More than 200 students at a Delhi government school in Khajuri Khas have allegedly been without a regular Chemistry teacher for the past three academic years, raising concerns over their preparation for the upcoming Board Examinations.

Students of GSKV Khajuri Khas have alleged that the school has failed to appoint a regular Chemistry teacher despite repeated requests to the school authorities.

The shortage has reportedly affected students in Classes 11 and 12, both of which have two Science sections. Each section has approximately 50–55 students, meaning more than 200 students may have been deprived of regular and structured instruction in Chemistry, a core Science subject.

Students Raise Concerns Over Chemistry Classes

According to the students, they have repeatedly approached the school principal regarding the absence of a regular Chemistry teacher. However, they claim that the issue remains unresolved.

The prolonged shortage has become particularly concerning for students currently in Class 12, who are preparing for their Board Examinations. Students have expressed concerns that the lack of consistent classroom instruction could affect their academic preparation and performance.

Advocate Seeks Urgent Intervention

Taking cognisance of the students' concerns, advocate Ashok Agarwal has sought urgent intervention from the Directorate of Education, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

In a representation dated August 20, Agarwal highlighted the impact of the alleged teacher shortage on students preparing for their Board Examinations.

He said the prolonged absence of a subject teacher could adversely affect the academic performance of Class 12 students, despite the situation being beyond their control.

Agarwal also alleged that students had attempted to raise their concerns through the appropriate institutional channels but had not received an effective resolution.

Threat of Legal Action

Agarwal has warned that students could approach the Delhi High Court if a Chemistry teacher is not appointed immediately.

In a social media post, he highlighted the situation involving more than 200 Class 11 and 12 Science students and called for the immediate appointment of a Chemistry teacher.

The matter has raised broader concerns over teacher vacancies in government schools and the impact prolonged staff shortages can have on students, particularly those preparing for high-stakes Board Examinations.

The allegations are yet to be independently verified, and the Directorate of Education or school authorities have not been quoted responding to the claims. Any action regarding the alleged vacancy would depend on the findings and official records of the education department.

A playschool teacher in Vijay Nagar, Indore, has been accused of mentally harassing and using abusive language against a three-year-old girl, prompting her parents to approach the police with an audio recording allegedly capturing the teacher's behaviour.

According to police, the parents had enrolled their young daughter at a playschool in the area. After some time, they noticed a sudden change in the child's behaviour. She reportedly became quiet, sad and withdrawn.

When her parents asked her what had happened, the child allegedly told them that her teacher used abusive language, mentally harassed her and threatened to beat her.

Parents Hide Voice Recorder in School Bag

Concerned about their daughter's allegations, the parents reportedly decided to verify what was happening at the school. They secretly placed a small voice recorder inside the child's school bag before sending her to the playschool.

After the child returned home, the parents listened to the recording and allegedly heard the teacher using abusive language and subjecting the child to harassment.

The parents subsequently approached Vijay Nagar police station and submitted the recording along with their complaint.

Police Register Case Against Teacher

Police said they examined the complaint and audio evidence and found the allegations prima facie credible. A case has been registered against the female teacher under relevant legal provisions.

Further investigation is underway, and police are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged incidents and record statements from the concerned parties.

The incident has raised concerns over child safety in playschools and early childhood education centres, particularly regarding the treatment of young children who may be unable to clearly communicate or report incidents of harassment.

Schools across Delhi will conduct baseline assessments for students of Classes 2 to 8 under the NIPUN Sankalp programme to evaluate their foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

The assessment will be conducted in schools affiliated with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) and Directorate of Education.

The Delhi State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has issued detailed instructions to schools regarding the assessment process.

NIPUN Sankalp Assessment Dates

According to the SCERT circular, the baseline tests will be conducted on the following dates:

• August 27: Hindi
• August 29: English
• August 31: Mathematics

The assessments are designed to measure students' foundational learning levels and help identify areas requiring academic intervention.

OMR-Based Assessment for Classes 2 to 8

The NIPUN Sankalp baseline assessment will be conducted through OMR-based tests. Schools have been instructed to maintain a strict “one desk-one student” arrangement during the examination to ensure a fair and confidential assessment.

Schools must also register all eligible students on the NIPUN Sankalp online portal and verify their details before the tests.

The OMR procedure will differ depending on the students' classes.

For Classes 2 and 3, teachers will fill in the complete OMR sheet, including student information and responses.

For Classes 4 to 8, teachers will enter the students' details and complete Part B, while students will attempt and fill in Part A themselves.

Absent Students Can Take Assessment by September 5

Students who remain absent on the scheduled assessment dates will be given another opportunity to appear for the baseline test.

Schools have been directed to complete the assessment for such students by September 5.

School Heads Responsible for Assessment Process

Heads of schools have been instructed to ensure that the assessments are conducted according to schedule and that trained teachers are deployed for the process.

They will also be responsible for ensuring the accurate filling, verification, safe packing and submission of OMR sheets.

Zonal and other designated education officials have been asked to closely monitor the assessment process, including the packing and subsequent submission of OMR sheets.

The NIPUN Sankalp programme aims to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy among school students and identify learning gaps that require targeted academic support.

A five-year-old UKG student died after collapsing inside his classroom at a private school in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday. The child's parents have alleged that a teacher slapped him after he failed to complete his homework.

The student, T Pranay Tej, was studying at a private school in the Town Kotharoad area under the limits of One-Town police station. He was the son of Krishna Prasad, who works as a cook, and homemaker Sai Lakshmi.

Parents Allege Teacher Slapped Child

According to Pranay's parents, the child was reluctant to go to school on Thursday morning because he had not completed some of his homework. Although he eventually went to school, his parents said he appeared unusually dull and was unwilling to participate in classroom activities.

The family has alleged that CCTV footage from the classroom showed the teacher checking students' homework individually. When Pranay reportedly showed an empty slate, the teacher allegedly pulled him towards her, unbuttoned his shirt and slapped him.

The child subsequently collapsed inside the classroom.

The allegations have not yet been independently established, and police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Child Declared Dead at King George Hospital

Pranay was taken to King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam, where doctors declared him dead.

The incident reportedly occurred around 11 am, while the parents said they were informed by the school only around 12.50 pm.

Following the incident, relatives gathered outside the school and hospital, demanding action against the teacher and school management.

Police to Examine CCTV Footage

Police said a case would be registered based on the complaint filed by the child's parents. Investigators are examining CCTV footage and other available evidence to determine what happened inside the classroom.

The exact cause of death will be established after the post-mortem examination, police said.

District Educational Officer Prem Kumar and One-Town Inspector Vara Prasad visited the school and assessed the situation. The DEO said a preliminary report had been submitted to the government and further action would follow.

Andhra Pradesh Minister Assures Action

Andhra Pradesh Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh expressed shock over the death and said action would be taken against those found responsible, including the school management.

He also assured the bereaved family of government support.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over child safety in schools, corporal punishment and the treatment of young children in educational institutions. The police investigation and post-mortem report are expected to establish the circumstances and cause of the five-year-old student's death.

NITI Aayog has recommended introducing employability and entrepreneurship skills from Class 6 and structured vocational education tracks, or Kaushal Tracks, from Class 9 as part of a broader plan to reform India's skilling ecosystem and improve employment outcomes.

The recommendations were made in a report titled ‘Reimagining Skilling for Viksit Bharat@2047’, which calls for vocational education to be embedded more deeply into the school curriculum and aligned with industry and labour-market requirements.

Employability Skills From Class 6

NITI Aayog has proposed that General Employability and Entrepreneurship Skills (GEES) be introduced universally from Grade 6 through Grade 12.

From Class 9 onwards, students could opt for Kaushal Tracks, allowing them to pursue structured vocational pathways and develop deeper specialisations based on local and national demand for skilled workers.

The report also recommended continuing GEES as a separate subject for all students in Grades 11 and 12.

NITI Aayog noted that although the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) provide for integrating vocational education and employability skills from Grade 6, implementation remains limited.

According to the report, fewer than one in 12 secondary schools currently offer vocational subjects.

“Skilling must begin early and be embedded within the school system to shape employability, choice, and progression later in life,” the report said.

Vocational Subjects With Equal Weightage

The Aayog also recommended revising the Class 10 and Class 12 board examination subject structure to give vocational subjects equal weightage.

It suggested that state boards accept the revised subject structure for Class 10 board certification, potentially giving vocational education greater parity with traditional academic subjects.

NITI Aayog Pushes Industry-Aligned Higher Education

The report also highlighted the need for structural changes in India's higher and tertiary education system to better align education with labour-market demand.

NITI Aayog observed that outdated curricula and the dominance of generic degree programmes have contributed to weak employability outcomes.

To address this gap, it called for greater industry participation through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models and Apprenticeship Embedded Degree/Diploma Programmes (AEDP).

The report recommended shifting from generic degrees towards applied, industry-aligned specialisations, while expanding work-integrated and apprenticeship-based degree programmes.

It also advocated flexible and modular learning models that allow students to earn while they learn.

Focus on Green Jobs, EVs and Emerging Sectors

NITI Aayog said India's skilling strategy should increasingly focus on sectors with high growth potential, including green industries and electric vehicles (EVs).

The report also called for stronger General Employability and Entrepreneurship Skills and reskilling opportunities for workers in declining occupations.

It recommended linking skilling programmes more closely with verified employment outcomes, using existing public infrastructure and adopting outcome-linked financing models to improve participation and job outcomes.

Apprenticeships to Become Mainstream Pathway

The report also called for apprenticeships to be repositioned as a mainstream and trusted pathway between education and employment.

While programmes such as the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) have expanded access, NITI Aayog noted that participation remains uneven and awareness among learners is limited.

Apprenticeship opportunities are also fragmented across multiple platforms, the report said.

To address these challenges, NITI Aayog proposed increasing apprenticeship opportunities through MSME incentives, creating integrated access through a unified state-led platform, improving the visibility of credible opportunities and aligning apprenticeships more closely with learner demand.

Skilling Push for Viksit Bharat 2047

The report said India's ambition of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047 depends on enabling citizens to continuously learn, earn and advance.

Since 2014-15, more than 7.67 crore people have received skilling or training, according to the report. The Union Budget 2025-26 also allocated around ₹34,000 crore towards skilling-related expenditure across multiple Central ministries.

However, NITI Aayog cautioned that despite the scale of investment and training, skilling outcomes remain uneven.

The proposed reforms aim to create an education-to-employment pathway in which students begin developing employability skills early, gain access to vocational specialisations from Class 9 and transition into industry-linked higher education, apprenticeships and employment.

More than 600 students reportedly fled a government-run ashram school in Doma village in Maharashtra’s Amravati district after rumours of a ‘ghost’ on the campus triggered widespread panic. The incident, which involved 16 girl students displaying unusual behaviour, has now been attributed by authorities to stress and anxiety rather than any supernatural activity.

The school is located in the tribal-dominated Melghat region of Amravati. According to officials, the situation began when around 16 girls suddenly started laughing uncontrollably, crying and later appearing numb or unresponsive. The unusual episode alarmed other students, with rumours of paranormal activity quickly spreading across the campus.

As fear intensified, several students reportedly claimed they had heard the sound of anklets or ghungroos coming from empty corridors. The claims fuelled speculation that the school was haunted. The panic eventually prompted around 608 students to leave the school and return to their homes.

Medical Teams Rule Out Supernatural Cause

Following the incident, medical teams and senior officials visited the Doma ashram school to assess the students and determine what had triggered the episode.

Authorities have reportedly ruled out any supernatural explanation. Officials believe the incident could be linked to severe stress and anxiety among the students, potentially resulting in mass psychogenic illness (MPI), a condition in which physical or behavioural symptoms can spread among a group without an identifiable infectious or toxic cause.

The phenomenon is also commonly described as mass hysteria, although medical professionals generally prefer the term mass psychogenic illness.

Officials have appealed to students and parents to avoid believing or spreading rumours about ghosts and paranormal activity at the school. Authorities are also attempting to prevent further panic and restore a sense of safety among the students.

16 Girls Receive Psychological Counselling

Amravati Superintendent of Police Niketan Kadam said the 16 girls who displayed the unusual symptoms have been examined and counselled by a psychologist.

According to the SP, the girls are now fine and are expected to return to the school. Counselling is being used to address their fears and anxiety and help prevent similar incidents from triggering further panic among students.

As part of efforts to reassure students and their families, a woman police constable will remain at the school. Kadam has also indicated that he would stay at the premises as part of the administration’s efforts to restore confidence.

The presence of police personnel is intended to reassure students who may still be frightened by the rumours surrounding the incident.

‘Supernatural Film’ Angle Under Investigation

Police and officials are also examining factors that may have contributed to the students’ fears. According to sources, the students had watched a supernatural-themed film together before the incident.

Officials are looking into whether the film, combined with existing rumours and stories about the school, may have heightened anxiety and contributed to the unusual episode.

The administration is now focusing on student counselling, psychological support and awareness to prevent rumours from spreading further.

The Amravati school incident highlights how fear and anxiety can rapidly spread among groups, particularly when unusual symptoms are accompanied by rumours of supernatural activity. Authorities are therefore urging students, parents and school staff to rely on medical assessments and verified information rather than rumours.

For now, officials are working to ensure that the 608 students who left the campus feel confident about returning, while continuing counselling and safety measures at the government ashram school in Doma village.