Amid student surge, teacher shortage more acute in Telangana
The GO stipulates that primary sections (Classes 1 to 5) with 1–10 students should have one teacher, and those with 11–60 students should be assigned two. However, this has not been implemented on the ground. Several schools with 15–30 students are currently being run by a single teacher. A similar situation persists in upper primary and high schools, where many subject teacher posts remain vacant.
According to officials, around 11,000 teacher posts were filled in 2023 under the Directorate of School Education (DSE). Since then, no new recruitment notification has been issued. Nearly 15,000 teaching positions remain unfilled across the state.
This comes even as the government's Badi Bata (school enrolment drive) added nearly two lakh new students to government schools this academic year. However, teacher deployment to match the increased enrolment is still pending.
Recent data shows that in Hyderabad alone, about 1,000 teaching posts remain vacant, including 35 headmasters and 37 senior English teachers. In Sangareddy, 2,667 government schools serve over 59,000 students with just 4,479 teachers. Similar shortages have been reported in Khammam and Karimnagar, where schools with 50–60 students reportedly have only one teacher. The situation has worsened further following a wave of recent retirements, with those posts also lying vacant.
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Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Stories of India's freedom struggle through Tagore, Premchand and Manto
— Mohammad Asim Siddiqui The glorious chapter of India's freedom struggle has inspired many novelists and short story writers to produce works of great merit in both English and other Indian languages. Important episodes of the freedom movement appear in these novels and stories. Novelists like R.K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao and Khwaja Ahmad Abbas have also conceived characters in terms of Gandhian beliefs and ideals. Rabindranath Tagore's novel Ghare Baire (1916), translated into English as Home and the World, engages creatively with Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's Anandmath (1882). Tagore's novel is critical of the western idea of nationalism, advanced by a character called Sandip. Set against the backdrop of the Swadeshi movement in Bengal, the novel presents a nuanced view of the movement through Nikhilesh's and Sandip's different perspectives. Sandip, shown to be a hypocrite, preaches the idea of Swadeshi to his followers but possesses a shelf of Western medicines. Nikhilesh, on the other hand, has a more balanced view of the Swadeshi movement. Following the spirit of the movement, he writes with a quill and uses home-made furniture, but he also understands the need of poor hawkers and shopkeepers to sell foreign clothes and goods for their living. Premchand's many writings demonstrate his patriotism, his anti-colonial stance, his commitment to communal harmony, and his love of Gandhian philosophy. His first collection of stories in Urdu, Soz-e Watan (1908), published under the pen name 'Nawab Rai', was considered seditious by the British government and banned. His novel Karmabhumi (1932), set in the 1930s, explores the role of the Gandhian philosophy of non-violence in achieving social justice for the poor and the marginalised sections of society. Amarkant, the main character of the novel who represents Gandhi's idea of non-violence and his commitment to social justice, helps the Dalit villagers to fight for their rights and enter temples. Initially unable to understand Amarkant's ideology, his wife, Sukhada, later joins the movement. The novel also shows villagers' protests against unjust land taxes. Premchand's story 'Samar Yatra', written in the context of Gandhiji's Satyagraha and Dandi March, shows the impact of the movement on a village and the enthusiasm of ordinary villagers to welcome the Satyagrahis and their cause. The story also presents an old and ailing woman, Nohari, who welcomes the freedom fighters, overcoming her physical limitations. Premchand also wrote the play Karbala (1924) to bridge the growing differences between Hindus and Muslims. An important feature of this play is the inclusion of many Hindu characters fighting for the Prophet's grandson Hussain in the Battle of Karbala and sacrificing their lives for a righteous cause. In the play, Premchand presents a Hindu village in Saudi Arabia with a temple where Sahas Rai and his brothers perform a havan. Hussain, another character, and his companions praise the Hindu brothers, their religion, their country of origin and their ideals. Raja Rao's famous novel Kanthapura (1938) is as much known for his use of de-anglicised English as for his treatment of many Gandhian ideas in the novel. Set in a remote village in South India, the novel depicts the impact of Gandhi's non-violent struggle against British rule and his fight for social reform, including the eradication of untouchability. The figure of Gandhi in the novel possesses divine powers and is believed to alleviate the suffering of the people. Moorthy, the main character of the novel, is the Gandhi of the village and feels greatly inspired by his ideas and personality after having a vision of him: 'There is but one force in life and that is Truth, and there is but one love in life and that is the love of mankind, and there is but one God in life and that is the God of all.' Jayaramachar, a Harikatha performer in the novel, also talks about Gandhi's spiritual values, his social reforms, and his commitment to communal harmony: 'Fight, says he, but harm no soul. Love all, says he, Hindu, Mohammedan, Christian or Pariah, for all are equal before God. Don't be attached to riches, says he, for riches create passions, and passions create attachment and attachment hides the face of Truth.' Though Kanthapura is imbued with Gandhian ideology, an alternative view of Nehru's socialism can also be felt towards the end of the novel. Among the stories exploring events of the freedom movement, Saadat Hasan Manto's 'Naya Qanoon', '1919 ki ek Baat' and 'Tamasha' stand out as iconic stories. 'Naya Qanoon' indirectly refers to the Government of India Act 1935. It presents an interesting character called Mangu, a coachman who hates Englishmen and is considered very wise and knowledgeable in his circle. The story shows his high expectations of the new law and his hope for a change. However, his expectations are belied as his social and political position remains the same after the new law. 'Tamasha' and '1919 ki ek Baat' were written against the backdrop of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy. 'Tamasha' is narrated from the point of view of a child and shows the brutal nature of a king, who symbolises British rule in the story. '1919 ke ek Baat', which was written in 1951, shows how Thaila, a person of seemingly questionable character and conduct, sacrifices his life for the country and achieves heroism in his death. Exposing the bloodthirsty nature of the British power, the story presents Gen. Dyer as the villain and Gandhi as a virtuous figure. Critic Alok Bhalla observes that for Manto, '1919 signifies the loss of the legitimacy of British rule'. Khwaja Ahmad Abbas's Inquilab (1955), promoted as the first great novel of the Indian revolution in its 1958 edition, portrays an important phase of India's fight against British colonialism. Also published in Urdu (1975), it depicts the landmark events such as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Bardoli Satyagraha in Gujarat, Dandi March and Civil- Disobedience movement, Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Round Table Conference. The novel also presents major leaders and freedom fighters like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Ali Brothers, Motilal and Jawaharlal Nehru and Bhagat Singh. Spanning the life of its main the protagonist Anwar from the age of eight to adulthood, the novel shows how his personality is shaped by the political events and the spirit of the freedom struggle. A major part of Attia Hosain's Sunlight on a Broken Column (1961), set in Lucknow of the 1930s, shows the interpersonal relationships of characters unfolding in an India witnessing major political transformation. Narrated by Laila, an educated girl from a taluqdar family, most of the characters in the novel also belong to an aristocratic set-up who gradually discover their political leanings. With the change in the political climate, the warm conversation of characters has been replaced by acrimonious discussions. Among Laila's group of friends, Nita is a loyalist, Nadira is closer to the Muslim League's ideology, Joan, an Anglo-Indian, has divided loyalties, and Romana, given to fashion and idle talk, is not interested in any political ideology. The novel depicts a demonstration of students chanting the slogans 'Inquilab Zindabad', 'British Raj Murdabad' and 'Azadi ki Jai'. Laila's cousin Asad, a nationalist and a believer in Gandhi's non-violence, participates in this demonstration and is injured by police's lathis. A contrast in attitudes towards the freedom struggle emerges when Laila calls the students' march a movement, while her uncle Hamid, a taluqdar of Awadh and a British loyalist, dismisses it as 'a demonstration of irresponsible hooliganism'. The last part of the novel also presents the division within families after Partition. Laila's cousin Kemal, who is committed to nationalist ideology, chooses to remain in India after Partition. His younger brother Saleem, given to propounding all kinds of grand theories, moves to Pakistan. Asad's younger brother Zahid, a Muslim League sympathiser, is killed during the Partition violence. An ironic view of the leaders of the freedom movement is presented by Shashi Tharoor in The Great Indian Novel (1989). In the novel, he transposes the story of the Mahabharata into the twentieth century and visualizes many well-known political figures as characters of the epic. In his creative retelling, Bhishma is recast as Mahatma Gandhi, Dhritarashtra as Jawaharlal Nehru, Pandu as Subhas Chandra Bose, Gandhari as Kamala Nehru, Vidura as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Dronacharya as Jayaprakash Narayan. In what ways Munshi Premchand's writings demonstrate his patriotism, his anti-colonial stance, his commitment to communal harmony, and his love of Gandhian philosophy? Illustrate your answer with examples. How Raja Rao in his famous novel Kanthapura depicts the impact of Gandhi's non-violent struggle against British rule and his fight for social reform, including the eradication of untouchability. How does Saadat Hasan Manto's Naya Qanoon critique the promises and failures of colonial legal reforms? Do you think literature offers not just a kaleidoscopic portrait of India's freedom struggle, but also a critical insight into it? Support your answer with examples. (Mohammad Asim Siddiqui is a Professor in the Department of English at Aligarh Muslim University.) Share your thoughts and ideas on UPSC Special articles with Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
News18
26 minutes ago
- News18
President Murmu to address nation on eve of Independence Day
Agency: New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu will address the nation on Thursday, on the eve of the 79th Independence Day, her office said. The address will be broadcast from 1900 hours on the entire national network of Akashvani and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in Hindi followed by the English version, it said in a statement. Broadcast of the address in Hindi and English on Doordarshan will be followed by broadcast in regional languages by regional channels of Doordarshan, the President's office said. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
AI Robs My Students of the Ability to Think
One of the things I love about teaching political communications is my students' eagerness to take up the art and craft of the work at hand. Shame seldom cast its shadow on our classroom conversations. Last year that changed. More than half the nonnative English-speaking students and a notable number of native English speakers told me that after relying on AI to draft their papers and emails, their ability to write, speak and conduct basic inquiry is slipping away. They tell me this as if they have done something wrong, never considering that it is their professors, not they, who should carry that burden. I am no stranger to the effect of technology on language and literacy, nor am I shocked by its bland patterns of enthusiastic advent, which always give way to shabbiness and decay. Google promised the ability to search—a word that has terrific depth and meaning—and delivered a crass advertiser-led sorting system. Facebook started as proto-Tinder before a revamp that said we'd get Woodstock-style digital communes. Then it locked us in a space where people scream at each other. Through it all, I have tinkered with, embraced, studied, used, thrown away and taught about more forms of technology than I can remember, from letterpress printing to podcast production. But no new technology has produced such a terrifying admission of stark and fundamental disempowerment by my students as AI has. For all its promise, AI is being developed and used in ways that are disabling. There is little evidence that senior university faculty are committed to tamping down the rampant overuse of AI. Instead, it is the paperweight on a pile of evidence that at an ethical level, universities are too timid or ignorant to insist that students use the core skills we are supposed to be teaching them. Perhaps willful ignorance is the better phrase—these core skills are no mystery. They involve an ability to sift through information and understand who created it, then organize and pull it together with logic, reason and persuasion. When teachers dream of our students' successes, we want to see these skills help them thrive. For that to happen, students must gain the ability to synthesize information. They must be able to listen, read, speak and write—so they can express strategic and tactical thinking. When they say AI is eroding their ability to speak and write, this is what they're losing, often before they've ever fully gained it. It's the result of disturbing trends. One is the general decline in educators' commitment to seeing communications as a fundamental skill that all courses should develop. I often write a page of notes in response to a page of graduate student homework, describing not only what the student should do but why and how to do so in the future. Too often, the reply is: 'I haven't gotten this much feedback since high school.' Compliments are nice, but these asides don't fill me with joy. Nor do the many excuses academics give for this collective failure—from financial and time constraints to the old hyperliteralist trope that we must respond to student demands—even when they're unwittingly against their own educational interests—and torch everything else. Along with this decline in teaching, I am often told (as though I write with a quill) that technology is eclipsing our need to teach these skills to the expert degree we once did. This is the voice of technological evangelism in higher education, and its adherents encourage a deeper embrace of AI, even though—with a few exceptions—they have little to no ability to lead students to any kind of mastery. The types of academics who engage in this kind of boosterism aren't known for their subtlety, so I am constantly inundated with—and told to celebrate—new faculty-created AI tools for everything from the art of cutting text down (try putting the 'I Have a Dream' speech into an AI shortener) to the mortifying practice of using AI to summarize student course reviews or even grade assignments. When confronted, these evangelists often push back with hypersimplified examples of handy AI shortcuts, such as customer service-style bots to answer students' questions about crucial aspects of course management. But I'm struck by their tone, which often presumes that current teaching methods and student engagement are some kind of drudgery that has entitled us to AI-based relief, even if it comes at the expense of our students' learning. All the while, its use is indiscriminate and widespread. Just ask the students who are using it to the point where a tool now has mastery over them and is robbing them of language. In my work, which ranges from negotiation to disability policy, the implications of this disempowerment are frightening. Colin Powell once told my colleagues and me that he often winced at how people would, with a choice of words so poorly attuned to the other side of a negotiation, walk into a room and convert 'an adversary into an enemy.' His observation reflects the depth and breadth of intentionality that humans must possess to do the careful work that can be a matter of life and death for others. Contrary to what AI enthusiasts claim, the human possession of these skills will never become irrelevant if we value life, society and governance. For students to grow into professionals who have those skills, they must first develop them. What it will take for their teachers to defend that right when those teachers already possess the knowledge and power to do so, I do not know. Mr. Green teaches at Harvard's Kennedy School and is author of 'A Perfect Turmoil: Walter E. Fernald and the Struggle to Care for America's Disabled.'
