AICTE Asks Students for Mandatory Submissions of Affidavit

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June 4, 2012

The All India Council of Technical Education has taken new initiative to curb ragging. The body has issued directives including mandatory submission of affidavit by the students.

To ensure that ragging is curbed in engineering and technical institutes students and their parents will have to submit an affidavit mentioning that the students would not be involved in any form of ragging.

In order to check ragging in hostels, the students would be required to submit two affidavits. The hostellers will have to submit the affidavit mentioning that they would abide by the rules on anti-ragging.

The technical institutions and engineering colleges have been also asked to display specifically the anti-ragging measures at the entry and exit gates of the colleges.

The new guidelines state that in case engineering colleges and institutions fail to abide by the rule, they might have to face cancellation of their affiliation.

Dual Degrees from Foreign Universities is No More a Dream

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June 4, 2012

Now you can go for a dual degree from foreign universities while being in India. Recently Country’s higher education regulator, the University Grants Commission, has opened doors for world top 500 universities to start dual degree or twining courses with Indian higher education institutions.

The commission approved regulations also gave six months to higher education institutions in India running courses of foreign universities to meet the new regulatory framework.

“The institutions failing to meet the regulations will face action,” UGC’s acting chairperson Ved Prakash told HT, after the commissions’ meeting where the regulations were approved.

The new rules stipulate de-recognition of private institutions and stopping of government funds to the public sector institutions, which fail to meet the regulatory provisions. Many educational institutions such as Delhi University offer courses where part of the syllabus is taught in India and remaining in the foreign university.

In a bid to ensure excellence, the commission has decided that only those Indian educational institutions, who receive highest accreditation rating from National Board for Accreditation or National Assessment and Accreditation Council, will be allowed to start a dual degree courses.

They would be able to tie-up with any of the world’s top 500 foreign education providers listed in the Time Higher Education Supplement or Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. “The Indian educations providers will be free to choose their foreign partners,” Prakash said.

The decision comes a few weeks before HRD minister Kapil Sibal is expected to participate in Indo-US Higher Education Summit, where heads of top Indian and Foreign universities are expected to participate.

The Indian government has promised a regulatory framework to allow quality foreign education to offer courses to Indian students. As the foreign education providers bill is still pending, the new UGC regulations will help the well known foreign universities to offer courses locally.

Prakash said before approving the tie-up the UGC will check the academic standards of the institutions singing an agreement. “Only the best to ensure academic excellence will be allowed,” he said.

The new regulations do not stipulate fee or course structure which would be domain of the two collaborating universities.

The UGC, however, deferred decision on allowing foreign education providers to set campuses in India as it required consultation with other stakeholders such as health and law ministries.

Pitney Bowes to Digitise Mark sheets, Degrees for Education Institutes

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June 2, 2012

Technology enabled education is gaining momentum and keeping pace with this, technology solution provider Pitney Bowes plans to digitize mark sheets, certificates and degrees at various Indian institutions and universities

Manish Chaudhary, VP & MD, Pitney Bowes Insight, India shares, “This is a targeted solution for the Indian market that we are developing. We are talking to some of the large educational institutions and universities in India, who may like to avail such services”.

However, he did not name any of these institutions the company is talking to. The solution will help users such as potential employers in gauging if the mark sheets or university degree is authentic or not, Manish added. As of now, Pitney Bowes offers several products and services in India to a number of clients.

These include technology and software solutions as well. “Nine out of the top 10 telecom operators in the country are our customers,” Manish added. Pitney Bowes established its India office in 2007. At present, the company has about 600 employees in the country.

“We will add employees as per our requirements from here on. However, we are now focusing more on improving the quality of the existing talent, than adding new people,” Manish said.

The US-based company has an annual turnover of around $5.5 billion. The company is also among the founding supporters for the Catalyst India Advisory Board, which was set up earlier this week and of which Manish Chaudhary is also a member. Catalyst is a non-profit organisation dedicated to expanding opportunities for women and business.

Science and Technology Department, Rajasthan Launches Free Tutorials for Students

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June 2, 2012

Science and Technology Department of Rajasthan has taken an initiative to offer free tutorial classes on subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Math for engineering exams using latest technology.

In a first of its kind initiative, the department in association with ISRO has set up a SATCOM Studio in Jaipur, in which the faculty and teachers give coaching, which is then transmitted to the state districts and Panchayat Samitis.

Minister for Science and Engineering, Raj Kumar Sharma says, “This initiative was taken after an announcement made by the Chief Minister in the state budget. And the department has made all round efforts to ensure that the benefits of this programme percolate to the lowest levels. The initiative has been undertaken keeping the economically weaker children in mind, who are not able to afford the expensive private tuition centres, though we have not restricted admission among the students. Anybody who thinks can benefit from the video conference tutorials is more than welcome to join the programme.”

The model has been conceived with an aim to fulfill the coaching needs of the students that come from rural and far flung areas of the state, where private coaching and assistance is rare. For this the network has been linked to all the 32 districts and 237 Panchayat Samitis of the state.

Through 12 ROT’s (Receive Only Terminal) installed at the Panchayat Samitis and 44 SIT’s (Satellite Interactive Terminal) installed at the Districts under the supervision of the Block Development Officers and the Education Nodal Officer. Students come to these centres and participate in live interactions with the faculty/teacher, and can also get their queries attended to, in real time.

“Their queries are addressed and problematic topics are taken up by the faculty again if necessary,” says Dr Meghendra Sharma, research officer at the Remote Sensing Application Centre, SATCOM, Jaipur. “The hard copies along with readily available soft copies are also being provided to the students, where the matter is completely in Hindi. The response from the students too has been good. The well researched study material touches upon all topics. Almost 48 questions from the study material have come in the PET paper, which is testimony to the quality of the material,” adds Meghendra. In time to come, the department plans to include medical coaching which will include subjects like Zoology and Botany and these would be explained more vividly through animation and graphics.

There is also a counseling session by the lecturers where the doubts of the students are addressed and solutions given after the classes are over. The students can also call and arrange a time with the concerned faculty for their sessions. With an average of 30-40 students in each district, the campaign has been well received among students from across the state. Rajasthan is the only state after Andhra Pradesh to have implemented such a programme. With the success of engineering coaching, the department now also plans to lend the technologically advanced medium of coaching to students taking the Medical entrance examinations as well.

“The teachers and educationists are a panel of experts that have been recruited from various top colleges and Universities of Rajasthan. With the required experience in their respective disciplines and remuneration being provided by the Government, the faculty puts in their best in teaching the students,” says Dr Meghendra.

Uttar Pradesh 2012-13 Budget Lays Emphasis on Education

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June 2, 2012

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav presented his first budget in the state assembly on Friday morning. The 2012-13 budget is 18 per cent higher than yesteryear and it is of Rs 2 lakh crore.

The budget has allocated Rs 33263 crore to education sector, which is 20 per cent higher than last year. Of total amount, Rs 25,109 crore has been made for primary education secondary and Rs 9,613 for secondary education. Significantly, out of total budget of secondary education, one third is for distribution of tablets and laptops to students.

The higher education has got Rs 2501 crore in which 36 colleges will be constructed in districts with low enrollment ratio. A provision of Rs 507 crore has been made for vocational educations, Rs 479 crote for technical education and Rs 1907 crore for medical education. The government has announced construction of 14 new medical colleges in different parts of the state. Over 1100 crore has been allocated for unemployment allowance to be distributed among nine lakh BPL youth. The money for laptops, tablets and unemployment allowance has been arranged by diverting funds earmarked by previous chief minister for construction and maintenance of Dalit memorials and parks.

The state government has made special allocations to fulfill the poll promises made by the Samajwadi Party before elections. The promises include loan waivers to farmers and weavers, minority welfare, laptops and tablets to students, unemployment allowance among other things.

UGC Makes Regulatory Framework for Foreign Varsities

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June 2, 2012

The University Grants Commission has been seriously engaged in the analysis of the findings of the various reports on foreign education providers operating in the country with regard to the standing of such providers in their respective countries, the nature of programmes offered by them and the degrees awarded, and above all, protection of the interest of students seeking admission to such foreign institutions.

Many foreign educational institutions are operating in the country offering different types of courses and programmes and there is no regulation presently in place to control and curb the operation of such institutions with academic credentials which may not even be satisfying in their own country. The UGC is aware that the AICTE Regulation of 2003 are applicable only for technical and management education but not in the other areas of higher education.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development has time and again emphasised the need to put in a regulatory framework for entry and operation of foreign education providers through a UGC Regulation. This need has also been emphasised by various reports of experts/committees which include the report of the C.N.R. Rao Committee, the Study Report on foreign educational institutions (2005) by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) and the Report prepared by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) in 2012.

The objective of the UGC is to formulate a regulatory framework which could be put in place on the lines similar to what has been laid down by the AICTE in 2003.

The MHRD has been deeply concerned with this situation and has been approaching the UGC to make a detailed analysis of the implications of the operation of such institutions in the country. In a February 1^st, 2012 letter, it requested the UGC to frame regulations/guidelines for the purpose of safeguarding the interest of the student community in India. Accordingly, the UGC constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. P. Rama Rao in March, 2012 to look into the entire issue and make recommendations which could facilitate the formulation of appropriate regulations.

The Report of the Rama Rao committee was subjected to further scrutiny through another committee under the chairmanship of Prof. Ramamurthy Naidu. This committee has finalised the regulations which are now to be placed before the Commission for its consideration.

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Grants JNU, DU to Create Infrastructure for Differently-abled

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June 1, 2012

The ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has granted Rs. 11.6 crore to Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University to create infrastructure for the differently-abled.

The grant has been released by the ministry of social justice and empowerment recently to make the campuses barrier free. While JNU has received Rs 8.51 crore, DU has been earmarked Rs 3.11 crore to make the premises accessible to persons with disabilities.

Thanks to the grant, hostels in JNU will now get elevator facilities as well as special pathways in the campus for the differently-abled. Moreover, the reading rooms in the library which has been out of reach for the differently-abled will be made accessible.

JNU VC, S K Sopory said, “Although the grant will not suffice to make all the 62 buildings accessible, some of the buildings will be made barrier free as well as there will be a walkway in the campus for the differently-abled. We have set up a special committee to prepare a plan for the same. With this grant we will be able to offer elevators in the hostels and some of the buildings, mostly academic and libraries will be made completely accessible. Accessibility to the reading rooms of the central library has been an issue and we will resolve it soon”.

Meanwhile, in DU, despite a series of measure, majority of the buildings are not completely barrier free. Moreover, the special bus introduced two years ago is a non-starter. While majority of the departments don’t have barrier free facilities, some of the colleges like SGTB Khalsa and Miranda House on their own did created differently-abled friendly infrastructure.

Agreeing that a lot needs to be done on this front, vice chancellor of DU, Dinesh Singh rued the fact that infact important buildings like the Arts Faculty have no user friendly toilets.

Dinesh Singh shared, “I met a differently-abled girl in the first floor of the Arts Faculty and when I asked her how she managed to climb the floors she said that her father help her every day. There are no user friendly toilets as well. Unfortunate part is that we can’t touch the Arts Faculty building as it is a heritage structure”. Singh said that the university is working on a plan to have permanent differently-abled friendly infrastructure in Gwyer Hall (men’s hostel), law and arts faculties and PG women’s hostel. “If the plan progress as scheduled, in one year time we will make these buildings completely accessible to people disabilities,” assured Singh.

The grant to DU University has been released to make 80 buildings in its North and South Campuses, including administrative and academic blocks, conference centre, libraries, hostels and two guest houses accessible.

Education Times to Organise Education and Career Counseling Week in Pune

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June 1, 2012

Education Times in association with MAEER’s MIT Group of Institutions has launched the ‘Education and Career Counseling Week from May 31^st to June 4^th, 2012 at the MIT Campus.

The city of Pune has always been an educational hub and is known as the Oxford of the East. The city has a huge student population, not only from across the country but from abroad as well. An opportunity to get into the top colleges in Pune is considered a boon for the student. To tap this young energy and bring before students the plethora of career choices available,

Parents have always explored the various educational options available in the city for their wards. Parents and students are seeking out to explore information to fulfill their need of quality education which will help them standout in today’s competitive environment.

With the recent boom in the education sector, when it comes to choosing a career, the options for students are limitless. It is been observed that students continuously seek guidance and knowledge to help them walk the path that will lead them to glorious and prosperous future.

Talking about the education scene Group Captain (Retd) D P Apte, professor and director of MIT School of Business says, “The real fruits of globalisation of business started only in the last decade. This opened up numerous job opportunities in various specialised areas. To support these job profiles, requirement was felt in training the job seekers through various short-term and long-term courses. As a result, number of specialised graduation, post graduation, diploma and certificate courses were introduced by universities as well as autonomous institutes. This led to mushrooming of various institutes, training centers and courses. Some are good, others not so good and few below standard. This has made selection of appropriate courses difficult for students. It is difficult for most of the parents since they tend to use their experience when they were students. The information from their friends is equally outdated.”

During the ‘Education and Career Counseling Week’, students will have an opportunity to get information on various courses to make the right decision of choice of courses. During this week students will get information focusing on careers in engineering, marine science, pharmacy, management, science, commerce, food technology, and design. This is exclusively for those who are looking to pursue vibrant and strong careers in these streams. This week will showcase the future opportunities for students in professional courses and increase the awareness of parents and students.

This seminar will provide an opportunity to meet the experts, faculty and authorities from these fields. These experts have immense experience in industry, education and research. Senior faculty members who have more than 20 years experience will personally guide students about their careers choices during this ‘Education Week’. Availability of all this information under one roof will benefit parents as well as students. In addition to this, students will get advice on how to select the best course to suit their individual profiles and meet their career aspirations. Student and parents will get answers pertaining to education and other career-related opportunities and make an informed decision.

To meet the above objective of removing confusion, free seminars on various topics will also be organised during the week at Saint Dnyaneshwara Hall, MIT Campus, Kothrud, Pune between 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. This event is a social cause and unique in terms of guiding students to take the right decision. All the guidance lectures and counselling sessions are free of cost.

Department of Science and Technology To Grant 36 Bihar Colleges

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June 1, 2012

36 colleges of Bihar were selected for grants to be sanctioned by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), government of India, for boosting teaching and research activities in science subjects. The colleges would get Rs 50 lakh each. The universities of the state would get Rs 1.50 crore each for developing their science departments.

This was decided at a meeting of the officials of DST, state HRD, university and college officials, held here under the chairmanship of IIT, Delhi professor and former Hyderabad Central University vice-chancellor S E Hasnain. DST adviser A Mukhopadhyaya, S N Bose National Centre for Basic Science, Kolkata, professor B B Bhattacharya, University of Kashmir professor M Z Chisti, Centre for DNA Finger printing and Diagnostics, Hyderabad, professor Akash Ranjan, vice-chancellors of Patna and Veer Kuar Singh universities and principals of different colleges participated in the meeting. Education (higher) secretary S Shiv Kumar represented the state government.

Bihar is the third state after Jammu and Kashmir and the North-east to get special package from the DST for science teaching and research. As proposed, altogether 60 selected colleges of the state would get Rs 50 lakh each and each university would get Rs 1.5 crore for their science departments, according to DST officials. The state government is likely to sanction matching grants to the universities and colleges.

All the four colleges of PU, namely Patna Science College, B N College, Magadh Mahila College and Patna Women’s College, would get Rs 50 lakh each while PU would get a sum of Rs. 1.5 crore for its postgraduate science departments. All the four PU colleges seeking DST funds are NAAC-accredited and each science department of PU has got at least five core faculty members which are supposed to be mandatory for the institutions claiming DST funds.

Symantec Launches SymEd for K-12 and Higher Education

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June 1, 2012

Symantec Corp has launched SymEd, a new licensing model designed specifically to help academic institutions protect information while managing and securing their IT infrastructure.

SymEd combines essential solutions for threat management, data protection, virtualization, encryption and endpoint protection to support the growing technology demands in academia. The SymEd offering provides a standardized, enterprise-wide platform within the academic institution while providing the flexibility to select additional Symantec solutions to meet the needs of individual departments.

“SymEd enables academia to have confidence in the security of their connected experiences as the learning environment expands to accommodate and provide access to online reference material, assignments, collaboration and rich multimedia content wherever and whenever,” said Mike Maxwell, national director, U.S. State & Local Government and Education at Symantec. “This model allows institutions to secure devices and applications in their environment, protect data and infrastructure from attack and manage inventory and configuration with scalability.”

As educational institutions of all sizes face tighter budgets while simultaneously trying to address the increasing number of devices introduced into the IT environment, IT departments are under pressure to streamline infrastructure and operational costs. SymEd provides a comprehensive centralized management platform and a means to secure and manage multiple endpoints: PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones for both faculty and students whether they are school-issued or personal devices.

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