Four Year ITEP: Registrations begin from academic session 2022-23

Campaign for by-polls in 3 Lok Sabha seats and 30 assembly seats in 14 states has ended Wednesday evening. The by-elections will be held on Saturday. Lok Sabha by-polls will be held for Khandwa parliamentary constituency in Madhya Pradesh, Mandi in Himachal Pradesh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The by-elections for assembly seats will be held in 14 states including Assam, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Haryana and Maharashtra.

-Ministry of Education has notified the Four Year Integrated Teacher Education Programme- ITEP. It is a  dual-major holistic bachelor’s degree offering B.A. B.Ed/  B. Sc. B. Ed. and B.Com. B.Ed. which is one of the major mandates of the National Education Policy, NEP 2020 related to Teacher Education. As per the NEP, 2020, teacher engagement from the year 2030 onwards will be only through ITEP. It will be offered in pilot mode initially in about 50 selected multidisciplinary institutions across the country. Ministry of Education in a statement said that the commencement of Four Year ITEP will begin from the academic session 2022-23. Admission for the same will be carried out by the National Testing Agency (NTA) through the National Common Entrance Test (NCET). This course will be offered by multidisciplinary institutions and will become the minimal degree qualification for schoolteachers. National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has devised the curriculum of this course in such a way that it enables a student-teacher to get a degree in education as well as a specialized discipline such as history, mathematics, science, arts, economics, or commerce. ITEP will not only impart cutting-edge pedagogy but will also establish a foundation in early childhood care and education, foundational literacy and numeracy, inclusive education, and an understanding of India and its values among others.  ITEP will be available for all students who choose to teach as a profession after secondary, by choice. This integrated course will benefit students since they will save one year by finishing it in four years rather than the customary five years required by the present B.Ed. plan.

-Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya released Krishi UDAN 2.0 on Wednesday which lays out the vision of improving value realization through better integration and optimization of Agri-harvesting and air transportation. The scheme proposes to facilitate and incentivize the movement of Agri-produce by air transportation. The Minister said Krishi UDAN 2.0 is an example of the government’s collaborative approach towards policymaking. This scheme will open up new avenues of growth for the agriculture sector and help attain the goal of doubling farmers' income by removing barriers in the supply chain, logistics and transportation of farm produce. The Krishi UDAN 2.0 will be implemented at 53 airports across the country mainly focusing on Northeast and tribal regions and is likely to benefit farmers, freight forwarders and Airlines. The Ministry of Civil Aviation plans to be pilot the scheme for 6 months, and, will introduce amendments based on the results of the evaluation and consultations with other stakeholders.

-A massive fire broke out at the ancient Malana village of Kullu district in Himachal Pradesh in the early hours on Wednesday. More than a dozen houses were gutted in the fire affecting 150 people. The raging fire doused by the local firefighters is now under control but it has caused heavy loss to the property. No casualties have been reported in this incident.  However, 12 to 16 wood houses have been completely burnt-out. Relief materials have been dispatched to the affected village. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief for the families affected due to the fire tragedy. In a tweet, Mr Modi said that the state government and local administration are engaged in relief and rescue work with full readiness.

-Delhi schools will re-open from  November 1. Briefing reporters in New Delhi, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia said, parents will not be forced to send their kids to school. He said, all classes will be conducted in blended or hybrid mode.Sisodia said, 100 per cent vaccination coverage for all Staff of the schools will be ensured. Deputy Chief Minister said, Delhi Disaster Management Authority has also allowed to perform Chhath Puja in the national capital in the public. He said, Chhath Puja will be done under strict COVID protocol.

-The Nag River revitalization project conceptualized by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways  Nitin Gadkari has been approved by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC). It is an ambitious project for the people of Nagpur. In a tweet,Gadkari informed that that following the Cabinet's approval, work worth of  2 thousand 117 crore rupees will now actually begin. He said,  a period of eight years have been fixed for the completion of the work under this project. Under it,  three STP projects, a 500-kilometer sewerage network, a pumping station and community toilets will be constructed.