Among Top 50, two Indian teachers shortlisted for USD 1 million global prize
London, Dec 13: Two Indian teachers have been shortlisted from around the world for the annual USD 1-million Global Teacher Prize, UK-based Varkey Foundation announced in London on Thursday.
Arti Qanungo, an English teacher at Government Girls Senior Secondary School at Shakarpur in Delhi, and Swaroop Rawal, a Life Skills teacher at Lavad Primary School in Gujarat, will compete with 48 other teachers for the prestigious award, to be announced at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai in March.
"Global Teacher Prize acknowledges the efforts and endeavour of teachers and respects them; it gives recognition to the issues I have raised by giving it a global voice," said Qanungo, who has been recognised for her efforts to ensure children, particularly girls, from poor backgrounds are protected from abuse and neglect and can embrace language studies and grow in confidence.
"Good teachers can help children become good human beings, they can nurture love, wonder, curiosity and imagination. When we teachers share our lives, we can inspire young ones to become more empathetic, loving, caring and perhaps become more responsible beings," said Rawal, who has reached out to children on the streets and in rural communities with unique teaching methods.
She made it to the top 50 for her use of drama in education an active, learner-centred method, which includes group discussion, brainstorming, debate, games, song, and drawing.
The Indian teachers were shortlisted for the Global Teacher Prize 2019 from over 10,000 nominations and applications, received from 179 countries around the world. The Prize was set up five years ago by the Varkey Foundation to recognise an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession, as well as to shine a spotlight on the important role teachers play in society.
"Congratulations to Arti and Swaroop for reaching the final 50. I hope their stories inspire those looking to enter the teaching profession and highlights the incredible work teachers do all over the world every day," said Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation and the Global Teacher Prize.
"The Global Teacher Prize, since its launch five years ago, has now inspired over 30 national teacher prizes, which means our ultimate goal of shining a light on great teachers has grown strong national roots, something which is crucial if we're to return teachers to their rightful position as one of the most respected professions in society," he said.
The top 50 shortlisted teachers will be narrowed down to 10 finalists by a Prize Committee, with that result announced in February next year. The winner will then be chosen from among the 10 finalists by the Global Teacher Prize Academy.
All 10 finalists will be invited to Dubai for the Awards ceremony at the Global Education and Skills Forum on March 24, 2019.
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Baramati plane crash: Rohit Pawar alleges attempts to shield VSR Ventures
Mumbai (PTI): NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday alleged that someone was trying to save VSR Ventures in connection with the plane crash that killed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, and claimed that the AAIB preliminary probe vindicated the doubts earlier raised by him.
He also accused VSR company of indulging in several grave lapses in the past.
The Learjet 45 aircraft, operated by VSR Ventures, crashed near the Baramati air strip in Pune district on January 28, killing Pawar and four others.
In its 22-page preliminary report on the VSR Venture's Learjet plane crash, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the visibility at the time of the crash was below the required level. It also flagged about fading marks on the runway and presence of loose gravels on the runway surface.
Pawar said, "I am not against VSR or the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Ajitdada was travelling in a VSR aircraft. Unless we go into the depth of every aspect, we will not know the truth. But someone is trying to save this company. The doubts we had raised have been proven correct in the inquiry report."
He also claimed that the AAIB report contained discrepancies, including mentioning Baramati as a district, and questioned how seriously the probe had been conducted.
Pawar, who has been regularly holding press conferences to raise issues concerning the Baramati plane crash, also contested the report's conclusion that the aircraft hit trees before crashing.
"The report says the aircraft struck trees and then fell. But there are no trees at that spot. There is only a small bush which the aircraft did not even touch. What is stated in the report about hitting trees is incorrect," he said.
Pawar further alleged that VSR Ventures had displayed irresponsibility on multiple occasions, citing an incident involving the then chief minister Eknath Shinde's Davos visit on January 20, 2023.
He claimed that the aircraft carrying Shinde had entered Iranian and Iraqi airspace without overflight permission, following which fighter jets from the two countries allegedly warned of action, forcing a change in route from Bahrain to Zurich.
"There have been several such grave lapses by VSR," he said.
Pawar demanded to know from where VSR Ventures derived its "audacity", and sought details about its investors and officials, though he added that he was not personally concerned with who they were.
Drawing a comparison, he said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had taken over the probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death within two days, whereas a month had passed since the Baramati crash without a similar action.
He claimed that VSR Ventures had two directors and three shareholders, and that there were eight common names across two related companies.
He further alleged that the owner of VSR was related to the Union Civil Aviation Minister and questioned why the company, though registered in Delhi, had made high-value investments in Jubilee Hills (upscale area in Hyderabad) at rates allegedly Rs 17 crore above the market price.
The MLA representing the Karjat-Jamkhed assembly constituency in Ahilyanagar district also raised concerns about the legal and institutional framework of the AAIB under the 2017 rules, claiming it was neither a statutory nor an autonomous body and remained answerable to the secretary and the minister, besides being attached to the DGCA.
"There is no independent investigative agency," he alleged.
