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Reduced number of Indian students in UK

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

The reduced number of Indian students this year has led to concerns in some British universities over the financial viability of courses and departments particularly in the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

As universities report a drop of between 20 and 30% of Indian students in the forthcoming academic year starting later this month, the drop has caused much concern over the future of STEM courses that have been popular among postgraduate Indian students.

In oral evidence presented to the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee of parliament, senior figures in higher education and industry noted the concern among vice-chancellors about the impact of less Indian students on the financial viability of STEM courses and departments.

The committee, which published its report on ‘Overseas Students and Net Migration’ last week, recommended that Indian and other non-EU students should be removed from overall immigration figures since most of them return home after their courses.

The recommendation, however, was rejected by the government keen to cut immigration from outside the EU.

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents all universities and higher education institutions, told the committee that vice-chancellors were “particularly concerned” about the impact of less Indian students on STEM subjects.

She said: “I think it is too early to draw apocalyptic conclusions about the closures of departments, but the trends are not good.

It is particularly apparent now, because of the reduction of Indian students – students coming from the Indian subcontinent to study STEM subjects -that is where there are already questions being asked about the sustainability of certain subjects”.

She said: “We are also seeing an actual reduction in student intake from some countries, particularly from India, particularly in the postgraduate market, and for some universities that is quite marked”.

Dandridge said some universities were particularly concerned about the impact of reduction of international student numbers on specific subject areas, especially STEM, where, “although they are manageable this year, the reductions may affect -may affect–the viability of some subjects in the future”.

Source: PTI

The Challenges for ICT in Education

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Today, more than a decade into the 21st century, we live in world where there is unparalleled surge in the usage of ICT. However, despite all the technological advancements, we have not been able to end the prevalence of social and economic inequality, and poverty continues to be widespread. Now education is having the primary focus from the government and the private sector. This is because education is being seen a crucial tool for promoting economic and social development. With its ability to transcend space and time, and provide education on an anywhere, anytime basis, solutions from ICT are proving to be the great enabling factor in enhancing the scope of education.
Recently we had the World Education Summit 2012 (WES), in New Delhi. The event was a fantastic success. During the course of the two day event, a range of eminent speakers from around the world expressed their opinions on the current state of how ICT is being used in education and how it can bring better learning outcomes. One important point to emerge from the World Education Summit 2012 was that while everyone agrees about the great potential of ICT in education, the challenge we face today lies mostly in turning this potential into actual results. Many of the eminent speakers at the event raised the issues of infrastructure deficit and lack of adequate training of teachers.
In this issue of digitalLEARNING, we have presented a summary of the views expressed by several speakers at the World Education Summit 2012. There are a range of voices, many from India, few from other countries. The views are from corporate world, political leadership, government officials, leaders of schools and higher education institutions, and thought leaders. In fact, I would like to say that this issue of digitalLEARNING is timeless. It will never go out of date. This is because of the wide spectrum of the debate that we have endeavoured to package within the pages of this issue.
In going through the material you get to hear about many novel ideas on how ICT can engineer transformation in educational practices by providing better educational content and more effective teaching systems. On 15-16 November, 2012, we are having the eINDIA event at Hyderabad. As always, the two day eINDIA event will have a range of vibrant sessions on education. I hope to see you at eINDIA, where we can join hands for finding ways of dealing with myriad challenges that lie in the path of ICT implementation in education.

Education system not in pace with technology: FICCI President

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

India’s education system is not keeping pace with rapidly evolving technology, resulting in difficulty in finding suitable candidates where millions are unemployed, FICCI president R.V. Kanoria said on Thursday.

“We have a paradoxical situation in our country. Employers complain of not finding suitably skilled candidates and on the other hand there are millions of unemployed in search of jobs,” Kanoria said at the 5th Global Skills Summit, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here.

Kanoria said an outdated education system and lack of emphasis on vocational training was resulting in a paradoxical situation in the job market.

“There is an obvious mismatch caused by the inability of our education system to keep up with rapid and constantly evolving technology,” Kanoria said while addressing inaugural session of the two-day summit.

Kanoria, who is also the chairman and managing director of Kanoria Chemicals and Industries Limited, said there was a need to give adequate attention in the education system to the requirements of employers.

“A prominent factor of this mismatch is the lack of adequate mapping of the requirements of the learners. Another factor contributing to the mismatch is the low esteem associated with vocational education,” he said.

The theme of the 5th Global Skills Summit, organised by the FICCI in association with the ministry of labour and employment, government of India, is “learner first”.

Kanoria said the demands for skilled trainers is set to increase sharply in the coming years.

Referring to a National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) report, Kanoria said the demand for vocational skill trainers, including technical trainers is estimated to be about 40,000 annually.

Source: IANS

Community colleges to be set up for skill development: Kapil Sibal

By
digitalLEARNING Network
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The government will set up 10 community colleges in collaboration with Canadian educational institutes to educate illiterate adults and provide skill-based training for employment, human resource development minister Kapil Sibal said on Thursday.

“Under the adult literacy programme of the HRD ministry, as many as 70 million people need to be literate and their capacity enhanced to enable them to acquire the skills required to perform jobs,” the minister said at the fifth Global Skills Summit organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( FICCI).

Of the illiterate 70 million, 60 million are women who need education and skill training close to where they live. And for this, the government would launch 100 community colleges this year.

“We are going to set up a working group and have a roadmap in the next three months with Canadian collaboration,” he added.

Referring to India’s rich demographic dividend, the minister said there are 400 million people in the age group of 0-40 which is three-fourth of Europe and much larger than the numbers in the US and Canada put together.

“I shudder to think of the challenges of educating and imparting training in skills to contribute to the growth process. If we don’t get it right, the recipe would be between disaster and great success.”

He called for a roadmap for focused international collaboration on developing skill-sets that would be needed to service the world community.

“If we can collaborate and set up community colleges or skill development centres in the context of National Skill Development Corporation and the Sector Skill Council then what we will be able to do is develop skills and human resources which then can be absorbed in other parts of the world for their economic development and at the same time have enough skills to be absorbed in our economy which is a win-win for both.”

The minister underlined the need for vocational education programmes in schools.

Source: IANS

NGOI category admissions in medical colleges under by test: SC

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

The Supreme Court has directed the Union and the Delhi governments to ensure that from the next academic year, an MBBS aspirant seeking admission in a medical college on a Nominees of Government of India (NGOI) category seat takes the all-India entrance test to secure it.

A candidate under the NGOI category is one who belongs to a state or Union territory where there are no adequate medical colleges. They also include the children of the Defence or the paramilitary force personnel, who have sacrificed their lives or have been permanently disabled in wars or terrorist attacks.

A bench of justices A K Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar also held that no student under the NGOI category, who has failed the Delhi University Medical Entrance Test (DUMET), would be granted admission to a medical college here.

“We direct that from the academic year 2013-2014 onwards, the candidate applying for the seats reserved for NGOI have to obtain the minimum prescribed mark in the All India National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to the MBBS course as provided in the amended MCI Regulations and the admissions will be made on merit…”

“We direct that with effect from academic year 2012-2013, no admission will be made to any of the seats reserved for NGOI in Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) and University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) of any student who has failed in the Delhi University Medical Entrance Test (DUMET),” the bench said.

The apex court’s directions came on appeals filed by two MBBS aspirants against the Delhi High Court’s verdict, which had dismissed their plea challenging the NGOI category and the practice of exempting students under this category from taking the DUMET.

Source: PTI

Cambridge University decides not to open any campus in India

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Cambridge University today said it was strengthening partnerships with Indian institutions, but was not looking to establish a campus in the country.

“The University is not considering opening up a campus in India,” Vice-Chancellor, Sir Leszek Borysiewiczh, told reporters here.

Ruling out a compromise on students intake from India, he said there was no possibility of inking tie-ups with undergraduate institutions in the country.

However, projects have been taken up to build partnerships with Indian institutions, he said.

Cambridge University, which has tie-ups with five institutes here for Post Graduate programmes, was “getting rich talent from India.”

At present, the University had 270 active projects with Indian institutions and the focus was on areas of excellence.

244 students of Indian origin were pursuing higher education at Cambridge University, he said.

Earlier, Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) president, Avtar Singh Makkar, said as part of an agreement between SGPC and the University in 2009, five Sikh scholars will pursue M Phil/Phd at Cambridge each year.

The total expenses, including fee and boarding amounting to Rs 18 lakh per student per year approximately, will be shared equally by the SGPC and Cambridge University.

Two Sikh scholars, Ravpartap Singh from Chandigarh (Legal Studies) and Shinjni Singh from Lucknow (Asian Development Studies), have been selected for the Phd programme this year.

As other such scholars, they will have to teach in an SGPC-run institution for three years after completing the higher degree, Makkar said.

Source: PTI

Quality teaching should be the mission for teachers: Haryana Governer

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Observing that there is a dire need for quality education, Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia on Wednesday asked teachers to take up quality teaching as their mission.

“The future of our country depends upon the quality of teachers and it is very important that teachers perform their duty in an efficient manner,” the Governor said at the State Teacher’s Award function held at the Raj Bhawan here to mark the Teacher’s Day.

Providing good teachers to the society is a great service towards mankind and in this direction, the state gaovernment is taking effective steps to convert Haryana into an education hub of international level, he said.

He said that it is essential to provide employment-oriented education to the students along with general education.

Speaking on the occasion chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said two teacher training institutes are being set up in Jhajjar and Jind districts to train the teaching fraternity.

Community Colleges would also be opened in the state to provide professional education to persons of any age group, Hooda said.

The Governor conferred State Teacher Awards upon 61 teachers for the year 2010 and 2011.

Source: PTI

Fill the seat of UGC chairman:Delhi HC

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

The Delhi high court on Wednesday issued notice to the central government to respond on a petition seeking direction to fill the seat of UGC chairman which has been lying vacant since February last year.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw directed the ministry of human resource development (HRD) and University Grants Commission (UGC) to respond on the plea within three weeks.

The PIL (public interest litigation) filed by C.S. Kalra, a retired professor, also pointed out that the seats of Secretary and Financial Adviser are lying vacant since 2005.

He alleged that the government was deliberately delaying the recruitment for the post.

Kalra also alleged that the present acting chairman of UGC, Ved Prakash, has been holding the post for more than three years in violation of the University Grants Commission Act.

“A major fraud has been perpetrated on the system by first selecting Prof. Ved Prakash as vice-chairman of the UGC from March 3, 2009 without giving any advertisement for the post,” Kalra said.

Kalra further alleged that the HRD ministry allowed Ved Prakash to continue as acting chairman for more than 14 months even though his tenure ended March 2, 2012.

The government counsel, however, said that Ved Prakash was allowed to further continue in the post to maintain continuity.

Source: IANS

Rajasthan is an upcoming edu-hub

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said the state was growing into a hub for institutions of higher education.

Speaking at the inauguration of a private university near here, Gehlot said the government was promoting public participation in the education sector.

33 universities had been set up in the state and the number of government universities was also going up, which would change the education sector’s scenario in the coming days.

Gehlot also laid stress on promoting research work and imparting quality education in these institutions.

Source: PT’I

Central Administrative Tribunal seeks response of centre on nursery teachers’ plea for salary hike

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has sought the response of the Centre on a plea by 41 nursery teachers engaged on contractual basis for ‘early child education centres’ being run as part of the Human Resources Development (HRD) ministry’s ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.’

The CAT bench of its members Dharam Paul Sharma and Veena Chhotray issued notices to the State Project Director of Universal Elementary Education (UEE) Mission, which runs the education centres and comes under the HRD ministry, and the director of education, Delhi seeking their replies by September 5.

The order of the bench came on the plea by 41 nursery teachers seeking hike in their current salary of Rs 5,000 per month on the ground their pay has not been revised since 2008 whereas their contracts have been renewed periodically.

The bench also directed the respondents not to pass any adverse orders against these 41 teachers.

“Issue notice to the respondents (State Project Director, UEE Mission and Director of Education). Let the matter be listed for our consideration on September 5, 2012.

“In the meanwhile, no order adverse to the applicants (teachers) will be passed by the respondents,” the CAT said.

The applicants have alleged other employees engaged on contractual basis under the same project in different categories like assistant teachers, are receiving higher remuneration as well as a hike in their pay periodically.

They also contended in their plea that as per the HRD ministry’s policy of ‘equal pay for equal work’, they are entitled to higher remuneration and periodical hike in their wages. They said their monthly remuneration of Rs 5,000 is below the minimum prescribed wages.

The teachers, in their plea moved through advocate Ashok Aggarwal, feared their contracts would not be renewed by the authorities as they have agitated on this issue.

Source: PTI

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