The Observer An IIJNM publication
Karnataka’s education sector still struggles to adopt the new normal of online teaching | P 2
Vol. 21, Issue 20
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Couldn’t attend online classes for many reasons By Swarali Bodas
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Prospect of offline examinations has students worried
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tudents in Bengaluru are worried as universities have decided to hold mandatory offline examinations, reports Saumyangi Yadav. Apart from their physical health, they are worried about their mental well-being after VTU and other colleges made offline examinations mandatory. Ever since VTU announced offline exams, the students have been protesting online, flooding Twitter with calls for help. But the VTU authorities have not listened to these pleas. Professors and college authorities say they are helpless as they do not have the freedom to make independent decisions. ►Details on page 2
Autism is a development disorder in which a person has lack of social and communication skills. They have the age-appropriate motor functions but not enough social skills | Courtesy: pexels.com cess to online classes. ther of us was always with Krishna Bhanushali, Devik’s him...Since we both joined our ofmother, informed The Observer: fices in May 2020, he couldn't “Devik’s father and I joined our learn without the help of an adult offices in May and hence there around him,” she added. was no device on which he could Devik missed his daily routine. attend his online classes.” “(I) liked going there (to school) Autistic children need someone before the deadly coronavirus hit around when they are learning. our country. Now I am at home. “When we worked from home, ei- Mom says schools might open for
us in July, so I am waiting. Online classes aren’t fun,” he said. A study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, said changing routines of people with ASD, especially children, cause major problems. Covid-19 and the shifting of everything online, including education, was a major challenge not only to children with ASD but also their parents, guardians and caregivers. Nitya S, a teacher at Apurva Centre for Autism, Bengaluru, said online classes was a big challenge for the kids with autism and ASD. “Before the pandemic, we had 60 children coming to our centre. Out of these, only 35 could attend online classes.” The reasons for the remaining children not attending classes varied from not having stable Internet connectivity to parents going to office, she shared. “In our centre, we used to involve them in physical activities, but that was restricted in online classes. Lack of physical activity made them lethargic and lazy.” Nitya spoke about the positive side of online classes too. “We used to have one-on- one classes that turned out to be helpful.” ►Continued on page 3
Students take up part-time jobs to be more financially independent By Anwesha Singh
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ntending to improve skills, young adults are opting for part-time jobs and internships that will enable them to take their theoretical knowledge to their future workplaces. Megha Bhargava, a final-year architecture student who does a part-time job at Waavie, an architecture firm in Bengaluru, informed The Observer: “Studying and then applying the knowledge increases your understanding of the subject. Also, it makes you financially independent.” Asked whether the job affects her studies, she said it helps her gain experience and more knowledge. “You just cannot sit back and study from the textbooks and
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Bengalureans unhappy over the authorities’ decision to seize bike taxis of Rapido | P 3
Routines changed, autistic kids badly affected by the pandemic evik Bhanushali, 17, was happy with his daily routine: Waking up every morning, going to school, learning new things, coming back, playing video games, solving a Sudoku with his evening tea and then going to sleep. That was his life for some years now; but two years ago, this routine was disrupted. When a lockdown was announced in March 2020, all the schools, including schools for children with special needs, were closed and learning was shifted online. Computer or mobile screens became classrooms, and their friends were confined to small rectangular boxes. Something similar happened with Devik, a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Devik hasn’t attended school since June 2020. Since both his parents had started working from home in March 2020, he had ac-
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Part-time jobs help gain experience | Credit: Anwesha Singh do rote memorization. You need to apply your learning to something practical which is only possible through internships or jobs.” Her father, Shiva Bhargava, a government employee, said he is happy his daughter is trying to be financially independent. But, he
said: “I don’t want my daughter’s studies to get affected because of the job. This is just a part-time job and not a permanent one. Dishant Kumar, a class 11 student, manages some of his personal expenses through the money he gets by giving tuitions to children and working as a freelancer on Fiverr, an online platform for freelance services. “As a freelancer, I earn some money and don’t need to ask for pocket money,” he shared. However, his mother, Poonam Kumar, believes it’s important for students to complete their studies first. “My son says his studies are not hampered by the work but I know that it is since he spends his time on tuitions and freelancing.” ►Continued on page 3
News briefs Safety of Indians in Ukraine is priority At an emergency meeting called by United Nations Security Council, India stressed on the safety and security of civilians in Ukraine. TS Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, said the well-being of Indians is of priority to the government. More than 20,000 Indian students and nationals live and study in different parts of Ukraine, including its border areas.
SC to hear plea against offline exams today The Supreme Court will hear an appeal on February 23 seeking cancellation of offline exams for classes 10 and 12. The exams will be conducted by all state boards, CBSE, ICSE and the National Institute of Open Schooling.
11 returning from wedding die in road accident Eleven people returning from a wedding were killed and two injured in an accident in Champawat district of Uttarakhand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
Pak to hinder march by women next month According to the think-tank Policy Research Group, Imran Khan’s government is planning to thwart the ‘Aurat March’ and efforts at women empowerment. It plans to glorify hijab to promote conservatism. Noorul Haq Qadri, Minister for Religious Affairs, has appealed to the Prime Minister to declare March 8 as International Hijab Day to counter the ‘Aurat March’ on March 8.
Site, applications of Sikhs For Justice to be banned The Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) has decided to ban applications, websites and social media accounts linked to Sikhs For Justice, an organisation that has been declared unlawful. A press release by the ministry said the contents of the blocked applications, websites and accounts have the potential to provoke communal tension and disharmony in the country.