All educational institutions to open in Gurugram from today. In a tweet, Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram, Nishant Kumar Yadav announces that all educational institutions in Gurugram including Sohna sub-divison will reopen from today.

New Delhi : Sampark Foundation, a leading NGO working to improve primary education, learning outcomes, has recognised and awarded 1000 exemplary teachers in government schools throughout Haryana. The teachers were chosen for their great utilization of the Sampark Smart TV and Sampark Smart Shala App to deliver compelling educational experiences to their students, thereby enhancing learning outcomes. Each of the 1000 teachers was honored with an award and a certificate for their unwavering commitment, diligence, and contribution towards improving education standards.

District Education Officers, Block education officers and Cluster Heads distributed these awards to the Star Teachers in Haryana.

Sampark Foundation made the Sampark Smart TV and Sampark Smart Shala application accessible to all schools in the state by providing free-of-cost Sampark TV devices, while the state government provided the TV sets for the program.

On occasion, Vineet Nayar, Founder-Chairman of Sampark Foundation, said, “My heartiest congratulations to all the teachers who have successfully used our resources to make learning an engaging experience for their students. We at Sampark believe in a Teacher First approach and continuously strive to innovate and develop tools that empower teachers and make their teaching job easier. Our resources are designed to enhance the learning zone where the teacher interacts with the children and provides the spark that ignites their imagination and makes them learn well.”

Sampark FLN TV is a frugal innovation device that transforms regular television into an interactive and engaging learning platform. It comes equipped with preloaded lessons delivered by the highly popular virtual teacher and mascot of Sampark Smart Shala, Sampark Didi. This device can function offline, without any internet connection, and convert traditional classrooms into smart classrooms. The device comprises an Android set-up box and a remote for seamless operation.

Sampark FLN TV empowers teachers to create a smart, interactive, and joyful learning environment by utilizing features such as lesson plans, content videos, activity videos, gamified assessments and worksheets. With Sampark FLN TV, attendance rates are expected to increase, and learning outcomes are projected to improve by at least 30%. The device is built on the “Learn, Play, Practice, Earn, and Celebrate” model, which provides a systematic approach to drive positive learning outcomes. It serves as a medium for delivering lessons and a comprehensive database of teaching resources, including lesson videos and question banks. Moreover, the content is integrated with the Maths and English programmes of Sampark Smart Shala, an app developed by Sampark Foundation, which helps make learning engaging and meaningful for students.

Sampark Smartshala is a path-breaking innovative app developed by Sampark Foundation. It provides access to thousands of teaching-learning resources in Hindi, including Sampark Smart Shala animated video lessons, rhymes, stories, interactive and engaging games, classroom activities, worksheets, and quizzes mapped to state textbooks and developed following the states’ syllabus.

About Sampark Foundation: Sampark Foundation was founded by Anupama Nayar and Vineet Nayar (Former Vice Chairman and CEO of HCL Technologies and author of Harvard Business Press bestseller “Employees First, Customer Second”) with a committed investment of INR 700 Cr with the belief that “frugal innovation” and its practical implementation in partnership with the government can drive large-scale improvement in learning outcomes.

Currently, the Sampark Smart Shala program is impacting over one crore children through its implementation in 1 lac primary government schools in 7 states (Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand). Many third-party surveys have shown that in the schools where the Sampark Smart Shala has been implemented, there is a marked increase in the number of children who answered grade-level questions in Math and English. For example, according to Feedback Consulting, a research organisation, in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Haryana, there has been a 34, 39 and 61 percent improvement in the performance of children in 2019-20.

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced and addressed the 25^th convocation of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University at Hisar, Haryana today (April 24, 2023).

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University has been making significant contributions in the education, research and extension of agriculture since its inception. If today Haryana is the second largest contributor to the food grain stocks under Central Pool, the credit goes to the farmer-friendly policies of the Central and State Governments, technological initiatives of HAU, and willingness of the farmers of this state to adopt the latest agricultural techniques.

The President said that today India has become a food grain exporting country from a food stressed country despite the huge population. But today there are many concerns in front of agriculture like increasing population, shrinking agricultural land, falling groundwater level, decreasing soil fertility, and climate change for which agricultural professionals have to find solutions. They have to find ways to provide nutritious food to our huge population while causing minimum damage to the environment and biodiversity. It is a challenge as well as an opportunity before agricultural professionals.

The President said that technology has an important role in reducing the cost of farming, increasing productivity, making agriculture environment friendly and more profitable. She said that water is an important component of agriculture but it is available in limited quantities. Therefore, judicious use of water in agriculture is very important. There should be maximum use of technology in irrigation so that exploitation of water resources can be minimized. She said that the role of institutions like HAU is important in the development and dissemination of such technology.

The President said that universities should act as laboratories from where knowledge spreads and benefits the entire society. She was happy to note that HAU is making concerted efforts for dissemination of crop production techniques among the farmers. She urged to intensify these efforts for the maximum benefit of people of the country, especially the residents of Haryana.

The President said that agriculture is a huge sector. Apart from grain, fruit and milk production, animal husbandry and fisheries, there are many other industries which are directly linked to agriculture. India has emerged as a start-up hub. The world’s third largest start-up ecosystem is in India. The agriculture sector supplies raw materials to many industries. Therefore, this sector provides immense possibilities for start-ups. She was happy to note that HAU has established an Incubation Centre to promote entrepreneurship through innovation, technology upgradation and skill development. She expressed confidence that students would take advantage of this positive environment and contribute to the development of the country.

The Amrita School of Medicine, sprawling across an area of 5.2 lakh sq. ft, is offering 150 MBBS seats for the academic year 2023-24. Indian and international students seeking admission need to appear for the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (UG).

Said Dr. Sanjeev Singh, Medical Director, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, “We already operate a highly reputed Amrita School of Medicine in Kochi. We are now delighted to bring the same standards of educational and medical excellence to Faridabad by opening this new School of Medicine attached to Amrita Hospital, which is India’s largest private multispecialty hospital with 2,600 beds. The facility will have all the facilities and infrastructure conducive to most advanced  learning with state-of-the-art classrooms, world-class labs, high-end technology, and academic and research linkages with Amrita University and select Ivy League universities in the US and Europe, Amrita figures among the top 10 universities in India in the NIRF Rankings.”

Said Col. BK Mishra, Principal, Amrita School of Medicine, Faridabad, “Our faculty is among the best in Asia and would nurture students to become highly trained doctors who are much sought after in India and abroad. The School of Medicine will provide hostel facilities to all students, be they from India or around the world.”

Added Dr. Sanjeev Singh: “At Amrita Hospital campus in Faridabad, we now host a Medical College and a Nursing College. We are also operating an Allied Health Sciences College that offers 20 to 30 courses that help build capacity and skill sets and supports the clinical teams at the adjacent hospital. The Faridabad campus, part of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, is being shaped as one of the few multidisciplinary healthcare systems in India with a focus on research, collaboration, and shared information. The cooperation between professionals from various medical disciplines at Amrita Hospital and researchers at Amrita University aids in creating a distinctive interdisciplinary ecosystem that promotes scientific achievements.”

Amrita has also built a one lakh sq.ft. Simulation Learning and Development Centre which would cater to robotic training, haptic-based training surgical training simulation, cadaver, and high-fidelity training for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Amrita School of Medicine is the 8th campus of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham — one of India’s top-ranked private universities. The University is fifth-best in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Rankings 2022. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is accredited with the highest possible ‘A++’ grade by NAAC.  Amrita School of Medicine, Faridabad, carries the legacy of the Amrita School of Medicine, Kochi, which is ranked the 8th best in medicine in NIRF Rankings 2021. In THE University Impact Rankings 2022, Amrita has been ranked among the Top 50 in the world. The world-renowned humanitarian Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, AMMA, is the Chancellor of the University.

Gurugram : With an aim to empower students with a holistic learning experience and world-class education standards, today Satya School was inaugurated by Shri. Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister, Haryana, in the presence of Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Satya School. Also, present at the event were the honorary members of the governing council, parents, students and school staff.

Speaking at the launch Shri. Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister of Haryana said, “India today is one of the fastest growing economies with a young population, hence the need is to focus on high-quality quality education to prepare our students to become the core of the Globalised world. It gives me immense pride to be a part of the Satya School launch today, a school that believes in setting new standards in education through its innovative learning techniques. Seeing the dedication and commitment of the management, I am confident that Satya School will set benchmarks and nurture the young geniuses and contribute towards creating a ‘New India & a New Global Civilisation’.”

Mr. Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Satya School said, “Our Children are the hope of a better, progressive and happy tomorrow. We believe that every child is a born star with infinite innate potential and education is a means to unleash that potential. It gives me immense pride to launch Satya School, a school that will stand as the epitome of unwavering commitment. Aligned with the National Education Policy of India, our students will be nurtured in a holistic learning environment and equipped with skills to take on the challenges of the fast-changing world. Our aim is to make Satya School- a Centre of Excellence, in the heart of Gurugram delivering the best quality education and preparing our students to become transformative leaders of tomorrow.”

Nestled in the heart of Gurugram, Satya School is spread over a 5-acre campus surrounded by lush green lawns with modern facilities. The school offers a dynamic curriculum comprising of the International Baccalaureate PYP Program in Primary Years and the National CBSE Curriculum in Grades 6-12. With a 100% Digitally enabled smart campus, the school promotes extra-curricular activities like swimming, badminton, table tennis, squash, gymnastic, football, basketball and cricket with trained coaches available at all times. The school’s innovative and progressive learning approach also focuses on empowering and supporting teachers with necessary professional development opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge through training, workshops, and conferences organized by national and international agencies.

Delivering the keynote, Pramath Raj Sinha, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ashoka University said, “The biggest barrier to inclusion of persons with special needs is access. Unfortunately, access for many planners comes as an afterthought, where solutions are retro-fitted. Inclusivity must come at the formative stage of our thinking and design”. Commenting about nurturing innovation, he further mentioned, “Innovation demands diverse perspectives. Diverse classrooms improve critical and entrepreneurial thinking. Thus, it is the responsibility of university campuses to be more inclusive for students with different abilities so that innovation may take birth”.

Speaking about the importance of such platforms, Ms. Reena Gupta, Founding Director, Office of Learning Support (OLS), Ashoka University stated, “The HEIs have a significant role to play in changing the narrative around inclusion. As educators and a community, we need to create inclusive spaces and more importantly, inclusive mindsets so that everyone benefits from the value students with disabilities bring to the institutions. Only by bringing a set of diverse thinking hats under one roof, including stakeholders from the industry, can we hope to deliver impact effectively at campuses.”

The keynote was followed by a panel discussion on “Disability Inclusivity, to Foster Environments that are More Accessible”, moderated by Priyank Narayan (Head of Department, Entrepreneurship & Director, InfoEdge Centre for Entrepreneurship, Ashoka University).

Sharing her experiences at the discussion, Sangeeta Robinson, Chief Sustainability Officer, PVR Cinemas highlighted that simple innovations were often the key that helped PVR Cinemas to become more inclusive. For instance, ensuring wheelchair access at the cinemas, enabling subtitles at select screenings, as well as exploring ways to provide audio-descriptions for persons with special needs.

Speaking candidly, Virat Bhatia, Managing Director, Apple shared that there is a need to identify the biggest challenges of the students with different needs, such as facing examinations. He emphasizes that if every single student is assisted during school or college, they can produce results that are at par or even better than their peers. Sharing her experiences, Gita Dang, Chairperson of Skill Council for persons with disability and Founder & Director of Talent Advisory Services highlighted how she engaged with organizations in real estate, entertainment and education sector to incorporate simple changes, such as a wheelchair symbol on an online listed property, to help make them become more inclusive. Further, Shakul Sonker, Co-founder, I-Stem shared his experiences of being a student with visual impairment at Ashoka, and how his stint at the university prepared him to start an initiative focusing on digital inclusion for people with disabilities.

The panel discussion was followed by a pitching competition where students demonstrated their innovations before the industry stakeholders to make Ashoka campus more accessible and inclusive. The students shared product ideas like inclusive bathroom fittings for students, as well as a way-finding app to navigate the university campus with features such as an audio aid, live location, and obstruction detector.

Kurukshetra : President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu launched blockchain-secured graduation degrees for the 1st time in Haryana at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, on November 29, 2022. The guests of honour at the ceremony were Shri Manohar Lal, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Haryana, and Shri Bandaru Dattatraya, Hon’ble Governor of Haryana. The convocation degrees were awarded to two consecutive batches of 2020 and 2021 whose convocation ceremony was deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The technology for awarding blockchain-secured certificates for the students has been provided by CertOnce, a global leader in offering blockchain-based solutions and responsible for implementing India’s 1st ever blockchain secured degree solution at MIT WPU, Pune.

The founders of CertOnce- Mr. Rajesh Ranjan & Mr. Pawan Khurana also happen to be an alumnus of NIT Kurukshetra and said that it was “a proud moment” to assist their alma mater in implementing the technology. Commenting on the recent milestone, Mr. Pawan Khurana, Co-founder & COO, said, “We are extremely proud to bring this disruptive technology to India in March 2021, with MIT World Peace University, Pune becoming the 1st ever Indian university to implement blockchain secured certificates for their students. In fact, they were so happy with the solution that they requested CertOnce to help issue such blockchain-secured certificates for all their former students as well.”

At the launch, the digital copies of the certificates were sent to all the students via email, published on the blockchain, and instantly verifiable on the NIT Kurukshetra website.“The entire process is implemented using the same open standards platform that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Boston uses,” added Mr. Khurana. The technology is considered the worldwide standard for verifiable credentials by w3g.org.

The increasing adoption of blockchain technology for academic credentials is also in line with the New Education Policy (NEP) and the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Digital India initiative. CertOnce has been a pioneer in helping institutes across India and US streamline their students’ records management processes by leveraging blockchain technology.

Chief Minister while flagging off the mobile screening bus acknowledged and appreciated the CSR initiative of DLF Foundation and Fortis Healthcare.

“Speaking on the occasion, Mrs Gayatri Paul, CEO DLF Foundation said, “DLF Foundation’s healthcare initiatives are focused on ensuring access to quality healthcare for all regardless of economic background. Wellness on Wheels is one such initiative that we have undertaken in collaboration with Fortis Memorial Research Institute Gurugram, under which the mobile health screening bus will offer free diagnostic services to rural and urban slum communities in Haryana. The underprivileged communities will benefit through an array of diagnostic services free of cost, including blood analysis, urine analysis, and HBA1C, among others.”

Mr Mahipal Singh Bhanot, said, “We are honored to have Honourable Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Manohar Lal Khattar ji with us to flag off this initiative. The partnership with DLF Foundation will help bridge the timely healthcare accessibility needs of the underprivileged communities by offering them free diagnostic services and doctors’ consultation in Gurugram and adjoining districts. I thank the State Government and all our stakeholders for their proactive support by making this initiative a success.”

New Delhi : Smile Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization working on various welfare projects across India, has partnered with the District Health Department, Government of Haryana and SBI Cards & Payment Services Limited to establish 10 E – Arogya Clinics that comprise of Tele – Medicine kiosk with Medicine Vending Machine (MVM).

These 10 E–Arogya clinics will cater to a population of around 10 Lakh as they fall under eight Primary Health Centers covering four blocks of Nuh district in Haryana.

Considering the need for a holistic approach to improve community health in Nuh, Smile Foundation, with the support of SBI Cards and Payment Services, is providing services of general and specialist doctors, free drug distribution, and screening for non-communicable diseases at E-Arogya Clinics stablished in Health and Wellness Centers in Nuh.

The initiative will also aid capacity building of front-line workers by organizing trainings as needed, in consultation with district health administration. E–Arogya clinics generate electronic health records of patients and keep a record of non-communicable disease prevalence.

The project was initiated in the district after providing 24 x 7 electricity back-up by installing solar power systems.

During the inauguration, Dr. Sarvjeet, Senior Medical Officer and Nodal officer PCPNDT representing the civil surgeon office acknowledged Smile foundation and SBI Cards and said, “E- Arogya clinic is an initiative that will benefit the rural community with both availability of doctors for consultations and free medicine distribution based on prescription. Such initiatives can be scaled up at the district level and it’ll strengthen the healthcare initiatives of Govt. under Ayushman Bharat. Organisations like Smile foundation and the CSR initiative of SBI Cards must continue to collaborate with the Government to scale up the E-Arogya clinics. The way Smile Foundation is implementing and facilitating the work is commendable. They are doing great work and should also focus on improving the health of women and children through immunisation and community behaviour change activities to transform the health status of Nuh.”

Commenting on the partnership, Vikram Singh Verma, Executive Director, Smile Foundation said, “We look forward to running this initiative successfully in partnership with the District Health Department, Government of Haryana and SBI Cards & Payments Services. This project will help strengthen the healthcare system in the state and drive accessibility and affordability through the E-Arogya Clinics. We believe that by addressing healthcare issues among communities, we can pave the way for overall social and economic development.”

“Telehealth is an important aspect of the newly constituted National Digital Health Mission launched by the honorable Prime Minister of India. We are happy to partner with a leading NGO like Smile Foundation to support change in community healthcare systems through technology-led interventions. Through this project we aim to support the National Health Policy in its aim of attainment of optimum health and well-being for all,” said CSR Representatives of SBI Cards and Payments Services Limited.

Smile Foundation has been working consistently in the health domain. Through 34 operational projects, the Foundation has taken healthcare to 541,835 people in 478 remote villages and slums.

Haryana : Taking the Digital India mission forward, M3M Foundation today signed an MoU with the District Administration Nuh to develop 20 government schools as SmartClass in the Nuh district of Haryana. While the smart classroom setup is to be provided by NITI Aayog and M3M Foundation will support with capacity building of teachers as well as the preparation of the curriculum for the teachers. On the occasion, an MoU was signed by Mr. Ajay Kumar Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Nuh and Dr. Aishwarya Mahajan, President, M3M Foundation.

Under the mandate of this agreement, the M3M Foundation will be responsible for strengthening the infrastructure of 20 government schools in Nuh, under its flagship ‘Saakshar’ program. The M3M Foundation will also facilitate all furniture support, by providing the chairs, desks as well as the digital support, through PCs and laptops for the schools. The Foundation will also extend full support to enhance the capacity of teachers and build the curriculum. They will provide a prescribed number of teachers in schools that do not have any, with the aim to improve the academic performance of all the students. The Nuh Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Ajay Kumar Singh acknowledged and appreciated the efforts of the M3M Foundation in the field of education.

On this occasion, Dr. Payal Kanodia, Trustee, M3M Foundation said, “We are extremely happy to sign this MoU with the District Administration of Nuh today. We will work towards strengthening the digital infrastructure of the government schools in Nuh. If the education system in schools inspires our children, then they in turn will be more determined to work towards achieving their educational goals. We firmly believe that children are the future of the country. With better education, all our children will go onto work towards the development of our nation. As we continue to nurture all the children under our wing, we are also working on plans to expand the scope and scale of our efforts further in the near future.”

This initiative will work towards the development of government schools of Nuh, Punhana, Nagina, Firozpur Jhirka and Tauru blocks of the district. With their tireless efforts, the M3M Foundation is working everyday towards the betterment of the children. This initiative by the M3M Foundation is sure to bring a positive change in the government schools of Nuh and give all the students a brighter future.