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Local MP Arun Govil handed out approximately 1,500 copies of the Ramayana to prisoners at the Chaudhary Charan Singh district jail in Meerut on Sunday.

Among the prisoners who received a copy of Ramayana were Muskan Rastogi, a woman who was charged with brutally killing her husband, and her boyfriend and co-murder suspect Sahil Shukla.

"While distributing the copies of the Ramayana in the jail, I also encountered Muskan and Sahil who, also, gladly accepted the copies of the epic. Though we didn't say a word to each other, I requested the inmates to promise that they would never do such an act in the future, for which they need to be behind the bars again," said Govil.

From January 22 of this year, the first anniversary of the inauguration of the Ayodhya's Ram Mandir, Govil has begun to distribute copies of the Ramayana. His goal is to distribute 11 lakh such copies throughout the nation during his tenure in Parliament over the next five years.

The ambitious initiative is designed "to counter negative thoughts among people that often drive them towards criminal activities," the BJP MP, who played Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's legendary Ramayan television series, said.

The Lok Sabha MP said he began his mission after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his approval. "When I fought the Lok Sabha elections, I was one of the poorest candidates.". Post-election, my financial situation deteriorated, yet I have resolved to use my personal resources for the distribution of the copies. Anyone who is interested in participating in this large project is welcome to join me. The copies will also be distributed among the MPs," stated Govil.

A website has also been initiated so that whoever is willing to have a copy can get in touch via the portal, Govil explained at his house in Defence Colony in Meerut. Ramayana is being printed in 13 languages at Geeta Press in Gorakhpur so that even non-Hindi speakers can read it, he said.

"Even if one can absorb just 10 per cent of the message and ethics in the epic in his or her life, it can result in the betterment of society as well as the self," Govil added.

A recent policy amendment in Jamia Millia Islamia's (JMI) PhD admissions has raised alarm over an apparent weakening of its minority reservation requirement. The amendment, introduced through a notification, now leaves it to the discretion of departments to voluntarily implement the 50% reservation for Muslim students rather than making it mandatory. The ordinance has been put up on the university website.

This has triggered warnings about the "dilution" of Jamia's minority quota. The amendment, which was made effective by a November 12, 2024, notification, amends Ordinance 9 (IX) on PhD admissions by replacing the term "shall" with "may."

The revised ordinance, available on the university’s website, states: “While granting admission to PhD programmes, the Faculty/Department/Centre may pay due attention to JMI’s reservation policy adopted for admissions.” Previously, the policy clearly mandated: “50 percent of the seats shall be reserved for Muslim candidates.”

The amendment was approved by Vice-Chancellor Professor Mazhar Asif on behalf of the Executive Council and Academic Council and signed by Registrar Professor Md Mahtab Alam Rizvi in notification.

Being a minority institution with constitutional protection, Jamia is entitled by law to reserve 50% of the seats for Muslim candidates according to the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004. But the new amendment leaves the decision to implement or not implement the reservation in the hands of the administration.

The All India Students' Association (AISA) has condemned the decision as a "deliberate attack on the rights of Muslim students." The student body said in a Friday press release, "Jamia Millia Islamia, a constitutionally protected minority institution, is under law obligated to keep 50% of its seats for Muslim students. But the recent amendment has intentionally watered down this policy by making reservation voluntary."

AISA also presented figures on the alleged exclusion of Muslim applicants. Data given by the student body reveal that certain of the departments have plenty of vacant seats despite Muslim applicants being on hand. For instance, the Department of English has 17 vacant seats, although 15 non-Muslim applicants and only 12 Muslim students were accepted for the academic year 2024-25.

The students have demanded instantaneous corrective actions like withdrawal of the amendment and reimposition of the binding 50% Muslim reservation policy.

Days after a teachers' association under the University of Allahabad openly accused administrative lethargy in the Vice-Chancellor's office, the university has released a circular requesting teaching and non-teaching personnel to "strictly avoid" writing articles and expressing their opinions in the media, and threatening "strict action.".

The circular, dated March 29 and signed by Registrar Prof Ashish Khare, reads that "all the teaching and the non-teaching staff members of the University of Allahabad should strictly desist from writing articles, news, comments and views in print or electronic media, which directly or indirectly sully the image of the University of Allahabad".

It also threatens that "non-compliance will be followed by proper action against the erring staff member, under the provisions made under the Act, Statutes and Ordinances of the University.".

On March 25, Allahabad University Constituent Colleges Teachers Association (AUCCTA) had published a press statement, after holding its general body meeting, and said that "several of its members were upset and upset that files of colleges are sitting in the office of the Vice-Chancellor for months and (they) keep visiting the office of the V-C repeatedly to get even little work done.

AUCCTA president Umesh Pratap Singh was unavailable for comment on the Registrar's circular. A university department head, who spoke to this correspondent on condition of anonymity, called the circular "unfortunate". "Nobody can criticise the university authorities on record," the department head said.

The circular does not mention the teachers' association or its press release. Vice-Chancellor Prof Sangita Srivastava's office had referred a request from The Indian Express for comment to the Registrar. Khare, on being contacted, called the circular "routine". "This notification is a routine thing. We had issued one earlier as well and the present one is only a follow-up of that," he said.

On 14th November, 2024, Khare had issued a circular instructed teaching and non-teaching personnel that "except publication of articles or news of purely literary, artistic or scientific nature, any publication in the form of any article or news in print or electronic media platforms shall first be scrutinized by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) and then approved by the concerned authority.".

Replying to questions from The Indian Express on the new circular, Prof Jaya Kapoor, PRO of the university, said, "The (March 29) notice has been issued in view of the model code of conduct for teachers. Teachers can post their achievements and research work, but have been cautioned against making statements in social media, etc., on matters that would bring a bad name to the institution.". No action has been taken till date on anyone under consideration of the notice (November 14).

Allahabad University, formerly "Oxford of the East", was founded in 1887 and is the fourth-oldest university of modern India. It is a Central university since 2005 and belongs to the category of Institutions of National Importance (INI) consisting of 165.

Patliputra University (PPU) conducted its syndicate meeting at the university headquarters here on Saturday. Led by the vice-chancellor (VC) Sharad Kumar Yadav, the meeting witnessed unanimous consent of some major issues which were passed in the recent academic council meeting.

One of the major decisions taken, syndicate members consented to promoting teachers, a much-awaited step aimed at honoring academic achievements and offering growth chances to the arts, science and commerce stream faculty members. The VC stated this approval was a part of the university's continuing endeavors to increase staff morale and achieve quality education.

The syndicate approved promotion of 115 teachers to professor rank, nine of whom were promoted under career advancement scheme (CAS), while 16 teachers were promoted to readers' rank and then 31 assistant professors in senior grade scale, said PPU coordinator college development council (CCDC) Prof Rimjhim Sheel. She added that the same also sanctioned a proposal to include cases of promotion to non-teaching employees as well as those teachers who were left behind during the recent promotion process of the university in due course.

In another significant move, the university budget proposal of the 2025-26 fiscal year was also approved. The proposal entailed a detailed financial plan to enhance infrastructure, increase academic programme and fund research activities, ensuring the university's sustained progress and contribution in the field of higher education, said PPU registrar N K Jha.

The syndicate also agreed on a recommendation from the affiliated colleges to add vocational courses, increasing education opportunities and responding to the increasing need for skill-based training on a two-year temporary phase. The program will provide students with the practical skills and knowledge required to compete in many careers, and improve their employment opportunities, Jha added.

The university will organize its next senate session on April 3 to provide final sanction to all the proposals in respect of academic and development plan approved unanimously in the syndicate meeting, she added.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra inaugurated and launched scholarship distribution for higher education for Wayanad Landslide survivors on Saturday.

During the event, Priyanka Gandhi claimed that when she had gone to Wayanad following the landslide, she witnessed the destruction, suffering, and pain the people had endured.

"We saw it from the outside, but it was you who lost their homes, their loved ones, schools and many things. We can attempt to make life easier for you in the future. Everyone across political parties and ideologies, everyone has contributed to try to help and rebuild the life that you lost," she said.

"It was concerning to witness how many kids lost their families and were left more or less to themselves. A lot of students who were pursuing studies outside the region lost their entire families. In such a situation, we are all very worried about how they will be able to pursue their education," Priyanka Gandhi said.

According to The Free Press Journal reports, the Wayanad MP also added that the United Democratic Front (UDF) made a decision that they will do their best to ensure that all of the affected students are able to pursue their education.

"I am happy to announce that there is a dedicated office working on education rehabilitation. I am extremely glad to hear that 121 Wayanad students are studying in Kanyakumari. I am pleased to congratulate the Malabar Gold Foundation for disbursing Rs 62 lakhs so far and for their offer to sponsor college fees to the extent of Rs 2 crore up to the time when students complete education," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated.

"We are all here to help you and assist you in rebuilding your lives and creating a better future for yourself," she said.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, MP of Wayanad, also interacted with a delegation of elected representatives, leaders and delegations in Wayanad. She heard their issues and deliberated on various issues.

On July 30, 2024, the Kerala state was struck with a landslide, which was the most fatal in the state, killing over 300 individuals and leveling scores of homes and other structures.

The education schemes of the former AAP government, such as Business Blasters, Happiness Curriculum and Mission Buniyaad, launched in Delhi government schools, have been shut down, a government official announced on Friday.

The Delhi BJP-led government is on the verge of replacing them with new programs such as 'Rashtraniti', 'New Era of Entrepreneur Ecosystem and Vision (NEV)' and 'Science of Living', an official at the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) said.

The official informed PTI that one of the key changes is introducing the NEV, which will be a replacement for the Business Blasters program. While both schemes address extending financial assistance to students for starting their ventures, the framework and execution will be varied.

Under the discontinued scheme, students were provided with Rs 2,000 each as seed capital. Under NEV, the amount has been increased to Rs 20,000, and the money will be provided to a batch of students, the official said. This new program will emphasize educating students on moral values, elderly care and including a range of meditation techniques such as yoga, mindfulness and stretching exercises, he further added.

A schedule will be drawn up so that each element of the Science of Living programme is carried out effectively, he said. The Business Blasters programme was launched in 2021 under the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum. It gave seed funds to students of classes 11 and 12 to enable them to work out startup ideas.

The Happiness Curriculum, initiated in 2018, was intended for nursery to class 8 students and involved daily routines like storytelling and self-expression activities that encouraged emotional well-being. Its launch was attended by the Dalai Lama.