WEDNESDAY FULL RECOVERY FROM LEARNING LOSS 29 JANUARY, 2025 A lot has changed since the pandemic impacted school education, according to ASER 2024, released on Tuesday. Here are some of the major findings: epaper.morningstandard.in Rise in govt school enrolment seen during pandemic reversed Proportion of 6-14 year-olds enrolled in govt schools down from 72.9% in 2022 to 66.8% in 2024 facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard CONGO 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 | P9 FOREIGN EMBASSIES COME UNDER ATTACK Demonstrators attacked foreign embassies demanding that they oppose advance of Rwandabacked rebels into a major city in the country’s war-battered east. PAGE 11 76 PER CENT A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00 In first call, Don nudges Modi to buy US weapons PAGES 14 13 DEVIS HONOURED (From top left) 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 Presents (Educator), Rajavalli Rajiv (Entrepreneur), Suchithra Balasubramanian (Harikatha Exponent), Khatija Rahman (Musician), Sudha Ragunathan (Carnatic vocalist), Jerlin Anika DEVI AWARDS (Arjuna Awardee); (3rd row) Chitra Visweswaran (Danseuse), Preethi Srinivasan (co-founder, Soulfree), Dr Sudha Seshayyan (director, SASTRA University, Chennai). Prabhu Chawla (Editorial Director of TNIE), Lakshmi Menon (CEO of TNIE) and Santwana Bhattacharya (Editor of TNIE) are also seen | P6 Says he expects PM to do ‘what is right’ on return of undocumented Indians in the US Meanwhile, Trump reiterated his stance on imposing tarINDIA should look at buying iffs on countries that ‘harm’ more American security equip- the US. Speaking to House Rement to make the bilateral publicans at a Florida retreat trade ties equitable, US Presi- on Monday he called out China , dent Donald and Brazil for Trump told PM having high tarNarendra Modi iffs. He also put during his teleIndia in this catphone call on Monegory, signalling d ay, t h e W h i t e the nature of dipHouse said. lomatic negotiaS e p a r a t e l y, tions ahead. Trump told reportIn its statePM TO VISIT US ers that Modi ment on the MoTrump said Modi is likely might visit the US di-Trump telto visit the US in February. in February Sourc. econ, the White According to sources, both es said both counHouse said it was sides are working to tries are looking at a productive call. finalise mutually finalising dates for It said the two convenient dates in a meeting in Febleaders exFebruary or March ruary or March. pressed their deTrump said he sire to deepen biand Modi discussed various is- lateral ties and discussed sues, including immigration. important issues, including seHe said he hopes Modi “will do curity in the Indo-Pacific, West what’s right” regarding the re- Asia, and Europe. turn of Indians who came to The US is India’s largest the US illegally . trade partner.  CHILDREN AGED 14-16 YEARS USE SMARTPHONES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi WOMEN’S AWARDS FOR DYNAMISM & INNOVATION PHOTO: P JAWAHAR KEJRIWAL UNDER EC WATCH EC asks Kejriwal to substantiate claims of poisoning of Yamuna water by Haryana Haryana BJP MPs demand Kejriwal’s arrest Amit Shah asks Kejriwal to prove his ‘mixing poison’ in Yamuna claims Congress accuses AAP of withholding `618 cr under Ladli Yojana, AAP retorts BJP launches theme song sung by Manoj Tiwari Court overturns defamation summons against Delhi CM Atishi SC allows Tahir Hussain to campaign for Delhi polls in police custody | P3 & P7 From history to AI, a stage for diverse perspectives E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @ Chennai INCISIVE discussions on education, culture, and governance captivated audience as scholars articulated their vision on the second day of the 13th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave 2025 hosted by The New Indian Express in Chennai. With focus on history, technology, morality, and skilling, speakers addressed challenges and opportunities at the event, presented by SASTRA University, on Tuesday . Economist Sanjeev Sanyal opened the day by revisiting ‘Lost History,’ highlighting neglected revolution- aries 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 Annamalai advocated for restoring Tamil Nadu’s cultural and economic strength, spelling out strategies and solutions for the 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 . 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 P4 & P5