Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), founded by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, in a joint operation with the officials of district administration, police team and partner NGO Bal Vikas Dhara, rescued 10 child labourers in raids conducted in New Delhi’s Shahdara. The operation, which was led by SDM Shahdara, also had the officials of the Labour Department, District Child Protection Unit and members of the Civil Defence.

The rescued children, who were in the age-group of 13 to 16 years, belonged to the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. These child labourers would repair motorcycles and make stickers. One of the children revealed that he was working as a child labourer for almost two-and-a-half years and it was only two months back that his employer started paying him daily wages of Rs 200.

Eleven establishments in the areas have been sealed and notices have been issued to them.

Medical examination of all the rescued children was conducted after which they were produced before the Child Welfare Committee. The children have now been safely sent to Mukti Ashram, a short term rehabilitation centre.

“For us, June is observed as the action month against child labour. We are on a mission to ensure that every day we rescue children in large numbers from factories, hotels, dhabas, etc. Even though there are very stringent laws against child labour, the general trend to employ children still prevails. Our fight is against that attitude and mindset”, Manish Sharma, Director, BBA, said.

 New Delhi: National Law University Delhi has retained the second spot in the Law Category, in the latest National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Rankings released on Monday, 5 June 2023. This is the 6^th time in a row that NLU Delhi has retained this spot.

On the occasion, Honorable Vice Chancellor, NLU Delhi, Professor (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai, said, “I am extremely glad to see NLU Delhi as one of the top institutions in the country in the law category. Usually, achieving success is hard but maintaining it is harder. But the fact that NLU Delhi has maintained its rank for the 6^th time in a row shows that NLU Delhi is truly deserving of the position and I am confident that with the collective talent and hard-work of my students, faculty & staff, we will soon reach rank No. 1 as well.”

NLU Delhi was established in 2008, by the Government of NCT of Delhi vide National Law University Act No.1 of 2008. In a short span of time, the University has become one of the leading institutions of legal education and impact-driven research.

“Rank No. 2 is not just an achievement of the University, but a reflection on the capacity of every individual that is associated with the University. This success is due to the shared effort of everyone and I want to congratulate and express gratitude to all my faculty, students and support staff for this amazing result,” said Professor (Dr.) Harpreet Kaur, Professor of Law & Registrar, NLU Delhi.

The NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) is a ranking system for higher education institutions in India which assesses HEIs on five parameters: Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR), Research and Professional Practice (RP), Outreach and Inclusivity (OI), Graduation Outcomes (GO) and Perception (PR). It is released every year by the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India.

New Delhi: Y-20 Chaupal held at Sri Venkateswara in collaboration with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell and Ramjas College in collaboration with IQAC, Studomatrix & Savishkar the University of Delhi in which delegates from different G20 Countries, like Canada, Australia, and France took part and discussed on various topics like Waste management, climate change, renewable energy, and solar alliance. They discussed the process of waste management and the importance of renewable energy. They also shared their views on how their countries are working on it and the role of youth in the development of the countries.

The delegates were overwhelmed by the Hospitality of the Republic of India. They praised the way they are being treated and also shared their experience about how they are feeling in India. They also emphasized their emotions upon how they are feeling after interacting with the students and the youth of India.

After the panel discussion, the students from various backgrounds asked questions related to the concerned topics discussed. The delegates enjoyed giving answers to each question. Later after the events, interactions between panelists and college students took place.

After the event, SVC G20 Coordinator and Secretary of Partnership and Finance of Y20, Abhishek Malhotra said that it’s a great experience for college students where they get one on one chances to interact with delegates from various countries. It will definitely help them to learn new things.

For the seminar, NLU Delhi hosted 14 educators from various top universities in the US to explore pathways to build ties and develop international and academic collaboration. On the occasion Professor (Dr.) G.S. Bajpai, Vice Chancellor, NLU Delhi, in his opening remarks said, “As a research-intensive university, NLU Delhi has always given impetus to advance legal studies and develop new pedagogy, going forward, my interest is to explore our ties with United States – India Educational Foundation (USIEF), in order to develop mutually beneficial linkages and exchanges with the Universities in the US, for the benefit of our students and faculty.

“The idea is to forge fresh ways of partnership and take solid and substantive steps to advance legal education. We have already set up a Department of International Relations at NLU Delhi, and soon we will start an independent International Visitors’ Programme under which scholars and researchers can come to NLU Delhi to teach and carry out research. We are also looking to introduce a joint degree programme in which we will encourage a multidisciplinary approach to explore the interface between social sciences and law,” added Professor Bajpai.

Professor (Dr.) Harpreet Kaur, Registrar, NLU Delhi, in her address spoke about NLU Delhi’s international funding partners and the visitors at the honorary and the emeritus level including fulbright scholars that NLU Delhi has hosted over the years. As a Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Scholar herself (2020-2021), she said, “Fulbright has given me a unique identity and I feel proud to be a part of the vibrant community of Fulbrighters. I want other NLU Delhi faculty members and students to have the same experience and by deepening our ties with USIEF, this can be made possible.”

The seminar was attended by Dr. Geoffrey Cox Stanford University, Stanford, Dr. Suchitra Gururaj, The University of Texas Austin, Dr. Reshmi Mitra, Azim Premji Foundation, Bangalore, India; Mr. David Younger, University of Notre Dame, Ms. Kathleen Young, University of North Carolina, Ms. Kenya Tyson, Dartmouth College, Hanover, Ms. Suzanne Prabhu, CUNY Queens College,NY, Dr. Ingrid Skadberg Quinsigamond, Community College, Worcester, Ms. Sheila Schulte, University of North Georgia, Dr. Dylan Rust, Northern Arizona University , Ms. Shelly Ortiz, Utah State University, Dr. Emily Kane, Longwood University, Dr. Colin Irvine Augustana University, Mr. Darren Gallant, Bates College, Dr. Timothy Faltyn, Murray State College Tishomingo.

The seminar was supported by the United States – India Educational Foundation (USIEF).

New Delhi : Breakthrough, an organization working to make violence and discrimination against women and girls unacceptable, has been recognized as a ‘Children’s Champion’ by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR). The prestigious award honors individuals and institutions that have made significant contributions to promote child rights in India.

The award was presented to Sohini Bhattacharya, CEO of Breakthrough by Dr. S. Muralidhar, Chief Justice, Odisha High Court. Atishi Singh, Honorable Minister of Education and Women & Child Development, Government of Delhi was also present at the event. DCPCR is an Apex statutory authority of the Government of Delhi responsible for protecting, promoting, and monitoring the implementation of child rights policies for education, nutrition, immunization, and prevention of abuse.

Commenting on the award, Sohini Bhattacharya, CEO, Breakthrough said, “We are very honored and happy to receive this award from DCPCR. It is a humbling experience to be recognized as a Children’s Rights Champion with leading activists and organizations in this space. Breakthrough is an organization that works to change discriminatory gender norms and patriarchal social expectations to build leadership of young people so that they can make something that is normalized, and accepted in our society, unacceptable. Our young gender champions have negotiated with public transport departments on safe transports, persuaded families to send their girls to schools, stopped their own and others’ early marriage and have taken innumerable actions for themselves, their families and communities.”

Breakthrough was founded in 1999 to create a cultural shift to end violence and discrimination against girls and women. At the core of Breakthrough’s work is a deep transformative framework that is equipped with a 2-year, school-based gender equity programme for grades 6-8 (11-14 years), called Taron Ki Toli (TKT- Gang of stars). The initiative aims to shape gender views and bring about significant shifts in gender behaviors of boys and girls from an early age. Through this model, Breakthrough works directly with rural, semi-urban, economically backward and marginalized communities to build a bold, new generation of gender equal citizens who can bring an end to violence and discrimination against women and girls around them. Breakthrough has so far engaged with over 9,00,000 adolescent boys and girls across 4 Indian states.

Currently, Breakthrough’s efforts are focused on creating a more gender-equitable government school system, incorporating gender lens into middle school curricula, including subjects like English, Social Studies, and Moral Sciences for grades 6-8. Teachers and school leaders are being trained to ensure greater gender sensitivity and capacity to deliver the curriculum using a train-the-trainer model. The gender-transformative school system model currently functions in collaboration with the education department of the government of Punjab and is expected to reach over one million adolescents and 23,000 teachers in the next few years.

“Our gender equity curriculum works across thousands of Government schools to ensure safe learning environments and build gender equitable behaviors among adolescents, teachers and school administrators. To ensure all adolescents, specially girls, live a life free of violence, to make their own decisions about their lives and reach their full potential, we are now working on making the Government education system more gender transformative across two states – Punjab and Odisha – in partnership with the state education departments,” added Ms. Bhattacharya.

Speaking about the Cyclothon, Shri. Himanshu Gupta, Director, Directorate of Education – Govt. of NCT of Delhi said, “There has been no greater struggle than women’s fight for gender parity in our country and therefore we have decided to organize a cyclothon to promote unity of genders in Delhi. Our city has always championed the cause for equality and environment sustainability, and we feel that this event will further enhance our continued effort to promote this unity and healthy lifestyles.”

The Cyclothon will bring together women, men and the transgender community from all walks of life including students, professions and communities to celebrate the wheels of change taking over for Delhi to become the city of freedom, unity, hope, inclusion and environmental sustainability as Cycling is synonymous with one having the freedom to move for change, move for freedom, health and also eases the carbon footprint on Earth.

Increasing culture of cycling makes cities more inclusive, safe, and sustainable for all, including creating safe spaces and providing access for women and girls to schools, markets, and jobs.

The Cyclothon will bring together women, men and the transgender community from all walks of life including students, professions and communities to celebrate inclusion, freedom, unity, hope, and environmental sustainability in New Delhi.

Mr. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, India said, “We thank the Government of Delhi for organizing this wonderful event ahead of International Women’s Day, bringing gender equality, mobility, and environmental sustainability all together. Cycling and other sports can be an important means of breaking down gender stereotypes, while improving confidence and health, especially for marginalized communities. And sustainable mobility, when accessible for people with disabilities and all genders, is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”

This is a critical juncture which can shape the foundation for Delhi to become much more than just the capital city, but also the city of hope, inclusion, and sustainability.

This Cyclothon aims to mobilise community-led action towards a gender equal, greener, and cleaner future on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2023.

The International Women’s Day Cyclothon will witness the presence of dignitaries from Government of NCT of Delhi, the UN in India, UNESCO, UNEP, Embassies and Consulates in India and other partners.

Delhi’s Directorate of Education has announced holidays for all government schools from 1st to 15th January. However, according to a circular issued by the Directorate, ‘remedial classes’ for 9 to 12th standard will be held from 2nd to 14th January.

The purpose of remedial classes is to revise the syllabus and to enhance the academic performance of the students. These classes will enable the students in revising the basic concepts of the subjects from examination point of view.

Morning Timings for remedial classes will be 8 am to 1 pm for teachers and 8.30 am to 12.50 pm for students. Evening Timings will be 1 pm to 6 pm for teachers and 1.30 pm to 5.50 pm for students.

In case of double-shift schools, the classes will be held in separate wings of the school.

The MoU suggested strengthening the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem where ActiveBuildings would strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem

is a (not-for-profit) initiative of the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.

New Delhi and NCR are among the world’s urban agglomerations with the most toxic air. The magnitude of air pollution is massive. It causes devastating impacts on people’s health, the city’s environment, and economic well-being. The collaboration will allow the teams to strengthen their R&D and CSR activities related to air pollution and reduce the severity of air pollution and its consequences.

Talking about the partnership, Abhinav Gupta, CEO at ActiveBuildings said, “We believe that our partnership with DRIIV will improve the quality of the research and development activities and CSR activities related to air pollution in Delhi NCR region. We are glad to be a part of this PPP model (Public Private Partnership) where we are working towards providing access to clean air for all”

ActiveBuildings will also provide fifteen open-source air purifiers and eight air quality sensors that will be deployed in Delhi and Gurugram for the duration of the pilot by DRIIV which is between October 2022 to February 2023. ActiveBuildings will also provide data analytics relating to the use of research on the pilot to DRIIV. Depending on the funding received the installations will be scaled up in the future.

Another key long-term goal of the project is to drive policy that enables the adoption of better indoor air quality technologies and mandates for building codes. In such cases, ActiveBuildings has also offered technology solutions to water quality along with air/environment monitoring.

Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister for Digital Transition and Telecommunications, and delegates from the Embassy of France in India, visited Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi) to seek the possibility of Indo-France collaborations.

During the visit of Mr. Barrot, the students and faculty members of the Institute showcased their research projects. The showcase comprised a number of exciting projects like the Autonomous Last Mile Vehicle (ALIVE), Autonomous Precision Landing of Drone, Real-world AI for Healthcare, E-Sahayatri – Your travel buddy, Smart and sustainable mobility, Vision for Wildlife, Facial Image Retrieval using Similarity-Driven Feedback, Federated Automated Deep Learning (FedAutoMoDL) among others.

During the visit, Minister Barrot spoke about the significance of technological innovation in Indo-French ties and tech opportunities in France for Indian students, researchers, and companies. The event concluded with Mr. Barrot’s interaction with the students.