Talking Point: Can ethnic attire in convocation ceremonies inculcate national pride

TNN | Sep 16, 2019, 04.12 PM IST

The elaborate robes and caps of convocation ceremonies may take a bow with UGC asking all universities to use traditional garments to instil national pride among students. Education Times spoke to stakeholders if it can reinforce patriotic fervour

Welcome step

Convocation gowns are a legacy of British tradition. If we use an attire which is reflective of Indian culture and climate, I see it as a welcome step. Many Indian higher educational institutes are already in favour of changing the convocation attire to be in tune with the Indian climate and culture. In its second convocation, JNU adopted a simple Indian convocation attire. Wearing an Indian convocation attire has the potential to connect the students with our culture.

- M Jagadesh Kumar, vice chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)

Pride and prejudice

While western robes were a staple during convocation ceremonies at IIT-Delhi in the past, the convocation committee has plans to launch traditional attire from 2020 onwards. Shedding colonial clothes makes practical sense and the inclusion of handloom or even regional attire will have a positive impact on students' psyche. If we are modernising our curriculum, then why not the dress code? Such a move will boost our khadi and handloom industries.

- V Ramgopal Rao, director, IIT-Delhi

Reflection of Indian ethos

UGC's circular to introduce traditional robes is a syndrome of a larger global discourse of emphasising local traditions against cultural impositions from elsewhere. The western convocation outfit is born out of a specific cultural, geographical and climatological context. Heavy fur-lined robes are typically worn in the colder slimes of northern Europe. The move can have a significant impact on India's demographic and cultural dividend, as they identify themselves with the ethos understood to be uniquely Indian.

- Aryapriya Ganguly, Associate Professor, Indian School of Business & Finance (ISBF), New Delhi

Unjustified move

The decision to introduce traditional robes during convocation ceremonies is unjustified because a convocation ceremony is a special memory in a student's life. How they want it to happen should be entirely their choice from what they wear to what they speak. Changing the type of attire cannot instil a sense of national pride as it is something which has to come naturally to people and actions like these might act against that of what is intended.

- Shivee Dabas, third year student, BA (Honours) English, Hansraj College, Delhi University

Jindal Global University Bags 'Institution of Eminence' Status

Twenty institutions were recommended by the University Grant Commission (UGC) for the IoE status earlier this month.

Education | Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: September 17, 2019 21:00 IST



Located in Sonipat, Haryana, the JGU comprises eight inter-disciplinary schools.

NEW DELHI:

The O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) has been recognised as the 'Institution of Eminence' (IoE) by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. "Our commitment to excellence is deeply embedded in the vision and mission of our university. The recognition of the JGU as an IoE in its first decade of existence is a tribute to the outstanding contribution of its faculty, students and staff," the founding Chancellor and benefactor of JGU, Naveen Jindal, said on Tuesday.

"This will create new opportunities for expanding the university while breaking new grounds in promoting excellence and innovation. It heralds a new era in our journey towards nation-building," Jindal said.

Twenty institutions were recommended by the University Grant Commission (UGC) for the IoE status earlier this month.

The UGC, at its 542nd meeting on August 2 discussed the N. Gopalaswami-headed empowered expert committee's report recommending 15 public institutions and 15 private institutions for award of the IoE status.

The JGU said with its entry into a select list of top 10 private institutions in the country, it will be freed from regulatory control and given full autonomy.

"This is a red letter day for the JGU and is truly remarkable that the recognition of the JGU as an 'Institution of Eminence' has come during our 10th anniversary celebrations," said C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor of the JGU.


"Our entire university community is committed to achieving the IOE mandates and targets, and to meet the overall goal of JGU being ranked a top global university," he said.

Located in Sonipat, Haryana, the JGU comprises eight inter-disciplinary schools. As a part of its application, the JGU submitted a 15-year vision to enter the world university rankings.

It seeks to address academic matters, faculty recruitment, student admissions and scholarship, research, collaborations, infrastructure development and governance, among others.

In July 2019, the JGU was ranked by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in the top 150 global universities that are under 50 years of age. In June 2019, the JGU broke into top 1,000 in the QS World University Rankings 2020. Of the 50 new entrants, the JGU was the youngest university in the list.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Court says no to plea for CBI probe against Unnao doctors

‘It’s the prerogative of the CBI to conduct the prosecution’

19/09/2019 , press trust of india, New Delhi 

 

A Delhi court has refused to direct the CBI to initiate a probe against the doctors who had treated the father of the Unnao rape survivor when he was injured and in judicial custody, saying it was the prerogative of the CBI to conduct the prosecution.
District Judge Dharmesh Sharma was hearing a plea filed by the counsel of the woman, who was allegedly raped by Uttar Pradesh MLA Kuldeep Sengar in 2017.

The court, however, said that if during the course of the trial any evidence surfaces about the role played by any of the doctors in the entire episode, appropriate orders would be passed.
Senior Public Prosecutor Ashok Bhartendu had opposed the plea saying that nothing has come up in their investigation so far to call the doctors as accused before the court.

The plea, filed by advocate Dharmendra Mishra, had alleged that the doctors at the district hospital deliberately did not examine the father of the woman properly at the behest of Sengar.

Charges framed

The court had earlier framed charges against Sengar and nine others for allegedly assaulting and framing the rape survivor's father in an arms case and murdering him in judicial custody.

Proposal to pay students’ CBSE exam fee gets Cabinet approval
The move will benefit 3.14 lakh students, cost govt. ₹57 crore

 19/09/2019 , Special Correspondent , NEW DELHI

The Delhi Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Department of Education’s proposal that the State government will pay the CBSE examination fee of Class X and XII students of government and government-aided schools, including taken over schools and Patrachar Vidyalayas.

The move is likely to benefit 3.14 lakh students and will cost the government ₹57 crore. This will be implemented from the current academic session (2019-20) onwards.

Giving details, the government said that the DoE will remit the total exam fee of students directly to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) through heads of schools concerned.

The fee will include that paid towards practical examinations for science stream and vocational subjects opted by students of Class XII. “No fee shall be collected from students on account of CBSE board exam fee,” the government said.

₹1,800 per student

“There are 1,79,914 students studying in Class X, and 1,33,802 students in Class XII. There are five compulsory subjects and one optional subject for which fee is to be remitted. This will be ₹1,800 per student,” the government said.

Earlier, the government had announced that it will pay the fees of students after the CBSE notified the hike last month.

The CBSE had increased the fee for general category students from ₹750 to ₹1,500 for five subjects. Justifying the increase in examination fee, CBSE had said that expenditure on Class X and XII exams amounted to approximately ₹500 crore last year and that earnings from student exam fee was less than ₹250 crore.

DGCA grounds 3 IndiGo pilots, 2 engineers

19/09/2019 , New Delhi

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has grounded three pilots and two aircraft maintenance engineers of IndiGo for not reporting vibrations in the Pratt and Whitney engines. The PW engine-powered aircraft have been facing glitches since their induction in 2016. PTI

Insurance investigators can call for road accident records
Police can’t deny information treating them as ‘third party’, rules panel
 
19/09/2019 , S. Vijay Kumar, CHENNAI 


 
State Information Commissioner advised Ramanathapuram SP to instruct all police stations in the district to ensure that accident documents are shared without delay. File Photo

Insurance investigators are entitled under the law to access records relating to road accidents and police cannot deny such details by treating them as “third party”, the Tamil Nadu Information Commission has ruled.

Passing orders on an appeal filed by an Insurance Investigator K. Karuppiah of Madurai, who challenged the denial of a fatal road accident case documents sought by him under the Right to Information Act, 2005, the Commission citing a Supreme Court ruling said the petitioner was well within the legal framework to access the road accident case details.

Request rejected

In June 2018, Mr. Karuppiah wrote to the Ramanathapuram Town Crime Inspector seeking copies of the insurance copy, Registration Certificate, driving licence; permit copy, First Information Report, sketch of accident scene, wound certificate and post-mortem copy of a fatal road accident.

The public authority refused to divulge any information on the grounds that it could not be shared with a “third party”.

He stated that the information could be shared only with the affected persons only. The petitioner filed an appeal before the first appellate authority and not satisfied with the reply moved the Tamil Nadu Information Commission. After hearing both sides, State Information Commissioner T. Dhakshinamurthy held that the denial of information to the Insurance Investigator on the grounds that he was a “third party” was incorrect and unacceptable.

He said the Supreme Court in the General Insurance Council and others versus the State of Andhra Pradesh had ruled that police should share accident documents should be shared by the police with Insurance Investigators in order to provide suitable compensation to the victims at the earliest.

The Director-General of Police had also issued a circular in this regard.

Case closed

After the Ramanathapuram police, represented by the Additional Superintendent of Police, agreed to provide the documents sought by the petitioner during the course of the hearing, the Commission closed the case.

Mr. Dhakshinamurthy advised the Ramanathapuram Superintendent of Police to instruct all police stations in the district to ensure that road accident documents sought by Insurance Investigator be issued without any delay.

Though beneficial, common language not possible in India’
Rajini warns that States will oppose imposition of Hindi

19/09/2019 , Staff Reporter, CHENNAI 


Rajinikanth

Actor and Rajini Makkal Mandram founder Rajinikanth on Wednesday said that though having a common language will be beneficial for the growth and unity of a country, such an arrangement was ‘unfortunately’ not possible in India.

When asked about Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark that Hindi alone could be a unifying language in India, the actor said: “Having a common language is beneficial for the growth and unity of any country. Unfortunately, we cannot have that in India. Specifically, we cannot impose Hindi in India. If they [the government] do that, it will be opposed not only by the south Indian States but by some north Indian States as well.”

When asked about the death of Subasri, a young woman who was killed after a banner placed by an AIADMK functionary fell on her, Mr. Rajinikanth said he had already told his fans to avoid putting up banners.

Meanwhile, there were reports that Mr. Rajinikanth had met office-bearers of the Mandram to discuss the future course of his political journey. However, sources in the Mandram said the actor hadn’t held any consultations with its members in the recent past. “The reports about him meeting office-bearers to discuss the perception of him being close to the BJP are all rumours. As he has already mentioned, he will start a political party when the time is right. Until then, he has asked the office-bearers of RMM not to speak about politics,” a source said.