Bengaluru (PTI): In a move to enhance science education in rural India, 12 government schools in Raichur district in Karnataka will be provided with well-stocked science lab stations to conduct experiments and curated science courseware aligned with the state and NCERT syllabi.
This is part of Prayoga Institute of Education Research's Kriya initiative, which aims to transform science learning for over 11,000 students across 77 schools in Karnataka.
Prayoga's effort in Raichur is supported by State Bank of India Foundation (SBIF), the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of India's largest public sector bank, and the SBI Funds Management Pvt. Ltd, said Vallish Herur, Managing Trustee of Prayoga.
Kriya initiative, which is now in its 10th year, is designed for students in classes 6 to 10, as a multi-year programme, particularly in government and rural schools, to understand the impact of experiential learning of science, added Herur.
The initiative, said a press release issued by Prayoga on Thursday, also features a structured Teacher Empowerment Programme (TEP) with continuous academic mentoring for teachers.
Speaking about the collaboration, Sanjay Prakash, Managing Director of SBI Foundation, said, "This partnership is a significant step towards bridging the educational gap in rural India. By providing quality science education and the necessary resources, we are enabling students to experience science in a more practical and engaging manner."
The collaboration is a part of SBIF's Integrated Learning Mission (ILM) project titled 'Reimagining Science Education', he added.
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New Delhi (PTI): Amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, India has supplied 22,000 metric tonnes of high-speed diesel to Bangladesh in March and has received a request from Seychelles and the Maldives to meet their energy requirements, the MEA said on Friday.
At his weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in his response to a query related to requests received from India's neighbouring countries for fuel amid the West Asia situation, also said that India is "finalising a government-to-government agreement" for the supply of oil and gas, which will play an important role in reinforcing energy security of Mauritius.
The conflict in West Asia has now stretched to nearly 50 days, with global ramifications.
"So, we have received requests from our neighbouring countries for supply of fuel, and these are being looked into, keeping in mind our own requirements, availability and refining capacity," Jaiswal told reporters.
He further said India has "supplied 22,000 metric tonnes of high-speed diesel to Bangladesh in March 2026, and further supplies have continued this month as well".
"You would recall that last month we had supplied 38 metric tonnes of petroleum products to Sri Lanka as well," he added.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Mauritius last week, the MEA spokesperson said, adding, "We are finalising a government-to-government agreement for supply of oil and gas, which will play an important role in reinforcing the energy security of Mauritius".
As far as Nepal is concerned, there is an existing arrangement between Indian Oil Corporation and Nepal Oil Corporation to supply petroleum products to Nepal as per its requirements. The supplies are continuing without any interruption, he said.
Energy supplies to Bhutan also continue according to the existing arrangement.
"As I had mentioned earlier, we have received a request from Seychelles and the Maldives to meet their energy requirements. We continue to be in touch with them in this regard, and are considering the request keeping in mind our own domestic requirements and availability of fuel.
"I would also like to add that our neighbouring country governments have expressed appreciation for the uninterrupted supply, fuel supply to them during the West Asian conflict," Jaiswal said.
Global oil and gas prices surged after Iran restricted the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG trade.
