Lighting the streets, cleaning the streams: Bright ideas take root at Ludhiana's first CBSE Regional Level Skill Expo.
The CBSE Regional Level Skill Expo, held for the first time in Ludhiana on Tuesday, brought together 35 shortlisted projects from more than 150 entries across the region. The focus: practical, inventive solutions to environmental challenges. At Amrit Indo Canadian Academy's booth, students showcased a two-part project to revive rural ponds and turn plastic waste into furniture. Their plan uses floating platforms planted with lilies and hyacinths to control algae growth, while "effective microorganism" mud balls — made from clay, yeast and jaggery — sink to the pond bed to break down sludge.
The second stage compresses polythene waste into large bottles to create sturdy building blocks for rope-bound furniture.
Delhi Public School, Sangrur, drew crowds with its algae-powered electricity model. Students explained how photosynthesis releases electrons that can be captured by graphite electrodes—technology already lighting Parisian streets. They said one tonne of algae could power about 20 streetlights.
The school also proposed recycling lithium-ion car batteries, reducing water use in production and salvaging valuable materials.
From Khadoor Sahib's Shan-e-Sikhi School, Ripanjot Singh unveiled an auto-charging electric vehicle concept. Coils beneath road surfaces, energised by solar panels, windmills or kinetic bump strips, would transfer power to vehicle coils through conduction as cars passed overhead.
Fuel fraud prevention also made the list. Student Akhilpreet Singh displayed a low-cost sensor to measure fuel dispensed into a vehicle with high precision—something he said "even luxury cars lack.
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Alongside the innovations, CBSE-appointed experts led guidance sessions for students. "This is the first time CBSE has organised the Regional Level Skill Expo in Ludhiana," said Anuja Kaushal, principal of host school BCM Arya Model School, Shastri Nagar. "The enthusiasm and creativity have been inspiring." Rajesh Kumar Gupta, CBSE's regional officer in Chandigarh, called the projects "a bridge between theory and practice" and said the event would help turn classroom learning into real-world solutions.
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Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
Lighting the streets, cleaning the streams: Bright ideas take root at Ludhiana's first CBSE Regional Level Skill Expo.
Ludhiana: From algae-powered streetlights to floating gardens that clean polluted ponds, students in northern India are proving that sustainability can start in the classroom. The CBSE Regional Level Skill Expo, held for the first time in Ludhiana on Tuesday, brought together 35 shortlisted projects from more than 150 entries across the region. The focus: practical, inventive solutions to environmental challenges. At Amrit Indo Canadian Academy's booth, students showcased a two-part project to revive rural ponds and turn plastic waste into furniture. Their plan uses floating platforms planted with lilies and hyacinths to control algae growth, while "effective microorganism" mud balls — made from clay, yeast and jaggery — sink to the pond bed to break down sludge. The second stage compresses polythene waste into large bottles to create sturdy building blocks for rope-bound furniture. Delhi Public School, Sangrur, drew crowds with its algae-powered electricity model. Students explained how photosynthesis releases electrons that can be captured by graphite electrodes—technology already lighting Parisian streets. They said one tonne of algae could power about 20 streetlights. The school also proposed recycling lithium-ion car batteries, reducing water use in production and salvaging valuable materials. From Khadoor Sahib's Shan-e-Sikhi School, Ripanjot Singh unveiled an auto-charging electric vehicle concept. Coils beneath road surfaces, energised by solar panels, windmills or kinetic bump strips, would transfer power to vehicle coils through conduction as cars passed overhead. Fuel fraud prevention also made the list. Student Akhilpreet Singh displayed a low-cost sensor to measure fuel dispensed into a vehicle with high precision—something he said "even luxury cars lack. " Alongside the innovations, CBSE-appointed experts led guidance sessions for students. "This is the first time CBSE has organised the Regional Level Skill Expo in Ludhiana," said Anuja Kaushal, principal of host school BCM Arya Model School, Shastri Nagar. "The enthusiasm and creativity have been inspiring." Rajesh Kumar Gupta, CBSE's regional officer in Chandigarh, called the projects "a bridge between theory and practice" and said the event would help turn classroom learning into real-world solutions. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Explained: CBSE's plan for open-book exams and what it means for students
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will introduce open-book assessments (OBE) in Class 9 from 2026-27, after a pilot study showed strong 'teacher support' for the idea. The CBSE Governing Body cleared the plan in June. Held in November-December 2023, the pilot was conducted for English, Mathematics and Science in Classes 9 and 10, and for English, Mathematics and Biology in Classes 11 and 12. The move has put the spotlight on OBEs and the debate over their place in India's classrooms. An open-book exam allows students to use approved resources like textbooks, class notes, or other specified material during an assessment, rather than mainly testing memory. The challenge lies in knowing where to look, making sense of the material, and applying it to the problem at hand. In a science paper, for instance, the facts might be in front of you, but the real test is linking them together to reach a conclusion. These exams evaluate whether students can interpret ideas effectively, instead of just repeating them. Open-book exams have been around for decades. In fact, Hong Kong introduced them as early as 1953. A 2004 Hong Kong study by Ming-Yin Chan and Kwok-Wai Mui noted that 'first-time OBE takers viewed the format positively but prepared shallowly: students had a positive perception towards open-book examinations.' ('The use of open-book examinations to motivate students: a case study from Hong Kong') It found that many students spent only 10 to 15 minutes reading the questions and locating material, usually starting with the instructor's handouts before moving to one or two textbooks. Some condensed the lecturer's notes or borrowed 'worked-example' books to navigate the paper. Between 1951 and 1978, studies in the US and the UK allowed textbooks, notebooks and lecture notes in open-book trials. They used formats ranging from short answers to multiple-choice and essays across different university courses. 'The overall findings of these open-book exams were largely the same with a positive impact on internalization rather than memorisation… weaker students did better in open-book examinations and were found to measure different abilities from those measured in traditional examinations,' said a 2022 paper in the Towards Excellence journal by Mamta and Nitin Pillai. Despite early experiments, OBEs remain rare in high-stakes school exams. Most secondary boards and standardised tests — such as the UK's GCSEs or the US SATs — still require closed-book answers. The Covid-19 pandemic changed that temporarily. As universities shifted online, many introduced open-book, open-note or even open-web exams. Many students struggled initially — not because of the subject matter, but because they were familiar with the format. Not really. In 2014, CBSE launched the Open Text-Based Assessment (OTBA) to steer students away from rote learning. It applied to Class 9 for Hindi, English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science, and to Class 11 final exams for subjects like Economics, Biology and Geography. Students were given reference material four months in advance. But by 2017-18, CBSE dropped the initiative, concluding it had not succeeded in developing the 'critical abilities' it was meant to promote. Open-book formats have a stronger presence in collegiate education. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approved their use in engineering colleges in 2019 after an expert panel's recommendation. During the pandemic, Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Aligarh Muslim University used OBEs, while IIT Delhi, IIT Indore and IIT Bombay ran them online. Delhi University's first OBE took place in August 2020; the last was in March 2022. The university returned to physical exams in January 2022 but allowed one more round for students admitted in November 2021. More recently, Kerala's higher education reforms commission has proposed using the format only for internal or practical exams. A Norwegian study published in 2000 reported that students taking OBEs were more likely to look for connections between ideas instead of just recalling facts ('Open-Book Assessment: A Contribution to Improved Learning by Tor Vidar Eilertsen and Odd Valdermo'). The authors said the format pushed them to go beyond simply finding the right page in a book. At AIIMS Bhubaneswar, research found that medical students reported lower stress in OBE settings. In another India-based online pilot, published by Cambridge University Press and involving 98 students, 78.6% passed. Of the 55 who gave feedback, most described the format as 'stress-free,' though many pointed to patchy internet as a major drawback. At Delhi University, a study by Dhananjay Ashri and Bibhu P. Sahoo found students scored higher in OBEs, even without specific training in the skills the format demands. Research by Mamta and Nitin Pillai at Nirma University argued that real gains require specific training — teaching students how to break down a question, analyse concepts, and apply them, instead of merely looking up answers. The move is part of a larger shift in the way schools approach assessment. While the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 does not name open-book tests, it calls for moving away from rote memorisation and towards competency-based learning. The goal is for students to grasp concepts, understand processes, and explain how they apply them. The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCERT) makes a similar point. It notes that current assessments, at best, 'measure rote learning' and, at worst, 'create fear.' To change that, it calls for exam formats that can work for different learning styles and give students feedback, while still aiming to improve overall learning outcomes.
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Economic Times
CBSE to introduce 'Bharatiya Ganit Parampara' to document India's contributions to mathematics
Synopsis The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is set to create a comprehensive monograph, "Bharatiya Ganit Parampara," to showcase India's significant contributions to mathematics across various periods. This 150-175 page document will feature key discoveries, innovations, original Sanskrit verses, and applications in fields like astronomy and architecture. It aims to integrate India's knowledge traditions into the curriculum. ANI CBSE The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has planned to develop a comprehensive monograph, "Bharatiya Ganit Parampara", to document India's immense contributions to the field of mathematics, officials told PTI. The "authoritative monograph", is set to be about 150-175 pages and will mention key mathematical discoveries and innovations from ancient, medieval, and modern India, the officials stated. The proposal received a green signal in the recent governing body meeting of the board. "The National Education Policy emphasises the integration of India's knowledge traditions in the curriculum and the development of culturally rooted and globally relevant learning materials. CBSE proposes to develop an authoritative monograph highlighting India's contributions to the field of mathematics," a senior board official told PTI. "The monograph will be developed through an academic partner or agency selected through an open process, and will later be made available both digitally and in print for schools, students and teachers," the official said. According to the official, it will also explore the application of Indian mathematics in fields such as astronomy and architecture. "The document will also include translated original Sanskrit shlokas and source references to authenticate the material," the official monograph will highlight important personalities, schools of thought, and texts such as the Sulba Sutras, Aryabhatiya, Brahmasphutasiddhanta, Lilavati, and contributions from the Kerala School of it will include translated original Sanskrit shlokas and source references to authenticate the material, besides featuring biographical notes, timelines, and illustrated examples for learner engagement."CBSE will form an expert advisory committee comprising historians of mathematics, Sanskrit scholars, mathematics educators, and academicians to guide the structure and content. Funds will be utilised from the Academic Unit's allocated budget for curriculum research and resource development or through specific approval from the competent authority," the official added.
