Private bus strike from December 18

 KOZHIKODE: Private bus operators will go on an indefinite strike from December 18, demanding a hike in a bus fares. The strike has been called by Bus coordination committee.

Private bus strike from December 18

 KOZHIKODE: Private bus operators will go on an indefinite strike from December 18, demanding a hike in a bus fares. The strike has been called by Bus coordination committee.

Three of a Malayali family die as villa catches fire

Ras al-Khaimah: Three of a Malayali family, including two children, died as the villa they lived in caught fire here on Tuesday.  The deceased have been identified as Shihabuddin (30), a native of Malappuram, his children Finaz (6) and Majida (one-and-a-half). Shihabuddin's wife Ummu Salma (20), who was seriously injured in the mishap, has been admitted in Saif bin Ghubash hospital. The incident is said to have occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday while the victims were asleep in their house. A short circuit in the air-conditioning system is suspected to have triggered the fire. The victims succumbed to suffocation and burn injuries.  Ummu Salma was rescued by a UAE national who broke the window pane on hearing her shrieks when she woke up breathing the smoky air in the room.  Several materials were destroyed in the fire, including Shihabuddin's passport. Shihabuddin had been engaged in a business that involved distribution of self-made food products in Ras al-Khaimah.  s. The strike has been called by Bus coordination committee. .

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Three of a Malayali family die as villa catches fire

Ras al-Khaimah: Three of a Malayali family, including two children, died as the villa they lived in caught fire here on Tuesday.  The deceased have been identified as Shihabuddin (30), a native of Malappuram, his children Finaz (6) and Majida (one-and-a-half). Shihabuddin's wife Ummu Salma (20), who was seriously injured in the mishap, has been admitted in Saif bin Ghubash hospital. The incident is said to have occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday while the victims were asleep in their house. A short circuit in the air-conditioning system is suspected to have triggered the fire. The victims succumbed to suffocation and burn injuries.  Ummu Salma was rescued by a UAE national who broke the window pane on hearing her shrieks when she woke up breathing the smoky air in the room.  Several materials were destroyed in the fire, including Shihabuddin's passport. Shihabuddin had been engaged in a business that involved distribution of self-made food products in Ras al-Khaimah.  s. The strike has been called by Bus coordination committee. .

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India, a big market for dictionaries: UK publisher

New Delhi: India, among other countries like China and South Korea, is seen as a big market for the English language dictionary, despite a swell in digital tools for word learning and usage, says a UK publisher. 

"In places like India and South Korea and in our biggest markets in China and Taiwan, a dictionary is seen as a good investment because language is seen to get a good job, to go study abroad etc. So people are ready to purchase and invest in them," says Alison Waters, Publisher, ELT dictionaries and reference grammar, Oxford University Press, UK. 

Alison was in India for a multicity workshop on the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary for teachers in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata.  "On the whole the English language market is growing so the business of dictionaries is stable. Because of global recession there is less money around and dictionaries are seen as supplementary materials and not key materials for learning. So there is a threat, particularly in the Euro zone including in the UK," Alison said.

In the digital era, mobile phones applications, tablets and handheld devices allow people to search online for words and their correct usages, but the print dictionary has still a long way to go before becoming obsolete. 
"Even though our online dictionaries are able to offer more, such as quality sound recordings, at the moment what we sell more is the print dictionary. Print is our main focus," says Alison. 

The Advanced Learners Dictionary is one of "bestsellers" from Oxford, she points out. The UK publisher, which brings out 500 dictionaries, thesauruses, and language reference titles in more than 40 languages also offers CD ROMS and other electronic formats like mobile applications. 

"Just because English is now such a global language with so many speakers around the world and a language of communication, politics and business, that in the foreseeable future it is not going to be affected," says Alison. 
With English changing and evolving, new words like "selfie" (the 2013 word of the year) and 'twerk' are added to dictionary following intense research with sophisticated software tools, which trawl the Internet to track and identify new words. 

"The English language itself gets bigger and fatter but not necessarily the print dictionaries, which remain more or less the same size because due to space issues we may take out certain words too," says Alison. 
"The selfie was first spotted in 2002 and used once in Australia when a drunk person posted a picture of himself after he hurt his face. We got several more cases on Flicker in 2004 but it was not enough to register on our radar. In 2012 it really took off because several celebrities used it."

India, a big market for dictionaries: UK publisher

New Delhi: India, among other countries like China and South Korea, is seen as a big market for the English language dictionary, despite a swell in digital tools for word learning and usage, says a UK publisher. 

"In places like India and South Korea and in our biggest markets in China and Taiwan, a dictionary is seen as a good investment because language is seen to get a good job, to go study abroad etc. So people are ready to purchase and invest in them," says Alison Waters, Publisher, ELT dictionaries and reference grammar, Oxford University Press, UK. 

Alison was in India for a multicity workshop on the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary for teachers in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata.  "On the whole the English language market is growing so the business of dictionaries is stable. Because of global recession there is less money around and dictionaries are seen as supplementary materials and not key materials for learning. So there is a threat, particularly in the Euro zone including in the UK," Alison said.

In the digital era, mobile phones applications, tablets and handheld devices allow people to search online for words and their correct usages, but the print dictionary has still a long way to go before becoming obsolete. 
"Even though our online dictionaries are able to offer more, such as quality sound recordings, at the moment what we sell more is the print dictionary. Print is our main focus," says Alison. 

The Advanced Learners Dictionary is one of "bestsellers" from Oxford, she points out. The UK publisher, which brings out 500 dictionaries, thesauruses, and language reference titles in more than 40 languages also offers CD ROMS and other electronic formats like mobile applications. 

"Just because English is now such a global language with so many speakers around the world and a language of communication, politics and business, that in the foreseeable future it is not going to be affected," says Alison. 
With English changing and evolving, new words like "selfie" (the 2013 word of the year) and 'twerk' are added to dictionary following intense research with sophisticated software tools, which trawl the Internet to track and identify new words. 

"The English language itself gets bigger and fatter but not necessarily the print dictionaries, which remain more or less the same size because due to space issues we may take out certain words too," says Alison. 
"The selfie was first spotted in 2002 and used once in Australia when a drunk person posted a picture of himself after he hurt his face. We got several more cases on Flicker in 2004 but it was not enough to register on our radar. In 2012 it really took off because several celebrities used it."

From 2015, CBSE Schools May Have 6 Functioning Days

CBSE schools may function for six days a week from 2015 at the secondary and senior secondary levels. The board is mulling extending the functioning days keeping with the mandate of the Right to Education Act which seeks to fulfill 45 working hour per week.

'In order to complete the 45 working hour per week as per the recommendation of RTE-Act 2009, a school needs to function for six days a week for 6 hours and 10 minutes on each day,' CBSE said in a school curriculum published for 2015.

It further suggested that teachers may be retained after school hours for an additional hour and 20 minutes which can be used for planning, preparation, checking and follow up work.

The teachers shall devote in a year not less than 1200 hours to the actual teaching in classroom in classes I-VIII, out of which not more than 200 hours may be required for remedial teaching and attention to both weak and gifted students before or after the school hours.

It also said that if any teacher is required to devote more than 1200 hours to the teaching and planning, extra remuneration shall be paid at such rate as may be determined, by the managing committee for every hour in excess of 1200 hours devoted by her to the teaching and planning.

All teachers are required to teach for a minimum of 30 periods per week with remaining periods to be used for planning and preparation of the lessons and activities. Eight periods time table may be followed in schools with 45 minutes duration in the 1st and 5th periods and 40 minutes duration for the remaining periods.
PTI

From 2015, CBSE Schools May Have 6 Functioning Days

CBSE schools may function for six days a week from 2015 at the secondary and senior secondary levels. The board is mulling extending the functioning days keeping with the mandate of the Right to Education Act which seeks to fulfill 45 working hour per week.

'In order to complete the 45 working hour per week as per the recommendation of RTE-Act 2009, a school needs to function for six days a week for 6 hours and 10 minutes on each day,' CBSE said in a school curriculum published for 2015.

It further suggested that teachers may be retained after school hours for an additional hour and 20 minutes which can be used for planning, preparation, checking and follow up work.

The teachers shall devote in a year not less than 1200 hours to the actual teaching in classroom in classes I-VIII, out of which not more than 200 hours may be required for remedial teaching and attention to both weak and gifted students before or after the school hours.

It also said that if any teacher is required to devote more than 1200 hours to the teaching and planning, extra remuneration shall be paid at such rate as may be determined, by the managing committee for every hour in excess of 1200 hours devoted by her to the teaching and planning.

All teachers are required to teach for a minimum of 30 periods per week with remaining periods to be used for planning and preparation of the lessons and activities. Eight periods time table may be followed in schools with 45 minutes duration in the 1st and 5th periods and 40 minutes duration for the remaining periods.
PTI

Creamy layer limit now applicable to educational benefits also

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The creamy layer annual income limit of Rs 6 lakh will now become applicable to reservations in education sector also, informed Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday after the Cabinet meeting. Kerala Kaumudi had recently reported that there was a lobby functioning in the Secretariat to ensure that the hike in the income limit did not figure in the yet-to-be released prospects for entrance exams to States’ professional courses.

    
For Kochi Metro project, renewed governmental sanction has been given for Rs 247.47 crore. Previously it was Rs 158 cr. Decision has also been taken to sanction Rs 135 crore to Kannur airport for a 5-yr term under government guarantee. Against the backdrop of Central Ministry of Forest and Environment’s recommendation in favour of Vizhinjam harbour project, the government on Wednesday issued tender notification for the project.
  
The annual income limit for availing financial aid to cancer-leprosy patients has been raised to Rs 1 lakh from Rs 2400. 25 new posts have been okayed to help installation of police station in Elamakkara in Ernakulam. Ninth pay commissions’ recommendations will be implemented for permanent staff of Child development council. 
The government has asked State Animal Husbandry department to give a report on issues related to cattle diseases. For Kottayam bypass, the tender has also been fixed at Rs 14.85 crore. 

Creamy layer limit now applicable to educational benefits also

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The creamy layer annual income limit of Rs 6 lakh will now become applicable to reservations in education sector also, informed Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday after the Cabinet meeting. Kerala Kaumudi had recently reported that there was a lobby functioning in the Secretariat to ensure that the hike in the income limit did not figure in the yet-to-be released prospects for entrance exams to States’ professional courses.

    
For Kochi Metro project, renewed governmental sanction has been given for Rs 247.47 crore. Previously it was Rs 158 cr. Decision has also been taken to sanction Rs 135 crore to Kannur airport for a 5-yr term under government guarantee. Against the backdrop of Central Ministry of Forest and Environment’s recommendation in favour of Vizhinjam harbour project, the government on Wednesday issued tender notification for the project.
  
The annual income limit for availing financial aid to cancer-leprosy patients has been raised to Rs 1 lakh from Rs 2400. 25 new posts have been okayed to help installation of police station in Elamakkara in Ernakulam. Ninth pay commissions’ recommendations will be implemented for permanent staff of Child development council. 
The government has asked State Animal Husbandry department to give a report on issues related to cattle diseases. For Kottayam bypass, the tender has also been fixed at Rs 14.85 crore.