Latest news with #MaharashtraStateGovernment
Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
UDISE, SARAL portals combined, reduces workload for schools
The Union Government's Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) portal and Maharashtra State Government's Systematic Administrative Reforms for Achieving Learning by Students (SARAL) portal have been combined for the academic year 2025, reducing non-teaching workload in schools and freeing up more time for teaching. A July 18 circular by Sanjay Yadav, state project director of Maharashtra Prathmik Shikshan Parishad, said that the information uploaded on the UDISE+ portal will be included in the SARAL portal, and care will be taken to ensure no student is left out of school. The deadline for schools to register the information online has been set at September 30. Information like the principal's name, phone number, and email id, along with the school's location, address, longitude and latitude, has to be entered in the online portal. Physical infrastructure like the school building, washrooms for boys and girls, drinking water facility, playground, library, electrical facilities, boundary walls, playground, computers, and laboratories must also be mentioned. Details of all students passing from class 2 to class 12 must also be updated. Benefits given to students like free uniforms, free textbooks, 25% RTE admissions, disabled students, scholarships, etc, must also be updated. The principal in-charge of a Pune Municipal Corporation-run school, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Indian Express, 'Combining UDISE+ and SARAL will definitely reduce the workload of principals and teachers. However, the government should reduce more online work as it eats into teachers' teaching time. Online information filling like DBT, VSK Chat bot, daily student attendance, midday meal attendance, etc, take up a lot of time and teachers are not able to give time to teaching adequately.' The circular mentioned that 95 per cent of students who were enrolled the previous academic year have had their Aadhar registered and that in the current academic year, the newly enrolled students' Aadhar cards must also be validated. It also mentioned that 86% students in the previous academic year had registered for the APAAR ID and for students not yet registered, permission should be obtained from the parents and the registration should be completed. It is important to note that the APAAR ID is not mandatory. A document on its website clearly stated, 'APAAR is not mandatory. While APAAR is a cornerstone initiative for enhancing academic tracking and flexibility, participation in the APAAR system is not compulsory. Institutions and students can choose to utilize this system to benefit from its features, such as holistic assessment and credit management, but there is no legal requirement mandating its use.' The circular states that 93% teachers have completed their Aadhar validation. Any teachers that face difficulties in validating their Aadhar should check if the details match. Teachers' educational details like or other qualifications must also be accurately recorded.
United News of India
20-07-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Maharashtra responds to MLA's concerns, grants fee waiver to orphan students
Mumbai, July 20 (UNI) In a landmark decision to bolster educational opportunities for vulnerable children, the Maharashtra State Government has issued a Government Resolution (GR) granting a full waiver of tuition and examination fees for orphaned students enrolling in approved higher and technical education courses starting from the academic year 2024-25. Issued by the Women and Child Development Department, this progressive move aims to eliminate financial hurdles for orphaned youth pursuing professional education, promoting inclusive growth and social justice. The development followed concerns raised by Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly regarding hardships faced by orphan students, who were previously compelled to depend on NGOs and charitable sources for educational expenses. In response, the state government committed to immediate implementation of the full fee waiver. Speaking to UNI on Sunday, Shaikh thanked the government for addressing his concern "immediately" and issuing the GR promptly. However, he noted: "There are some minor shortcomings in this GR which should be addressed. The income limit set at 8 lakh is inappropriate." The fee waiver applies to orphan children certified as either "institutional" or "non-institutional" by the competent Women and Child Development authority. Beneficiaries include students admitted to government colleges, government-aided colleges, partially aided (step grant) colleges, permanently non-aided colleges, technical institutions, state public universities (excluding private or self-financed universities), and recognized sub-centers of public universities offering professional courses. Eligibility requires an annual family income of 8 lakh or less, with submission of an income certificate mandatory. The scheme covers both newly admitted students and those continuing courses, including renewals through the Centralized Admission Process (CAP) and government-sanctioned protocols. To avail benefits, students must present a valid orphan certificate and Maharashtra domicile certificate. The scheme excludes distance education, open learning, virtual, or part-time courses. The exemption continues uninterrupted until course completion for persistent students but is revoked if studies are discontinued. Strict operational guidelines mandate transparency: Institutions must provide fee facilities immediately and cannot bar eligible students from education/exams due to delayed government disbursals. Institutions submitting false claims will face recovery of disbursed amounts with interest, overseen by the Commissioner of Women and Child Development (WCD). The Commissioner (WCD) in Pune will coordinate the scheme. Where orphans cannot produce income certificates due to absent parents, competent authorities will facilitate verification/replacement. Students may claim other eligible social category benefits, but dual claims are prohibited. The government reserves the right to modify provisions without notice. This policy builds on Maharashtra's existing 1 per cent reservation quota for orphans in government/aided professional courses. Previously, only EWS, SEBC, and OBC girl students received 50 pc fee relief – orphans now get 100 pc exemption acknowledging their unique vulnerabilities. The measure is expected to provide critical financial relief to thousands of orphaned students, enabling pursuit of higher education without economic strain and setting a precedent for equitable education access. UNI AAA RKM
India.com
25-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
Good new metro commuters! Pune metro Line 2 gets cabinet approval, will connect new routes from from Vanaz to Chandani Chowk and Ramwadi to…, to cover 13 stations…
The Cabinet has approved the second phase of the Pune Metro project, with a budget of Rs. 3,626.24 crore. This new phase will extend the current Vanaz-Ramwadi line and include two new routes: one from Vanaz to Chandani Chowk, and another from Ramwadi to Wagholi. These new routes will be elevated and together will cover 12.75 kilometers, with 13 metro stations along the way. The aim is to connect fast-growing areas like Chandani Chowk, Bavdhan, Kothrud, Kharadi, and Wagholi. The entire project is expected to be completed in four years. The cost of the project will be shared equally by the Central Government, the Maharashtra State Government, and international funding partners. This extension is part of a bigger transport plan for Pune called the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP), which aims to improve East-West travel in the city by making a smooth metro line from Chandani Chowk to Wagholi. The newly approved extensions of the Pune Metro will benefit several important parts of the city, including IT parks, business areas, colleges, and residential zones. These routes are expected to encourage more people to use public transport and help increase the overall number of metro passengers. The new corridors will connect with other metro lines at the District Court Interchange Station—specifically with Line-1 (Nigdi to Katraj) and Line-3 (Hinjewadi to District Court). This will make it easier for people to switch between different metro lines and travel smoothly across the city. As part of long-term planning, buses coming into Pune from cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru will stop at Chandani Chowk, while buses from Ahilya Nagar and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar will connect at Wagholi. This setup will make it simple for passengers from other cities to hop on the Pune Metro and reach their destinations with ease. Once completed, the daily number of riders on Line 2 is expected to grow steadily, starting at around 96,000 people per day in 2027 and rising to nearly 3.5 lakh per day by 2057. The project will be carried out by Maha-Metro (Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited), which is responsible for all construction and technical work. Early preparations like land surveys and design work are already underway.
Indian Express
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Poet Hemant Divate to return state award as protest against imposition of Hindi in schools
Hemant Divate, a poet who has received a state award for his poetry collection, has announced that he is returning the award in protest against the imposition of Hindi as the third language in classes 1 to 5, in Marathi and English medium schools in Maharashtra. Divate was awarded by the government of Maharashtra in the year 2021 with Kavi Keshavsut Puraskar (award) for his book Paranoia, a collection of his poems. He made the announcement of his decision to return the award via his social media where he posted, 'As a protest against the decision to impose Hindi as the third language, I am returning the Maharashtra State Government's award, including the cash prize, that I received for my poetry collection Paranoia.' Divate said, 'It is completely unnecessary to teach Hindi formally in schools at this young age. At this stage, children are just beginning to learn Marathi, and learning Hindi simultaneously—given the similarities between the two languages—can create confusion. Instead, the government could consider introducing subjects focused on skills, value education, and personality development, which would be more beneficial for young learners.' Months after retracting its decision to make Hindi mandatory in Classes 1 to 5, the Maharashtra school education department issued a revised order, removing the word 'mandatory' as promised. However, restrictive conditions on language options have sparked fresh controversy, with many calling it a renewed push for Hindi by the state government.
India.com
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet Nana Patekar's wife, who left IIT for films, won National award, later gave up acting for…, recently made a blockbuster comeback with…, her name is…
Meet Nana Patekar's wife, who left IIT for films, won National award, later gave up acting for..., recently made a blockbuster comeback with..., her name is... Nana Patekar has been an influential figure in the Indian entertainment industry. Following his debut in 1978 with film Garman , he built a name for himself as one of the most talented and versatile actors. But many aren't aware that his wife, Neelakanti Patekar, is just as talented as him. The National-award winning actress is known for her impressive contributions to Marathi cinema. Born in Pune, Maharashtra, Neelakanti's father was in the central excise department, due to which she had to spent most of her childhood relocating to different cities. After completing her school, she sat for IIT entrance and cleared the examination with an impressive rank. Her father wanted her to pursue a career in physics, but her inclination was always towards acting. As a child artist, Neelakanti actively worked in many plays, and thereafter made a significant mark in the Marathi theatre with her impactful performances. She secured numerous awards, including a gold medal for best actress in the Maharashtra State Drama Competition in 1973. She also won a Best actress award for her film Aatm Vishwas (1989) from the Maharashtra State Government. Neelakanti Patekar has been away from the industry for quite a some time. However, after a significant break, she made an impressive comeback with the Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna starrer Chhaava . Her performance earned her widespread praise, marking an impactful return to silver-screen nearly a decade later. Neelakanti and Nana Patekar got married in 1978 when the actor was 27 years old. They first met during a Marathi play. Soon, their friendship blossomed into love, and they decided to get married. After a few years, the couple embraced parenthood with the birth of their son, who tragically passed away at the age of two and a half. Later, they were blessed with another baby boy, whom they lovingly named Malhar.
