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November 16, 2012

N. Kiran Kumar Reddy
Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh has emerged as frontline State when it comes to the implementation of e-Governance projects in India. The State has been keenly focusing on growth and development of new and emerging technologies in the areas of healthcare and education. It has been active in using ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) to offer government services at the citizen’s doorstep.
Such e-Governance projects improve the outreach, make services more transparent, and reduce response time.
Mee Seva, a citizen centric facility, has been providing convenient access to citizens in an easier, faster and transparent manner. At present, 40 Government to Citizen (G2C) services are being availed and more than 100 services are planned to be delivered to the citizens across the state by December, 2012.
It gives me immense pleasure to share that the government of Andhra Pradesh is the Partner State for the eighth edition of eINDIA 2012, which is being organised at the prestigious Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad, India, on 15th and 16th November, 2012. The Anniversary Celebrations of Mee Seva project will be held along with the eINDIA 2012.
I welcome all the thought leaders, think tanks and private players, who possess the necessary technological and social expertise to facilitate change and make society better. Let us all participate in eINDIA 2012, which is a celebration of e-Governance and be a part of the change revolution that the state of Andhra Pradesh has proudly entered into.
I warmly welcome all delegates and look forward to their participation in what promises to be an immensely enriching event.

A Digital Paradigm for Education

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digitalLEARNING Network

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November 16, 2012

The pace of implementing ICT in our institutions might not appear to be fast enough, but our educational landscape is prepared for a new daybreak of digital education. The stakeholders in education, from the government and from the private enterprises, have contributed their mite in preparing the nation socially and technologically for the development of effective ICT models for education. Andhra Pradesh has always been on the forefront of the states that are investing for enrichment of education and human resources. The ICT infrastructure in the state is already one of the best. The state’s large pool of young population and its integration with the world economy at macro and human levels is also an asset for its education industry.
It was recently announced that the state of Andhra Pradesh will add another International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) to the existing IIIT-Hyderabad from the next academic year. This institution will also come up with a PPP model. The schools and higher education institutions that are coming up all over Andhra Pradesh present one side of the picture; the other side is presented by the digital paradigm that is getting established.
The current issue of digitalLEARNING is devoted to covering the education sector in Andhra Pradesh from every possible angle. We carry the interview of K Parthasarathy, Secondary Education Minister, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Among other things, K Parthasarathy has also shed light on the importance that the State Chief Minister is awarding to education. The state is conducting an Education Fortnight, a programme that runs for 15 days throughout the state and focuses on re-enrolling the dropouts into the education system. We also talk about Jawahar Knowledge Centers, Andhra Pradesh Government’s initiative to bring equity in employment.
We also have Amarnath Reddy Atmakuri, CEO, AP Society for Knowledge Networks, highlight how the Government of Andhra Pradesh is trying to bring radical changes into the curriculum and reduce industry-academia gap — the need of the hour.
Apart from this, we also have interactions with the leaders of many popular schools, colleges and educational movements in the state. It is a matter of pride for us that the eINDIA 2012 is being held in the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. The event will have a dedicated track on education, called eINDIA Education Summit, which has been conceived on the clear vision of the entire nation being able to achieve the objectives of universal education. The two-day confluence in Hyderabad will announce Andhra Pradesh’s, and more importantly India’s, landmark achievements in using ICT for expanding the reach and scope.
The eINDIA 2012 is going to be a platform for ideas, discussion and meetings on the subject of improving the education sector through ICT deployments. We hope to see you there at eINDIA 2012!

IIT Kanpur Buy Cessna Aircraft

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digitalLEARNING Network

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November 12, 2012

IIT Kanpur has bought a Cessna aircraft from US worth Rs 2.5 crore for students studying in the Aerospace Engineering Department of the institute.

The officials of IIT Kanpur feel that it will help to encourage research among its students.

Currently, aerospace department of IIT-K has two small planes in their flight lab. Cessna has a single engine and it can remain air-borne for around seven hours after fuelling.

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur is engaged in carrying out original research of significance and technology development at the cutting edge. It imparts training to students so that they become competent and motivated engineers and scientists. The Institute celebrates freedom of thought, cultivates vision and encourages growth, but also inculcates human values and concern for the environment and the society.

S P Jain’s Sydney Campus to Start in Dec

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November 12, 2012

Mumbai’s SP Jain School of Global Management will open its first Australian campus in Sydney in December 2012.

“The new AUD 54 million campus for one of India’s leading post graduate business schools is set to open in Sydney on December 1, 2012,” Premier of New South Wales Barry O’Farrell said in an official statement.

The NSW government and its education community which has been keen on deepening educational links with Indian side announced stronger ties with the SP Jain School, said the release issued by the state government.

O’Farrell said the investment is significant as it is the first Indian school to be set up in Australia with its own fully-fledged campus.

“This multi-million investment by SP Jain in a new Sydney campus will further enhance NSW’s reputation globally for excellence in education,” he said.

“NSW Trade & Investment in Sydney and our NSW Government trade office in Mumbai have also been working closely with SP Jain to support the establishment of the new Sydney campus,” he added.

SP Jain ranks in the Financial Times list of the world’s top 100 business schools and is the only foreign university to be formally accredited by the Department of Education and Communities in NSW, O’Farrell said, adding that the institution has a partnership with the University of NSW to enable student exchange between MBA programs.

“India is a vital market for Australian companies, a

Large Scale Skill Development of Youth Needed

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November 12, 2012

President Pranab Mukherjee said equal attention should be also provided to skill development of youth in large scale. He also observed that access to elementary education would be a focus area in the 12th Plan.

“It is equally vital to carry forward the important task of skill development in our youth if we want to fully realise the dividends from the demographic orientation of our country,” he said while referring to the recently launched National Vocational Education Qualification Framework (NVEQF).

The framework provides for horizontal and vertical mobility between vocational and general education.

“The task of skill building should be taken up on a very large scale so as to properly equip and motivate the youth of our country for jobs and the country’s economic growth,” he said at a function here commemorating the National Education Day.

Access to elementary education is an area of priority focus in the 12th Five Year Plan, he said, adding that at present, the number of schools has increased to 13.04 lakhs.

The National Education Day is observed to celebrate the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who was also the first education minister of the country.

Mukherjee said the enactment of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009 is a “culmination of Azad’s dream” and a promise of the directive principles of the Constitution.

More Schools For Cinematography Are Needed

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November 10, 2012

Cinematographer Shanmugasundaram, known for his slick camera work in Tamil films feels there is a need for more schools to hone the skills of aspiring cinematographers.

“When I was studying visual communication, there were only two schools in Tamil Nadu that offered courses in cinematography. Today, over the years the number must’ve multiplied but unfortunately we still have only handful of schools in the state offering the course,” Shanmugasundaram told IANS.

The cinematographer, who takes inspiration from Santosh Sivan and K.V. Anand, feels that everybody cannot learn from experience.

“The common misconception is one can learn while assisting cameramen on ground. But, unless you don’t get your basic learning in a classroom, it’s difficult to work on the movie sets,” he added.

Did classroom learning help you in your career?

“Yes, it did to a great extent. The projects we did back in college were of great help and it certainly helped me to understand what I was getting into. Biggest advantage of classroom learning is you’re allowed to make mistakes and learn from it,” he said.

Pune Engineering College Is Second Best Industry-linked College

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digitalLEARNING Network

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November 10, 2012

The College of Engineering Pune (CoEP) has been ranked second among the industry-linked engineering institutes in the country by AICTE and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). This was the first-ever joint survey carried out by the two leading organizations in their respective fields.

The survey was aimed at showcasing the best practices of industry partnerships across the AICTE-approved engineering institutes in six basic streams namely, chemical, civil, computer, information technology, electrical, electronics and communication and mechanical engineering. A total of 156 AICTE-approved engineering institutes, which have completed 10 years or more, had participated in this voluntary survey.

The results of the survey were announced at the fourth global higher education summit of the CII held in New Delhi on November 8. Union minister of state for Human Resource Development, Shashi Tharoor, gave away the awards to the winners in the presence of AICTE chairman S S Mantha.

The CoEP, founded in 1854, ranks among one of the oldest engineering colleges in the country and has to its credit several legendary and high-profile names from the field of engineering and technology, as its alumni.

Mangalore College Opens Innovation Lab

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digitalLEARNING Network

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November 10, 2012

Sahyadri College of Engineering and Management (SCEM) has set up an innovation lab to provide a platform for engineering students and researchers. The lab has four centres – government research and development, incubation, placement and training.

Manjunath Bhandary, chairman of SCEM told that the centres were started with the support of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and the state government.

Minister for higher education CT Ravi inaugurated the centres in SCEM premises on Saturday. “The minister will also inaugurate a centre of excellence and an innovation lab set up with the assistance of IIIT- Allahabad on the campus,” he added.

“Students of all colleges in the region can make use of these centres. The objective of opening such centres is to promote innovative ideas. In the innovation laboratory experts will guide students about designing various products. The centre of excellence aims at bridging the gap between the industry and academia and will train students according to the needs of the industry,” said Bhandary.

MBA for School Principals Launched

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digitalLEARNING Network

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November 10, 2012

India‘s first MBA in Educational Management and Leadership for School Principals was launched recently by HRD Minister Shashi Tharoor. Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU) in collaboration with SelaQui Institute of Management will offer the India’s first and only such programme leading to an MBA Post Graduate Degree awarded by UTU.

The programme was launched at India’s first ‘National Conference of School Principals 2012’ – a two day conference held at the India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi on November 8th & 9th, 2012.

Besides the MBA in Educational Management and Leadership, Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU) will also offer diploma and certificate variants of the program in convenient mode to suit working teachers and principals. The program is designed to prepare principals for 21st century schools. It is designed to address the four major areas of school management and leadership such as Personal Effectiveness, Instructional Leadership, Institutional Management and Strategic Leadership. Candidates successfully completing this program can look forward to advancing their careers towards school principal-ship.

The minister also launched Principals FORUM at www.principals.in. Principals FORUM is a movement, a program and also a web portal. In any or all of its avatars, the professional and personal challenges, opportunities and needs of the principals would be addressed. It is a collaboration; on the web, through conclaves, round tables, conferences and other modes; amongst teachers, principals, researchers, trainers, institutions, schools and school administrators in providing quality education conforming to global standards.

ISB Students Get Chance To Spend Day With Top CEOs

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digitalLEARNING Network

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November 8, 2012

Indian School of Business (ISB) is giving their students a chance to ‘Shadow a CEO’ for a day. The philanthropic initiative, launched by the ISB, in collaboration with the Give India Foundation, is part of the Joy of Giving Week. Several CEOs participate in the programme where students bid for an opportunity to spend a day with an executive of their choice.

The objective of this programme is to engage B School students in the act of giving and provide the once in a lifetime opportunity to imbibe valuable leadership lessons. More than 50 CEOs are expected to participate this venture.

Besides ISB students, the programme is open to select B Schools that participated in an open online auction between October 5 and 16. Students and CEOs contribute to this cause by raising funds for an NGO of the CEO’s choice.

The Joy of Giving Week aims at engaging at least one crore Indians in giving in various forms, money, time, resources and skills included, from corporations, NGOs, government sectors, schools, colleges and the general public.

Among the CEOs who have volunteered to participate this year are Kumar Mangalam Birla, Narayan Murthy, Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Sunil Lulla, Harsha Bhogle, Ajay Piramal and Anurag Behra.

Juhee Bhandarkar, marketing coordinator of the ‘Shadow a CEO’ programme, said, “This programme will give students an opportunity to engage with stalwarts in a more informal environment than usual. They will get an opportunity to witness how decisions are made, how leaders drive an organisation and what make them influences. It’s an experience they won’t get by reading books or other literature related to these bigwigs. Spending a day with a CEO is not just inspiring, but also a hands on lesson in leadership and decision making.”

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