Category Education

Lighting up young lives through mid-day meals in schools

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Pradeep and Sandeep sharing their mid-day meal at Rajkya Prathmik Vidyalaya, Ghanchiyon ki Gufa, Saraswati Nagar in Jodhpur. Photo Credit: ©Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Jodhpur (Rajasthan), 09.03.2012 (WFS): The clock chimes 11 am. Neetu Yadav, 10, and her classmates’ eyes turn expectantly from the blackboard to the school gates. The roar of the approaching autorickshaw carrying their mid-day meal is growing louder, and the 35 students at the government-run Rajkya Prathmik Vidyalaya, Ghanchiyon ki Gufa, Saraswati Nagar in Jodhpur, erupt into a loud cheer.

Jodhpur, located in the vast Thar desert of western Rajasthan, is the state’s second largest city, with a population of around 3.68 million, according to the 2011 Census. The city prides itself on its educational institutions and the average literacy here is 81.56 per cent – with female literacy at 73.93 per cent. Impressive figures, given that the average literacy rate in the state is 67 per cent.

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Australian Universities reach out to India

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University of Sydney Photo Credit: © Neena Bhandari

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 23.09.2011 (Business Standard): Attacks on Indians in Australia, and a subsequent steep drop in Indian student enrollment, have pressed Australian universities to engage more with India. As the dust settles on the furore surrounding attacks on Indian students, which has strained bilateral relations and threatened Australia’s multi-billion-dollar education export sector, Australian universities are going all out to engage with Indian educational institutions.

This isn’t all that surprising considering that the number of offshore applicants from India fell from 18,514 in the 2009-10 financial year to just 6,875 in 2010-11, a drop of 63 per cent. From setting up joint academic and research collaborations to offering scholarships and exchanges, universities are keen to re-build Australia’s reputation as a convivial and safe study destination.

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South Australian state premier writes to Indian students

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By Neena Bhandari

Adelaide, 28.08.2009 (IANS): The premier of an Australian state has taken the unusual step of writing a personal letter to each of the 4,787 Indian overseas students enrolled in his state, assuring them of their safety and welfare.

South Australia’s Premier, Mike Rann, has written to Indian students highlighting not only his government’s support but the extra support networks available to ensure that their experience of living and studying is “overwhelmingly positive”.

The spate of attacks on Indian overseas students, largely in Melbourne and Sydney, and the media furore that ensued have been threatening Australia’s second largest education export market. Continue reading →