Ranchi: As government schools in Ranchi district are set for phased upgrading, the Department of School Education and Literacy is stepping up efforts to address infrastructure deficiencies and improve learning conditions, officials said.Acting on the instructions of District Education Officer Vinay Kumar, who had sought detailed reports from all block education extension officers on the condition of school buildings, the department will initiate action based on the findings. Block-wise assessment focusing on infrastructure deficiencies and needs is being used to prioritize repairs, relocation of unsafe schools and comprehensive measures to strengthen facilities.The move comes after an internal assessment highlighted serious concerns. 259 primary and secondary government schools in the district have either been declared unsafe or are in urgent need of repair. In many cases, classes are still being conducted in dilapidated buildings, increasing the safety risk for students and teachers.“In the initial survey, 259 schools have been identified where buildings are either damaged or require immediate renovation. We have got the updated ground level reports. Now, timely action can be taken,” Kumar said on Tuesday.Officials said where buildings are found unsafe, classes will be immediately shifted to nearby schools or public places in consultation with school management committees. The Block Program Officer and Junior Engineer will jointly monitor the change to ensure continuity of classes and uninterrupted midday meal services.Beyond emergency measures, the department is also working on a comprehensive maintenance plan. With over 2,000 primary schools in the district, a minimum of Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh will be allocated per school for maintenance depending on the student strength. Aided schools also have to earmark about 15% of their annual grant for maintenance.Additionally, minor repair works will be undertaken through District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, while schools requiring major reconstruction will be supported through departmental schemes.Officials said consolidated reports from the blocks have started reaching the district headquarters and further action is expected soon.

In Djibouti’s coastal city of Tadjoura, where there is extreme heat and dry desert conditions for most of the year, architects have designed a children’s village that operates without traditional air conditioning. The project, known as SOS Children’s Villages Tadjourah, was created by Urko Sanchez Architects for SOS Children’s Villages International. Instead of relying on glass towers, sealed interiors, and energy-intensive cooling systems, the architects turned to centuries-old climate-responsive design principles used in North Africa and the Middle East. Narrow shady streets, wind-capturing towers, reflective surfaces, vegetation and carefully planned airflow work together to keep the settlement naturally cool. The result is a rare modern project where the architecture itself functions as a climate-control system.

How this children’s village remains cool even in the scorching heat

SOS Children’s Villages is located in Tadjoura, a port city in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. The region experiences extremely high temperatures, intense sunlight and low rainfall for most of the year, making cooling one of the country’s greatest architectural challenges.Rather than importing Western-style climate systems designed for temperate environments, architects studied how traditional settlements in hot desert areas survived for centuries before modern air conditioning existed. This became the basis of the project’s design philosophy.Completed in 2014, the village was developed for SOS Children’s Villages International, an organization that provides housing and support to vulnerable children and families.Urco Sanchez Architects described the project as “a medina for children”. The design is largely inspired by the historic medinas of North Africa and parts of the Middle East, where dense urban layouts naturally reduce heat exposure.Traditional medinas are built around narrow streets and closely packed structures that shade each other throughout the day. Instead of exposing the buildings to direct sunlight, the layout creates cool pedestrian corridors where air flow is concentrated.The architects recreated this concept inside the village using a maze-like arrangement of pathways, courtyards and communal spaces. Small public squares were added throughout the complex to improve air circulation between buildings as well as encourage social interaction.The result is an environment where shade and ventilation are integrated directly into the layout rather than being added later through mechanical systems.

How the village cools itself naturally

One of the most important features of the project is its passive cooling system. Passive cooling refers to architectural methods that reduce heat without relying heavily on electrical or mechanical refrigeration.The village uses wind-catching towers that rise above roof level and direct the moving air into the living spaces below. Similar structures have existed for centuries in traditional Persian and Middle Eastern architecture.The orientation of roads and open spaces was also carefully planned to accelerate air flow through the settlement. As air passes through narrow passages, its speed increases, improving ventilation and helping to remove trapped heat.Mashrabiya-style screening systems are used instead of sealed glass windows in many open spaces in buildings. These patterned screens allow air to pass through freely while blocking direct sunlight and reducing heat gain.The buildings are designed in light earthy colors that reflect sunlight rather than absorb it. In extremely hot climates, dark surfaces trap heat and continue to radiate long after sunset, while reflective finishes help keep temperatures down.

Why is there so little reliance on modern air conditioning?

Unlike many modern buildings in hot climates, the village was not designed around heavy mechanical cooling infrastructure. Wherever possible, the architects deliberately avoided energy-intensive climate systems.Instead the project relies on thermal mass, shade, airflow and reflective materials to maintain a more stable indoor temperature. Thick walls made of precast cement blocks and reinforced concrete absorb heat slowly during the day and release it slowly at night.This approach minimizes sudden increases in temperature indoors and allows many areas of the village to remain significantly cooler than the outdoor environment without constant artificial cooling. It also reduces long-term operating costs, which is especially important in areas where electricity infrastructure may be limited or expensive.

Role of vegetation and microclimate

Although Djibouti is an arid country, vegetation plays an important role in the project. Over time trees and planted areas were gradually integrated throughout the settlement to create a shady microclimate.As plants grow, they lower the surrounding temperature through shade and evaporation, the process by which moisture released from leaves cools the surrounding air. Even relatively small green spaces can significantly improve thermal conditions in hot climates.The landscaping was also intended to create tranquil communal spaces and strengthen the social atmosphere of the village.

Materials selected based on climate, not appearance

The materials used in the village were deliberately simple and locally practical. The architects avoided imported glass-heavy architectural styles that often perform poorly in desert climates without massive energy consumption.Instead, the project relies primarily on reinforced concrete, precast cement block and textured plaster finishes. These materials were selected for durability, thermal performance, and ease of maintenance in extreme environmental conditions.The emphasis was not on futuristic aesthetics but on long-term climate adaptation using techniques already proven for generations in hot regions.

Car-free environment designed for kids

The village was designed as a pedestrian-first environment. Cars are largely excluded from the interior layout, allowing children to move safely through interconnected streets and shared courtyards.The narrow streets serve not only as cooling corridors but also as social spaces where children can play and interact. This creates a stronger sense of community than the isolated layouts often found in modern housing developments.The architects say the aim of the spatial design was to balance safety, social interaction and climate response at the same time.In an era of increasing electricity demand, climate change and urban extreme heat, such projects are becoming increasingly relevant. Rather than treating architecture and climate control as separate systems, the village combines them into an integrated design.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to adjourn hearing on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the 2023 law on appointment of election commissioners, making it clear that the issue is “more important than any other matter”.A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma rejected the request of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who had sought an adjournment citing his busyness before a nine-judge Constitution bench dealing with cases related to religious freedom, including the Sabarimala temple issue.While dismissing the petition, Justice Dutta highlighted the importance of the case, saying, “This case is more important than any other case.” Commenting further on the priority of cases, he said, “We have read in the newspapers that there is a comment that the PIL in Sabarimala should not have been considered by the court. So, with due respect to the judges, nine judges have been appointed to a case where there is a comment that it should not have been considered earlier.”“The bench allowed the petitioners to begin arguments and directed them to complete the arguments by Thursday, indicating that the Centre’s point would be heard later.At the center of the proceedings is the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023. The law changed the composition of the selection committee by removing the Chief Justice of India and replacing him with a Union Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.During the hearing, the Supreme Court also raised a fundamental constitutional question whether it can direct Parliament to make a law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners.Justice Dipankar Dutta pointed to the prayer in one of the petitions seeking such a direction and questioned its maintainability. He asked, “Coming back to the prayer… It has asked Parliament to make a law. Can the court ask Parliament to make a law? Can this be sustained?”The bench examined the issue in the context of its judgment in the Anoop Baranwal case on March 2, 2023, where a Constitution bench had prescribed a three-member selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India as an interim mechanism.Justice Dutta emphasized that the decision was meant as a temporary arrangement to fill a legislative void. He said, “Then why did the court limit the Anup Baranwal decision only to a particular period till it became law? It was only to deal with a particular situation of void.”He further questioned whether the court’s detailed observations in that judgment could be considered binding on Parliament when making laws. “Are these observations of over 300 pages not a justification for what the court had set out to do in the short term until the law is made? Can you say that the law also has to follow those observations,” he said, adding that the judiciary cannot order Parliament to make laws in a specific manner.Presenting the opening arguments for the petitioners, senior advocate Vijay Hansaria argued that the 2023 Act gives undue dominance to the executive in the selection process. Referring to the composition of the panel, the Prime Minister, a Union Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, he said the composition effectively creates a “2-1” majority for the government.He described it as giving “primacy” to the executive and warned that it would turn the selection body into a “pocket board”, allowing the appointment of “the Prime Minister’s man”. Hansaria stressed that the current government has a direct stake in the election results and hence cannot have exclusive control over appointments.Citing the Constituent Assembly debates, he argued that there was a clear intention to ensure that elections were conducted by an independent authority “wrested out of the hands of the present government”.Responding to the bench’s suggestion that the 2023 decision was only a stop-gap arrangement, Hansaria said that although Parliament has the right to make laws, any such law must preserve institutional independence and not cede effective control to the executive.The arguments also touched on public confidence in the Election Commission, with Hansaria noting the criticism faced by election officials in recent days.Countering this argument, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that such arguments are flawed. “If abusive language is used against judges, should we remove the collegium system? What kind of logic is this?” he asked.Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the petitioners, also argued that the principles laid down in the Baranwal judgment – ​​particularly on limiting executive control – cannot be overridden by a common law and would require constitutional amendment.The challenge stems from an earlier Constitution Bench judgment in March 2023 that said appointments to the Election Commission would be made by a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India, an arrangement that would remain in place until Parliament enacts a law.The petitioners, including Congress leader Jaya Thakur and the Association for Democratic Reforms, have argued that excluding the judiciary from the process undermines the independence of the Election Commission.Earlier, Chief Justice Surya Kant had recused himself from the case, saying, “I will be accused of conflict of interest. There is a conflict of interest.”However, the Center has defended the law, saying the autonomy of the Election Commission does not depend on the presence of a judicial member in the selection panel. It also rejected claims that the appointment of two election commissioners in March 2024 was rushed to subject to judicial scrutiny, noting that the process followed the provisions of the new law.The Supreme Court had previously refused to put a stay on those appointments, even as it agreed to examine a broader constitutional challenge to the 2023 law.The Centre’s adjournment request comes in the backdrop of the ongoing proceedings before a nine-judge Constitution bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, which is re-examining key questions related to religious freedom, including the Sabarimala temple issue.During the hearing on Tuesday, the bench made strong observations on the genesis of the 2006 PIL that ultimately led to the landmark judgment on Sabarimala. It remarked that at that time, the court should have “thrown in the dustbin” the petition filed by the All India Young Lawyers Association, noting that it was largely based on newspaper reports and lacked proper authority.The bench indicated that, at most, the court could have ordered a limited investigation into the alleged misconduct by the temple authorities rather than considering a broader constitutional challenge. It also questioned the circumstances under which the petition was put forward, with Justice Nagarathna expressing concern as to why a person who does not practice the faith was questioning long-standing religious practices.Read more: Supreme Court says original Sabarimala PIL should have been dismissed

अयोध्या जिले के सर्किट हाउस में शिक्षामित्र सम्मान समारोह का भव्य आयोजन किया गया. इस कार्यक्रम में प्रदेश सरकार द्वारा शिक्षामित्रों का मानदेय बढ़ाने के फैसले को लेकर खुशी का माहौल देखा गया. समारोह में बड़ी संख्या में शिक्षामित्र, शिक्षक और अधिकारी मौजूद रहे। कार्यक्रम की शुरूआत मां सरस्वती की प्रतिमा पर माल्यार्पण एवं दीप प्रज्ज्वलन से हुई। इस दौरान पूरे परिसर में उत्साह और सम्मान का माहौल रहा, जहां शिक्षामित्रों को उनके योगदान के लिए सराहा गया.

मुख्य अतिथियों की विशेष उपस्थिति
कार्यक्रम में मुख्य अतिथि के रूप में रजनी तिवारी मौजूद रहीं। उनके साथ विधायक रामचन्द्र यादव, डॉ. अमित सिंह चौहान, अभय सिंह, नगर अध्यक्ष राधेश्याम त्यागी, महानगर अध्यक्ष कमलेश श्रीवास्तव, जिला पंचायत अध्यक्ष प्रतिनिधि रोहित सिंह, मुख्य विकास अधिकारी कृष्ण कुमार सिंह और जिला बेसिक शिक्षा अधिकारी लाल चन्द्र भी मौजूद रहे। सभी अतिथियों ने कार्यक्रम की सराहना की और शिक्षामित्रों को शुभकामनाएं दीं।

मानदेय वृद्धि पर खुशी जताई
समारोह का मुख्य उद्देश्य शिक्षामित्रों का मानदेय 10,000 रुपये से बढ़ाकर 18,000 रुपये करने का जश्न मनाना था. राज्य स्तरीय कार्यक्रम का शुभारंभ योगी आदित्यनाथ ने गोरखपुर से किया. कार्यक्रम के दौरान शिक्षामित्रों को चेक वितरित किए गए, जिससे उनमें खुशी की लहर दौड़ गई।

प्रधानाचार्यों को भी सम्मानित किया गया
कार्यक्रम में जिले के उन विद्यालयों के प्रधानाध्यापकों को भी सम्मानित किया गया, जिनका नामांकन सबसे अधिक हुआ है. इनमें प्राथमिक विद्यालय नयागंज (रुदौली), पूर्व माध्यमिक विद्यालय चौरे बाजार व रामपुर भगन (बीकापुर), पूर्व माध्यमिक विद्यालय पूरा (पूरा बाजार), कंपोजिट विद्यालय खंडासा (अमानीगंज) और उच्च प्राथमिक विद्यालय शिवाला मऊ (सौधा) के प्रधानाध्यापक शामिल हैं।

सरकार के फैसले की सराहना
उच्च शिक्षा राज्य मंत्री रजनी तिवारी ने कहा कि सरकार शिक्षामित्रों के हित में लगातार काम कर रही है. उन्होंने बताया कि पहले मानदेय 3500 रुपये था, जिसे बढ़ाकर 10,000 रुपये और अब 18,000 रुपये कर दिया गया है. यह निर्णय मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ के कड़े निर्णय का परिणाम है।

कार्यक्रम का सफल संचालन एवं धन्यवाद
कार्यक्रम के अंत में शिक्षामित्र संघ के जिला अध्यक्ष दुर्गेश मिश्र ने सभी अतिथियों एवं उपस्थित लोगों के प्रति आभार व्यक्त किया। कार्यक्रम का संचालन सादक ए हुसैन ने किया. इस मौके पर सभी विकास खंडों के खंड शिक्षा अधिकारी, जिला समन्वयक एसआरजी अंबिकेश त्रिपाठी व मनीष रस्तोगी समेत कई लोग मौजूद रहे।

(रिपोर्ट:अनूप कुमार अयोध्या)