US partners with India in reading innovations

New Delhi: The United States Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), announced a new partnership with the Centre for Knowledge Societies (CKS), one of India’s leading innovation consulting firms, to implement a $3.2 million initiative to help improve the reading skills of millions of primary school age children in India.  As the ability to read is the most basic building block of learning, the READ (Read – Engage – Achieve – Dream) Alliance aims to prepare millions of children in India for a lifetime of reading and learning.

This initiative will create opportunities for knowledge sharing and advocate for increased attention to the issue of early literacy in India through targeted events and online collaborations.  The READ Alliance will also host an innovation challenge to identify promising projects to improve reading skills in children, test their effectiveness, and help take those proven successful to scale.

This program brings together corporations, non-profit organizations, think tanks, foundations, researchers, schools, teachers, and others to promote early literacy. The READ Alliance will use Indian innovations and resources to support literacy, especially among children at high risk of not learning to read.

Four BSF jawan killed in Maoist ambush in Koraput

JEYPORE: At least four Boarder Security Forces (BSF) jawans were killed and two others were injured when the Maoists blew up their vehicle at Ralegoda ghati near Sunki village under Pattangi police limit in Koraput district on Tuesday morning. The Maoists had used an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to explode the vehicle, police sources said.

The attack took place on the NH-26 near Ralegoda ghati between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh border. At around 9 am, when three BSF vehicles carrying about 100 security personnel were moving from Patangi to Sunki in the district was ambushed. When the IED planted in the road exploded, the third vehicle was ambushed and the first two vehicles were escaped fortunately from the explosion, sources added.  

Four of them succumbed to the injuries and two others were rushed to a local hospital at Sunki and then shifted to a private hospital in Vishakhapatnam.

Police sources said the jawans were about to go Gandhinagar of Gujarat from Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. They spent last night at a BSF transit camp in Koraput and started journey this morning, sources added.

The deceased were identified as BSF ASI Jaswant Singh, driver Surendra Kumar Singh, head constable Birendra Kumar and constable Gurudayal Singh. The injured jawans Mahendra Kochker and constable Sirajulla were rushed to a private hospital in Vishakhapatnam.

After the incident, a team of top cops has left for explosion spot from the police headquarters here. Paramilitary force has been rushed to the area, sources added.

SP demands CB probe into CDA lady teacher death

BHUBANESWAR: Samajwadi Party State Unit president Rabi Behera demanded Crime Branch probe into the death of a lady teacher in CDA area of Cuttack district who was burnt alive on Tuesday.

Behera said the teacher is allegedly burnt to death by kin of a powerful politician of the State. The local police are dilly-dallying in the case, he alleged.

Besides, the Crime Branch probe into the matter, Behera demanded immediate arrest of the culprit, trial of the case in a fast-track court in 60 days and severe punishment to those who are involved in such heinous crime.    

BJD forms human chain demanding SCS tag for Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) formed human chain in the capital city along with other district headquarters of the State demanding Special Category Status (SCS) for the State. Party workers took part in the agitation by forming human chain from Rajmahal square to Master Canteen here on Tuesday.

More than one thousand of people led by Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) State president and rulling party deputy chief-whip Sanjay Das Burma were standing in a row by wearing placards bearing slogans protesting the Central Government’s apathy towards the development of the State.

Party MLAs including Ashok Panda, Bhagirathi Badjena, Bijay Mohanty, Samir Ranjan Das and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Anant Narayan Jena and BYJD spokesperson Bijay Nayak coordinating the human chain said that the Centre is not only showing step-motherly attitude while sanctioning any fund but also delaying the SCS tag for the State due to political reason. Statement given by the Union Ministers in the Parliament against the State on the issue of SCS tag is insult for Odias, they added.

The leaders also said the State is fulfilling all the criteria except international border. Besides, scheduled tribe population is 22.8 per cent which is 8.6 per cent of the national rate and eight districts of the State are belonging to very poor regions of the country, they added.

The State is in the right path of development and if the Central Government helps the State by giving SCS tag, Odisha would become number one among the country, said the leaders. “We will continue the protest till we get SCS tag from the Centre,” said Biju Chhatra Janata Dal State president Byomkesh Ray.                    

Salia Sahi rape, murder: Chargesheet against accused submitted

--Commissioner to pray before court to punish culprit 

BHUBANESWAR: The Commissionerate Police on Monday submitted a 72-page charge-sheet against the accused of rape and murder of a minor girl from Salia Sahi in the city. Twin city police commissioner RP Sharma would pray before court to punish the culprit.

The charge sheet was submitted before a local court here. Even the postmortem report and CCTV footage which can be a major evidence to prove the charges were submitted before the court.

Submission of the charge-sheet by the police only after six days of the crime became a topic of discussion in the city. “We have worked round the clock to prepare the charge-sheet against the culprit. We have recorded the statements of 28 witnesses in the case,” said the Commissioner.

In the report, the police mentioned that CCTV footage was the important evidence in the case. It also stated that the postmortem report clearly stated that the girl was raped and then strangulated to death by the accused.

“We are hopeful that the court will begin hearing the case very soon”, said Sharma.