Full recovery from learning loss A lot has changed since the pandemic impacted school education, according to ASER 2024, released on Tuesday. Here are some of the major findings: Rise in govt school enrolment seen during pandemic reversed Proportion of 6-14 yearolds enrolled in govt schools down from 72.9% in 2022 to 66.8% in 2024 bengaluru l wednesday l january 29, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 24 l LATE CITY EDITION Pandemic-induced learning loss is history Proportion of kids in Class III able to read at Class II level up from 20.5% in 2022 to 27.1% in 2024 14-16 years use 76% Children aged for social media | P11 smartphones CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI First call: Don nudges Modi to buy US weapons 13 devis honoured (First row from left) Suchithra Balasubramanian (Harikatha exponent), Vishnuvardhan (film director who received the award on behalf of his wife Anu Vardhan), G Brinda(choreographer and director), Arundhathi Subramaniam (poet and author); (2nd row) Omana Thomas (educator), Rajavalli Rajiv Presents (entrepreneur), Khatija Rahman (musician), Sudha Ragunathan (Carnatic vocalist), Jerlin Anika (Arjuna awardee); (3rd row) Chitra Visweswaran (danseuse), Preethi Srinivasan (Co-founder, Soulfree), Dr Sudha Seshayyan (director, DEVI AWARDS SASTRA University, Chennai) got the awards. Preetha Reddy (V-C of Apollo Hospitals), Prabhu Chawla (Editorial Director of TNIE), Lakshmi Menon (CEO of TNIE) and Santwana Bhattacharya (Editor of TNIE) are also seen | P7 Says he expects Modi to do ‘what is right’ on return of undocumented Indians in the US plex nature of diplomatic negotiations ahead. INDIA should look at buying In its statement on the Modimore American security equip- Trump telecon, the White ment to make the bilateral House said it was a productive trade ties equitable, US Presi- call. It said the two leaders exdent Donald Trump told Prime pressed their desire to deepen Minister Narendra Modi dur- bilateral cooperation and dising his telephone call on Mon- cussed important issues includday the White House said. , ing security in the Indo-Pacific, Separately, Trump told re- West Asia, and Europe. porters that Modi “The President might visit the US emphasized the in February Sourc. importance of es said both counIndia increasing tries are looking at its procurement finalising dates for of Americana meeting in Febmade security ruary or March. equipment and PM to visit U.S. Responding to a moving toward a query, Trump said fair bilateral Trump said Modi is likely he and Modi dis- to visit the US in February. trading relationcussed various is- According to sources, both ship,” it said. sues including imThe US is Insides are working to migration. The US dia’s larg est finalise mutually president said he trade par tner convenient dates in hopes Modi “will and the two-way February or March do what’s right” retrade between garding the return of Indians the two nations surpassed $118 who came to the US illegally . billion in 2023-24, with India reMeanwhile, Trump reiterat- cording $32 billion surplus. ed his stance on imposing tarThe White House said Trump iffs on countries that ‘harm’ and Modi emphasized their the US. Speaking to House Re- commitment to “advance the publicans at a Florida retreat US-India strategic partnership on Monday he called out China and the Indo-Pacific Quad part, and Brazil for having high tar- nership, with India hosting iffs. He also put India in this Quad Leaders for the first time category, signalling the com- later this year.” J AYA N TH J A C O B @ New Delhi WOMEN’S AWARDS FOR DYNAMISM & INNOVATION Photo: P Jawahar express read Kris Gopalakrishnan booked under SC/ST Act Bengaluru: The police have registered an FIR against Infosys co-founder Senapathy Kris Gopalakrishnan, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) director Govindan Rangarajan, former director Padmanabhan Balaram and 15 members from IISc under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act. P5 Stage collapses at UP religious event, 7 killed Baghpat (UP): Seven people died and at least 60 were injured when a temporary wooden structure collapsed at a religious event in Baraut city of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. The incident occurred during a programme organised for the ‘Abhishek’ of Lord Adinath. P12 From history to AI, a stage for diverse perspectives E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Chennai Incisive discussions on education, culture, and governance captivated audience as scholars ar ticulated their vision on the second day of the 13th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave 2025 hosted by The New Indian Express i n C h e n n a i . With focus on history, technology, morality, and skilling, speakers addressed India’s pressing challenges and opportunities at the event, presented by SASTRA University, on Tuesday. Karnataka IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge addressed India’s skilling crisis, outlining Karnataka’s initiatives in areas like semiconductor and AI. Tanuj Bhojwani and Professor Venkatesh Balasubramanian spoke about India’s potential as a global AI leader while addressing ethical and societal challenges. Economist Sanjeev Sanyal opened the day by revisiting ‘Lost History,’ highlighting neglected revolutionaries like Mewa Singh Lopoke and VVS Aiyar. He argued for rewriting the ‘biased colonial narratives’. Author Vikram Sampath expanded on this, examining polarising figures like Tipu Sultan and Veer Savarkar and calling for diverse perspectives in decoding history . BJP state president K Annama- TNIE Editor Santwana Bhattacharya, Karnataka IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge and TNIE Political Editor Bansy Kalappa at a discussion on ‘INDIA and Congress: State of Suspension’ during the ThinkEdu Conclave in Chennai on Tuesday | Ashwin prasath lai advocated for restoring Tamil Nadu’s cultural and economic strength, spelling out strategies and solutions for the state’s environmental and educational challenges. While Telangana Deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka underscored the need for cooperative governance, Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan called for an education system rooted in morality and liberation. Historian Anirudh Kanisetti traced the Chola Empire’s legacy of cultural integration, demonstrating India’s enduring diversity. Discussions on civility in public discourse featured Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Dr Kanimozhi NVN Somu, Gautami, and Sasikanth Senthil critiquing the rise of hate speech and sensationalism on social media. Swami Shailendra Saraswati reflected on religion’s spiritual essence. The day concluded with Carnatic vocalist Sandeep Narayan and artist Radhe Jaggi, who captivated the audience with insights into art’s transformative power. Over two days, the conclave featured 40 speakers across 25 sessions and 16 hours of debates. Attended by 600 students and 500 delegates, the event reinforced its legacy as India’s premier education platform, offering perspectives on the nation’s past, present, and future. more REPORTS ON: P8, P9