Latest news with #KanchanVerma
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
UP govt launches programme to enrol out-of-school kids
Prayagraj: In a bid to ensure that no child is left behind in education, the Uttar Pradesh govt has launched an ambitious programme to identify and enrol out-of-school and dropout children aged between 6 and 14 years into age-appropriate classes. The initiative, spearheaded under the Sharda Programme, will offer special training to help these children catch up with their peers. School education director general Kanchan Verma has directed that the training of these children will commence on Aug 1 and continue until March 31, 2026. To make this mission effective, volunteers will be appointed to motivate children and reignite their interest in learning. Special training will be offered in areas where more than five out-of-school children are identified. Retired teachers or qualified volunteers will be selected as special instructors, and in their absence, nodal teachers from the local schools will conduct the training. According to basic shiksha adhikari (BSA) Devbrat Singh, children enrolled at these special centres will receive the same facilities as regular students. A temporary selection process will be carried out for instructors, and a district-level advertisement will be issued to invite applications. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo Applicants must be residents of the same panchayat where the school is located and should be aged between 21 and 45 years. The selection will be merit-based, calculated through the average percentage of marks obtained in High School, Intermediate, Graduation and relevant teaching qualifications like DElEd, BTC or BEd. In the absence of professionally trained candidates, the merit will be prepared based on the academic marks alone. Retired teachers will be given preference. Selected volunteers will receive an honorarium of Rs 4,000 per month. A four-member subcommittee, comprising the school management committee's president, vice president, member secretary (headmaster-in-charge), and a parent member, will oversee the selection process. The selection process is to be completed before July 31. As many as 68,913 out-of-school children have been identified across UP. In Prayagraj alone, the number stands at 1,263 while in Pratapgarh it is 448, Amethi 333, and in the state capital Lucknow, 742 children will receive special training. The total number of special training centres in the state is 22,044, with Prayagraj hosting 411 of them. Nearby districts like Pratapgarh and Kaushambi will have 208 and 224 centres respectively. The basic education department has instructed that volunteer recruitment advertisements be displayed at panchayat buildings, secretariats, schools and other public spaces. This outreach aims to ensure community participation in bringing every child back to school and shaping a literate and empowered future.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
After 12-year wait, hundreds set to become primary teachers in UP
After a legal battle spanning over 8 years and a wait of 12 years, hundreds of unemployed candidates are finally set to be appointed as assistant teachers in government-run upper primary schools across Uttar Pradesh. A teacher teaching students at a government-run upper primary school in Prayagraj. (HT file) The case concerns the long-delayed recruitment of 29,334 assistant teachers for mathematics and science subjects, which began in July 2013. Although over 22,000 candidates were initially selected, the state government abruptly halted the process midway. Since then, hundreds of affected candidates have pursued legal recourse—first through the Allahabad high court and eventually the Supreme Court. Now, more than 1,700 remaining vacancies under this recruitment drive are expected to be filled, according to officials from the state's basic education department. Following a Supreme Court's directive on January 29, 2025, deputy secretary (basic education) Anand Kumar Singh issued instructions on July 19 to the director general (school education), Kanchan Verma, to proceed with the selection of eligible petitioning candidates in accordance with established norms. A copy of the order, obtained by Hindustan Times, directs officials to complete the recruitment process as per the Supreme Court's ruling and within the stipulated timeline. 'In compliance with the Supreme Court's order, action will be taken to appoint candidates against the remaining vacancies under the 29,334 assistant teacher recruitment drive. The process has already begun,' confirmed Surendra Kumar Tiwari, secretary, Basic Education Council, Uttar Pradesh. On January 29, the Supreme Court had directed the basic education department to appoint all candidates who had secured marks above the minimum cutoff and had filed petitions before December 31, 2019. The recruitment process began on July 11, 2013. After seven rounds of counselling were completed by February 2015, an eighth round was held for candidates who had scored up to 82 marks in the Teacher Eligibility Test, with appointment letters issued in January and February 2016. Later, in November 2016, a final opportunity was extended to candidates who had undergone counselling but missed joining earlier. However, the process was halted on March 23, 2017, following a change in government. In response, the affected candidates approached the Allahabad high court, which ordered that the recruitment process be completed within two months. The state government filed a special appeal and a review petition in the Allahabad high court, but both were dismissed. When appointments still did not take place, candidates filed contempt petitions. Subsequently, in May 2019, the government filed a special appeal in the Supreme Court. 'I never lost hope' Alok Chaudhary, 35, from Aligarh's Heerpur village is one of the many candidates who endured a long legal battle. Coming from a farming family, Alok completed his B Ed in 2011. At 23, he cleared the assistant teacher recruitment exam in 2013. 'However, what followed was a long and trying struggle,' he recalled. 'I had to take a loan just to fill in the application form. The prolonged litigation meant frequent travel from my village to Prayagraj and Delhi for court hearings. With no money, I often had to travel in the general compartment, but the hope never died,' he shared. 'I survived by working alongside my father on the farm. Without a job, marriage was out of the question. Now, after all these years, I am finally looking forward to starting the life I had dreamed of—beginning my career as a teacher and settling down,' he said. 'I can now support my family' Manoj Kumar Patel, 37 from Jhunsi area of Prayagraj cleared the recruitment exam at 25. 'However, what followed was a gruelling struggle,' he recalled. 'I staged protests alongside fellow candidates, met officials and petitioned them repeatedly, consulted lawyers, and pursued the matter in court,' he shared. During this time, Manoj worked as an outsourced employee at a bank to make ends meet. 'Now, I am hopeful that I can finally support my family, live with dignity, and build a career doing what I've always dreamed of—teaching children and shaping their futures,' he said with a smile.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
After Kushinagar sackings, UP begins scrutiny of 69k asst teacher recruitment
Following the dismissal of 20 assistant teachers in Kushinagar for using fake academic documents, the Uttar Pradesh education department has initiated a state-wide verification of appointments made under the 2018 Assistant Teacher Recruitment Examination (ATRE), officials said on Saturday. The dismissal, formalised through a government order issued on May 21, flagged discrepancies in the academic records of the teachers. 'We have written a letter to all 75 basic shiksha adhikaris (BSAs) of the state,' said Kanchan Verma, director general, school education, on Saturday. 'Kushinagar responded swiftly, resulting in cancellation of 20 appointments. Other districts have now been asked to begin verification.' Verma said the eligibility criteria clearly required candidates to pass the qualifying exam in a single attempt. 'The teachers whose appointments were cancelled had cleared some papers through compartment exams or in second attempts, which makes them ineligible.' 'The appointments in question were part of the 69,000 assistant teacher recruitment drive notified on December 1, 2018,' BSA Kushinagar said. During a recent document check in Kushinagar, irregularities in academic records were found in multiple cases. Further examination confirmed that 20 candidates had submitted forged documents, said officials. A department-level investigation has been launched, and similar checks are now underway in other districts. 'The process of document verification is on, and action will be taken wherever discrepancies are found,' Verma said. Referring to previous court observations, she said the submission of fake documents cannot be treated as a clerical mistake and will invite strict departmental action. Officials said the verification across districts will take time as thousands of appointments under the 2018 drive need to be reviewed.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Over 80k girls from KGBVs zoom in for ‘Mission Samadhan'
Lucknow: More than 80,000 students from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) and over 12,000 staff members joined a Zoom session together as part of 'Mission Samadhan Series-01' on Wednesday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This event was not just about awareness and communication — it served as a platform to encourage girls to speak up and become aware of their rights, entitlements and safety, said officials. Mission Samadhan is becoming a strong pillar of chief minister Yogi Adityanath's girl-empowerment model, officials said. This initiative aims to reinforce grassroots implementation of schemes like Mission Shakti, Women's Helpline 1090, Women PAC, Pocso awareness campaign, and cyber safety awareness. It also prepares girls at the school level to become self-reliant citizens, officials said. Addressing the students, director general of school education, Kanchan Verma said, "Every problem has a solution. Education empowers us. Learn to distinguish between right and wrong and never hesitate. Learn skills — that is your true strength." She also encouraged teachers and parents to engage in discussions about the future of girls. In the various sessions of the programme, experts provided practical and life-skill-based knowledge. Senior expert on girls' education, Samagra Shiksha, UP, Mukesh Kumar Singh guided the girls on physical and financial provisions in KGBVs. In the second session titled 'Stay Safe, Stay Happy', topics like cyber safety, good touch-bad touch and helpline services were discussed. Founder director of Samadhan Abhiyan, Archana Agnihotri interacted with the girls in the third session, stating, "The courage to ask questions is the first step to finding solutions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now " In the final session, Sarita Singh presented the framework of safety sessions being conducted in the schools. UP's basic education minister, Sandeep Singh said, "Safety and education of girls is our top priority. Through initiatives like Mission Samadhan, we aim to not only provide knowledge, but also instil confidence and a sense of safety in them. The UP govt is committed to empowering every daughter and providing every possible support for her bright future."
