Punjab varsity to offer free education for blind

October 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Friday signed an agreement with the Papua New Guinea University of Technology for a number of educational and training programmes. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) envisages development of cultural, educational and scientific ties between the two universities.

September 24th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - The Punjab government has exempted Adarsh (model) schools, coming up under the public-private partnership (PPP) model in the state, from various taxes. "This decision was taken at a meeting headed by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal," a government spokesperson said here Thursday.

September 10th, 2009 BHUBANESWAR - Twenty days after it was closed following violence, the Utkal University reopened Thursday after the varsity authorities decided to revoke the sine die closure. The decision to resume classes was taken Wednesday.

September 6th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Former Punjab chief minister Harcharan Singh Brar passed away here Sunday after prolonged illness. He was 86. Brar was admitted to the Post-graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here for the last few days.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Impressed by its excellence in education and plans for further expansion, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday allocated Rs.500 million to the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The Union Budget 2009-10 proposals said that IGNOU, which has been in the forefront of distance education, has been provided an allocation of Rs.900 million that also includes Rs.400 million for grants to state open universities.

July 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Union Cabinet today approved providing free and compulsory education to children aged 6-14 by giving its nod to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2005. Earlier announcing the government's agenda for the education sector in the next 100 days, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal had said that enactment of the Bill - also known as the Right to Education Bill - will be followed by the notification of the 86th Constitutional Amendment in the official gazette.

June 28th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Adding another feather to its cap, Punjab has emerged a leading state in the country in providing best infrastructure and facilities to primary and upper primary schools. Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur Sunday said Punjab has surpassed Delhi, which has now shifted to second position as far as the infrastructure index is concerned.

June 23rd, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Panjab University will offer free education to students suffering from thalassemia from the next academic session, an official said here Tuesday. "The Panjab University senate has already passed the proposal of free education for children suffering from thalassemia.

March 14th, 2009 MUMBAI - Slum kid actors of Oscar winning film 'Slumdog Millionaire' Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail, were awarded scholarships for free education. The initiative by a self-help group called 'We Love India' in association with D.Y.

March 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A website to create awareness among the blind and people with low vision has been launched here. The NGO, which took the initiative, claims that the portal is the first of its kind in the country.

March 2nd, 2009 MOHALI - School students in Punjab can now access their textbooks online as the state education board will introduce e-books at least for some classes from the next academic session. 'We are going to launch digital textbooks from the next session.

February 26th, 2009 RANCHI - Twelve blind students are appearing in the ongoing class 10 board examination, an official said here Wednesday. 'This year we have given permission to 12 blind students to appear in the class 10 examination.

February 7th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Former Indian cricketer and the captain of World Cup winning team in 1983 Kapil Dev Sunday inaugurated the finals of 8th Shakuntala Mishra Memorial Blind Inter-State Cricket Tournament here and said that the visually challenged players are 'more talented than the Indian cricket team'. 'Blind cricketers are more talented than our Indian cricket squad.

January 12th, 2009 HAVANA - Cuba has witnessed an increase in the number of amateur blind musicians as a result of the facilities offered to the visually challenged by the music teaching institutions in the country, the Cuban news agency Prensa Latina reported. Carlos Ramirez, a professor who is himself blind, said that music was among the most practised art by the blind in Cuba, though theatre and literature were not far behind.

January 4th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - Reliance Communications Monday announced the launch of its GSM mobile services in Punjab, becoming the first telecom operator in the circle to have both GSM and CDMA services for mobile users. 'The service will cover 460 towns, 11,741 villages and a number of national, state and other highways, tourist and religious places throughout the state,' Reliance regional hub head Arvind Kumar told reporters at the launch.