Category: Education

A big study from the University of Birmingham shows that taking away phones at school doesn’t really help students do better in classes or feel happier. Researchers looked at 1,227 students from 30 different schools and found that taking phones away did not change how well students slept, exercised, or performed in school.

Interestingly, the study also revealed that even with phone bans, students were still using their phones just as much during the day. Dr. Victoria Goodyear, the leader of the study, said these bans alone are not enough to fix the problems caused by too much phone use.

She explained, “Simply banning phones at school doesn’t solve everything. We need better ways to help students manage their phone use.”

The study suggested that schools should take a more complete approach to help reduce phone use among students, rather than just banning phones. This means combining any school rules about phones with other ways to support students’ health and well-being.

This research comes after the UK Education Secretary dismissed a recent suggestion to create a new law to ban phones in classrooms, calling it a “headline-grabbing gimmick.” While she agrees that phones shouldn’t be in classes, she believes that this change doesn’t need new rules.

The Conservative Party has been pushing for laws to ban phones in classrooms, but the Education Secretary argues that it can be done without new laws.

As our world quickly moves into a future powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), these technologies are transforming how we live and work. From improving healthcare with personalized treatments to creating self-driving cars and making businesses more efficient, AI and ML are essential in driving progress globally.

In India, the AI market is expected to grow significantly, reaching $17 billion by 2027, which means there’s a big need for skilled AI and ML workers. However, India is currently facing a shortage: about 629,000 job openings in these fields by 2028, but only 416,000 trained professionals are available. This gap creates a fantastic chance for people to learn new skills and enter one of the most exciting careers.

Exciting Learning Opportunity!

The Advanced Certificate Programme in Applied AI and ML from IITM Pravartak is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to dive into the world of AI and ML. This course is created with Emeritus and mixes serious academic study with hands-on industry experience to prepare you for high-level jobs in this field.

Who Should Join This Programme?

This program is perfect for:

– Data Scientists and Analysts: Improve your AI and ML skills to analyze data better.
– Software Engineers: Learn to add AI features to your software projects or switch to AI-focused roles.
– Business Analysts and Consultants: Use AI to make smart, data-based decisions for better business results.
– Product Managers: Discover how to use AI to make great products and meet changing customer needs.
– Executives and Decision-Makers: Learn how AI can boost innovation and help make strategic decisions.

What Will You Learn?

By completing this programme, you will be able to:

– Lead AI/ML Projects: Manage AI and ML projects from start to finish while solving tough business problems.
– Make Smart Decisions: Use data to enhance business strategies and overall performance.
– Work Well with Teams: Communicate effectively with technical and business teams to achieve goals.
– Stay Updated: Keep up with the latest trends in AI and ML to stay competitive.

Why This Programme?

This course stands out because:

– Learn from Experts: Study with top professors, such as Professor C. Chandra Sekhar and Professor Dileep A.D., who have extensive knowledge in AI and ML.
– Real-World Skills: Get hands-on experience with over 35 tools used in the industry and live sessions with AI pros.
– Prestigious Certificates: Earn certificates from IITM Pravartak and IBM, which are well-respected in the job market.
– Flexible Learning: Enjoy the convenience of online classes, including recorded sessions and live discussions, allowing you to learn at your own pace.
– Capstone Project: Work on real projects, including a two-week capstone that challenges you to use AI and ML skills in real situations.
– Optional Immersion: Gain firsthand experience at Research Park, IIT Madras with an optional two-day immersion.
– Career Help: Take advantage of career workshops, networking opportunities, and placement assistance offered through Emeritus.

Programme Details

– Start Date: March 27, 2025
– Duration: 11 months
– Commitment: 9-10 hours per week
– Fee: ₹1,50,000 + GST
– Format: Online with live sessions
– Note: Flexible Payment Options Available

In Conclusion

By signing up for this programme, you will prepare for an exciting career in AI and ML, gaining the skills and certifications needed to take on leadership roles and make notable contributions to technology.

Click here to learn more and enroll in the Advanced Certificate Programme in Applied AI and Machine Learning from IITM Pravartak today!

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is organizing a special workshop on student mental health and well-being on February 12, 2025. This event is for Principals, Counselors, and Wellness Teachers from CBSE-affiliated schools in the Delhi/NCR area.

Details of the Workshop:
– Date: February 12, 2025
– Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
– Location: Venkateshwar International School, Section 10, Dwarka, New Delhi—110075
– Arrival Time: Participants need to come by 9:30 a.m. for check-in.

The workshop will cover important topics like understanding mental health, spotting early signs of problems, and how to help students in crisis. It will help educators learn practical ways to support students emotionally.

How to Sign Up:
1. Go to the official CBSE website: cbse.gov.in
2. Find the workshop notice in the latest news section.
3. A PDF file will open with a link to the registration form.
4. Click the link, fill out the form, and submit it.
5. Don’t forget to save a screenshot of your submission!

Seating is Limited: Make sure to sign up quickly to secure your spot. Confirmation emails will be sent to those who are selected to attend.

Important Dates:
– The CBSE Class 10 and Class 12 board exams will start on February 15, 2025. Admit cards are already available on the CBSE website.

Are you a researcher dreaming of building your own career? The University of Manchester is offering the British Academy International Fellowships for 2025! This fellowship is perfect for early career researchers like you who want to grow your research skills while experiencing life in the UK.

Here’s what you need to know about the fellowship:

– What is it? This program helps talented researchers get their first big step in an independent research career, working for 2 years in a UK university.

– Who can apply? They want bright minds from around the world, especially from developing countries. The Global Development Institute (GDI) at the University of Manchester is ready to support you with mentorship and guidance.

– Key Dates:
– Application Deadline: March 18, 2025, by 5 PM GMT.
– Start Date: You can begin working from October 1, 2025.

– Eligibility: To apply, make sure you meet these criteria:
– You should have a PhD or be close to finishing one (your PhD must be done before the fellowship starts).
– You should have less than seven years of full-time postdoctoral experience (teaching or industry work counts).
– You’re currently working outside the UK and are not a UK citizen.
– You need to speak and write in English well.
– You must have a clear research proposal that both you and a UK researcher agree on.

– How to Apply: Interested? Contact Odile Masiá, the GDI research manager, by February 14, 2025, for help.

For more details, visit the official website

JEE Advanced is one of the hardest tests in the world. It is used for getting into the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), which are among the best schools for engineering in India. But, there are more schools that also accept scores from JEE Advanced to admit students.

Here are a few other important colleges that take JEE Advanced scores:

– IISc: The Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore is known for its top ranking in education and research. It has a Bachelor of Science program and accepts JEE Advanced scores.

– IIST: The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram uses JEE Advanced scores for its engineering courses, including Aerospace Engineering and Electronics and Communication Engineering.

– IIPE: The Indian Institute of Petroleum lets students in using JEE Advanced scores for its Petroleum Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering programs.

– RGIPT: The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology also accepts JEE Advanced scores. It offers many courses, such as Computer Science, Chemical Engineering with specializations, and Mechanical Engineering.

This year, the IIT will hold the JEE Advanced exam on May 18, 2025. The exam lasts for three hours and has two parts: Part 1 is from 9 AM to 12 PM, and Part 2 is from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Before taking JEE Advanced, students need to pass the JEE Main and be among the top 250,000 students.

Make sure to keep an eye out for the JEE Main 2025 results, which will be out by February 12.

The Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPBPB) has just released the admit cards for the first round of the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) for the Constable recruitment exam. You can find your admit card on their official website, uppbpb.gov.in.

Here’s how you can download your admit card:
1. Go to the official website: uppbpb.gov.in.
2. On the home page, look for the link that says “UP Police Constable 2024 PET Admit Card.”
3. Enter your registration number and date of birth, then click submit.
4. Your PET admit card will appear on the screen. Don’t forget to download it!

If you have trouble downloading your admit card, you can call the helpline at 8867786192 for help.

The PET will start on February 10, 2025. The admit card for the second part of the physical test will also be available on the same day.

Earlier, the written exam for the Constable recruitment, attended by approximately 48 lakh students, took place in two phases. The first phase was held on August 23, 24, and 25, where about 28.91 lakh candidates participated. The second phase was conducted on August 30 and 31 for around 19.26 lakh candidates.

In November 2024, the results were announced. A total of 1,74,316 candidates passed, which is about two and a half times the number of jobs available (60,244 positions).

UPPRPB chairman Rajeev Krishna shared that they used advanced technology, strict privacy measures, and strong security to prevent cheating during the exam. Artificial intelligence (AI) helped in making sure everything was fair and secure.

Out of the 60,244 jobs, 12,049 are reserved for women candidates, and 48,195 will be for men, following the reservation rules. Candidates who passed the exam also completed a document verification round and are now ready for the PET.

Scientists have found a special type of immune cell named “stem-like T cells.” These cells may be very important for keeping our immune system strong, especially when dealing with tough illnesses like cancer and long-lasting infections.

When people have diseases like cancer, their immune cells, known as T cells, can become tired and stop working well. This study was done by the researchers at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

They discovered that stem-like T cells can stay strong for longer. This is because they have a special protein named ID3, which helps them not get tired. These ID3 T cells can make copies of themselves and fight diseases better than regular T cells that don’t have this protein.

Catarina Gago da Graca, a PhD student involved in the study, explained how important ID3 T cells are in solving one of the biggest problems in treating serious diseases: tired immune systems.

The researchers also found that certain signals in our body can help the number of ID3 T cells grow. This means that by increasing these cells, we could make treatments like CAR T cell therapy more effective.

Professor Ricky Johnstone, who is part of the Peter Mac team, said if we can make ID3 cells even stronger, it could lead to better treatments for cancer and help patients’ immune systems work better.

Moreover, Dr. Daniel Utzschneider from the Doherty Institute added that this research could lead to better immunotherapy treatments and vaccines that give longer-lasting protection.

This study was a team effort involving scientists from many places, including La Trobe University, Northwestern University in the USA, and the University of Birmingham in the UK.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that the admit cards (also called hall tickets) for the Class 10 and Class 12 final exams are now available. But, here’s the catch: only schools can download them from the Pariksha Sangam Portal. So if you’re a student, you’ll need to visit your school to collect your admit card.

Here’s how schools can download the admit cards:
1. Go to the official CBSE website at cbse.gov.in.
2. Click on the Pariksha Sangam Portal.
3. Press ‘Continue’ when prompted.
4. Select ‘Schools (Ganga)’.
5. Find the tab for pre-exam activities.
6. Click on the link for admit cards and centre material for the 2025 main exam.
7. Enter the login details and download the admit cards.

Important dates for the exams are:
– Class 10 exams start on February 15 and end on March 18.
– Class 12 exams start on February 15 and end on April 4.
– All exams will be conducted in one shift starting at 10:30 AM.

More than 44 lakh students from 8,000 schools in India and abroad will take these board exams.

CBSE has also shared important rules for the exams, including what students can and cannot bring into the exam hall. Here’s a quick overview of the rules:

Allowed Items:
– Admit card and school ID (regular students).
– Admit card and a government-issued photo ID (private candidates).
– Stationery: Transparent pouch, geometry box, blue/royal blue pen, scale, writing pad, eraser, analogue watch, and a transparent water bottle.
– Metro card, bus pass, and money.

Prohibited Items:
– No books, notes, calculators, or any electronic devices like mobile phones and smartwatches.
– No bags, wallets, or any eatable items unless you’re a diabetic student.
– Any other items that could be used for cheating are also banned.

Finally, regular students should wear their school uniform, while private students can dress in light, casual clothes.

Good news for students looking to study engineering! The Indian government has announced that they will add 6,500 new undergraduate seats at five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) starting next year. These new seats will come from five IITs set up after 2014 in places like Tirupati, Dharwad, Palakkad, Jammu, and Bhilai. IIT Patna will also get some upgrades to its facilities.

Additionally, a brand new center for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education will be established, costing ₹500 crores. Currently, there are 23 IITs that together admit over 17,700 students for BTech courses.

The government is increasing its budget for IITs by nearly 10%, raising it from ₹10,324 crores to ₹11,349 crores for the 2025-26 fiscal year. This will help newer IITs to build better facilities for students.

Furthermore, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced 10,000 new Prime Minister Research Fellowships aimed at technological research in IITs and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). This doubles the money allocated for this program to ₹600 crores from ₹250 crores in the previous year.

Overall, the education sector’s budget has also gone up by 6.2% to ₹1,28,650 crores. The biggest share goes to the school education department, which receives ₹78,572.10 crores, while higher education funding is set at ₹50,077.95 crores.

However, some schools like Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and IISERs will see budget cuts. For example, Navodaya Vidyalayas face a ₹500-crore reduction, while the budget for the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has been cut in half. The cuts for these schools won’t affect their overall operations too much, as they mainly concern land purchases.

On a brighter note, the PM Schools for Rising India (PM Shri) program will receive a big boost, increasing its funding by ₹1,450 crores, bringing the total to ₹7,500 crores. The overall funding for various school projects across states has also increased to ₹41,250 crores.

Great news for those who applied to be a Constable or Sepoy with the Odisha Police! The Odisha Police State Selection Board (SSB Odisha) has shared the results of the written exam. You can find the results on their official website, odishapolice.gov.in.

What to Do Next?
If you passed the written exam, congratulations! You are on the list for the next step, called the Physical Efficiency Test (PET). The board has also given you a chance to see your scores. Use your application number and date of birth to check your score.

Important Details:
– The exam was computer-based and held from December 7 to 18.
– Before sharing the results, the board released answer keys to help you see how you did.
– You could also raise issues about the answers until December 30.
– This recruitment drive is looking to fill 2,030 spots for Constables in different battalions. The board initially planned for 1,360 but later increased it to 2,030.

How to Check Your Result:
1. Go to the Odisha Police website at odishapolice.gov.in.
2. Click on the recruitment tab for Sepoy/Constable.
3. Find the list of candidates for the PET.
4. Select your battalion and check if your roll number is there.
5. For your score, click the scorecard download link. Enter your details and log in to see your results.

More Opportunities:
The Odisha Police is also looking for applicants for 933 Sub-Inspector positions. If you’re interested, you can apply online until February 10 on the same website.