The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) recently announced the formation of a 19-member committee responsible for aligning school syllabus, textbooks, teaching materials, and learning resources with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). The committee’s mandate covers classes 3 to 12, and it will also aim to ensure a seamless transition from classes 1 and 2 to subsequent grades.
The 19-member committee comprises of experts from various domains, including distinguished professor and Fields Medallist Manjul Bhargava, Economist and Chairman of Economic Advisory Council to PM Bibek Debroy, philanthropist Sudha Murty, among others. The committee will be headed by National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) Chancellor MC Pant.

Foundational Learning

• Launch of special textbooks for tribal students: Union Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman recently launched Kuwi and Desia books at an event in Bhubaneswar for children who speak in these tribal languages in state. While addressing the gathering, the Education Minister mentioned that there are over 62 tribes covering 23% of the total population of Odisha, and hence, it becomes necessary to teach students with the help of pictures, stories and songs based on their local culture in order to improve their speaking skills, learning outcomes and cognitive development.
   
• Launch of reading campaign at national level: Room to Read India launched its annual flagship campaign, #IndiaGetsReading, spanning 12 states across the nation. Bringing together children, parents, caregivers, educators, government representatives, corporates and volunteers on a national and state level, the campaign aims to ignite a reading movement across India through dedicated reading moments with children, reading festivals, seminars, on-the-go mobile libraries, etc. 

Policy and Governance

• 50 school teachers attend I-Day event as special guests: 50 school teachers were selected from across India by the Ministry of Education to attend the 77th Independence Day function at Red Fort, New Delhi as 'special guests'. Chosen for their outstanding dedication and commitment to the field of education, the selected educators hailed from CBSE schools and Kendriya Vidyalayas from across the country.
   
• Event on new methods for primary education:  A two-day state-level exhibition-cum-competition on innovative teaching-learning materials (TLM) for pre-primary and primary classes was inaugurated at Thyagaraj Stadium in Delhi last week. Nearly 200 Delhi government and 60 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) school teachers attended the event and presented various innovative ideas that made use of waste material and eco-friendly resources to effectively engage children in classrooms. 
   
• Career readiness initiative for Maharashtra students: The Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training (MSCERT) launched a career readiness program for students from classes 9 to 12 in government schools for academic year 2023-24. Launched in line with NCF recommendations, this initiative will help approximately 70,000 students studying in government schools in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and Osmanaba with quality career guidance. 

EdTech

• Strengthening EdTech solutions using AI: Many EdTech firms are rapidly increasing the integration of AI for building efficiency for their solutions. Founders of these firms shared how they are finding new use cases including grading and feedback, co-piloting for teachers and students, among others, with the help of generative AI.

Schools

• Live telecast of 'Chandrayaan-3' landing in all state-run schools in UP: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the Moon landing by 'Chandrayaan-3' will be telecast live in all state-run schools in Uttar Pradesh. Schools will be specially opened for one hour in the evening today for student viewing.