Latest news with #SchoolofEminence
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Indian Express
Never misbehaved with any woman: Principal suspended for ‘misbehaving' during Singapore tour pleads innocence
Placed on suspension on Monday for his alleged misbehaviour with a lady tour guide during a visit to Singapore for an official teachers' training programme, the accused principal of a Fazilka school has pleaded his innocence. 'I am being defamed without knowing details of the full incident. As a teacher, I never think of misbehaving with a woman.' Speaking to The Indian Express, Gautam Khurana, principal of the School of Eminence, Jalalabad, Fazilka district, said that he had only objected to an extra class on Chinese language, because even teachers had undergone an eight-hour-long full-day exhaustive training session. 'Just because I objected to an extra class after a full-day exhaustive training session from 9 am to 5 pm, as I was feeling nauseous and tired, it has been projected as misbehaviour with a lady guide. I did not even speak to the tour guide directly.' On May 19, Punjab Education Secretary Anindita Mitra suspended Khurana. According to the suspension order, the action was being taken as Khurana 'misbehaved with a lady tour guide during the teachers' training programme in Singapore'. The suspension order by Mitra came close on the heels of Punjab Director of Education (Secondary) Gurinder Singh Sodhi's May 9 order, stating that Khurana was 'being let off with a stern warning to be careful in future after he replied to the show-cause notice and the matter was being treated as 'daakhil daftar' (meaning no further action will be taken on it)'. The suspension orders went viral on social media. 'We went to Singapore in March,' Khurana told The Indian Express. 'On that day, we had a 9 am to 5 pm training session. In the evening, we were taken on a jungle safari. All teachers were exhausted. On the way back from the jungle safari, our bus broke down. Within a few minutes, the atmosphere inside the bus turned humid, and I started feeling nauseous. In such a situation, some teachers started requesting the tour guide, a Singaporean, to teach them the Chinese language. It continued for some minutes, but some teachers, like me, sitting in the back seats, got irritated. I objected to it and said that when we had already completed the day's training, why were we taking an extra class on Chinese on the bus? That's all,' Khurana said. 'I commented on teachers, not the lady guide. I did not speak to her directly, but the SCERT director, Madam, who was leading us, objected and asked, 'Who said this?' I got a little scared and realised I should not have said this. Since I was feeling nauseous, I moved out of the bus and started moving around to feel better. As the new bus came, we reached the hotel, and no discussion was held that day. I did not misbehave with the guide even once,' Khurana claimed. Khurana said the next day, the matter was again raised by the SCERT director and some teachers, stating that the incident should not have happened. 'I immediately sensed the gravity of the situation and apologised to the SCERT director and the entire group of teachers. I told them that I never meant to hurt anyone and had only objected to the extra class as I was feeling unwell, suffocated and nauseous in that broken bus. As we returned from the tour, I received a show-cause notice on March 25, to which I replied,' Khurana said. 'The lady guide has not filed any complaint against me, and I did not speak to her directly. So, how could this be misbehaviour with her,' he questioned. Notably, Government Senior Secondary School (Boys), Jalalabad, is now a School of Eminence, headed by Khurana as the principal. However, the secretary's suspension order avoided mentioning the School of Eminence and addressed Khurana as the principal of GSSS, Jalalabad. 'This was possibly done to avoid tarnishing the image of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's ambitious School of Eminence project,' said a teacher. Khurana said that he was shocked to see the suspension order giving 'misbehaviour with a lady guide' as the reason for his suspension. 'As a routine practice, the reason for suspension is never mentioned in the letter until the inquiry is completed and the chargesheet is not issued. I have been declared an accused without a chargesheet. I never misbehaved with any woman. Expressing one's discomfort and health issues is not misbehaviour. Despite that, I apologised,' he said. 'There is not a single blot on my teaching career. I have earned this respect by sheer hard work. I don't have any political connections to save myself,' he added. Mitra, however, said the action against the principal was initiated based on the complaint received from the SCERT director. Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Punjab. Her interest lies in exploring both news and feature stories, with an effort to reflect human interest at the heart of each piece. She writes on gender issues, education, politics, Sikh diaspora, heritage, the Partition among other subjects. She has also extensively covered issues of minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She also explores the legacy of India's partition and distinct stories from both West and East Punjab. She is a gold medalist from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, the most revered government institute for media studies in India, from where she pursued English Journalism (Print). Her research work on 'Role of micro-blogging platform Twitter in content generation in newspapers' had won accolades at IIMC. She had started her career in print journalism with Hindustan Times before switching to The Indian Express in 2012. Her investigative report in 2019 on gender disparity while treating women drug addicts in Punjab won her the Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity in 2020. She won another Laadli for her ground report on the struggle of two girls who ride a boat to reach their school in the border village of Punjab. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Bureaucrats adopt govt schools, teachers allege selective approach
The state government on Tuesday launched a School Mentorship Programme where bureaucrats will adopt government schools to guide and inspire students, aiming to create a strong support system through regular interactions, and mentorship. A total of 80 schools have been selected across the state, out of which 14 are from Ludhiana. However, 13 of these belong to the Schools of Eminence (SoEs) category and one is a Senior Secondary Residential School for meritorious students. While the government has praised the programme as a step towards transforming education, many educators have raised concerns about its selective nature. They alleged that regular government schools, which are in more urgent need of support, have been left out entirely. Gurpreet Singh, joint secretary of the Democratic Teachers Front, criticised the programme for being more about appearances than actual reform. 'Only SoEs and meritorious schools have been chosen. Why are regular schools being ignored when they also serve the same purpose of education? There are many schools without proper infrastructure and adequate faculty, but the government's focus has only been on highlighting SOEs,' he added. Responding to the non-inclusion of non-SoEs, Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains clarified that the programme is still in its early stages. 'Bureaucrats will adopt non-SoE schools as well. This is just the beginning. All schools will eventually benefit from the initiative,' he added. The programme officially kicked off on Tuesday, with Ludhiana deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain visiting the School of Eminence (Government Model Senior Secondary School), Millerganj. Addressing students of Class 9 and 10, Jain encouraged them to dream big and work hard. 'You are the architects of your own destiny,' he told them. Drawing inspiration from India's freedom fighters, he urged students to honour their legacy by striving for excellence and building a strong, united nation. Amritsar's deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney visited Kishori Lal Jethi School of Eminence in Khanna. She interacted with students and promised to support them throughout their academic journey. 'Your dreams are yours to achieve, and I am here to help you every step of the way,' she said, encouraging students to directly reach out to her for any support they may need. Meanwhile, Ojasvi Alankar, chief administrator of Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA), adopted the School of Eminence in Indrapuri. He urged students to keep pushing despite obstacles and to never lose sight of their goals. However, voices of concern continue to grow. Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, district president of the Lecturer Cadre Union, pointed out that the students in SoEs are the product of regular government schools, where they had studied till class 8, which are now being ignored. 'The SoEs are the priority of the government, be it any programme, but the students in regular schools are the ones who truly need mentoring. This year's merit list had very few students from SoEs, which reflects the ground reality' he added.
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Punjab school mentorship programme: 80 IAS and IPS officers to visit adopted schools from today
The Punjab government's 'School Mentorship Programme' will begin on Tuesday with the final list of 80 IAS/IPS/PCS/PPS officers, who have adopted as many government schools, regularly interacting with students and providing them career guidance. For instance, Khanna SSP Jyoti Yadav, the wife of Punjab Education Minister Harjot Bains, has adopted School of Eminence, Nangal, in Roopnagar district, their home district. Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain has adopted School of Eminence, Dholewal, Ludhiana, while Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney has adopted School of Eminence, Khanna. Moga SSP Ajay Gandhi has adopted School of Eminence at Landeke in Moga district, while former education secretary Kamal Kishor Yadav has adopted School of Eminence in Nakodar. Punjab Education Secretary Anindita Mitra said, 'The department has allotted schools to the officers. The programme will begin on Tuesday, with the officers visiting their respective schools.' Mitra has issued letters to all 80 officers on the list. According to the letters, 'Your presence and guidance will offer much-needed motivation to school staff and students and can significantly contribute to strengthening the culture of aspiration, dreams and highest performance in our government schools…. The School Mentorship Programme is conceived as a long-term engagement, with officers encouraged to continue mentoring the same school for a minimum of five years. The nature of engagement is flexible and may be shaped as per mutual convenience. However, officers are expected to maintain continuity of interaction and aim for at least one in-person visit per month, supplemented by remote follow-ups as feasible.' 'The role of the mentor officer is non-administrative and facilitative. Officers are not expected to intervene in routine operations or school-level administration. Rather, they are expected to offer encouragement, constructive feedback, and strategic support to the school leadership…. All engagement under this programme shall be treated as part of official duties,' the letter adds. The Punjab government has introduced a unique 'School Mentorship Programme', in which bureaucrats are being roped in to inspire and guide young minds to aim high in life. The initiative aims to bridge aspirations and opportunities for government school students by connecting them with civil servants. Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Punjab. Her interest lies in exploring both news and feature stories, with an effort to reflect human interest at the heart of each piece. She writes on gender issues, education, politics, Sikh diaspora, heritage, the Partition among other subjects. She has also extensively covered issues of minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She also explores the legacy of India's partition and distinct stories from both West and East Punjab. She is a gold medalist from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, the most revered government institute for media studies in India, from where she pursued English Journalism (Print). Her research work on 'Role of micro-blogging platform Twitter in content generation in newspapers' had won accolades at IIMC. She had started her career in print journalism with Hindustan Times before switching to The Indian Express in 2012. Her investigative report in 2019 on gender disparity while treating women drug addicts in Punjab won her the Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity in 2020. She won another Laadli for her ground report on the struggle of two girls who ride a boat to reach their school in the border village of Punjab. ... Read More
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
NEET conducted smoothly across 13 centres in city amid tight vigil
Ludhiana: The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) was conducted smoothly across 13 govt schools and colleges in Ludhiana Sunday, with 4,341 candidates appearing for it. Out of a total of 4,490 registered candidates, 141 remained absent. The exam was held from 2pm to 5pm amid tight security. Police personnel were stationed at all centres to ensure proper verification and discipline. Students were allowed to enter the centres only after a thorough scrutiny of their admit cards and identification documents. The largest examination centre in the city was Govt College for Girls, where 600 students were allotted seats. Of these, 580 appeared for the test. Other centres included Govt Model Senior Secondary School Cemetery Road, Govt Meritorious School, Govt Senior Secondary School Haibowal Khurd, Govt Senior Secondary School for Boys Jawahar Nagar, School of Eminence Model Town, School of Eminence Sector 32, Govt Senior Secondary School PAU, Govt Senior Secondary School Multipurpose, Govt Girls Senior Secondary School Gill, Ghumman Senior Secondary School Ayali Khurd, and Kendriya Vidyalaya Baddowal. Parents stood outside the centres as there was strict checking by the police. Most of the candidates were let in before 1pm after checking. As there was no seating arrangements or drinking facilities at or outside most of the centres, the long wait turned arduous for the parents and those accompanying the candidates. "There should have been at least some basic arrangements like chairs or water dispensers. Parents had to stand for hours in this heat," said Aman, whose sister was taking the exam at the School of Eminence in Sector 32. Adding to the discomfort, rain lashed parts of the city in the evening, forcing some parents to take shelter under trees and others at bus stops. Despite the challenges, the overall conduct of the exam was reported to be peaceful. Students found the paper to be tougher than expected. "The chemistry and physics sections were like JEE level, very tricky and time-consuming," said a candidate at the PAU centre. "Biology was lengthy but manageable," another candidate said.
