National Webinar on ‘Education and Leadership during a Crisis’ begins at CUJ

Jammu: A two-day National Webinar on ‘Education and Leadership During A Crisis’, organised by The School of Education, Central University of Jammu, today organised under Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching (PMMMNMTT) scheme began here today with brain storming sessions.
The key objective of this webinar is to sensitize the educational administrators and policymakers towards adopting appropriate strategies to meet the current challenges; and to orient them how to deal appropriately with this global crisis of COVID-19 by playing a leading role.
The inaugural session of the webinar was graced by K.K. Shrama, Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Prof. Ashok Aima, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Jammu, Anuradha Gupta, Director, School Education, Jammu, Prof. A.P. Behera, Joint Director, CIET, NCERT, New Delhi, Prof. Saroj Sharma, GGSIPU, New Delhi, Prof. Rajeev Rattan Sharma, University of Jammu, Dr. VPS Raju, NIEPA, New Delhi and Dr. J.N. Baliya, Central University of Jammu including Institutional leaders from across the country. About 24 states are participating in the webinar through online mode.
Advisor K.K Sharma, while delivering his presidential address, opined that on-line teaching-learning is the future of our education system. He specifically emphasized that it is a great opportunity for Jammu and Kashmir to come out of all the difficulties which has risen due to Covid-19. He suggested various initiatives which could be undertaken by the educational institutes to provide best alternative in the current scenario. He also lauded the initiatives taken by the Central University of Jammu and its leadership for the academic ventures launched through online mode during this tough time. He appealed the educational leaders and academicians to come forward with innovative and sustainable means of teaching-learning in coming days.
Sharma also appreciated the efforts of the teachers, heads of the institutions, administrators, and policy-makers for being techno-friendly and promoting online education. He also appreciated the participants and pointed out that joining with webinar is an indication of their commitment and sincerity for engaging themselves with technology.
Prof. Ashok Aima, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Jammu, highlighted various capacity building programmes being initiated by the faculty from Education Department. He emphasized the changing role of leadership from traditional to cooperative and collaborative with more involvement of subordinates in decision-making of the organization which can be more fruitful to the society at large.
Further, he apprised the need of academic leadership in the web of educational institutions for optimization of multiple effors of various stakeholders of educational institutions. He also viewed that online learning has played key role in lessening distance among the stakeholders and connected with all without a space argument. He congratulated Dr J N Baliya HoD, Educational Studies, CUJ and Programme Coordinator PMMMNMTT for organising such kind of Webinar in which about 850 participants got registered.
Earlier, Dr. J.N. Baliya Programme Coordinator and Convenor of the Webinar said that this webinar is just the beginning of various other programmes to be organised in next couple of months.
Dr, Asit Mantry, facuty from Department of Educational Studies, CUJ and the Organising Secretary of the Webinar briefed the participants about outline of the webinar.
Director School Education, Jammu, Anuradha Gupta, in her remarks stated that various steps have been taken up by the department in providing accessible online classes to the students even in remote areas during this pandemic.
The students should be given proper time for completing their learning and assessment related tasks, Gupta said adding that focus on consolidation and centralization of academic activities is the need of the time. She focused on improvement of language skills, communication skills along with the value-addition, value-chain and value-enhancement.
She appreciated this initiative of online Webinar on the very imperative theme, which is the need of an hour.
Prof. A.P. Behera, Joint Director, CIET, NCERT, New Delhi, highlighted various ICT tools and applications for teaching-learning at school level especially in these days. He also referred to online materials, videos; lectures which are available at NCERT website free of cost. Further, he elaborated on the present status of utilisation of various online platforms which are freely available such as SWAYAM, NCERT e-books, e-Pathshala, etc.
Prof. Saroj Sharma from GGSIPU, New Delhi, spoke on the decision-making which is a major issue during a crisis. She said that decision-making is the key to all the leaders.
Dr. J.N. Baliya form Central University of Jammu, delivered his talk on Mental Health and Human Relations. He also apprised of the initiatives undertaken by the PMMMNMTT scheme to enhance the academics in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The sessions were moderated by Dr. Ritu Bakshi, Dr. Aman, Dr Kiran, Dr. Asit Mantry and Dr. Ravi Vanguri.