teaching Learning Material Book of Satya Bharti Schools

The TLM is a repository of innovave and best teaching aids in English, Hindi and Punjabi. The innovave TLMs have been designed by brilliant teachers of Satya Bhar Schools on various concepts and themes for building beer academic understanding andskilldevelopmentofstudents.

Mamta Saikia, CEO- Bhar Foundaon was pleased to launch

the TLM book and expressed her happiness that the efforts and top notch ideas of Satya Bhar School teachers have been encapsulated for everyday teaching in schools. Shesaid,“AtBharFoundaon,we are proud of our Satya Bhar School teachers as they are no ordinary ones. Their constant endeavor to learn and incorporate best pracces to bring a change in

children have helped in building brighter and sharper minds. The TLM book which is by the teachers and for the teachers is a repository of best TLMs that the teaching community in 173 Satya Bhar Schools across India can ulize for overallprogressofthechildren.”

City VIBES

NEWS FROM LUDHIANA SCHOOLS

ParulUniversityTo ExpandInNorthIndia

The leading university in Gujarat - Parul University is all set to expand its presence in North India. The university has set up its career counseling center in Chandigarh and under its next phase, theuniversitywillhaveitscampusinthe tricityregion.

Devendra Thukral, Head- North India, Parul University while addressing a press conference at Chandigarh Press Club on Saturday informed that the group is cashing high on this region. According to him, considering the quality of educaon in the university, a large number of students from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have enrolled in the main campus situated in Vadodara, Gujarat during the last few years Aer interacng with those students it became clear that they are personally interested about the courses, fees, campus, placements and other informaon that arises the need to open this centre in Chandigarh which can cater the requision of this region. Thukral said that the management would open a campus within the ambit of Chandigarh so that the students of this area could also get high level educaonlikeVadodaracampus.

At present, this university has facilies for degree, diploma and post graduaon in 450 disciplines. According to an ASSOCHAM report, Parul University has performed exceponally well in placements at Gujarat At present, about 35 thousand students are associated with the university under various subjectswhereintwothousandinternaonal students enrolled with high qualityeducaonthere.

Sunstone's Edge Now AvailableAt CT University

Sunstone,oneofIndia'sleading higher educaon service providers with presence across 25 cies in 30+ instuons, now offers its benefits to CT University (CTU) Ludhiana, Punjab.

With this addion, Sunstone's advantages would now be available with BBA and MBA courses offered by CT University. Sunstone's advantages enable access to industryoriented educaon and skilling programs making students jobready at the college level. The inclusion will also open up students to Sunstone's robust network of 1000+ recruiters and2000+jobopportunies.

Ludhiana aracts higher –educaon aspirants from across the state. With connuous focus and efforts by the government, Punjab's educaonsystemisreformingitselfto cater to the needs of the students and provide quality educaon. In recent mes, the government has come up with innovave schemes to enable higher –educaon for its young populaon.

Piyush Nangru, Co-Founder and COO, Sunstone said on the announcement, "We are pleased to now offer Sunstone's benefits in Ludhiana at CT University. Indian towns are beaming with young spirit and

potenal. At sunstone, our aim is to reduce the quality and opportunity gap among studentsseekinghigher-educaon and enable young potenal to reachitsfullscale.”

When enrolled at campuses with Sunstone's edge, students can make the most of an industry-oriented curriculum by availing advanced cerficaons, enrolling themselves in immersive industry integrated internships & projects, learning high-demand tech skills, and building a professional porolioforthemselves.

For a more holisc and comprehensive educaon, Sunstonealsoprovideslifeskills & s o s k i l l s t r a i n i n g , admiance to interest based clubs,sportsmeetsandcultural fests, student exchange programs, access to a thriving digital community of Sunstone student network and much more.

On the announcement, Dr Harsh Sadawar, Vice Chancellor, CT University said, “At CT University, providing coste ffe c v e , h i g h - q u a l i t y educaon for students and society's long-term development has always been a top emphasis. We are convinced that adding Sunstone's offerings would be very beneficial forourstudents.”

When You Wish to Study Abroad

TYPESOFSCHOLARSHIPS:

It is imperave that students find the best financial support to secure their years as a student. While higher educaon is a valuable investment, it is necessary for students to evaluate their profiles for a befing scholarship too. Here the major types of Scholarshipsthatstudentscanavail.

NEED-BASEDSCHOLARSHIPS

These scholarships are given to students based on their financial need. An excellent opportunity for struggling students to make ends meet. There are some universies and colleges that do give out needs-basedscholarshipstointernaonalstudents. You will have to look at the instuon's website to seewhattheyofferforeignstudents.

COUNTRYBASEDSCHOLARSHIPS

Many colleges and universies offer scholarships to students from certain countries, parcularly those living in developing countries. There are also many private instuons which give scholarships to studentsfromthesecountries.

MERITSCHOLARSHIPS

Thesearethetypesofscholarshipswhichfirstcome to mind when we think about college scholarships. Merit scholarships are given based on the student's excellence. There are many types of merit scholarships, including: Academic Scholarships, Sports Scholarships and Average Academic PerformanceScholarships.

GOVERNMENT FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS The United States government offers many scholarship programs, but only a few of them are available to internaonal students. The two big ones are: Fulbright Foreign Student Program, Hubert HumphreyFellowshipProgram.

PRIVATELY- FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS Somemes private organizaons or donors fund scholarships for internaonal students.Most of thesehavestrict eligibilityrequirements, such as: From a developing country,women,minories,specificareasofstudy

STEPS IN FOREIGN STUDY PLAN

FUniversity Selecon

FProfile Building

FFinancial Assistance

FLogiscs Support

Student Journey With GATEWAY Support

1) Talk to us Get guidance from our expert and experienced counselors

2) Admission Guidance Get recommendaons and guidance for universies to apply for as per your profile and scores

3) SOP & Resume Evaluator Write the best SOPs and prepare CV by geng content ps at the click of a buon or - Get a Home Consulng booked

4) Interview Preparaon Prepare for the university

- Student loan assistance

- Scholarship assistance

- Mock interview and preparaons for interviews with counselor and video

- Visa Filing and visa interview preparaon

- Currency Conversion

- Get online coaching for IELTS/ TOEFL/ PTE

5) Smart Applicaon Apply to mulple universies with just filling one student form

6) Get Admied & Fly Fly to your chosen university with ease, while availing the following services:

- Airport Pickup

- Internaonal banking assistance

- Housing and hostel assistance

- Roommate connect

SCHOLARSHIPS! STUDENT JOURNEY STUDY ABROAD COUNSELLING

- Travel arrangement on landing in the new city and more..

9TIPStoChooseTheRightAcademy

With the change in me, the compeon around us has also increased. Therefore, students have to be trained on how to deal with the challenges that surround them, and for that, they need guidancefromexperts. More than just studying for the annual examinaon, students will also have to prepare for compeve tests, compeons and entrance examinaons, if they want to excel in life. A good academyoffersanenvironmentthatwill help them to further strengthen themselvesinthebillions.

Allstudentshavetodoissignupfor the classes, and experts will start guiding them at every step. For example, If you are studying in Class 10, you can search for tuion nearmeforClass10offlineandfind the nearest centre. While looking for offline tuion classes, there are important key points which you need to check before enrolling for offlinecoaching.

Proximity

The tuion classes should be near students' houses so that they don't have to waste me travelling to theircoachingcentres.

QualificaonofTeachers

Only a teacher with a detailed understanding of the subject can teach students well and clear their doubts A good academy has a teamofexpertteachers. The teaching team must have work experience of a minimum of 2-5 years in the field of educaon and should be famous for its unique teachingstyles.

Reviews

The reason students join tuion centres is to get the required teaching environment so that they

can excel.Look at reviews provided by other students before enrolling. Some judgments should be made onlybylookingattheexperienceof others.

Policies

It's essenal to check the enrolment and refund policy before taking admission to a tuion centre. There should be complete transparency when it comes to money

Policies of a good academy help to provide parents transparency regarding where their money is being used The admission is contract-based so that parents would have a copy of all the papers andpoliciesinwring.

ProgressTesngStructure

Regular tests and PTM sessions are essenal to keep track of students' progress. Parents and teachers need to pay utmost aenon to wherestudentsarelaggingbehind, sotheycanhelpthem.

A good academy provides a structure for regular tests and PTM sessions with students to check their growth. This helps to keep themfocussedandsinceretowards theirstudies.

StudyMaterial

The study material provided by the coachingcentresshouldbeaccessible for students to understand, so they don't get confused; different sets of materials for each subject should include all the essenal conceptsandtopics.

The subject experts at a good academy curate the study material provided to students. Their different sets of study materials contain the explanaon poron and pracce quesons The explanaonshouldbeprovidedinthemost

simplified manner, so students don't have to refer to any addionalresourcesforstudying. The advantage of joining a good academy these days may also include pre-loaded video sessions forstudying.

Students'Comfort

Students' comfort is crucial because if they don't feel comfortable, they won't be able to study correctly.So,studentsshouldmake surethattheyaresasfiedwiththe teachingpaern.Thereshouldbea friendly relaonship between the teachers and students so they can discuss their doubts without any hindrance.

At a good academy, teachers provide a very comfortable environment to the students so they can ask their doubts without hesitang If there are two teachers, one to explain the concepts and the other to resolve doubts during the ongoing session, it will further help in students' growth.

ClassEnvironment

The class environment should be very upliing. There should be proper infrastructure and appropriate seats and chairs for the learners. All the amenies should be provided, keeping students' comfortinmind.

Punctuality

Regularclasseshelptobuildahabit of studying at a parcular me of the day Inconsistent mings can lead to an increase in gaps, which will create problems in the flow of studying, leading to confusion in steps.Agoodacademypaysspecial aenontothissothatstudentsdo notfaceanyissues.

INDIANS in News

Ajay Banga Chosen as World BankPresident

Indian-origin Ajay Banga, a Padam Shree awardee and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, has been selected as the new World Bank President He will serve in this posion for five years starng from June 2, succeeding David Malpass. The World Bank aims to tackle climate change more effecvely under Banga's leadership. The World Bank has 189 naons, including India, as its members. US President Joe Biden nominated Ajay Banga for the post of World Bank President, and he was the only candidate nominated for the role.

Meera Syal Receives the BAFTAFellowship

TelevisionArts(BAFTA)isoneofthe most presgious award-giving bodies in the entertainment industry One of their highest accolades is the BAFTA Fellowship, awarded to individuals who have made an exceponal contribuon to film and/or television. The recent recipient of this esteemed awardisMeeraSyal.

Culture

the maker of modern Mysore. In recognion of his services to the Kingdom of Mysore and the Re p u b l i c o f I n d i a , S i r M Visvesvaraya was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1955. He built numerous schools and colleges, and established a public works department that oversaw the construcon of roads, bridges, dams and other infrastructure projects.PMModigavehimtribute recentlyinKarnatka

Meera Syal is a UK-based Indianorigin actor, screenwriter, and novelist. She was born in the UK to Punjabi parents and grew up in the West Midlands region of England. Syal is best known for her work in televisionshowssuchas'Goodness Gracious Me' and 'The Kumars at No. 42', which have earned her crical acclaim and several awards. The Brish Academy of Film and

AnjaliSharma,amountaineerfrom India, has made history by becoming the first Indian woman successfully scaling the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in Southern Africa (Tanzania) while wearing a tradional Gaddi dress, or Luanchadi. She aims to promote Gaddi culture onmountainpeaks. Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano situated in Tanzania, in the eastern part of Africa It is the highest summit in the African connent and the highest single free-standing mountain in the world.

Modi pays Tribute to Sir M Visvesvaraya

Sir M Visvesvaraya was an Indian civil engineer, administrator, and statesman Engineers' Day is celebrated in India, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania on his birthday, September 15. The day is a tribute to his legacy as a civil engineer and

Tata Sons' Chairman Ratan Tata awarded Australia's highestcivilianhonour

Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus ofTataSons,hasbeenawardedthe Order of Australia (AO), which is Australia's highest civilian honour The announcement was made by Australia's High Commissioner to India, Barry O'Farrell. The award was given to Tata in recognion of his contribuons towards strengthening the bilateral relaons between India and Australia.

Tatahasbeenastrongsupporterof the 2022 India-Australia Economic CooperaonandTradeAgreement, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is said to have the largest

Anjali Sharma scales Mount Kilimanjaro promong Gaddi

People in News

workforce of any Indian company in Australia, with around 17,000 employees

Fit India Champion Arjun Vajpai SummitsMt.Annapurna

Fit India Champion, Arjun Vajpai becomes the first Indian man to reach the su mmit of Mt Annapurna1.

This mountain, located in Nepal, is thetenthhighestpeakintheworld, standing at an elevaon of 8,091 metres(26,545)abovesealevel. Arjun accomplished this climb on April 17 and has now become the firstIndianmountaineertoscaleall 7 peaks that are over 8,000 metres high. It is worth nong that Mt. Annapurna 1 is considered the mostperilousmountainamongthe ones that stand over 8,000 metres inheight

Neera Tandon, appointed as DomescPolicyAdvisorinUS

At97

Former Lok Sabha MP Pandit Ramkishan was recently awarded thetleof“ShatabdiPurush”(Man of the Century) in New Delhi in recognion of his contribuons as asocialistleader.

Renowned scienst Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan passes away at68

N. Gopalakrishnan, the creator of the Indian Instute of Scienfic Heritage (IISH) and a former scienst at the Council of Scienfic and Industrial Research (CSIR), has passedawayattheageof68.

Mohammed Shahabuddin new PresidentofBangladesh

On 25th April 2023, veteran p o l i c i a n M o h a m m e d Shahabuddin was sworn in as the 22nd president of Bangladesh. 73year-old Shahabuddin's elecon to the presidency was unopposed in February2023asacandidateofthe rulingAwamiLeague.

Second term for Miguel DiazCanel as the President of Cuba

to serve as the most powerful man in Havana's corridors of power was confirmed by an overwhelming majority

Sanago Pena: Paraguay's NewPresident-Elect

OnApril23,2023,Paraguayheldits presidenal elecon and Sanago Pena,thehand-pickedcandidateof the conservave Colorado Party, that has governed Paraguay for mostofthepast70years,emerged asthevictor

The Picasso Celebraon 1973-2023:

Neera Tandon, an IndianAmerican, was appointed as the Domesc Policy Advisor in the Biden administraon This move was made with the presidenal elecon in mind, which is set to takeplacein2024.

Tandon's appointment is historic, as she became the first AsianAmerican to lead the White House AdvisoryCouncil

Socialist Pandit Ramkishan BecomesManOfTheCentury

Cuba's polical landscape recently witnessed a significant developmentasMiguelDiaz-Canelsecured a second five-year term as the President of the country With a parliamentary vote that had him as thesolecandidate,Diaz-Canel'sbid

ThePicassoCelebraon1973-2023 is an iniave by the French and Spanish governments to honor the life and work of the Spanish arst Pablo Picasso The art world c o m m e m o ra t e s t h e 5 0 t h anniversary of the passing of a l e g e n d w h o h a s g l o b a l l y disseminated symbols that are universally recognized, such as Guernica Several symposiums andexhibionsareplannedtotake place worldwide The major internaonal symposium “Picasso in the 21st century: Historical and cultural issues,” will be held on December 2023, at UNESCO in

Paris.

Virginia Norwood - 100th

Birthanniversary

VirginiaNorwoodwasanAmerican

VirginiaNorwoodwasbornin1923 and grew up in Los Angeles, California.

inventor and scienst whose contribuon to the development of the scanner has revoluonized the field of remote sensing. Her invenon enabled sciensts to record images of the earth from space and paved the way for the Landsatprogram.

Chrisna

Koch - Artemis II Mission

In a significant moment for space exploraon, astronaut Chrisna

whenfourhumansboardtheOrion spacecra for a trip around the Moon.Thisannouncementmarksa breakthroughasitisthefirstmea woman astronaut will be in the realm of the Moon, breaking a barrier that was previously only crossedbymaleastronauts.

Koch was first launched into space in 2019 on the Soyuz MS-12 spacecra and has spent a total of 328 days in space, conducng six spacewalks, including the first threeall-womenspacewalks.

H a m m o c k Ko c h h a s b e e n announced as the first woman to circle the Moon The US space agency, NASA, has declared that Koch will be the mission specialist

TheArtemisIIflightisa10-day,2.3million-km journey around the moon and back. Chrisna Koch will be joined by astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, and Reid WisemanontheArtemisIImission.

HOW YOU CAN PREPARE FOR YOUR ENTRANCE EXAMAT HOME

Aer passing intermediate, we have to select the correct path for our career, for which it is mandatorytotakeadmissioninthe best college. Students can select from a lot of career opons like engineering, medical, etc But if youstudentswanttogetadmission in the top engineering or medical colleges, they have to clear the entrance exams and achieve a high rank In order to score high in compeve examinaons, students should have a good exam preparaon strategy. In this arcle, we will discuss some important points that every student should take care of while preparing for the entranceexaminaons.

CreateaGoodStudyPlan

The first step for your success in compeve exams is a good study plan. A good study plan has a proper preparaon strategy. Never start preparing for the exams without preparing a study layout. Letusexplaintoyouhowtomakea good study plan. Consider that you are preparing for NEET. First of all, youshouldbeawareofitssyllabus.

Write the syllabus on a separate sheet.Studentswhoare[preparing for NEET exams know that in NEET, biology has the maximum weightageofmarksthatthatofthe physics and chemistry Therefore, you should give more me to biologythanphysicsandchemistry.

Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Ae m p t a n d a n a l y s e t h e aemptedmockteststoknowyour strengths and weaknesses. Work more on your weaknesses to make them your strengths Working more on weakness does not mean toavoidyourstrengths.Itishuman nature that we forget things with me if we do not revise properly. Hence, you should give more me on your weaknesses than that of strengths.

RepeonistheKey

Mostofthestudentspurchasenew books very oen for a single exam. This creates confusion due to whichtheyarenotabletoclearthe exam A good exam preparaon strategy involves mulple

repeons. Instead of buying new books, you should repeat a single bookmulplenumbersofmes.

IgnoringDoubts

Most of the students ignore their doubts by presuming that the parcular queson will not be asked in the exam. This is wrong. It is true that some irrelevant quesons are also published in books. In such a case, you should checktherelevancyofthequeson by analysing the previous year's queson papers or asking their relevancy from your teachers. You shouldcleareverydoubt.Ifyouare unable to get the soluon, you can take the help of your friends or yourteachers.

Don't Ignore Previous Years Papers

Before aempng the exam, you should solve the previous year quesons. By solving the previous year papers, you will be able to know the correct paern of the examinaon Moreover, the last year's papers also help you to plan agoodaempngstrategy.

Top 10 Next Exams in 2023

Student life is a wholesome combinaon of constant suffering and occasional fun. Speak about 'exams' and it is not difficult to imagine the tormenng situaon that this generaon's students are experiencing. The cause of such an experience is not uncertain The reason is 'toughness' to put it in simple terms Students need to crack the entrance exams to get into top-notch educaonal instuons and reputable universies. The top 10 toughest examsinIndiaarelistedbelow:

UPSC (Union Public Service Commission)

The UPSC is the governing body that performs this review at different levels. The fact that toppers usually end up with no more than 40 percent of the total marksisatestamenttothestrength of this test. It is no exaggeraon that to crack this study, aspirants should know almost all. Every year, more than five lakh aspirants are esmated to appear for this examinaon and not more than 1600makeittothefinalround.

IndianInstuteofTechnology

JointEntranceExaminaon

Aspirants who want to pursue a Bachelor's program from the renowned Indian Instutes of Technology and Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, are given this entrance test. The rate of success is as poor as 1 in 45. Inially, IIT-JEE used to be a subjecve test of P h y s i c s , C h e m i s t r y, a n d Mathemacs determining the caliber of aspirants. It soon became

an objecve entrance test with a differenal marking scheme as the years passed. Just like how wine getsbeerandbeereachyear,JEE gets tougher and tougher. Let me draw an analogy here. This examinaon is the Toughest Exams inIndia.

XAT(XavierAptudeTest)

Xavier Labor Relaons Instute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, and other sister instutes such as Xavier Instute of Management, Bhubaneshwar, and many more should score a decent percenle rank in XAT Aspirants who are passionate about bagging a seat. In addion to assessing the competence of an applicant in Quantave Aptude, Data Analysis, and Verbal Ability, XAT tests his or her decision-making competence. There is a separate paper that contains secons on General Knowledge and Essay Wring. It is a test based on paper and is normally administered in January

CAT (Common Admission Test)

Aspirants who are excited about bagging a seat at the presgious Indian Instutes of Management (IIMs) should take this test and secure very good percenles At least 97 percent percenle should be scored by an unreserved category student to get into IIMs. Quantave Aptude, Analycal Reasoning, Data Analysis, and Verbal Capacity are evaluated by aspirants.Usually,itiscarriedoutin November Applicants wishing to

seek an from and private MBA IITs instuons should also receive a respectable CAT percenle. A lile over two lakh members apply for the CAT every year. This one is the ToughestExamsinIndia.

GATE(GraduateAptudeTest inEngineering)

Bangalore should offer its best in this exam to aspirants who are enthusiasc about pursuing a Master's program in Technology from renowned Indian Instutes of Technology and Indian Instute of Sciences It was once a test dependent upon pen and paper GATE, however, became online in 2014. Many public sector firms, including firms in Maharatna and Navratna, embrace the GATE score and provide the best performers withjobs.

CA(CharteredAccountancy)

The Instute of Chartered

Accountants of India-ICAI administers and conducts this three-er exam. The first er test is called CPT CPT stands for General ProficiencyTest,andfourdedicated parts each on Economics, Quantave Aptude, Mercanle Laws, and Accounng are included in this test. The second er consists of seven subjects and is called the I n t e g r a t e d P r o f e s s i o n a l Competence Course. He/she has to takethefinaler-3roundwherehis / her mele and intelligence are tested to the fullest extent if an applicant successfully passes er 1 and er 2 examinaons 8-16 percentisthesuccessrate.

IES(IndianEngineeringService)

Top 10 Next Exams in India

IES is taken by engineering graduate students belonging to either electrical or electronics or mechanical or civil engineering backgrounds aer catching the headlines as one of the hardest exams More than two lakh membersareesmatedtoapplyfor this test and not more than 434 membersqualify Itspeaksvolumes about its durability. Eligible members are named by the honorable President of India to a gradeAservice

C L A T ( C o m m o n L a w AdmissionTest)

In India, there are sixteen reputed and highly regarded Naonal Law Universies. Students wishing to pursue a Graduate Program (Bachelors) and a Postgraduate Degree Program (Masters) at reputed law universies take CLAT In other terms, CLAT should be wrien by candidates who seek to win either an LLB or an LLM. This examinaon lasts two hours and CLAT tests the competence of

applicantsinthepartsofNumerical Skill, General Knowledge, English, and Reading Comprehension. This examinaon is the Toughest Exams inIndia.

AIIMS (All India Instute of MedicalSciences)

As the appellaon implies, for undergraduate students, is AIIMS an online medical entrance test administered annually at the naonal level. For all four parts, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and GeneralKnowledge,aspirantsneed loads of pracce. The total number o f i s s u e s i s 2 0 0 a n d t h e classificaon is as follows: 60physics, 60-chemistry, 60-biology, and 20-general informaon. This exam will be offered annually by morethanonelakhaspirants.

NDA (Naonal Defence Academy)

NDA admission is one of the toughest tests and is certainly one of the top 10. Based on their success in this test, the applicants

are recruited to the army, airforce, and navy wings. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is interesngly carrying out the NDA entrance test. Applicants will be screened for arithmec, general skills, English, and general knowledge Start by wring, pasng, or pressing the paraphrase buon This examinaon is the ToughestExamsinIndia. Every year in India there are thousands of compeve examinaons. And they don't crack easily. But again, behind compeve tests, that's the whole point, right? It could only be achieved by the most worthy candidates. Here, we have limited your study to the top 10 of India's toughest tests. Recall that it was never easy for those who cracked such exams to fly. As in the films, many of the top rank-and-file examinaons had no research tools. Yet, because they had not forgoen and worked hard to achieve their goal, they split these exams.So,noneofitisimpossible.

CURRENT AFFAIRS - SPORTS

Babar Azam becomes fastest to 5,000ODIruns

Babar Azam, the captain of the Pakistancricketteam,hassetanew record by becoming the fastest player to score 5000 runs in One Day Internaonal (ODI) cricket. He achieved this feat in 97 innings, breaking the previous record set by South Africa's Hashim Amla, who reached the 5000 run mark in 101 innings

inaugural edion of the Global ChessLeague

Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture between FIDE and Tech Mahindra, announced Dubai as the venuefortheinauguraledion.

The World's Highest-Paid Athletes2023byForbes

LucaBrecel,the28-year-oldBelgian snooker player, has claimed his first world tle aer defeang Mark Selby in a thrilling final at the CrucibleinSheffield.

OdishaextendsIndianHockey teamsponsorshipll2033

The Odisha government has decided to further extend its sponsorship for both the Men and Women Indian Hockey Teams (senior and junior) for another ten years from 2023 to 2033. Odisha has been the official sponsor of both the Men and Women Naonal HockeyTeamssince2018.

Abhilash Tomy completes the Golden Globe Race, finishing second

Gold medal in Badminton AsiaChampionships

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag

Shey made history on April 30, becoming the first Indian men's doubles pair to win a gold medal at the Badminton Asia Champion ships.

The Indian pair defeated the Malaysian duo of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi in a thrilling three-game matchthatlastedforoveranhou

Ding Liren becomes China's firstworldchesschampion

Ding Liren has become 17th world chess champion – the first from China – defeang Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchiinae-breaker.

Ding takes over as winner of the World Chess Championship from Norway's Magnus Carlsen, who chose not to defend his tle aer a 10-yearreign.

Internaonal soccer stars Crisano

Ronaldo ($136 million), Lionel Messi ($130 million) and Kylian Mbappe ($120 million) are the top threehighest-paidathletes. Ronaldo leads the way with an esmated haul of $136 million, including $46 million from his playing salary and bonuses and $90 million from endorsements, appearances, licensing income and otherbusinessendeavors.

Mbappé, who at age 24 comes in at No. 3 with $120 million, and Johnson, who lands at No. 6 with $107 million, make eye-popping debuts inthetopten

Luca Brecel wins snooker WorldChampionshiptle

Indian sailor Commander Abhilash Tomy (retd.) will finally set foot on land, 236 days aer seng sail in the Golden Globe Race (GGR), a solonon-stopyachtracearoundthe world, one of the most dangerous andcraziestofendeavours.

India’s first men's doubles

Jaden Pariat Becomes First Indian to Finish on Podium in BrishF4Championship

Jaden Pariat, a young Indian racing talent represenng Argen Motorsport, has demonstrated his exceponal skills by securing a podium posion in the opening round of the ROKiT Brish F4 Championship held at Donington Park.

He has become the second Indian racer to achieve an internaonal podium in a Tatuus F4 car, following KushMaini'sfeatin2017

Towards a world of play and connection, for every child

worldwelivein. Playful interacons contribute to the well-being and posive mental health of parents, caregivers and children.Playcomfortsandsoothes children.

Whether it's throwing a ball, dancing or a game of tag, everyone knows play when they see it. I r re s p e c ve o f e c o n o m i c background or culture, people all overtheworldengageinplayinone form or another. Yet not everyone understands play is a biological imperaveforeverychild. Play is how young children learn to navigate the world, and build narraves, knowledge and social skills. Play is essenal business for children. It is an effecve way for parents and children to connect andexpresslove.

Whyisplayimportant?

Children learn best through play

Play creates powerful learning opportunies across all areas of development – intellectual, social, emoonal and physical. Through play, children learn to forge connecons with others, build a wide range of leadership skills, develop resilience, navigate relaonships and social challenges as well as conquer their fears. When children play, they feel safe. Children play to make sense of the world around them More generally, play provides a plaorm for children to express and develop imaginaon and creavity, which are key skills crical for the technology-driven and innovave

To encourage playful interacons between parents and children, there is a need to create an enablingenvironment.

What are the challenges and soluons?

Promong safe and healthy environments for parents to engage and play with children is important for them to thrive. However,parentsmayexperiencea lack of bandwidth and support to engage in play with their children due to various stressors, including financial,personalandprofessional ones.Moreover,alowawarenessof thevalueofplaycanbeanobstacle.

ParenngOfPreschoolers

(3-5yearsofage)

DevelopmentalMilestones

Skills such as naming colors, showing affecon, and hopping on one foot are called developmental milestones. Developmental milestonesarethingsmostchildren can do by a certain age. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, behave, and move (likecrawling,walking,orjumping). As children grow into early childhood, their world will begin to open up. They will become more independent and begin to focus more on adults and children outsideofthefamily.Theywillwant to explore and ask about the things

around them even more Their interacons with family and those around them will help to shape their personality and their own ways of thinking and moving. During this stage, children should be able to ride a tricycle, use safety scissors, noce a difference between girls and boys, help to dress and undress themselves, play with other children, recall part of a story,andsingasong.

PosiveParenngTips

Following are some of the things you,asaparent,candotohelpyour preschoolerduringthisme: Connue to read to your child Nurtureherloveforbooksbytaking hertothelibraryorbookstore. Let your child help with simple chores.

Ÿ Encourage your child to play with other children. This helps him to learn the value of sharing andfriendship.

Ÿ Be clear and consistent when disciplining your child. Explain and show the behavior that you expect from her Whenever you tell her no, follow up with what heshouldbedoinginstead.

Ÿ Help your child develop good language skills by speaking to him in complete sentences and using “grown up” words. Help himtousethecorrectwordsand phrases.

Ÿ Help your child through the steps to solve problems when sheisupset.

Ÿ Giveyourchildalimitednumber of simple choices (for example, deciding what to wear, when to play,andwhattoeatforsnack).

Hobbies Are Good For You

Need some convincing that you need a hobby?

Let's start with some science. A largebodyofresearchsuggeststhat howyouspendleisurememaers to your health, and that your hobbies are good for you in many ways.

In 2010, a team of researchers from universies in Kansas, Pisburgh and Texas published the results of four large studies with a total of 1,399 parcipants, including men and women with various health problems,suchasupperrespiratory illness, arthris and breast cancer The researchers developed a scale called the Pisburgh Enjoyable Acvies Test to measure the effect of hobbies and leisure pursuits on overall health. Here's what they found:

Beerphysicalhealth

People who scored higher on the enjoyable acvies test had lower body mass index, smaller waists, lower blood pressure, lower stress hormones and beer overall physical funcon. While it's possible that people who start out healthy are more likely to engage in hobbies, the findings are consistent with other research showing that having hobbies and other leisure pursuits is associated with a variety of benefits, including less severe diseaseandgreaterlongevity

Moresleep

While you may think that a hobby willtakeuptoomuchofyourleisure me or cut into your sleep, the Pisburgh study showed that people who spent more me on their hobbies actually got beer sleep.

Lowerstress

A large body of research shows that

leisure acvies can help reduce stress.ThePisburghstudyshowed thatpeoplewhotookpartinalotof enjoyable acvies dealt beer with stressful life events People who scored high on the enjoyable acvies test showed lower

findings were based on studies of 430 workers and military personnel thatfoundthathavingahobbygave workers a chance to recover from the demands of their jobs, increasedtheirsenseofcontroland in some cases challenged them to learn new skills that were transferabletowork.

A word to the wise: Don't pick a hobby because it will help you at work. Pick a hobby that makes you happy, and any improvement in yourworkwilljustbeabonus!

levels of negave moods and depression, and higher posive atudes than their lowscoringcounterparts.

Happiness

People who said they parcipated oen in enjoyable acvies also had greater life sasfacon and felt their lives had a greater sense of purposeandmeaning.

Morefriends

Notably, spending more me on hobbies and leisure pursuits was associated with having a larger and more diverse social network. And we know that a strong social network is a key factor in healthy aging.

And there's one addional benefit tohavingahobbythatmaysurprise you.

Improvedworkperformance

A study at San Francisco State University found that employees who had creave outlets outside of the office were beer at creave problem-solving on the job. The

Help Your Students Develop Posive Habits

Most students likely connect the term “habits” to their study habits. In fact, for many students the term “study habits” probably gives the noonofhabitsanegavevibe But there is another type of habit that is important for the well-being and posive growth of students: habits that build their character strengths, such as paence, gratude, and service to others. For example, the habit cue that helps students pracce paence before spontaneously sending that angry tweet, or a daily habit of wring down what they are grateful for I call these “posive habits.”

As a researcher and president of cityvibesindia.com, I want to make the case that every child and teen, beforegraduangfromelementary school, middle school, or high school, should be able to demonstrate and explain how they have formed and consistently pracce a posive habit—especially one they intrinsicallywanttodevelop. Posive habits help students achieve the “character goals” they have set for themselves, such as being a person of integrity or someone who strives to be kind and helpful to others. It is difficult for me to imagine any student becoming their best possible self withoutdevelopingawiderangeof posivehabits.

As a starng point, here are five concepts to teach students about habits that will help them build producve skills and meaningful praccesintotheirlives.

1.Youareyourhabits

The research is clear: 40-50% of all ouraconsaredoneoutof

Our challenge as educators is to encourage students to understand that their habits shape who they are and the sort of person they want to become. For example, for many years one of my children handed in assignments that were filled with errors because he had not yet developed the posive habit of checking his homework before handing it in. Only later in life did he learn the wisdom of praccingthecharacterstrengthof carefulness.

James Clear, author of 'Atomic Habits', hit the mark when he suggested that the best way to change who you are is to change whatyoudo.

2.Howweformhabits

Most students learn about Newton'sthreelawsofmoonineighth grade. But I can't seem to find any curriculum in the United States where eighth graders learn about the science of habit formaon. But theyshould. Every student should learn about the “habit loop” Whether it's a good or bad habit, the mechanics ofahabitarethesame: Cue>Craving>Response>Reward Cues spark our habits, and our craving

deliversthereward (the desired thought or acon that gives us relief from the craving). In short, we are sll capves to our “lizard brain.” We remain creatures whocraveinstantgraficaon. This process is fairly straight forward for everyday habits: For example, when a student comes

homefromschool(cue),theymight experience a spike in dopamine as they start looking for a snack (craving), and then indulge (response)inthesalty,crunchyreward of a bag of potato chips. Here's what the habit loop might look like foraposivehabit:Everydaywhen a student comes home from school, she calls her grandmother to find out how she is feeling Hearing the cheerfulness in her grandmother's voice is the student'sposivereward.

Researchers are also beginning to discover that habits persist even when we don't value the reward as muchasweoncedid(orevenwhen the reward is no longer available). That's good news for those of us who believe in the power of posive habits Aer consistently praccing these habits, they becomepartofouridenty

3. Stable cues are the key to formingaposivehabit

Here's the one indispensable “habit principle” I'd want students to learn and pracce: Create cue X, foraconY Forexample,imaginea student has decided they want to learn how to play the guitar (the acon) right aer they finish their homework (the cue). The key to creangthisnewhabitorrouneis for the student to repeat this acvity every day—as soon as they finishstudying.

Other stable cues might include wakinguporgoingtobed,brushing teeth,oreangmeals—anyacons thathappenregularlythatstudents canaachahabitto.

Help Your Students Develop Posive Habits

Researchers are learning that stable habit cues are essenal to organizing our mental space. Over me, repeon reorganizes our brainandbecomesitsownreward.

self-talk with posive self-talk is a “habit hack” that simply works. For example, students can create the posive mental habit of repeang to themselves, “I got this…I can do this.”

werepeatedlydo.”

Yet recent research tells us that educators overlook the role of habits in student self-regulaon

Four “habit hacks” that work

4.

S. J. Sco recently wrote a book tled 'Habit Stacking' The idea is that we should link together a harder habit to an easier habit For example, encouraging students to do their chores (a harder habit) while listening to music (an easier habit).

A second hack is leveraging the powerofcommitmentTherealityis that all of us, at one me or another, have broken a promise we've made to ourselves. That's why we may need to share our habit plan with someone who will hold us accountable, such as a friend,parent,orteacher Makinga commitment to someone we know and trust is oen the fuel we need todevelopaposivehabit. Athirdhackisdiscoveringourhabit tendency Developed by author Gretchen Rubin, the core idea is that each of us needs to understand more acutely how well we respond to internal and external expectaons. While some people absolutely need accountability for habits, other people must understand why the habit is important before they feel movated to pursueit. Finally, when it comes to habit formaon, every student should learn about the power of posive affirmaons Refung our negave

5. Seng goals and sheer willpoweraren'tenough

Emergingresearchisshaeringour long-held myths that seng goals and exercising self-control are the twin peaks of habit formaon Intenons alone don't change behaviors.Moreover,willpowerisa muscle that depletes over me. No onecanleadalifefullofself-denial. In addion to having long-term goals,studentsneedto“plan”their habits. The research is clear: Preparaonisthekey.Asthesaying goes, “Failing to plan is planning to fail ” Habit planning is far more important than movaon and willpower

Creang a new posive habit is form of human engineering that requires students to discover their opmal cue/acon paern (if X, then Y), as well as the intellectual humility to ancipate a weakness or flaw in their habit design. For example, some schools encourage studentstodeveloptheirowndaily habit of gratude. Students would have to idenfy a cue/acon paernthatworksbestforthem(in the morning or before bedme), as well as to think crically on what could prevent them from developingtheirgratudehabit. Habits are about geng 1% beer every day. Aristotle got it right when he wrote that “we are what

That's why it's me for parents and educators, especially during these stress-filled mes, to work together to help all students harness the energy and power of posivehabits.

Let's imagine a future where 12th graders are talking to eighth graders about habits, with the older students sharing one posive habit they now consistently pracce.Orwhereeverystudent,atthe beginning of the school year, is encouraged to share with their teachers and peers one habit they would like to strengthen by winter break. These are just a few ideas to inspire and equip young people to intrinsically form their own habits ofmind,heart,andacon.

I'd love to learn your ideas and suggesons to help our students form a habit mindset. Please reach meatcmsharmaldh@gmail.com.

Life in a Foreign University:

From a Haryana village to pursuing PhD in Poland, student shares how he evolved

Ankit belongs to a small village in Haryana. He decided to do a PhD and started looking for opons in India and abroad. He came across the University of Wroclaw, Poland which provides a spend to students pursuing PhD from the university He shares his journey and tells us why Poland is an underratedcountry. Being from a small village named Surjanwas, in the Mahendragarh district of Haryana to Wroclaw in Poland, I underwent a huge transformaon both on a personal front and academically From trying to fit in during college to making a place for myself, it has been a long but worthwhile journey.

I was a district topper in Class 12 and like most meritorious students, I was ecstac to join a well-reputed college for my undergraduate studies. It was 2011, and I got admission to BSc Mathemacs (Hons) at Hansraj College at Delhi University However,myexperience in college did not turn out how I imagined it would. I was finding it

difficult to adapt to city life, make friends and focus on my studies. As a result in my final year, I failed twice so instead of graduang in 2014, I graduated in2016.

Aer graduang in 2016, I was geng admission to two colleges —

A z i m P r e m j i U n i ve rs i t y i n Bengaluru and Tata Instute of Social Science, Mumbai. I chose to study in the former. During that period, I understood the concept of mental health and my doctors helped me idenfy that I was dealing with anxiety I was finally able to understand the problem andworktowardsit.

Lifeaergraduaon

In 2018, aer compleng my post graduaon, I got placed in Kerala

State Poverty Eradicaon Mission

— Kudumbashree on a contractual basis It helped me a lot in improving my communicaon skills as my job was to spread awareness about the funconing of the panchayat system in Kerala to panchayatmembersinTripura.Ile my job in March 2020 due to the Covid-19pandemic.

During my sabbacal, I pondered over what else I could do. I started preparing for UGC-NET and gave the exam for social work and fortunately,IclearedJRF However,I wanted to pursue a PhD Inially, I thought of pursuing higher studies in India but a PhD in Social Work does not hold much value in this country It is similar to a Master's in SocialWork.

I searched for PhD opportunies in Europe as the USA was beyond my budgetandanywhereinAsiawould have been similar to India. During

Life in a Foreign University:

From a Haryana village to pursuing PhD in Poland, student shares how he evolved

this research, I found out that in Poland, you get a spend if you pursue PhD from a public university anddecidedtoapplythere.

Polandeducaonisunderrated I prepared my research proposal and sent it for acceptance to my current supervisor It was my first acceptance and I came to the

barrierandafewmorequesons. My research topic and why I chose Poland

My PhD topic was research in Molkki or cross-regional marriages in Haryana and whether children born out of these marriages are accepted or not, and what is their identy. I could have done this

boost to my communicaon and social skills. I am well-travelled and my mental health has improved as well. I have friends from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Spain, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

I got three more scholarships apart fromthespend.Theseareinternal scholarships provided by the university. I got an internal grant of Rs 1 lakh or 5000 in Polish currency at the end of my first year. I also got an award for best doctoral student and therefore my monthly spend was increased for nine months Now, I get close to 5000 Polish currency which is nearly Rs 1 lakh every month as a spend. The third scholarship is the STER programme under which I could go to any other university for mobility for a small duraon from 15 days to 3 or 4 months.

University of Wroclaw, Poland. My university is one of the 10 research universies in Poland and Wroclaw is the fourth largest city in the country.

All in all, Poland has good quality educaonatanaffordablefee.Ijust have to pay my applicaon fee and got a spend of Rs 50,000 which is goodenoughforoneperson.

My interview was held on September 13, 2021. They asked me basic quesons such as why do you want to pursue PhD in Poland, what was my background since it wasn't in Sociology and how do I jusfy that My topic was Indiaoriented so why I didn't pursue a PhD from India? There were quesons regarding the language

re s e a rc h i n India but there I wouldn't get too many different perspecves and opinions as there are preconceived noons about Haryana and biases as well. The second reason I chose to study abroad is because of the exposureandthechancetoexplore placesoutsideIndia.

The classes are held only thrice a week mostly or four mes a week for bachelors, for PhD students it is onedayperweek

Difference between Poland and India

There has been a drasc change in my personality from the me I was in DU to where I am now. I have worked at different places and now whenIamhere,Imeetpeoplefrom all over the world. This has given a

We were also taught Polish in our first year, it is considered one of the toughest languages to master I havelearnedllA1level.

My biggest takeaway from my experience is that the world is big and not everyone gets an opportunity to come to Europe and live their dream. So live life to its fullest. I believe that whatever happens, happens for good and it is our responsibility to ulise whateverresourceswehave.

SHAREYOUR EXPERIENCES

GK – INDIAN GEOGRAPHY

1. Kalgoorlie and Coolgardieplaces famous for gold mines are located in:

A. Australia

B. USA

C. England

D. South Africa

2. Tadoba naonal park known for sheltering ger, panther and bear is located in:

A. Assam

B. Chandrapur (Maharashtra)

C. Karnataka

D Tamil Nadu

3. In geography who propounded the theory of conveconal current hypothesis?

A Arthur Holmes

B. Carl Rier

C. Arnaldo Fausni

D Immanuel Kant

4. Apatanis are the tribes found in:

A Himanchal Pradesh

B. Nagaland

C. Sikkim

D. Arunachal Pradesh

5. Genoa is leading seaport of:

A. Spain

B. Brazil

C. Italy

D Canada

6. Willandra Lakes Region a UNESCO Heritage site is located in:

A. The USA

B. Australia

C. The UK

D Germany

7. The headquarters of Internaonal Astronomical Union (IAU) is located in:

A Geneva

B. Mexico City

C. New York

D. Paris (France)

8. With which country in the year 2010 did India propose to develop a solar city in India?

A Japan

B. Russia

C. South Africa

D. USA

9. The largest river of all the west flowing rivers of the peninsular India is:

A. Tap

B. Kaveri

C. Krishna

D. Narmada

10. Umiam Mulpurpose Power Project is located in:

A. Himachal Pradesh

B. Meghalya

C. Sikkim

D Nagaland

11. The instrument which measures the intensity of solar radiaon is called:

A Barometer

B. Energy meter

C. Solar meter

D Speedometer

12. Any wind blowing down the slope of a mountain is called:

A Anabac Wind

B. Katabac Wind

C. Down Falling Wind

D. Slope Wind

13. The zone of low atmospheric pressure and ascending air located at or near the equator is called:

A Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

B. Outer-Tropical Convergence Zone

C. Intera-Tropical Convergence Zone

D None of Above

14. Indian state known as garden spice is:

A Karnataka

B. West Bengal

C. Kerala

D Sikkim

15. Rajiv Gandhi Environment Award is given for outstanding contribuon to:

A Health

B. Tourism

C. Agriculture

D. Contribuon in the development of Neat technology

17. Mahe and Yanam are the parts of the Union Territory of:

A. Dadar Nagar Haveli

B. Chandigarh

C. Daman and Diu

D. Puducherry

18. The most important breed of wool producing sheep in the world is:

A. Texel

B. Merino

C. Deper

D Dorset

19. India's first marine naonal park is located in:

A. The Gulf of Kutch

B. Bay of Bengal

C. Arabian Sea

D. The Gulf of Khambhat

20. Singareni Coalfields is located in :

A. Narmada Valley

B. Karishna Valley

C. Godavari Valley

D. Kaveri Valley

(See Answers in Next Edion. Readers can submit their answers to this quiz before June 1, 2023. There will be special prize for Lucky Winners, who will be chhosen by a draw of lots)

CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ

1. Dawki landport is located between India and ___?

[A] Myanmar

[B] Nepal

[C] Bangladesh

[D] Sri Lanka

2. ___ has set up 'Agriculture and Market Informaon System (AMIS)'.

[A] FAO

[B] WEF

[C] IMF

[D] World Bank

3. ___ has been decommissioned aer 36 years of service.

[A] INS Magar

[B] INS Mahaan

[C] INS Vihaan

[D] INS Bhim

4. ___ hosted the 'Machines Can See 2023 Summit'.

[A] India

[B] USA

[C] Israel

[D] UAE

5. ___ along with Bank for Internaonal Selements (BIS) launched 'G20 TechSprint'.

[A] UIDAI

[B] RBI

[C] SEBI

[D] NITI Aayog

6. Meiteis are the largest ethnic group of ___.

[A] Assam

[B] Manipur

[C] West Bengal

[D] Madhya Pradesh

7. Indira Gandhi Mahila Samman Nidhi was launched in ___.

[A] Rajasthan

[B] Himachal Pradesh

[C] Chhasgarh

[D] Meghalaya

8. ___ hosted the 'Petersberg Climate Dialogue'.

[A] USA

[B] Germany

[C] Ukraine

[D] Australia

9. ___ has recently set up a 'Directorate of Minority Affairs'.

[A] Sikkim

[B] Nagaland

[C] West Bengal

[D] Odisha

10. ___ has set up a dedicated 'Infrastructure Development Corporaon'.

[A] Tamil Nadu

[B] Maharashtra

[C] Gujarat

[D] Karnataka

11. Aer nine-year ban, Coal mining has resumed legally in ?

[A] Assam

[B] Meghalaya

[C] West Bengal

[D] Odisha

12. The US and ___ agreed to prevent illegal border crossing.

[A] Canada

[B] Mexico

[C] Cuba

[D] El-Salvador

13. The Central Government has informed the Supreme Court that it will form a panel on same-sex couples headed by ___ .

[A] Union Home Minister

[B] Cabinet Secretary

[C] NITI Aayog CEO

[D] Union Women and Child Development Minister

14. 'Windhoek Declaraon' is associated with ___.

[A] Environment

[B] Press Freedom

[C] Finance

[D] Polics

15. What is India's rank in the 'World Press Freedom Index 2023'?

[A] 141

[B] 151

[C] 161

[D] 171

16. ___ released the 'Business Ready (B-READY)? project.

[A] IMF

[B] World Bank

[C] WEF

[D] ADB

17. NITI Aayog released the 'Best Pracces in Social Sector: A Compendium, 2023', jointly with?

[A] UNICEF

[B] UNESCO

[C] UNDP

[D] UNEP

18. Which country hosted the 'ASEAN India Marime Exercise (AIME-2023)'?

[A] India

[B] Singapore

[C] Thailand

[D] Myanmar

19. Supreme Court can use its powers under which Arcle to directly grant a divorce decree?

[A] Arcle 21

[B] Arcle 92

[C] Arcle 121

[D] Arcle 142

20. Mahi Banswara Atomic Power Project is being constructed in ___.

[A] Rajasthan

[B] Madhya Pradesh

[C] Punjab

[D] West Bengal

(See Answers in Next Edion. Prize for Lucky Winners)

CURRENT NOTIFICATIONS

Can We Make Real, Transformative Change in Education?

Educaon depends on safe, o rd e r l y, p re d i c ta b l e sy stems—something that the COVID19 pandemic undermined. It's taughtmanyofushowinterdependent we all are and how interconnectedoursystemscanbe. There are examples on almost every level Our regional educaonal school district, aer moving locaons, hasn't had office furni ture all year, due to the shipping crisis. I recently visited several middle schools that only have porta-poes aer students vandalized bathrooms at the start of the school year, spurred by a destrucvesocialmediacampaign. Orderly school board meengs are interrupted with heckles and protestsaroundissueslikemasking and vaccinaon, reflecng raging culture wars. On the front yard of mylocalelementaryschool,abusis parked with a giant banner adversing the desperate need for bus drivers, a dramac display of the labor shortage throughout America Administrators are acng as substute teachers, mopping floors,changingdiapers…whatever it takes to simply keep the system going.

It feels like chaos, and it isn't just our systems that are falling apart—it's people, too. The mental health crisis among children that was already occurring before the pandemic is at epic proporons, with reports that up to 80% of children are now suffering from depression, anxiety, and other

issues. Arcles that “the kids are notOK”werefollowedwitharcles of how “the teachers are not OK.” But what's really not OK are the systemsthemselves.

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society,” as the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamuroncesaid.

Attheonsetofthepandemic,some educators saw hope that perhaps as typical school systems were disrupted, things would never “go back to normal”—and that would be a good thing. Maybe the pandemic would be a catalyst for educators, students, parents, and community members to come together,onbehalfofchildren,and totally rethink educaon and how wecouldbeerserveallchildren. It's a perspecve that brings to mind the ideas of ecologist and Buddhist thinker Joanna Macy She spoke of the “Great Unraveling,” a me when the colonial- and industrial-era systems that never were working for those on the marginswouldbecomesodysfunconal that society would begin breaking down and even those who seemed to benefit from the systemswouldsuffer Macy—along with other systems sciensts like Margaret Whea tley—argued that this unraveling would give way to the “Great Turning,” when systems of oppression and compeon would give way to new systems based on paradigms of equity, relaonal connecon,andwell-being.

Historically, mes of change need strong,visionaryleaderstoharness posive outcomes. But, unfortunately, educaonal leaders have been under too much stress keeping up with day-to-day crises to imagine, much less implement, sweeping change of a kind people like Macy envision. For many, any opmisc images of “not going backtonormal”havemorphedinto dystopiandisarray

Managing dystopia is certainly more in the comfort zone of educaon leaders than leading a turn toward a more equitable paradigm. Administrator licensure programs primarily train new leaderstocomplywithcurrentlaws and systems; they aren't training administratorstoberevoluonary! So not only are our public school systems not designed for secondorder change which requires changes in beliefs and behaviors but our leaders are not trained for transformave change.

T h a t ' s w h a t d r e w m e t o parcipang in a new professional d e v e l o p m e n t p r o g r a m , 'Transformave Educaonal

Leadership (TEL)' , which is designed to prepare leaders to effecvely facilitate system-wide educaonal change—and evaluaonssofarsuggestTEL'seffortsare payingoff

Thescienceoftransformaon

In schools, there is a constant striving for improvement, but improvement geng beer at what we already do within the

Can We Make Real, Transformative Change in Education?

systems we already have will never fundamentally change who we are or how we think. Improvement will never erase inequies. We will connue to get the same results unless we are able to see educaon in a completely new way

First defined by sociologist Jack Mezirow in 1978, transformave learning theory recognizes that adults learn differently than children in some fundamental ways. When adults engage in learning, they bring with them a wealth of life experiences and a highly developed worldview

Adults' prior knowledge is certainlyanassetbutalsoastumbling block to learning, because it is difficult for adults to recognize their socially condioned mental models.

There are essenally two types of learning technical learning, whereadultslearnnewknowledge or skills and assimilate that new knowledge within their current worldview, or transformave learning, in which adults open their minds to new ways of thinking and take on new roles and behaviors. Adult learning theory says that unless we engage in transformave learning, adults aren't truly developing or expandingtheircapacies.

The same goes for organizaons. Organizaons,suchasschools,can learn, but unless they are engaged in transformave learning, they aren't changing the underlying beliefs and behaviors that created the inequitable outcomes we currently experience. As Einstein famouslysaid,“Noproblemcanbe

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solved with the same level of consciousnessthatcreatedit.”

T h e c h a l l e n g e i s t h a t transformave learning isn't easy Infact,it'sterrifying.

Transformaon is analogous to a chemical change once it happens, there's no going back As individuals, when we transform, we give up who we are and enter the unknown to become someone n e w . A s i n s t u o n s , transformave change is difficult to endure What if our school transformaon effort fails and makes us look unprofessional, leads to more chaos, or, worst of all,harmschildren?Condionscan get a lot worse before they get beer a process that systems science calls an implementaon dip.

EDUCATION&CAREER READ

for multi-dimensional growth during school / college / job search days