Parents raise concerns at Telangana Education Commission meet
Participants flagged key issues such as the introduction of English medium instruction, lecturer absenteeism, poor infrastructure and unfilled teaching posts in government junior colleges (GJCs).
Several parents shared their grievances over the annual fee hikes, which they claimed, rise by 30% to 40% every year. 'This is happening due to the absence of a proper fee regulation body,' said Suresh, a parent.
They urged TEC to implement a regulatory framework without further delay. TEC members reviewed the challenges faced by GJCs and the growing commercialisation of intermediate education by private colleges. They stressed the need for stricter oversight and stronger government institutions.
Suggestions included introducing English medium classes, engineering coaching, infrastructure upgrades, and immediate recruitment of lecturers.
Meanwhile, private junior college representatives appealed to the commission to expedite pending fee reimbursement dues.
TRSMA submits memo to Union education minister
Hyderabad: The Telangana Recognised School Management Association (TRSMA) submitted a memorandum to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday and urged him to introduce annual in-service teacher training programmes through National Institute of Open Schooling. In the letter, the Union minister was apprised of key concerns and proposals for the development and financial empowerment of budget private schools, including provision of low-interest loans to help upgrade school infrastructure.
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The true story behind a ‘real' photograph of Rani Lakshmibai
In 2003, a painted portrait of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar was installed in Parliament, sparking an uproar. Objections were raised over the fact that he had been accused in the Mohandas Gandhi assassination case, even though he escaped being charged in the conspiracy. As the controversy raged on, it was also discussed by us members of Sahmat, the trust established in memory of activist-artist Safdar Hashmi. Sahmat ideologue Rajendra Prasad had found Savarkar's book, The Indian War of Independence of 1857, in Delhi's Teen Murti library. Banned by the British, the first edition of the book in English was published in 1909. Leafing through the book I was astonished to see a reproduction of a postcard with a photograph titled 'Lakshmi Bai – The Rani of Jhansi and leader in the Indian War of Independence of 1857'. My heart raced. I thought I knew my photo history, but I had never seen this image or even a reference to it. I had visited the Jhansi fort as a child with my mother and the vivid tales told by the guide were seared in my memory. I had grown up hearing the famous poem Jhansi Ki Rani by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan. I have also seen countless paintings and other images of Lakshmibai. But a photograph, as an authentic portrait, would mean something else entirely. While working on an exhibit on the Uprising of 1857 with Sahmat a little later, I included this image of the Rani and it travelled across India as part of the display. Some years after this, in 2010, I saw a television news report about an exhibition in Bhopal with the same photograph, attributing it to an album in the collection of my artist friend Amit Ambalal in Ahmedabad. Play I contacted Ambalal who told me that he had bought the album in Jaipur in the 1960s and sent me images of the pages. There, among photos and paintings of the other freedom fighters of 1857, was the Rani of Jhansi. Devanagari and Urdu scripts on the back of the photograph identified her. This was thrilling. There was now a second historical source of the image and, importantly, it was in India. Excited by this discovery, in the following months I contacted many experts in the field to authenticate the image. Could the Rani have been photographed? Rani Lakshmibai had died in battle on June 18, 1858, but it was entirely possible that she had been photographed. Photography was fairly widespread in India by the mid-1850s. I began a long search to authenticate the image and its source. Around 2006-'07, I got in touch with photo historian Sophie Gordon, who was the curator of theatre director and collector E Alkazi's extensive early Indian photography collection in London. She had found an advertisement in a Delhi gazette shortly after the 1857 uprising, where there were photos of Jhansi offered for sale. But no images were traceable. As part of my search into sources that could help verify the authenticity of the photograph, I had reached out to Bhawa Nand Uniyal, a collector of rare books from Delhi who was in London at the time. I told Sophie Gordon that Uniyal had written back to tell me that he had found a post-Independence edition of Savarkar's book in his collection stating that the postcard was not Rani Lakshmibai, but Begum Shahjahan of Bhopal. 'Now he finds this reference in the catalogue of proscribed material in the India Office Collections,' I said in my email to Gordon. 'It obviously is not in the photography collection because it is a printed postcard. Are you still interested in this? Being there, you probably have much easier access to dig this would be a terrific coup.' I gave her the reference details Uniyal had sent me: Listed item no: 176 in publications proscribed by the GOI Reference no: EPP 1/36 IOLR A catalogue of the collections in the India Office Library and Records and the department of Oriental Manuscripts & Printed books. Edited by Graham Shaw and Mary Lloyd 1985. Then, in 2010, I got a message from archivist and researcher Pramod Kumar KG, who found the same image in a photo album in the archives of the Chowmohalla Palace in Hyderabad. 'This particular page has a carte-de-visite showing the lady in question seated on a chair. The caption in Urdu reads HH the ..... of Tanjore,' said Pramod Kumar's message. 'The main name is illegible though Her Highness and Tanjore is pretty clear. Looking at the image it is quite possible that this is the work of the Johnston & Hoffman Studio, here I am going by the props and the way the image is taken. Hope this helps clear the confusion.' Shortly thereafter, a response from Sophie Gordon, by then the curator of photography of the Royal Collections at Windsor Castle, helped clear the matter up. 'The portrait of the woman identified as the Rani of Lakshmi is, as Pramod suspected, a princess of Tanjore,' wrote Gordon. 'The Royal Collection has this portrait in the photograph collection where it is captioned as 'HH The Princess of Tanjore', from the Bourne and Shepherd studio. It is an albumen print (ie not a daguerreotype, and must therefore date to a later period). I should date to sometime in the 1870s.' There was also an interesting history to the album. 'The portrait is on a page with other portraits of her two daughters and her official consort. The album itself is a collection of portraits of the many rulers of India, presented to Queen Victoria in the mid-1880s,' said Gordon, who had sent along an image of the entire album page. 'Unfortunately, I have never seen a photographic portrait of the Rani of Jhansi. I hope this is helpful.' Here ended the seven-year long search, from the Teen Murti library to Bhopal, Hyderabad, the India Office Library and finally Windsor Castle in England. The image Sophie Gordon had sent was by far the clearest and showed other members of the Tanjore ruling family being photographed in the same setting. It was amazing that this image had been in wide circulation at some point in the late 19th century as a photograph of the Rani of Jhansi. It was a testament to the power of her myth in the Indian imagination in our struggle for freedom. Sadly, it was not the Rani. But the tale was worth telling. It took seven years to hunt down the source of this photograph and even longer tell this tale. But in this age of artificial intelligence, misinformation, and fabrications, a search through 19th century archival material to authenticate history is even more important.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Every kid in Bengaluru should study in Kannada': Zoho's Sridhar Vembu slams English-medium obsession
Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu has reignited the national debate on the role of English in India's education system by advocating for a 'regional language first' approach. In a detailed post on X , Vembu argued that India's overdependence on English as the medium of instruction is a colonial legacy that continues to widen the gap between urban elites and rural youth. Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu.(Image via Twitter) Also Read - Bengaluru resident questions city's liveability after 9 years: 'We're all just surviving' Take a look at the post Highlighting the deep societal divisions created by English fluency, Vembu questioned the long-standing assumption that English-medium education is the only path to global competitiveness. 'Should we still value English as the medium of instruction? Learning English as a language is important, but teaching subjects like maths, history or medicine in English makes little sense,' he wrote. In his post, Vembu cited European countries such as the Netherlands as examples where native languages are prioritised in classrooms, despite strong global presence. 'The Netherlands, which has only a quarter of Tamil Nadu's population, mandates Dutch as the medium of instruction, and children adapt swiftly,' he pointed out. Focusing on Karnataka, Vembu argued that students in Bengaluru should be educated in Kannada, not just learn it as a subject. 'Yes, that means every child in Bengaluru should study in Kannada. Similarly, children in Chennai must study in Tamil. Language builds cultural connection. When we ignore this, we risk alienating children from their roots,' he stated. Also Read - Bengaluru Metro becomes lifeline: Liver transported via Namma Metro for transplant in landmark operation The Zoho founder stressed that India's current obsession with English has become a modern-day class barrier often more divisive than caste, particularly for youth in rural and semi-urban areas. 'This English-status syndrome is holding back millions of our young minds. The idea that English-medium education in government schools will solve this divide has failed repeatedly,' he added. Vembu also pushed back against the idea that fluency in English is essential for success in the tech industry. 'At Zoho, we develop advanced tools like compilers and backend systems, yet English proficiency was never a hiring filter. Our engineers, many of whom speak only Tamil, read English documentation as needed, just like engineers in Japan, Korea or Germany do,' he said. He further noted that non-Tamil employees at Zoho who move to Tamil Nadu adapt by learning Tamil to collaborate effectively. 'We do it abroad when we settle in non-English-speaking countries. Why can't we do the same here, in our own land?' he asked.
Indian Express
an hour ago
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PM Modi to inaugurate Bengaluru metro Yellow Line, launch Phase-3 expansion on August 10
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the much-awaited 19.15-km Yellow Line of Namma Metro, connecting RV Road to Bommasandra, and lay the foundation stone for the 44.65-km Phase-3 expansion of the Bengaluru Metro on August 10. The Yellow Line, built at a cost of Rs 5,056.99 crore, features 16 stations and is expected to significantly ease traffic congestion, especially at the infamously congested Silk Board Junction. The line is estimated to cater to nearly eight lakh commuters daily, offering major connectivity between key residential and industrial corridors in southern Bengaluru and Electronic City respectively. In addition, the Prime Minister will launch the Rs 15,611-crore Phase-3 expansion, which was approved by the Union Cabinet within the first 100 days of Modi 3.0. The Bengaluru Metro's Phase 3, also known as the Orange Line, is a project to expand the city's metro network by adding 44.65 km of new lines. The project includes two lines and 31 stations, with an estimated completion date by the end of 2029. Phase 3 will primarily serve underserved areas along Magadi Road and the western portion of the Outer Ring Road (ORR). The two lines will connect JP Nagar 4th Phase to Kempapura (Hebbal) and Hosahalli to Kadabagere, with a portion also passing through Gorguntepalya, Magadi Road, and Mysuru Road. A significant part of the project will involve a double-decker viaduct, where metro tracks will be built above existing roads and flyovers to optimize space Union Minister for Home and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar said, 'I am pleased to announce that the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India has kindly agreed to inaugurate the Yellow Line and lay the foundation stone for Phase-3 on August 10.' Calling the occasion a 'landmark moment for Bengaluru South,' local MP Tejasvi Surya expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for prioritising public transport in the region. 'With nearly Rs 20,000 crore worth of Metro infrastructure dedicated to this region alone, we are incredibly grateful to PM Modi for his continued focus, affection, and commitment to Bengaluru South's public transport infrastructure,' he said. Together, the Yellow Line and Phase-3 projects are expected to benefit nearly 25 lakh commuters in the southern part of the city, enhancing overall urban mobility in Bengaluru. On August 1, the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) gave the safety clearance to BMRCL's Yellow Line, clearing the way for commercial operations on the stretch. This development came nearly eight years after the civil works for the Yellow Line were awarded in 2017. BMRCL currently has three trains in its Hebbagodi depot for the Yellow Line with the fourth train set on its way to Bengaluru. The Yellow Line has suffered significant delays, primarily due to disruptions in the supply of metro coaches. CRRC, the Chinese firm originally contracted to supply the rolling stock, failed to meet the 75 per cent local manufacturing requirement mandated by the 'Make in India' policy. The issue was exacerbated by the India-China border standoff in June 2020, complications with foreign direct investment (FDI) norms, and Covid-related disruptions. To resolve the impasse, CRRC partnered with Bengal-based Titagarh Rail Systems to manufacture and deliver the coaches domestically. However, visa delays for Chinese engineers and the late arrival of propulsion systems from Japan further slowed down testing and commissioning of the corridor.
