‘STEM labs’ to come up at Ranchi’s model schools as pilot project

RANCHI: The school education and literacy department is all set to start STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) labs as pilot project in Ranchi’s five blocks at around 20 proposed model schools, officials said on Monday.

The Hemant Soren government had in December last year announced to convert 4,500 schools into centres of excellence and model schools in next five years.

The department has aimed to start at least 80 such schools in the current academic session.

Director of Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) Shailesh Chaurasia said out of the 80 schools, tender for 27 existing schools have been floated for setting digital infrastructure. The STEM labs would be started in Ranchi’s five blocks as pilot project, he said.

The labs would help students, having a knack for mathematics, science, and technology-related subjects, with practical learning and problemsolving ability based on theories taught in regular classes.

Major underlying issues prevalent in government schools include student attendance and overall learning outcome.

The state government believes that such a project will help in terms of value addition and in creating an interactive atmosphere for students, according to a press communiqué issued by the Information and Public Relation department on Monday.

The project is being implemented through the innovation fund of state government and has been adopted in Ranchi district.

According to an administration official, the labs will be open to students from all government schools in the respective block.

After evaluating the impact of this project, similar labs will be set up in all the blocks, the official said.

RANCHI: CPI(M) member and Jharkhand in-charge Brinda Karat on Monday said the Narendra Modi government at the Centre was looting public money and muzzling the voice of democracy.

Hitting back at the Centre following the arrest of 21-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi from Bengaluru, she said the Union government was making continual attack on the right to dissent. “Why is Vishwa Guru so scared?” the CPI(M) leader quipped, making an oblique reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The CPI(M) leader was attending the party’s state committee meeting, which concluded on Monday, in Maithon.

Disha had only shared the toolkit of Greta Thunberg, the environmental activist from Sweden, she said. The veteran leader was also critical of the five-day raid at the office of an independent media organisation NewsClick, and the arrest of independent journalist Mandeep Punia, who is currently out on bail.

“The government is scared of public opinion,” she said.

Speaking out on constant rise in prices of petrol and diesel, and a further ₹50 hike in LPG cylinders, the Politburo member said , “It is public loot,”, adding that the CPI(M) will stage protest against the price hike in Jharkhand.

The government is scared of public opinion.

BRINDA KARAT, member

CPI(M)

On matters of the state, she said the issues faced by farmers and tribals in Jharkhand depicts that “all is not well” in the Hemant Soren government. Paddy purchase was not up to the mark and farmers were selling their produce at half the market price, she said, adding that the government bonus on MSP was only in paper.

Six farmers of Dumka sold 5,000 quintals of paddy to private parties at lower price, as they could not sell it to government procurement centres, she said. The CPI(M) leader also mentioned that adivasi lands were being procured for preparing land bank.

Fifteen labourers were killed and at least five were severely injured when the truck carrying them overturned near Kingaon village in Yaval taluka of Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district in the early hours of Monday. Seven men, six women and two children lost their lives in the accident. According to the highway traffic police, the truck, which was also carrying papayas, was on its way from Sakri in Dhule district to Raver in Jalgaon district when the accident took place.

Police officials said the truck driver lost control over the wheel because of potholes. “The truck was taking a steep turn when it overturned and the labourers were crushed under the papayas,” said a police officer. The driver of the vehicle has also sustained minor injuries and is being treated at a rural hospital along with the other injured labourers. Police said he will be arrested by the Yaval police after being discharged from the hospital. A case of accidental death has been lodged and further investigation is on, they said. “Since the accident took place a few minutes after midnight, the rescue operations were delayed. The injured have been admitted and are receiving treatment,” said a police officer.

PM Narendra Modi has mourned the loss of lives and prayed for an early recovery of those injured. “Heart-wrenching truck accident in Jalgaon, Maharashtra. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest,” the PMO tweeted on Monday.