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Kerala to eliminate back benching from government schools, forms new committee

Kerala to eliminate back benching from government schools, forms new committee

India Today2 days ago
Kerala is set to eliminate the concept of 'backbenchers' from its government school classrooms, with a new initiative aimed at promoting equal learning opportunities and boosting student confidence.General Education Minister V Sivankutty announced the decision on Tuesday in a facebook post, stating that the traditional row-wise seating pattern would be reconsidered.He said that an expert committee would be appointed to explore alternative classroom layouts that foster inclusivity.advertisementNO CHILD LEFT BEHIND
The move stems from growing concerns that students seated at the back often receive less attention and may feel excluded or undervalued, impacting both their academic progress and self-esteem.Stating that the concept of backbenchers can have a negative impact on a student's confidence and learning, Sivankutty said that no child should be left behind in their studies or in life.He added, "Our goal is to ensure equal opportunities for all children. We are thinking about how to make this happen."INSPIRED BY A MOVIEThe conversation around scrapping backbenches gained momentum following the release of a Malayalam film 'Sthanarthi Sreekuttan,' directed by Vinesh Viswanathan.In the movie, a school student highlights the embarrassment faced for being seated at the back and suggests a more inclusive classroom arrangement.Drawing inspiration from the film, some schools in Kerala have already adopted a U-shaped seating format, which enables teachers to better engage with all students and encourages equal participation.GLOBAL MODELS TO BE STUDIEDMinister Sivankutty noted that many countries have experimented with various seating models to do away with hierarchical classroom layouts. The newly formed panel will study such models and recommend the best fit for Kerala's school system.'It has been decided to appoint a committee of experts to find out the best model suitable for our education system. Let us consider the suggestions of this panel and move forward,' the minister shared in his Facebook post.The government is hoping for support from educators, parents, and the general public as it moves towards a more inclusive classroom environment.(With PTI inputs)- EndsMust Watch
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Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 noon due to Opposition protests over SIR
Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 noon due to Opposition protests over SIR

News18

time37 minutes ago

  • News18

Lok Sabha adjourned till 12 noon due to Opposition protests over SIR

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Initiatives like IMEC needed especially in times of volatility, uncertainty: Italy's envoy Talo'
Initiatives like IMEC needed especially in times of volatility, uncertainty: Italy's envoy Talo'

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Initiatives like IMEC needed especially in times of volatility, uncertainty: Italy's envoy Talo'

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"I have had meetings with part of the administration, especially with people in the National Security Council and the external affairs ministry. And I'm planning to meet other people today (Wednesday) in order to better understand the importance of our partner India," he added. So it's good that in this very city, the "first meeting" among the special envoys of IMEC was held, the diplomat said. "I was here when the initiative was launched in September 2023. I was with my Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. And, we had a clear vision of a great opportunity for our countries, for our shared interests," Talo' said, adding, IMEC was started with a "lot of hope" and it was very much linked to the idea of having important political and economic results . And, this is the moment really to have a "transition" from a phase of conferences, interviews, and some public events to a "more concrete phase of action", he asserted. 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From jewellery to shrimp, which sectors will be hit hardest by how Trump's tariffs?
From jewellery to shrimp, which sectors will be hit hardest by how Trump's tariffs?

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

From jewellery to shrimp, which sectors will be hit hardest by how Trump's tariffs?

President Donald Trump Wednesday slapped an 'additional 25 per cent ad valorem duty' above the 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs that were announced on August 1 while also hinting at even higher levies could be on the cards. The recent additional levy comes as a penalty for New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil and takes the total duties to 50% on goods coming in from India, severely impacting domestic exports. Announced on July 31, the 25 per cent duty will come into effect from August 7 (9.30 am IST). The US will implement the additional 25 per cent tariff from August 27. These will be over and above the already existing standard import duty in the US. According to industry experts, sectors such as leather, chemicals, footwear, gems and jewellery, textiles and shrimp will be hit hard by the decision. The tariffs are expected to make Indian goods far costlier in the US, having the potential to bring the US-bound exports down by 40 to 50 per cent, think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. The organic chemicals' exports to the US will attract additional 54 per cent duty. The carpets will get 52.9 per cent costlier while knitted apparel will cost 63.9 per cent and woven apparel 60.3 per cent higher. Textiles, and made ups will also see a 59 per cent hike in tariffs. With the US being India's largest market for textile and apparel exports, the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) said it is 'deeply concerned' about the severe impact the 50 per cent US tariff rate for India is about to bring. 'The US tariff announcement of August 6 is a huge setback for India's textile and apparel exporters as it has further complicated the challenging situation we were already grappling with and will significantly weaken our ability to compete effectively vis-à-vis many other countries for a larger share of the US market,' news agency PTI quoted the federation as saying. It also urged the government to take immediate steps to aid the sector during these hugely testing times. Other goods that will be severely hit by the higher tariff rates are diamonds and gold products (52.1 per cent), machinery and mechanical appliances (51.3 per cent), and furniture, bedding and mattresses (52.3 per cent). Kama Jewelry MD Colin Shah said this move is a complete setback for Indian exports as almost 55 per cent of India's shipments to the US market will be directly hit by the decision. The cost burden resulting from the new tariff rate will place Indian exporters at a 30–35 per cent competitive disadvantage compared to their peers from countries with lesser reciprocal tariff, he said. 'Many export orders have already been put on hold as buyers reassess sourcing decisions in light of higher landed costs. For a large number of MSME-led sectors, absorbing this sudden cost escalation is simply not viable. Margins are already thin, and this additional blow could force exporters to lose long-standing clients,' PTI quoted Shah as saying. According to a Kolkata-based seafood exporter and MD of Megaa Moda Yogesh Gupta India's shrimp will now become expensive in the US market. 'We are already facing huge competition from Ecuador as it has only 15 per cent tariff. Indian shrimp already attracts a 2.49 per cent anti-dumping duty and a 5.77 per cent countervailing duty. After this 25 per cent, the duty will be 33.26 per cent from August 7,' PTI quoted Gupta as saying. In 2024-25, the bilateral trade between India and the US stood at USD 131.8 billion (USD 86.5 billion exports and USD 45.3 billion imports). After imposition of 50 per cent tariff, the sectors such as textiles/clothing (10.3 billion), gems and jewellery (12 billion), shrimp (USD 2.24 billion), leather and footwear (USD 1.18 billion), chemicals (2.34 billion), and electrical and mechanical machinery (about USD 9 billion), will bear the brunt. The United States has imposed the additional duties only on India as penalty for Russian imports while other buyers such as China and Turkey, have so far dodged such measures. Exporters hope that early finalisation of the India-US bilateral trade agreement will help in dealing with the tariff challenges. The negotiations between India and the US are still underway for an interim trade deal, aiming to conclude the first phase of the pact by fall (October-November) this year. — With inputs from PTI

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