NEW DELHI: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday said efforts were under way to hold student body elections at Jamia Millia Islamia University and urged students not to turn the ongoing protest into a law and order problem.
Responding to a question on the students’ demand for elections during a media briefing after launching the CBSE Experience Centre at the CBSE Integrated Complex in Dwarka, Joshi said, “Negotiations are going on. Nobody should try to create a law and order problem. There is a body which is looking into it, including the Vice Chancellor. They are taking care of it. “
He added that elections had not been held since 2006.
Earlier, Joshi said parents’ obsession with high marks often forced students to memorise topics without understanding them. “If the marks scored are less, they commit suicide. The reason for it is that we do not do anything to build the confidence of the child. This Experience Centre will play a crucial role in building confidence,” he said.
Referring to students who take their lives after failing examinations, he said, “But whenever a student fails even once in 10th or 12th results, such an extreme step is taken revealing a weak mindset,” the Minister added.
Joshi said the government had decided in June to establish an additional 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs, over and above the existing 10,000, to foster scientific temper.
The CBSE Experience Centre has 12 zones and 21 exhibits spread across 6,000 square feet. It features holographic interactions with personalities including Dr B R Ambedkar, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and Kapil Dev.
Radio Frequency Identification-enabled smart cards allow visitors to interact with exhibits and access personalised takeaways, an official release said.
The experience begins with ‘Shiksha Ki Kahani’, a film narrated by a representational voice personifying the river Saraswati. Another section traces the history of the CBSE through photographs and archival material, including records from 1935.
A dedicated kiosk on ‘Exam Warriors’, the book by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, encourages students to develop a healthier approach to examinations. The ‘Eduverse’ section uses motion-based interaction and multisensory elements to take visitors through natural landscapes and planets.
