Education
Pariksha Pe Charcha: PM Modi to engage with students; Sadguru, Mary Kom, Deepika to join discussion

New Delhi, Feb 6: The much-anticipated eighth edition of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ (PPC) is set to return in an expanded format, featuring an array of distinguished experts and guests, alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Aimed at fostering a stress-free and holistic approach to education, the interactive session will be broadcast at 11 a.m. on February 10, promising engaging discussions on exam-related challenges, mental health, career choices, and the effective use of technology.
This year, the programme will feature an impressive line-up of personalities, including spiritual leader Sadhguru, Bollywood actors Deepika Padukone, Vikrant Massey, and Bhumi Pednekar, as well as sports icons Mary Kom, Avani Lekhara, and Suhas Yathiraj.
Other notable guests include nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, entrepreneur Radhika Gupta, and digital influencer Technical Guruji, among others.
Together, they will provide students with insights on handling exam stress, maintaining focus, and achieving academic success.
PPC 2025 will consist of eight episodes, making it the most extensive edition yet. The event kicked off with an online multiple-choice question (MCQ) competition, held from December 14, 2024, to January 14, 2025.
Open to students from classes 6 to 12, along with teachers and parents, the competition allowed participants to submit questions, some of which will be answered directly by the Prime Minister. Selected winners will have the rare opportunity to interact with him.
Sadhguru will shed light on reducing exam stress through meditation and inner peace, while Radhika Gupta and Technical Guruji will discuss the responsible use of technology and Artificial Intelligence as study aids.
Mary Kom, Avani Lekhara, and Suhas Yathiraj will highlight the importance of integrating sports into daily life to manage academic pressure.
Superstar Deepika Padukone will address mental health issues, breaking stigmas, and building resilience, while actors Vikrant Massey and Bhumi Pednekar will highlight the significance of creative learning.
Nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, along with Sonali Sabharwal and Revant Himatsingka of FoodPharmer fame, will highlight the role of proper nutrition in enhancing cognitive function and overall well-being.
The event will also showcase toppers from various competitive exams who will share their personal journeys and strategies for academic excellence.
With a focus on tackling exam stress and career-related concerns, the discussions aim to inspire students to approach education with confidence rather than anxiety.
As part of the build-up to the main event, the Prime Minister recently interacted with 30-40 students at Sundar Nursery in Delhi.
The grand event on February 10 will take place at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, where 2,500 selected students will participate in person. These students will receive exclusive PPC kits from the Ministry of Education designed to enhance their learning experience.
Additionally, the top 10 ‘Legendary Exam Warriors’ will be granted an exclusive visit to the Prime Minister’s residence, offering them a unique and inspiring opportunity.
Since its beginning in 2018, PPC has been a main highlight of the Prime Minister’s vision for a stress-free education system. Inspired by his book ‘Exam Warriors’, the initiative encourages students to approach exams with a positive mindset.
Over the years, PPC has evolved, incorporating new technologies and interactive elements to remain relevant and impactful.
The eighth edition has already set a new benchmark, recording an all-time high participation of 3.6 crore registrations, including 3.3 crore students, 2.7 lakh teachers, and 5.5 lakh parents.
With its enriched format and a stellar panel of experts, PPC 2025 is set to be a transformative experience for students nationwide.
Crime
Four arrested for duping CET aspirants by promising them success

Mumbai: Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed to have arrested four fraudsters for duping aspirants by promising to increase success rate and ratio in MBA, MHCET and other government exams. Crime Branch has busted a gang which stole the data of candidates registered and enrolled in State CET Cell Mumbai MBA, MHCT exams and contacted a total of 72 candidates from Maharashtra through mobile phones, luring them to get admission in prestigious colleges and demanding Rs 15 to 20 lakh.
Crime Branch Unit 5 has taken action in this case, while the case was registered at Azad Maidan Police Station in Mumbai. The accused involved in this case used to make calls and audio and video calls through WhatsApp to the affected candidates of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan and other states and extorted lakhs of rupees from them by luring them to increase percentage in MBA, MHCT exams. Police have claimed to have arrested 4 accused from New Delhi using modern technology in this case. More arrests are expected in this case, as important action has been taken by wearing masks.
DCP Datta Nalawade said that complaints were being received from various districts of Maharashtra that there was manipulation in government examinations and the percentage of admission in prestigious colleges was being increased by hacking the website. The Crime Branch took action and arrested four accused. These accused told that if any center including Beed, Jalna and Parbhani is selected in the state of Maharashtra, then they will play an important role in making it successful. This action was taken on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar.
Education
CBSE pattern in Maha govt schools from academic year 2025-26: Education Minister Bhuse

Mumbai, March 20: Maharashtra Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse announced on Thursday that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) pattern will be implemented in government schools across the state from the academic year 2025-26.
Textbooks under CBSE will be made available in Marathi by April 1.
The Education Department has issued instructions to the schools governed by the state education boards to implement the CBSE curriculum, the Minister told the Legislative Council.
The minister replied to the question raised by the BJP legislator Prasad Lad. He wanted to know whether the Steering Committee has approved the curriculum plan of the CBSE especially when the implementation of the National Education Policy for schools from class 3 to 12 is underway in the state.
“CBSE pattern will be implemented from the academic year 2025-2026 and the government has taken this decision with an aim of improving the quality of students in the state,” said the minister.
His announcement comes days after the Steering Committee had approved the State Curriculum Framework in relation to the school education department.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had reviewed the work of all the departments including the school education department for the next 100 days.
Accordingly, he had expressed confidence in the meeting of the School Education Department that Maharashtra would once again come to the forefront of school education.
The Chief Minister directed that the Education Department should take steps for quality education.
He has also directed the School Education Department about the adoption of the CBSE pattern in the state government schools by making necessary changes.
Education
Assembly member Abu Asim Azmi demands filling of the post of Minister of Minority Affairs, requests special attention to the level of education

Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim has demanded grants to schools, assistance to minority institutions and introduction of educational scholarships. Minorities, especially Muslims, are facing problems in the state due to pending issues of the minority community in the state. Assembly member Abu Asim Azmi has sent a letter to the Minister of Minority Affairs demanding immediate attention to the issues and pending issues of Muslims and also requested to resolve the issues.
In the letter, Azmi said that the free matriculation scholarship given to minority students in the state has been stopped and the dropout rate of students leaving Turkish education schools is around 50 percent and there is a fear that the dropout rate will increase due to the discontinuation of the scholarship. Therefore, the Justice Department should announce Fatima Sheikh Scholarship for students from class 1 to 10. In addition, Rs 5,000 is provided for vocational courses as no government subsidy is provided for courses like microbiology. The education grant for minority students will be increased from Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000. There is also a need to consider what steps the government should take to ensure this and start scholarships.
The government’s decision to provide a grant of Rs 10 lakh for infrastructure facilities to minority schools was implemented during the model code of conduct for the assembly elections, but no proposal has been sought in this regard yet. The proposal for the year 2023-24 under the grant scheme for infrastructure facilities to minority schools is pending due to the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections and the grant has not been distributed to the schools yet. Steps should also be taken to distribute the grant to eligible schools of minority communities.
The above vacancies are for officers and employees in the Maulana Azad Economic Development Corporation and the Ministry of Minority Development, established for the betterment of the minority community. Only 20% of the grants sanctioned for the betterment of the minority community have been spent so far and the above mentioned vacant posts should be filled up by making appointments as early as possible.
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