Students profile two of Chennai's landmarks
The first-year students from the History and Education departments of Pondicherry University have completed their fieldwork project at two distinguished heritage institutions in Chennai, the Government Museum and the C P Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation.
The students worked alongside curators, archivists, conservation scientists and preservationists in the fieldwork. They documented centuries-old manuscripts, assessed exhibits, structured and carried out oral history interviews with the help of the experts, a press note from the University said.
The fieldwork project, which is a feature of the National Educational Policy (NEP) curriculum, positions the university as one of the first examples for field-based research in Museology, History and Archaeology in India, the University stated.
While hailing the exercise that bridged academia and public engagement, the faculty members of the University's History Department, Ruman Banerjee and Arthi Baskaran, emphasised the importance of such exposures in future.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Indian school education system competent enough to handle board examinations twice a year: Dharmendra Pradhan
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)'s plan for conducting Class 10 board exams twice a year from 2026 will de-stress students from exam pressure while adding that the Indian school education system is competent enough across the country to handle board examinations twice a year. 'India has over 60 school boards, and there has never been any concern about their competency. The examination structure itself is not putting pressure on the education system. The decision to conduct board exams twice a year is not to dilute the process, but to reduce stress among students,' Pradhan said during an education conclave organised by a leading news channel. Pradhan said that the National Testing Agency (NTA) already conducts the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) twice a year, allowing students to choose their best score. 'Building on this idea, we are now introducing a similar approach for Class 10 board exams. Starting soon, students will have the option to appear for the board exam twice a year and retain their best score. This move is recommended by experts and it is aimed at providing flexibility and reducing exam-related anxiety. Our school education system is competent enough to handle this reform across the country,' he added. CBSE, in its draft policy released in February, proposed conducting Class 10 board exams twice in an academic year starting from 2026. The draft, prepared in line with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recommendations, was made public on February 25, and March 9 was the deadline for feedback submission. According to the draft policy, CBSE board examination 2026 for 26,60,000 students of Class 10 in 84 subjects will be held in two phases in 34 days – 18 days in the first phase from February 17 to March 6 and 16 days in the second phase from May 5 to May 20.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
State reduces art diploma to three years, reforms 50-yr-old policy
Pune: The state higher and technical education department has revised the eligibility criteria and duration of eight art diploma courses, aligning them with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The updated courses include diplomas in applied art, drawing and painting, sculpture and modelling, and several specialisations in art and craft such as interior decoration, textile design (printing and weaving), ceramics and pottery, and metal craft. In the new reforms, not only is the foundational course scrapped, but also the overall duration of the diploma courses which have been reduced to three years. This is the first overhaul of the art education framework in the state in nearly five decades. Students can pursue the degree course after completing the diploma as per old rules and regulations. Starting from 2025–2026, students can directly enrol in these diploma programmes after completing their Std X education, eliminating the need for a foundational course. Until now, students had to complete a one-year foundational course post-Std X to gain entry into four-year diploma programmes. Previously, students completed a one-year foundational course before being eligible for a four-year diploma—an outdated requirement that discouraged enrolment and delayed career opportunities. Under the revised structure, the foundation course has been renamed the foundation certificate in art and design and will be optional, maintaining a one-year (two-semester) format for those still interested. Joint secretary of the state higher and technical education department Santosh Khorgade said this long-awaited change—executed after 50 years—will shorten the duration of these courses from four years to three, making art education more accessible and employment-oriented. "By allowing direct admissions after SSC and aligning with National Education Policy 2020, we aim to give art students the same professional and entrepreneurial edge that other diploma holders enjoy," Khorgade said in a June 6 notification. This initiative will benefit students and increase participation in art education across the state.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
99% Balbharati textbook distribution complete: Officials
Ahead of the new academic year 2025-26, the Maharashtra State Bureau of Textbook Production (Balbharati) has completed the distribution of 99% of textbooks, said officials. 'Schools are starting from June 16. Books have reached everywhere, except for minor exceptions. This year, 5.7 crore books were printed as per demand. As per the decision taken by the state government, books for Class 1 have been made available as per New Education Policy (NEP),' said Krishnakumar Patil, director, Balbharati. Last year, the distribution of textbooks by Balbharati faced several issues, such as delays in the delivery of textbooks, especially in remote areas. Many students received books many weeks after school began, and several textbooks had blank pages and missing content due to printing errors. There was also a shortage of several subject books in the market. 'To avoid repetition of these challenges, Balbharati has improved planning this year and completed 99% distribution before school reopening,' said Patil. The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan initiative aims to ensure that no student from standard 1 to 8 is deprived of textbooks. The main objective is to achieve 100% attendance in schools and reduce dropout rates of students to zero through the free textbook distribution scheme of the government. Under the initiative, Balbharati provides free textbooks to students from Class 1 to 8 enrolled in government and government-aided schools. The distribution was executed according to the demand through Balbharati's network of regional warehouses, and book depots across Maharashtra, said officials.
