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OVER 61,000 XSEED STUDENTS FROM 21 STATES OVERCOME POST-COVID LEARNING CRISIS; SHOW 31% Y-O-Y IMPROVEMENT

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Findings show an impressive 31% year-on-year post-COVID improvement in same-student performance; 30% in English, 26% in Math, 39% in Science and an impressive 47% in Communication Skills at the annual XSEED Learnometer Skill Test 2022

Bangalore: January 13TH, 2023 – At a time when school-going children are still reeling from the pandemic-induced education gap, XSEED, the Singapore-based proven teaching methodology that is mapped to all boards including CBSE, ICSE, state boards and international syllabi, has enabled students emerge from this massive learning crisis as more informed, confident, and well-rounded individuals. XSEED has served over 2 million Nursery to Grade 8 students in over 20 states in India.  

The recent findings of the XSEED Learnometer Skills Test 2022 — one the largest and most comprehensive skills-based tests taken by school children in India — found that students learning the XSEED programme showed a remarkable post-COVID learning improvement of over 31% same-student improvement in overall scores versus last year. Further, the XSEED kids showed a 30% improvement in English, over 26% in Math and over 39% in Science over last year. 

The XSEED Learnometer Test is a 90-minute (grades 1-3) to a 120-minute (grades 4-8) computer-based annual exam and is generally considered a more difficult test than the traditional ones as it requires students to apply their knowledge rather than just recall facts and formulas. 

In addition to the three main subjects, the test also assessed students on three core thinking skills — Conceptual Understanding, Problem-Solving, and Communication — and found that improvement in the communication skills of these kids was the highest at 47%. 

Further, in the demanding middle-school years (grades 6,7,8), XSEED Students do 21% better compared to non-XSEED students. This superior performance is underpinned by better mastery in Communication skills (+22%) in English and better Conceptual Understanding (+29%) than their peers. 

“We are delighted to see the very encouraging direction of these results which tell us that XSEED is putting the ‘Ed’ in Edtech. Parents have been rightly concerned about the COVID learning loss, but these results demonstrate that at least for XSEED students, there is a recovery underway. Importantly, XSEED students in the higher-grades have shown a 20% superior performance versus peers which underscores their readiness for the board exams and the value in investing in the child’s educational foundation. We will continue to expand this study and make it even richer and more robust,” said Ashish Rajpal, Founder XSEED Education, Harvard alumnus, and former student of the world-renowned educator Dr Howard Gardner. 

The XSEED academic programme is a research-based teaching methodology that is deployed in schools. It improves conceptual thinking & grasp of children, strengthens English language expression, and enhances confidence. 

Since its international launch in 2014, XSEED has served 2 million children in over 220 districts and more than 20 states across India and has been deployed in eight countries including India, Philippines, and the Middle East. 

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Bhopal to host 8th India International Science Festival

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*IISF-2022 to be organised in Bhopal from 21 to 24 January 2023.* IISF to foster the global theme of G20-“One Earth, One Family, One Future”.• Theme of IISF is ‘Marching towards Amrit Kaal with Science, Technology, and Innovation’. • The festival hosts 15 thematic programmes, including the International Science Film Festival of India.*About 1500 young scientists and researchers to participate in the ‘Young Scientist Conference’. *The ‘Mega Science Expo’ will showcase India’s scientific and technological prowess. *’Startup Conclave’ will showcase innovative biotechnology start-ups.*Students and budding scientists come together to make it to the ‘Guinness Book World Record’. *’Student Science Village’ will be one of the main attractions of the 8th IISF.*Student Innovation Festival (SIF)-022 has also been included this year.*”Vigyanika” a science literature festival will also be organised as part of the 8th IISF.

PRESS MEET AT PRESS CLUB OF BANGALORE

New Delhi (03 January 2023): The 8 edition of the India International Science Festival (IISF) is going to be held during 21-24 January 2023, at Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Scientists, technologists, policymakers, artisans, startups, farmers, researchers, students, and innovators from India and abroad will participate in the festival popularly called ‘Vigyan Mahakumbh’..

Union Minister of State for Science & Technology (Independent Charge) and Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Earth Sciences, Minister of State Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has said, “IISF is a festival to celebrate the achievements of India’s scientific and technological advancements with students, innovators, craftsmen, farmers, scientists and technocrats from India and abroad.”

Dr Jitendra Singh also called for more Deep Tech startups and startups in newer areas with Indian signature. “IISF-2022 is vital as it coincides with India assuming the presidency of the G-20. The activities during the festival will also foster the global theme of G20-‘One Earth, One Family, and One Future’, Dr Singh added.

The theme of this edition of IISF is ‘Marching towards Amrit Kaal with Science, Technology, and Innovation. The primary purpose of IISF is the celebration of science by all. Through its creative programmes and activities, IISF provides an opportunity for the scientific communities and the general public to come together and experience the joy of doing science for the wellbeing of India and humanity.

Speaking at the IISF’s ‘Curtain Raiser’ programme held in New Delhi, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that several events would be running parallel with the participation of more than 8,000 delegates from across the country and abroad. Over one lakh local visitors are expected to witness and remember the festival for its unique grandeur and creativity in science.

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Department of Space (DoS), Government of India, and Government of Madhya Pradesh are jointly organising IISF 2022. The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology is the nodal coordinating department for the Festival. The Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology (MPCOST) is the local partner, and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) will be the

Knowledge Partner. Regional Centre for Biotechnology (KCB), Faridabad, Department of Biotechnology, is the nodal agency organising the festival. Like previous editions, several other S&T Ministries and Departments are also involved in organising the event. Om Prakash Saklecha, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Science and Technology in the Government of Madhya Pradesh, has said that a science colony would be set up especially for the IISF-2022.

IISF is a unique interaction platform for students, scientists, innovators, citizens, policymakers, and industries, including startups. India has entered the ‘Amrit Kaal’ during which it is essential to make science more accessible for everyone so that they can participate in the growth of the nation with the true spirit of Janbhagidari (people’s participation). The theme for this year’s IISF will ignite the spirit of using science, technology, and innovations to address social issues.

Fifteen different events will be conducted during the festival: Artisan’s Technology Village – Vocal for Local; Face-to-Face with New Frontiers in Science; Guinness Book of World Records; Mega Science and Technology Exhibition; National Social Organizations and Institutions Meet (NSOIM); New Age Technologies Show; Science through Games and Toys; Startup Conclave; State Science & Technology Councils Conclave; Students’ Innovation Festival (SIF); Students Science Village 2022; VIGYANIKA – Science Literature Festival; Young Scientists Conference; and 15 Mentoring & Counselling (Scientific Discussion) sessions, and last buy not the least, the International Science Film Festival of India.

Face-to-face with frontiers of science at IISF-2022 will be a unique opportunity for students, where they will be able to directly interact with eminent personalities / scientists/ industrialists of India. The event will be an interactive session attended by 1200-1400 students from 8th standard to Post graduate.

A mentor’s desk would be set up to guide the students and parents about potential innovative initiatives. In the interest of school children and their parents, the festival will also have a special section showcasing smart and intelligent toys.

India Science (https://www.indiascience.in), the nation’s own science & technology OTT channel, hasexclusively prepared fifteen short films showcasing the focal themes of all the fifteen events.

IISF-2022 is the eighth edition of the event since its inception in the year 2015. The first and second editions of IISF were held in New Delhi, the third in Chennai, the fourth in Lucknow, the fifth in Kolkata, the sixth through virtual mode, and the last IISF in Goa. In 2020, COVID-19 posed a serious challenge to this annual event. However, the flow of the program was not allowed to be interrupted by organizing it on a virtual platform.

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Celonis Emerges as a Serious Contender in the Fight Against the Climate Crisis, Publishes Sustainability Report 2022

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Bangalore, January 11, 2023 – Celonis, the global leader in execution management, today published its Sustainability Report for the fiscal year of 2022. The report demonstrates Celonis’ commitment to fighting the climate crisis, as well as to regular and transparent reporting on its sustainability efforts informed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). 

“Sustaining our planet isn’t about keeping up with trends, but committing to making the world a better place,” said Alex Rinke, co-CEO and co-founder of Celonis. “Sustainability must become part of daily business operations – there is no time to waste. We leverage the power of our process mining and execution management technology to reveal, reduce and prevent emissions and eliminate inefficiencies and inequalities from business processes. Optimizing processes can improve top, bottom and green line value. Simply by improving processes, organizations can lighten their carbon impact – it’s a win-win of epic proportions.”

“Problems are bigger than they have ever been, and we need new perspectives, and new solutions,” said Janina Bauer, Director of Sustainability at Celonis.“ I am excited to be launching our first Sustainability Report that is laying the groundwork for a more sustainable future, promoting sustainable operations, investing in achieving net-zero and regularly presenting our results in a transparent manner.” 

Celonis’ sustainability practices are central to its strategy and organization. The Sustainability Report covers fiscal year 2022 (February 2021 to January 2022) and includes examples of progress and projects from the first months of fiscal year 2023 as well. Highlights from the report include:

  • First Materiality Assessment: In preparation for the EU’s sustainability reporting requirements (CRSD), Celonis conducted a materiality assessment of its most important sustainability themes. For this exercise, Celonis surveyed and engaged stakeholders internally and externally. The results, the so-called materiality matrix, outlines Celonis’ impact on sustainability matters and vice versa, the information necessary to understand how sustainability matters affect Celonis’ business performance. 
  • First time sharing of Celonis’ Net Zero Climate Strategy: Celonis has committed to set near- and long-term science-based targets in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Net-Zero Standard.
  • Customer examples: The report highlights success stories from customers who have leveraged the newly launched Celonis sustainability applications.
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Celonis invests in 5 active business resource groups (Women & Allies, Pride, Parents, Resilience, and Black), with many more in the pipeline that are preparing to launch in the coming months. 

Unlocking the potential of business processes to reduce carbon emissions and operationalize sustainability goals

In the last year, along with customers also looking for more sustainable ways of doing business, Celonis built a suite of products with the goal of transforming the future of business into one that’s more sustainable. Celonis also helped customers quantify and reduce the scope of their CO2 emissions. 

Furthermore, Celonis entered into partnerships with leading players in the area of sustainability such as Climatiq, EcoVadis and IntegrityNext. These collaborations, along with Celonis’ new sustainability apps, transparent reporting and unwavering commitment to helping customers optimize for sustainable processes, continued to lay the foundations for Celonis’ sustainability activities and defined milestones for the future. 

Engaging a global workforce to create tangible impact

One example of how Celonis weaves sustainability into its daily business operations is by celebrating three global “Impact Days” every year, during which every single Celonis employee worldwide is able to step away from day-to-day work to focus on ways to give back to society. The most recent Impact Day was celebrated on December 2, 2022, and more than 2,000 Celonauts worldwide supported their communities by participating in over 100 projects – for instance, by collecting and donating clothes, food supplies and more to various organizations, including groups that are aiding Ukrainian refugees. Others made an impact virtually – participating in a global Sustainability Hackathon alongside Celonis customers. 

“Impact Day is a day off work – not a day off,” said Janina Bauer. “Businesses around the world are carbon emitters, and we all have to do our part. It can be hard to imagine, much less execute, concrete measures that really drive change, but what if every organization dedicated three working days per year, where every employee – CEO to intern – carved out time to work on projects that positively impact the community, the country, and the planet? This kind of commitment, on top of optimizing processes for sustainability, is what can really create a transformative impact.”

Previous Impact Day projects have included: Community clean-ups to contribute to restoring ecological balance, painting a government school in India, partaking in Code2College programs for low-income group students, and more. Impact Days span 12 countries and 23 locations.

Celonis took a first step toward transparent sustainability communication this past August with the release of its report, “The Baseline”, making information about its sustainability performance available to the public. It covers all 3 aspects of sustainability (environmental, social and governance). 

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IKEA has launched their global Life at Home report 2022 yesterday.

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IKEA has been on a journey for the past 80 years to understand people’s relationships with their homes and how IKEA can become an enabler for a better everyday life at home. To further strengthen its position as the leader in Life at Home, IKEA announced the launch of its annual Life at Home report in India with the theme ‘Make Yourself at Home’.

 

IKEA’s annual Life at Home Report is one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, involving qualitative and quantitative research into the views, needs and dreams of people all over the world. This year, over 37000 people from close to 35+ countries were asked to share their experiences and thoughts on mental well-being and life at home. The report doesn’t just capture data, but there is an effort by the brand to bring in empathy and understanding into the research. IKEA wants to play a difference in people’s lives by the help of their report findings. This report is aimed at finding solutions that ease the stresses and celebrate the different ways people live at home so that everyone can all feel like themselves at home. 

 

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