State keen on upgrading school, PU syllabus

The State Government has inched closer to adopting new curriculum-based textbooks for Class 5 and 8 for the academic year 2012-13.

The Cabinet gave its nod on Tuesday to call tenders for printing and supply of new textbooks. The Karnataka Textbook Society (KTS) under the Department of Primary and Secondary Education will issue the tender notices.

The textbooks have been prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) as per the National Curriculum Framework (NCF). The Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Vishweshwara Hegde Kageri, told Deccan Herald that the State would adopt new textbooks for the remaining classes as per the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) in the academic year 2013-14.

The decision follows the government’s announcement to adopt the NCF to bring its school and pre-university syllabus on a par with that of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Karnataka was among the few states which had not adopted the NCF.

The State will go for new textbooks for PUC I (science) in the next academic year and for PUC II (science) in 2013-14.

Nursing colleges
The Cabinet also approved the establishment of nine new nursing colleges in the State. Two of the new colleges will be BSc nursing institutes, whereas the remaining will be specialised nursing institutes. About 56 new paramedical colleges will also be opened as recommended by the Cabinet sub-committee.

The colleges will be established by Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) and private players.

Renovation
Victoria Hospital (including Vani Vilas and Minto Eye Hospital) and Lady Curzon and Bowring Hospital will get Rs 12.15 crore for improving infrastructure and undertaking renovation at their premises. The government had granted Rs 90 crore for the development work, but the estimated amount was increased to Rs 121 crore.

The proposal to upgrade SDS and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases to a centre of excellence at a cost of Rs 287 crore was also approved. The State will contribute 20 per cent and the Centre will provide the remaining 80 per cent towards the same.

The Cabinet has also given the administrative approval to development/upgrading of roads, construction of cycle/pedestrian lanes, road dividers, circles at the Jnanabharathi campus of Bangalore University. The project will be executed by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike at a cost of Rs 11.90 crore.