The Education Department of the Delhi government has restricted the use of mobile phones in the classroom of all government and private schools.

The advisory issued by the Education Department on Thursday has asked the parents to ensure their children do not carry mobile phones to school. It also urged teachers and staff members not to use mobile phones in the school premises, especially where students are involved in learning activities.  

According to the advisory, it pointed out the reason for banning the use of mobile phones in Delhi schools. The advisory highlights the prevalence of mobile phones in daily life and urges reflection on the potential negative consequences of overuse, including depression, anxiety, social isolation, hyperactivity, hypertension, sleep loss, and poor eyesight.

The advisory noted that bullying, harassment, and transmission of explicit images, as well as recording or uploading inappropriate content, can harm a child’s social fabric and future. Additionally, distractions caused by technology can negatively impact academic performance, life satisfaction, face-to-face conversation quality, and connection.

Therefore, the use of mobile phones definitely needs to be regulated in school premises and therefore all stakeholders connected with school education such as students, parents, teachers, and the heads of schools need to arrive at a consensus on the minimum use of mobile phones in their school so that a more meaningful learning atmosphere can be maintained in the classroom which makes for a better ambience and school environment for the students, the advisory said.

It is also mentioned that parents should ensure their children don’t have mobile phones with them while on school grounds. If students bring mobile phones to school, the school administration must arrange for safe and appropriate storage using lockers, other systems, etc.

Mobile phones should strictly not be allowed in the classrooms. Further, teachers and other staff are restrained from using mobiles during teaching-learning activities, especially in classrooms, playgrounds, laboratories and library, etc.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati welcomed the 2023 batch of students recently. Altogether, 2200 students under multiple programmes have taken admission in the institute. In a special effort this year, the institute conducted a session to help the students manage their personal and academic life in a stress free and efficient manner. Along with the students, the session was also attended by their parents and siblings.

According to reports, the special session helped them to understand the system for mental health support at the institute, facilitated through the Centre for Holistic Well-being. Furthermore, there will be mandatory counseling for all newly admitted BTech students to provide mental support to them and thereby familiarise them with the resources available to them. It is believed that these measures will help them to identify the students requiring support at an early stage. 

Reports further stated that IIT Guwahati has six professionals namely four counselors and two psychiatrists  to help the students in need. The counseling support will be accessible to students on all working days from 9am to 8pm. The student can meet the counselors after class hours if the need arises. In addition, to provide students with adequate social support and a sense of community the institute has initiated a ‘know your neighbours’ campaign. 

According to reports, ice-breaking sessions will also be carried out in the form of an interactive session with freshers at the hotel level. Student counselors at the Centre for Holistic Wellbeing will preside over this. Multiple activities involving sports and cultural boards will also be conducted to keep the students engaged in their free times. These activities will also include motivational talks and the screening of documentaries.

Earlier, IIT Madras had declared a wellness session series for its students, under which the institute planned to carry out multiple initiatives to facilitate every student in an environment filled with harmony and peace. The major objective of the institute was to increase awareness on mental health issues together with addressing and mitigating issues faced by the students.

The University Grant Commission (UGC) Wednesday declared 20 universities in different states of the country as fake and unaccredited. According to UGC, these universities are not authorised to award degrees to students.

As per the list released by UGC, Delhi tops the list of fake universities followed by Uttar Pradesh.

The UGC has taken this step to protect students from getting trapped and enrolled in these unaccredited institutions for pursuing their education further. Before taking admission into any university, it is advised for students and parents to verify the accreditation status of universities before enrolling.

The UGC has issued a statement in which they have identified many universities which have been offering degrees that are not upto the mark of the UGC Act, and degrees from such universities shall neither be recognized nor valid for higher education and employment purposes. 

The official UGC notice says it is hereby brought to the notice of students, parents, and the general public that degrees can be awarded only by Universities/Institutions that are established under a State Act or Central Act or Provincial Act or institution empowered to confer or grant degrees as per UGC Act, 1956.

However, it has come to the notice of UGC that a number of institutions are offering degrees in contrary to the provisions of the UGC Act. Degrees awarded by such universities/institutions shall neither be recognized nor valid for higher education and employment purposes, the notice adds further. 

Take a look at the list below

• Christ New Testament Deemed University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
• Bible Open University of India, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
• All India Institute of Public & Physical Health Sciences (AIIPHS) State Government University, Alipur, Delhi
• Commercial University Ltd, Daryaganj, Delhi
• United Nations University, Delhi
• Vocational University, Delhi
• ADR-Centric Juridical University, Rajendra Place, New Delhi
• Indian Institute of Science and Engineering, New Delhi
• Viswakarma Open University for Self-Employment, Delhi
• Adhyatmik Vishwavidyalaya (Spiritual University), Rohini, Delhi
• Badaganvi Sarkar World Open University Education Society, Gokak, Belgaum, Karnataka
• St. John’s University, Kishanattam, Kerala
• Raja Arabic University, Nagpur, Maharashtra
• Sree Bodhi Academy of Higher Education, Puducherry
• Gandhi Hindi Vidyapith, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
• National University of Electro Complex Homeopathy, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
• Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University (Open University), Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh
• Bhartiya Shiksha Parishad, Bharat Bhawan, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Indian Institute of Alternative Medicine, Kolkata, West Bengal
• Institute of Alternative Medicine and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal