FOUR years after it was advised by the Central Advisory Board of Education to focus on universalising secondary education, the government seems to have taken the first concrete step. In its final lap, the UPA government set in motion the process to ensure that children in the 15 to 16 years age group have access to affordable secondary (classes IX and X) education. The Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) has been given the green signal by the expenditure finance committee. The HRD ministry will now seek Cabinet's approval for the programme.

Commissioner Tribal Development Jaideep Govind has instructed officers that every department should be sensitive towards primitive tribes and set its priorities in such a way that they get maximum benefit. Govind was reviewing the ongoing development schemes for primitive tribes yesterday at Sheopur. Those present at the meeting included Director Primitive Tribes Group RS Khare, Sheopur collector and various district level departmental heads.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday formally launched the Praveshotsava under School Chalen Ham drive-2008 at village Jait in Sehore district on the first day of the new academic session today.

The record-breaking SSC results demonstrate the widening gap between urban and rural education standard as most urban schools put on outstanding performance, while the bulk of failure goes to rural institutions. As many as 2,272 schools made 100 percent success and 52,500 students secured GPA-5 (grade point average) in this year's SSC examinations, while the number of schools with zero pass is 91. Most of these successful schools and students are from urban areas, while most of the poor performed institutions are in rural areas, according to sources in Inter-Board Computer Section.

School teachers in many parts of the country find the government

A unique programme in Nagaland, which aimed at and achieved community participation in local governance, has been selected for a top UN award for public service. The award will be given to Union Steel Secretary RS Pandey tomorrow at New York, on the occasion of the UN Public Service Day. Pandey will be given the award for his pioneering efforts, during his stint as the Nagaland Chief Secretary in 2002-04, for better public utilities.

Interview with M. Angamuthu, Deputy Commissioner, Karbi Anglong. A woman seeking information at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Diphu. Karbi Anglong is the first district in north-eastern India to get ISO 9001:2000 certification.