Novell provides certification for technical competence with self-study tests and courses given at National Authorized Education Centers (NAECs). The earlier Enterprise CNE (ECNE), which included WAN expertise, was replaced with the Master CNE, which itself expires in mid-2007. Once a certification can no longer be obtained, people who have successfully completed the exams will not be stripped of that title.

Following are the Novell certifications, which used to be known as NetWare certifications. For example, a CNA used to be a Certified NetWare Administrator. For more information, visit www.novell.com/training/certinfo. See certification.

  CNA (Certified Novell Administrator)
  CNE (Certified Novell Engineer)
  CDE (Certified Directory Engineer)
  CNI (Certified Novell Instructor)
  CLE (Certified Linux Engineer)
  CLP (Certified Linux Professional)
  NAI (Novell Academic Instructor)

• Certification programs help system administrators stand out from their peers while expanding and validating their skills. 
• Certification training and testing help IT professionals earn professional credibility and more power to direct and control their career paths. 
• Numerous certifications are available, but several are exceptionally valued and respected. 
• This article is for system administrators and IT professionals who want to expand their knowledge and professional credibility through certification programs.

System administrators are the glue holding together business operations, ensuring smooth-running IT infrastructures. The role requires in-demand career skills that range from server and client configuration and maintenance to access controls, network services and application resource requirements. SysAdmins may even work with more user-facing products, like directory and name services, network addressing, database services, web and desktop applications, and email. They’re often the company “tech expert” – sometimes at several organizations simultaneously. 

System administrator certifications help IT professionals navigate their career paths, expand their knowledge and demonstrate their expertise to managers and employers. SysAdmin certs may even help you secure managerial and executive level jobs and higher pay.

Tip: If you’re a SysAdmin specializing in database services, consider exploring the best database certifications for database administrators and developers.

Best system administrator certifications

After examining various credentials, we developed this list of our five favorite system administrator certifications for 2022. These certifications are geared toward various experience levels, product interests and skill sets. They can foster your development within system administration, encourage you to explore new areas of expertise, and help you set and achieve career goals. 

1. Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert 

Many businesses operate within Microsoft ecosystems, making Microsoft certifications extremely valuable and sought after. However, Microsoft has overhauled its certification processes in exact years, replacing broad certificates like Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert with a wider variety of role-based certification options divided into the following roles: 

• Data engineer
• Data scientist
• Artificial intelligence engineer
• Security engineer
• DevOps engineer
• Functional consultant
• Developer
• Administrator
• Solutions architect 

Certifications come in beginner, intermediate, and expert levels, based on applicants’ experience. 

Various system administrators may find some Microsoft certifications more advantageous than others. However, the Azure Solutions Architect Expert is the most in-demand certification for a SysAdmin with IT operation experience.  

The Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification is ideal for someone with extensive experience using Azure to solve problems and make decisions for a business’s tech needs. Candidates must have experience with every level of IT operations as well as DevOps. Candidates will be tested on their knowledge and ability to design solutions for data storage, identity, infrastructure and more using Azure. 

This certification combines elements of system administration, Azure implementation and solutions architect experience. Candidates should have one prerequisite qualification: the Azure Administrator Associate certification.  

Tip: If you have solutions architect experience, check out our list of the best enterprise architect certifications. Credentials at the architect level can lead to some of the highest-paid tech industry positions.

Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert facts and figures

2. Professional Oracle Linux 8 System Administrator 

Although Oracle is known for its database products and solutions, it also distributes Linux products geared for the enterprise and designed to support cloud environments. Oracle Linux is optimized for various Oracle products and platforms, such as:

• Oracle Exadata Database Machine
• Oracle Exalytics In-Memory Machine
• Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud
• Oracle Database Appliance

To support Oracle Linux, the company offers several Oracle Linux System Administrator learning paths. It also provides several standalone Linux administration courses. Oracle’s Linux certifications are considered among the best Linux certifications to earn. We’ll highlight the Professional Oracle Linux 8 System Administrator certification below. 

The OCP Oracle Linux System Administrator certification, currently at version 8, covers many tools and processes. Candidates must be well-versed in:

• Linux file systems
• Control groups
• Container concepts
• Advanced storage administration techniques
• Oracle cluster management 
• Using Ksplice Uptrack commands 

The certification also tests for knowledge of network bonding, task automation, security configuration and more. 

SysAdmins who support Oracle Solaris might also be interested in the Oracle Solaris System Administrator certification, which Oracle offers at the Associate and Professional levels. Oracle also offers a Cloud Database Migration and Integration Professional certificate. 

Professional Oracle Linux 8 System Administrator certification facts and figures

Did you know?: Oracle certifications are vendor-specific certifications to advance your networking career and are frequently sought after by SysAdmins.

3. RHCE: Red Hat Certified Engineer

In the realm of Linux system administrator certifications, Red Hat certifications stand out. Red Hat’s more senior-level certifications are especially popular among IT professionals and the firms that hire them. Those holding the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) credential qualify for highly competitive job roles, including the following:

• Senior Linux administrator
• Senior UNIX administrator
• Senior systems engineer
• Infrastructure systems engineer
• IT analyst 

The RHCE is considered a high-level credential that’s not easy to obtain. Candidates must first obtain the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) credential. The RHCE credential expands the RHCSA’s understanding of automation in multisystem environments. Candidates must then pass an intense, demanding, four-hour, hands-on, performance-based exam. Those who earn the RHCE can go on to earn the Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) in Infrastructure credential.

Candidates can choose a path based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. RHCE certification is valid for three years from the date the certification was achieved. To maintain the certification, a credential holder must pass any RHCA exam or pass the RHCE certification exam again before the end of the three years.

Tip: See our Red Hat certification guide for additional Red Hat professional certifications based on software products, virtualization, storage and cloud-based solutions.

RHCE facts and figures

4. CompTIA Server+

CompTIA certifications, such as the A+ for hardware technicians, Network+ for network admins and Security+ for security specialists, are highly regarded in the computing industry. The CompTIA Server+ certification is no exception. 

Companies such as Intel, HP, Dell, Lenovo, Xerox and Microsoft recommend or require their server technicians to earn CompTIA Server+ credentials.

The Server+ certification exam focuses on fundamental, vendor-neutral server-related topics, including:

• Server hardware
• Operating systems
• Storage systems
• Networking
• The IT environment (documentation, diagrams and best practices)
• Security and disaster recovery
• Virtualization 
• Troubleshooting

Individuals seeking positions across the system administration world, including data technician, network administrator, IT technician and data center engineer, can benefit from CompTIA Server+ certification. This certification also provides new IT professionals with an excellent foundation for more specialized certifications.

Candidates for the Server+ certification take one exam: SK0-005. CompTIA recommends that candidates have at least two years of practical experience working with servers and either CompTIA A+ certification or comparable knowledge. This certification also stands out because it does not expire – certification is good for life. 

CompTIA Server+ facts and figures

Did you know?: CompTIA also offers some of the best computer hardware certifications as well as vendor-specific Dell certifications, help desk certifications and more.

5. VCAP-DCV Design 2022: VMware Certified Advanced Professional – Data Center Virtualization Design 2022

VMware certifications are must-have credentials for IT professionals interested in virtualization. With a comprehensive certification program encompassing all skill levels, VMware credentials are recognized globally as the best in their class of professional certifications.  

The latest incarnation of the VMware vSphere product is Version 8. VMware offers five credentials related to the vSphere product:

• Certified Technical
• Certified Professional
• Certified Advanced Professional (Data Center Virtualization Design)
• Certified Advanced Professional (Data Center Virtualization Deploy)
• Certified Design Expert 

VMware also offers a wide range of badges for specific product applications. We’re highlighting the intermediate certification: Certified Advanced Professional – Data Center Virtualization Design. 

Training is required for non-credential holders seeking to obtain the VCAP-DCV credential. VMware offers various training options to meet the training prerequisite: self-paced (on demand), live online and live classroom – some of which include virtual labs. Those possessing a valid VCAP-DCV Design certificate must attend a training course or pass the VCAP-DCV Design exam. 

VCAP-DCV Design 2022 facts and figures

Key takeaway: Earning the best IT certifications, including system admin certs, is an excellent career advancement tool for amassing and validating your skills and knowledge.

Beyond the top 5: More SysAdmin certifications

In addition to the five system administrator certifications we highlighted above, many other certification programs can help further the careers and professional development of IT professionals in system administration.

It makes sense to investigate the plethora of vendor-specific programs available for those who work with systems from companies like Brocade, Dell EMC, HPE, IBM, NetApp and Symantec. Many play into critical system specialty areas, such as storage, security and virtualization, while others offer a broad range of platforms for these and other technology areas. 

Here are some examples:

• IBM Certified System Administrator MQ V9.1: IBM Certified System Administrator MQ V9.1 is for SysAdmins who cover admin activities such as migrating, configuration, availability, performance tuning and problem determination.
• NetApp Certified Data Administrator (NCDA): NCDA is geared toward professionals who manage NetApp data storage controllers running the ONTAP operating system.
• ServiceNow Certified System Administrator: ServiceNow Certified System Administrator is aimed at professionals adept at configuring, implementing and managing ServiceNow systems.

Vendor-neutral certification programs also offer a variety of interesting and potentially valuable credentials. For example, Linux Professional Institute certifications are well known and widely recognized in IT shops and operations that depend on Linux servers to handle their workloads. 

Tip: Tech professionals may also want to consider certifications in adjacent fields, including big data certifications, starter cybersecurity certifications and project management certifications.

Job board search results (in alphabetical order by certification)

The following chart shows the results of an informal job search we conducted to provide you an idea of the relative frequency with which our top five certifications appear in genuine job postings. While all the certifications are popular, the CompTIA Server+ stands out as the clear favorite.

* When searching for VCP – Data Center credentials, we found most job descriptions didn’t indicate a specific version.

Although employers tend to pay SysAdmins less than some of their IT peers, such as network engineers and enterprise IT architects, a career in system administration is still worth pursuing. SimplyHired reports $79,283 as the national average salary for system administrators, with a range of $49,718 to $136,224. Indeed.com similarly reports that $76,942 is the average base salary for system administrators, while senior system administrators can expect an average salary of around $92,803.  

Building a dynamic IT skill set

IT systems are dynamic. They grow with companies and change with evolving technology. Therefore, it’s important for system administrators to nourish their skills. Certifications and training show you’re qualified to handle the responsibilities of your desired position while demonstrating your willingness to learn and grow. 

As you move through your career in system administration, you may want to branch into new specialties or software. Fortunately, in addition to receiving certifications, you can access many excellent courses and educational resources to help you continue to grow in your field. 

Ed Tittel and Kim Lindros contributed to the reporting and writing in this article.

Administrators and the Responsible Conduct of Research
Mentor/Trainee:
Admin Staff Considerations

In a Windows operating system, an Administrator account is an account that allows a user to make changes that require administrative permissions. An Administrator has more rights on a Windows OS as compared to the users with a local account. For example, the users with a local or standard account can access files and folders on their own user space, make system changes that do not require administrative permissions, install and uninstall programs, etc. On the other hand, an Administrator can change security settings, install and uninstall software, add and remove users, make changes to other user accounts, etc. In short, to perform the tasks that require administrative permissions, you should be logged in as an Administrator. In this tutorial, we will see how to log in as an Administrator in Windows 11/10.

Every Windows computer has a Local Administrator account that is created at the time of Windows installation. As described above, the Administrator has full access to the Windows device as compared to other standard users. The Administrator can also create new and delete the existing users and change the user account permissions. You can log in as an Administrator in Windows 11/10 by:

1. Using the existing Administrator Account
2. Enabling the built-in Administrator account
3. Creating a new Local Administrator account
4. Changing the local or standard into an Administrator account

Let’s see all these methods in detail.

1] Using the existing Administrator Account

If you are starting your PC then locate the Administrator account and use the password to login.

If you are currently not logged in as an administrator and want to change to an admin, open Start, click on the user icon, select Sign out and then log into the Admin account by using its password.

2] Enabling the built-in Administrator account

The Windows OS has a built-in Administrator account. In Windows 11/10 and Windows Server 2016, the built-in Administrator account is disabled at the time of Windows installation and another local account is created which is the member of the Administrators group.

The built-in Administrator account is also called the Super Administrator account. If we compare the built-in Administrator account with the Local Administrator account, the built-in Administrator account has elevated privileges. This means when you perform the administrative tasks, you will not get the UAC prompt. Apart from that, if you want to do some serious troubleshooting on your Windows machine or if you want to recover your main account or another user account, you can use the built-in Administrator account.

Because the built-in Administrator account does not show the UAC prompt, any application can have full control over your system. Therefore, running this account on a regular basis can be risky. You should enable the built-in Administrator account only if you have to do some troubleshooting or recover other user accounts. After performing your task, you should disable it.

As explained above, every Windows OS has a Local Administrator account which is created at the time of Windows installation. Hence, you have to sign in to that Local Administrator account in order to enable the built-in Administrator account. After enabling the built-in Administrator account, you can login as an Administrator in Windows 11/10.

3] Creating a new Local Administrator account

Every Windows 11/10 computer has a default Local Administrator account which is created at the time of Windows installation. Using that account, you can create another Local Administrator account for another user. To do so, open the Accounts page in your Windows 11/10 Settings and then click on the Family & other users option. Now, you have two options:

• You can create a Local Administrator account for your family member.
• You can create a Local Administrator account for a person who is not your family member.

Let’s see how to create a Local Administrator account for a family member and other users.

 Create a Local Administrator account for your family member

You can use this option if you have another Microsoft account and you want to add that account as an Administrator to your Windows computer.

1. On the Family & other users page in Windows 11/10 Settings, click on the Add account button next to the Add a family member option.
2. Enter the email address of the family member and click Next.
3. Select the role (organizer or member) and click Invite. After that, an invite will be sent to the email address.
4. Open the email address and accept the invitation. After accepting the invitation, that account will be added automatically to your Windows device.
5. Now, open the Family & other users page in WIndows 11/10 Accounts settings and select the newly added account.
6. Click Change account type and select Administrator in the drop-down and click OK.

Now, you can login as an Administrator in Windows 11/10 using that account.

Create a Local Administrator account for a person who is not your family member

If you do not have another Microsoft account, you can still create a Local Administrator account. This time, you have to add an account in the Other users section on the Family & other users page. The steps are as follows:

1. Open the Family & other users page in Windows 11/10 Accounts settings.
2. Click on the Add account button next to Add other user.
3. You will be prompted to enter your email address. Click on the I don’t have this person’s sign-in information link.
4. Now, click Add a user without a Microsoft account.
5. Enter your username and password. After that, select the security questions and type your answers.
6. Click Next.
7. Now, select the newly created account and click Change account type.
8. Select Administrator in the drop-down and click OK.

Now, you can use this account to login as an Administrator in Windows 11/10.

Read: How to rename built-in Administrator Account in Windows.

4] Changing the local or standard account into an Administrator account

If you already have created a local account on your Windows machine, you can change its type and use that account to login as an Administrator. The steps to change the local account to an Administrator account are as follows:

1. Open the Family & other users page in Windows 11/10 Accounts settings.
2. Select the local user account under the Other users section.
3. Click on the Change account type button and select Administrator in the drop-down.
4. Now, click OK.

How do I log onto my computer as an Administrator?

At the time of Windows installation, a Local Administrator account is created automatically. You can use that account to log onto your computer as an Administrator. Apart from that, you can also enable the hidden or built-in Administrator account or create an additional Local Administrator account.

We have explained all these methods above in this article.

How do I run Windows as an Administrator?

To run Windows as an Administrator, you should have an Administrator account. There are different methods by which you can create an Administrator account. In addition to this, you can also enable the built-in Administrator account. But it is not recommended to use the built-in Administrator account on a regular basis due to security issues.

This is all about how to log in as an Administrator in Windows 11/10.

Read next: How to fix the disabled Administrator account on Windows 11/10.

Microsoft's Skills 2000 aims to close the gap.
Nancy Lewis, general manager for Worldwide Training and Certification at Microsoft Corp., believes that vendors need to "pull together" and take the lead in closing the skills gap. For Lewis, "goal number one," is to attract more people to the industry, and "goal number two," is to train those workers. To help move things along, Microsoft recently launched the Skills 2000 program, a multimillion dollar, two-year effort designed to help close the skills gap with outreach, education, and training initiatives.

The company also pumped $75 million into the Microsoft Authorized Academic Training Program (AATP), which trains students at the high school, vocational, community college, and university levels in disciplines such as network management, systems administration, and computer programming. According to Microsoft, more than 100,000 students at 500 schools in 38 states will receive AATP training by the end of the 1998 academic year.

Sign up for Cisco's shop class for the 21st century.
Joining the training effort, Cisco, a leading vendor of network products such as routers and hubs, is sponsoring a nationwide program that will enable high school and college students to earn certification as Cisco Certified Networking Associates. In 1997, Cisco established 57 Networking Academies in high schools and junior colleges in seven states, and the company expects to have more than 400 academies in all 50 states by the fall semester of 1998. Cisco describes the effort as the equivalent of a shop class for the 21st century. Students in the program will learn the skills necessary to design and manage computer networks. Cisco is contributing approximately $18 million in curriculum, equipment, and resources to launch the program.

According to Cisco regional managers Steve Armstrong and Kevin Givens, strong interest in the program has come from the University of the District of Columbia, Howard University, and Archbishop Carroll High School. In Maryland, Baltimore's Washington High School now hosts a Cisco academy, and Givens is working with the schools in Prince George's Co., Montgomery Co., and Baltimore City to establish Networking Academies in those counties.

In addition, Cisco is teaming up with the Virginia Community Colleges System (VCCS) to start regional academies on 23 campuses throughout the state by the fall semester of 1998. These regional academies will support local academies in Virginia high schools. Armstrong and Givens believe there are approximately 30 schools in the District that could potentially host Cisco Networking Academies.

Novell has opened a novel foundation.
Novell Inc., the Orem, Utah-based vendor of networking software, is also sponsoring a program for training workers in network administration. Novell recently sponsored a program at Ballou High School in the District that offered students networking courses and career support. The project, carried out in conjunction with the Foundation for Educational Innovation, proved so successful that Novell donated $100,000 worth of software to help expand the program to surrounding schools.

Novell operates 1,450 training centers around the world, with an additional 420 high schools, community colleges, and universities throughout the United States offering Novell training. According to David Marler, director of business development for Novell Education, schools in Michigan, Florida, and California are now working on plans to deploy Novell's Certified Novell Administrator (CNA) program. According to Novell, approximately 25,000 students nationwide will take the CNA course as part of the high school curriculum during 1998.

B.S. holders are top guns at entry-level.
At the university level, says Dr. Lloyd Griffiths, dean of the School of Information Technology and Engineering at the Northern Virginia campus of George Mason University, "the way colleges are teaching [technology] is changing dramatically." For example, at George Mason, students from all departments, including liberal arts majors, will soon be able to select a minor in IT by taking 17 credit hours of technology course work. This new approach "came at the request of industry," Griffiths notes, partly because of the realization that "there are a lot of [technology-related jobs] that don't need a Ph.D. in computer science."

The most solid path for ensuring a long and successful career in high technology is to complete a four-year bachelor's degree in computer science or engineering. According to Griffiths, students who graduate with four-year technical degrees are snapped up by employers as soon as they graduate. Thanks to the overwhelming demand for high-tech workers, most computer science and engineering college grads can pick and choose from numerous entry-level offers, select a work culture that works for them, and negotiate great benefits.

Many companies, such as CDSI, begin wooing students with paid internships that bring them into the company even before they graduate. "We focus on the computer science and business departments," at the University of Maryland for entry-level workers, says Hollister. "We try to get interns from both of those groups" because CDSI has divisions that focus on IT solutions and business application solutions, he says. Even so, it's tough hanging onto the grads once their internships are over and graduation approaches. "The offers these interns are getting are outstanding," says Hollister, recalling one student who had seven job offers prior to graduation.

In addition, regional technology groups, such as the High Technology Council (HTC) of Maryland and Virginia's Northern Virginia Technology Council are leaning on local legislatures to do more to promote high-tech education and training in the schools. HTC, for example, is cosponsoring a tuition release bill in Maryland that would provide free tuition for technology courses at community colleges and universities in exchange for a commitment from the student to work in a Maryland company after graduation.

Denis Emelyantsev, a 36-year-old Russian man accused of running a massive botnet called RSOCKS that stitched malware into millions of devices worldwide, pleaded guilty to two counts of computer crime violations in a California courtroom this week. The plea comes just months after Emelyantsev was extradited from Bulgaria, where he told investigators, “America is looking for me because I have enormous information and they need it.”

A copy of the passport for Denis Emelyantsev, a.k.a. Denis Kloster, as posted to his Vkontakte page in 2019.

First advertised in the cybercrime underground in 2014, RSOCKS was the web-based storefront for hacked computers that were sold as “proxies” to cybercriminals looking for ways to route their Web traffic through someone else’s device.

Customers could pay to rent access to a pool of proxies for a specified period, with costs ranging from $30 per day for access to 2,000 proxies, to $200 daily for up to 90,000 proxies.

Many of the infected systems were Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including industrial control systems, time clocks, routers, audio/video streaming devices, and smart garage door openers. Later in its existence, the RSOCKS botnet expanded into compromising Android devices and conventional computers.

In June 2022, authorities in the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom announced a joint operation to dismantle the RSOCKS botnet. But that action did not name any defendants.

Inspired by that takedown, KrebsOnSecurity followed clues from the RSOCKS botnet master’s identity on the cybercrime forums to Emelyantsev’s personal blog, where he went by the name Denis Kloster. The blog featured musings on the challenges of running a company that sells “security and anonymity services to customers around the world,” and even included a group photo of RSOCKS employees.

“Thanks to you, we are now developing in the field of information security and anonymity!,” Kloster’s blog enthused. “We make products that are used by thousands of people around the world, and this is very cool! And this is just the beginning!!! We don’t just work together and we’re not just friends, we’re Family.”

But by the time that investigation was published, Emelyantsev had already been captured by Bulgarian authorities responding to an American arrest warrant. At his extradition hearing, Emelyantsev claimed he would prove his innocence in an U.S. courtroom.

“I have hired a lawyer there and I want you to send me as quickly as possible to clear these baseless charges,” Emelyantsev told the Bulgarian court. “I am not a criminal and I will prove it in an American court.”

RSOCKS, circa 2016. At that time, RSOCKS was advertising more than 80,000 proxies. Image: archive.org.

Emelyantsev was far more than just an administrator of a large botnet. Behind the facade of his Internet advertising company based in Omsk, Russia, the RSOCKS botmaster was a major player in the Russian email spam industry for more than a decade.

Some of the top Russian cybercrime forums have been hacked over the years, and leaked private messages from those forums show the RSOCKS administrator claimed ownership of the RUSdot spam forum. RUSdot is the successor forum to Spamdot, a far more secretive and restricted community where most of the world’s top spammers, virus writers and cybercriminals collaborated for years before the forum imploded in 2010.

A Google-translated version of the Rusdot spam forum.

Indeed, the very first mentions of RSOCKS on any Russian-language cybercrime forums refer to the service by its full name as the “RUSdot Socks Server.”

Email spam — and in particular malicious email sent via compromised computers — is still one of the biggest sources of malware infections that lead to data breaches and ransomware attacks. So it stands to reason that as administrator of Russia’s most well-known forum for spammers, Emelyantsev probably knows quite a bit about other top players in the botnet spam and malware community.

It remains unclear whether Emelyantsev made good on his promise to spill that knowledge to American investigators as part of his plea deal. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, which has not responded to a request for comment.

Emelyantsev pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts, including damage to protected computers and conspiracy to damage protected computers. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, and is currently scheduled to be sentenced on April 27, 2023.

EXCLUSIVE — A California district administrator involved in overseeing curriculum, Samia Shoman, called for "privileged White voices" to be removed from influencing against a far-left ethnic studies curriculum.

Shoman oversees curriculum in the San Mateo Union High School district as manager of English learners and academic support programs. The email was dated March 2021 and was obtained via public record request by Zachor Legal.

Shoman contacted the California state superintendent, Tony Thurmond, in March 2021. Shoman blasted "white voices" and said they should have no part in influencing the curriculum.

CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OFFICIAL DENOUNCES 'MIXED-RACE' DAD AS A 'WHITE MALE' FOR PROBING EQUITY COURSE: COMPLAINT

"We urge the [state board of education] not to provide in to the pressures and influences of political lobbyists, racist & privileged white voices, and individuals," she wrote.

Another issue Shoman took up with the proposed ethnic studies curriculum was the idea of "multiple perspectives."

"The proposed revisions privileges terms like ‘multiple perspectives,' ‘diversity,’ ‘all students’ and 'broad range of groups' undermining the primary focus on the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) communities that compose over 80 percent of California’s student population."

CALIFORNIA DISTRICT TO PROBE STUDENTS ON HOW OFTEN THEY HANG OUT WITH PEOPLE OF ‘DIFFERENT GENDER IDENTITIES’

Shoman went on to call for a more extreme version of the proposed Black Lives Matter curriculum lesson.

"[E]ven in the African American lesson on the Black Lives Matter movement, which is a direct response white supremacy fails to call out and analyze racism and systemic oppression," she said.

Shoman, a pro-Palestinian advocate, blasted a proposed revision in the curriculum that would include Jewish-American studies. 

"This is grossly inaccurate, and has no institutional history," she said about including Jews in ethnic studies under the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) umbrella.

Marc Greendorfer of Zachor Legal told Fox News, "The position taken by Samia Shoman and others to treat Jews, the true indigenous people of the land of Israel, as ‘white’ occupiers and colonists is utterly at odds with history and facts."

He went on to take aim at California's ethnic studies curriculum as "indoctrination."

TEXAS TEACHER BRAGGING ABOUT 'INDOCTRINATING THE YOUTH' INTERVIEWS MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS ON NON-BINARY IDENTITY

"While the idea of ensuring students are taught about the history of all ethnicities is one we support, we have found that these programs are anything but educational. Instead, they are political indoctrination by extremists who are working to institutionalize bigotry and hate in education," said Greendorfer.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to the district for comment, and they said, "Dr. Shoman … was appointed and served on the California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Advisory Committee. … She and her fellow committee members wrote to the California State Board of Education in their roles as members of this Committee to express their opinions."

"In their letter, the committee did not call for the erasure of Israel, Jews, Jewish perspective or Jewish history in the curriculum. They do suggest that these courses do not belong under the umbrella of Asian American and Pacific Islander History. Further, the group does not criticize multiple perspectives but rather urges the Board of Education to center BIPOC voices through this curriculum."

The administrator of two insolvent Srei companies has returned the resolution plan submitted by the erstwhile promoters, the Kanorias, to withdraw the companies from insolvency proceedings, stating that he is not the “competent authority” to accept it, sources close to the development said. As insolvency petitions against Srei Infrastructure Finance (SIFL) and its subsidiary Srei Equipment Finance (SEFL) were filed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the RBI would be the competent authority to accept or reject the resolution plan in this case, the sources said.

The Kanorias last week made a fresh settlement offer to creditors. The proposal under Section 12A of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) was made through SIFL promoter company Adisri Commercial. As per the offer, the creditors’ entire claim of around Rs 32,000 crore will be repaid using multiple financial instruments such as upfront cash, NCDs, OCDs and equity over time. Kanorias have claimed that their fresh settlement offer to the creditors is “highest” among existing bid offers.

“Adisri Commercial submitted the plan to the administrator. But he returned the plan as he is not the competent authority to accept it under Section 12A of the IBC. Under Section 12A, a resolution plan should be submitted to the insolvency applicant. Here, the RBI had filed the insolvency petition for initiation of the insolvency proceedings. So, a plan should be sent to the RBI,” the sources said.

“The administrator has sent a letter to Adisri Commercial and informed that he cannot accept the plan,” the sources added. An e-mail sent to the administrator, Rajneesh Sharma, remained unanswered till press time. Sources close to the Kanorias said they have not received any formal intimation, but that “it would be preposterous on behalf of the RBI-appointed administrator or the bankers not to accept such a proposal which is highest in value and merit”.

The fresh settlement offer to the lenders includes Rs 3,500 crore upfront cash with net present value of Rs 7,000 crore. Adisri Commercial, which has a stake of around 60% in SIFL, submitted the resolution plan days ahead of the disclosure of the results of the consolidated committee of creditors’ voting on the three resolution plans, submitted by the bidders: National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL), consortium of Varde Partners and Arena Investors, and Authum Investment and Infrastructure, to acquire the two companies. The resolution plan which gets the highest vote will be treated as approved by the CoC.

After the challenge mechanism process conducted by the CoC ended, state-backed NARCL’s offer of Rs 5,555 crore in NPV terms, which includes upfront cash of Rs 3,180 crore, was found to be the highest. Authum Investment and Infrastructure’s bid of Rs 5,526 crore, in NPV terms, was adjudged the second-highest during the process. The resolution plan submitted by the consortium of Varde Partners and Arena Investors consists of a financial bid of around Rs 4,680 crore in terms of NPV, including Rs 3,250 crore upfront cash amount.

The insolvency proceedings against SIFL and SEFL commenced in October, 2021 after insolvency petitions filed by the Reserve Bank of India were approved by the Kolkata bench of the National Company Law Tribunal.

The total admitted claims of the financial creditors of the two NBFCs are at Rs 32,750.22 crore. State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, Union Bank of India, Canara Bank, IDBI Bank, UCO Bank and Indian Overseas Bank, among others, are the financial creditors of the two firms.

A garden centre restaurant has reopened after undergoing a refurbishment.

Polhill Garden Centre, in London Road, Sevenoaks, has re-launched Novell’s Restaurant after undergoing a facelift last month.

It now includes an open-plan dining area, a refill station so people can top up their own drinks and a special parent and baby area where customers can heat up food and bottles.

In order to "accommodate for everyone young or old" customers will be given the option of either ordering food via new kiosk ordering stations, or they can go to the counter as normal.

They can also order using their phone by scanning the QR code on the menus.

All the food is made to order, and the garden centre has also unveiled a new vegetarian and vegan menu, as well a ‘Smokery’ special of pulled pork or beef, which is smoked on-site for 12 hours before being served.

By Jarrett Renshaw and Jeff Mason

(Reuters) -U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan is considering stepping down, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

Regan has been thinking seriously about departing and has been exploring options outside the Biden administration but has not made any decisions, one source said.

"No plans imminently, but I do know it's been on the radar screen for the past few weeks," the source said.

The EPA said Regan had no plans to depart.

"The administrator doesn't have any plans to step down. He's committed to continuing to advance President Biden's historic climate and environmental agenda," said Maria Michalos, an EPA spokesperson and one of Regan's top aides.

The EPA is the main agency responsible for environmental regulation, and Regan has been leading it at a crucial time in President Joe Biden's agenda to curb climate change.

The agency is expected to roll out complex regulations on power plant emissions of greenhouse gases and toxic pollutants in March. The agency must race to finish them in about 18 months, before the next general election.

The EPA, which has about 17,500 employees, is still suffering from the exit of many scientists and policy workers during the administration of Donald Trump.

Billions of dollars are flowing to the agency after last year's passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, for programs including the $27 billion green bank, which will offer grants to disadvantaged communities to deploy solar and other programs to cut emissions and provide jobs.

Regan, the first Black man to run EPA began designing the green bank in October.

The White House has been preparing for departures of senior staff, including at the cabinet level. White House chief of staff Ron Klain is expected to leave after Biden's State of the Union address in February, to be replaced by Jeff Zients, Biden's former COVID-19 response coordinator.

(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Jeff Mason; additional reporting by Timothy Gardner, Editing by Gerry Doyle)