A Google Group for PlusTwo Physics Students

Anyone interested in Physics can now join the PlusTwoPhysics Group (in association with Google) and post questions and get the answers. The answers will be delivered to your email inbox (if opted) and also to the group wall.

Though this group is primarily aimed at supporting the members and users of www.plustwophysics.com , anyone interested in Physics can benefit from this group.

Students are requested to send their questions as well as any doubts or links to the group.
The group will also host and link previous Physics Question Papers, Question Banks , Lecture Notes and more

Students of any Syllabus can join this group as well as www.plustwophysics.com for free.

Teachers can join this site and contribute contents and participate in discussions to answer questions and queries from students and other members.

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On Dance: A Physics Lesson

Erotic is not a word usually associated with physics, but that is one of the ways Karole Armitage describes the complicated subject she explores in her new work “Three Theories.” The choreographer has created the piece, which takes on relativity, quantum mechanics and string theory as part of the 2010 World Science Festival this week in New York. We asked Ms. Armitage about science, its relationship to dance, and the influence of her father, a biologist, on her work. “Three Theories” will have its New York premiere on Thursday night at Cedar Lake Theater in Chelsea; it runs through Sunday.

CBSE issues guidelines for standard 11 admissions

Against the backdrop of the newly introduced nine-point grading system in its class 10 examinations, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a set of guidelines to schools affiliated to it to be followed for admissions to standard 11.

In a circular issued on Friday, the CBSE suggested the determination of inter-se merit of candidates, based on the calculation of indicative percentage of marks, for the preparation of the admission list. The circular is available on the web site www.cbse.nic.in. Detailed circulars on the grading system and on continuous and comprehensive evaluation can also be obtained from the web site.

The indicative percentage of marks obtained by a candidate can be determined by multiplying the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) by 9.5. Similarly, subject-wise indicative percentage of marks can be determined by multiplying the grade point (GP) for that subject by 9.5.

The circular says that in case of a tie in the CGPA between two or more candidates, the average subject-wise indicative percentage of marks obtained by the candidates in one compulsory language and the subjects they opt for studies in the higher secondary class should be taken into consideration. However, the circular also says that schools can adopt other methods that they find suitable in their own context.

The CBSE had directed schools to introduce a nine-point grading system in classes IX and X from the second half of the academic year 2009-10, along with the introduction of continuous and comprehensive evaluation.

In the nine-point grading system, the student's performance is first assessed using conventional numerical marking mode and then converted into grades on the basis of pre-determined mark ranges as stipulated by the CBSE.

Although the examination reforms and the evaluation methods introduced by the CBSE have been generally welcomed by teachers, parents and students, the new system did give rise to doubts and confusion in its first year of implementation. Misconceptions such as equating the CGPA to total percentage of marks achieved by a student and determination of school toppers based on these figures continue to prevail in some quarters.

“There is a general perception that a CGPA of 9.8 is equivalent to 98 per cent mark or likewise a CGPA of 10 is equal to 100 per cent marks. This is wrong and you cannot determine a school topper based on this calculation,” said K.O. Ratnakaran, Principal, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalala, Chettachal. The main objective of the system is to discourage unhealthy competition and practices such as determining school toppers, number of distinctions and first classes, he pointed out.

NCERT clash with CBSE on new syllabus

The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) has taken strong exception to the Council of Boards of School Education in India (COBSE) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) developing a common curriculum in science and mathematics.

Describing the task as its responsibility, the NCERT has asked COBSE, which comprises representatives of all state boards, and the CBSE to keep off its turf.

In its last meeting, COBSE had claimed that all state boards had agreed on having a common syllabusin science and maths and they would be working together to develop it. The NCERT's acting director, G. Ravindra, said he had written to the CBSE. "According to the National Policy on Education, framing a national curriculum is the NCERT's responsibility. It is not the job of COBSE or the CBSE," he said.

Ravindra said the NCERT had already framed the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) in 2005. "This has taken care of a common curriculum in science and maths. The NCERT has to review the curriculum every five years.

But the CBSE's job is restricted to conducting exams and implementing examination reforms, not framing curricula," he said. The CBSE and COBSE had written to the NCERT, asking it to "participate" in the process of framing a common curriculum. This led to the NCERT's objection.

The NCERT is also sceptical about COBSE's claims of a " consensus" among all the state boards on the issue.

According to the NCERT, only 18 states have accepted the common syllabus. West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, among others, are opposed to it.

After the COBSE meeting in February, Union human resource development minister Kapil Sibal had announced that from the academic year 2011- 12, the science and mathematics curricula for classes XI and XII would be uniform across the country, claiming that a " consensus" had been reached on the issue.

Sibal had even said after science and maths, COBSE would start framing a common commerce curriculum.

This makes the development interesting because as the HRD minister, Sibal is also the NCERT president. Now on loggerheads with COBSE and the CBSE, the NCERT has chosen to take a stand contrary to the minister's.

The NCERT says the NCF curriculum it had framed in 2005 has been accepted and implemented by 14 states.

COBSE general secretary professor D. V. Sharma has said the school boards have every right to update their syllabus. The boards had asked COBSE to take up the revision and then it was carried out. " The NCERT's opposition is unnecessary.

The NCERT had sent a representative to the consultation programme on the common curriculum," he said.

CBSE Chennai region scales a 20-year high

CHENNAI: On Friday, when the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the results of the All-India Secondary School Examination (class X), awarding grades to students instead of marks, it was time for a triple celebration for schools in the Chennai region.

First, the students were relieved of the tensions usually associated with the mark-based valuation system where a single mark can make or mar one’s future . Second, students of the Chennai region, comprising the southern states, Maharashtra, Goa and the four union territories , scaled a 20-year high in overall success rate. Of the 1,16,927 candidates from the region who appeared in the AISSE, 96.18% were successful, enveloping last year’s record of 95.6%. Add to this the fact that just a week ago, class XII students of the Chennai region set a 16-year record in overall pass percentage.

Incidentally, both the class X and class XII students of the region had set new records in pass percentage just last year, which has been erased now.

The CBSE has not classified students as “passed” , “failed” or “compartmental candidates ” this year. “We are declaring a unique result where candidates who have secured grades D to A1 are declared as ‘qualified’ for higher studies and those with grades E1 and E2 are classified as ‘EIOP’ meaning they are eligible for improvement of performance,” N Nagaraju, joint secretary, CBSE (Chennai region), said.

No failures in CBSE exams this year
CHENNAI: The CBSE has not classified students as “passed” , “failed” or “compartmental candidates” this year. Candidates who have secured grades D to A1 are declared as ‘qualified ’ for higher studies and those with grades E1 and E2 are classified as ‘EIOP’ meaning they are eligible for improvement of performance.

The EIOP candidates would be required to obtain a grade of D and above, utilising chances in July 2010, March 2011, July 2011, March 2012 and July 2012 to qualify for admission into class XI or for higher studies.

Nagaraju, joint secretary, CBSE (Chennai region), said students securing marks between 91 and 100 would be awarded ‘A1’, which entitles them to a grade point of 10. A student scoring between 33 and 40 marks will be awarded ‘D’ , with a grade point of 4.

While such grades and grade points are awarded for each subject, a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) will be calculated for each student by adding the grades of all five subjects and dividing it by 5. Once this figure is arrived at, an overall indicative percentage of marks will be calculated by multiplying the CGPA with 9.5 through a standard deviation method to enable preparing the merit list for admission in Class 11.

“We have already instructed all school principals on calculating the overall indicative CGPA,” Nagaraju said.