Now Attend AIEEE Exam Online

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May 4, 2012

A central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) notification has said all those students who were not able to appear for the offline exam of All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) on April 29 will be able to appear for online tests on May 12, 19 and 26.

The circular also mentions that a different date can also be allotted by the CBSE to the candidate in case the seat is not available on the selected date.

The online exam that started this year has not received a good response from candidates. Hardly any candidate from different coaching centres has opted for the online test. Vaibhav Bakliwal of the Bakliwal tutorials said, “The online exams have got a very bad response this year. While it is good that candidates have been given a second chance, it is probable that the ones who decided not to sit for the exam have done so on purpose.”

On its Second Anniversary, RTE Inspires a New Round of Debates

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May 4, 2012

Financial and psychological aspects are being cited as the prime causes for non adherence to RTE norms by many schools. So what is the explanation from the point of view of the School administrators and leaders…

By Pragya Gupta, Elets News Network (ENN)

Second Anniversary of Right to Education (RTE) has been celebrated with another high decibel message. The message is one that has come in the form of a verdict passed by the Supreme Court. With the intent of offering equal opportunities to millions of children who cannot access quality education because they are economically unpowered, the court has passed the verdict stating that schools must reserve 25 precent seats for economically weaker sections.

“We welcome the Supreme Court judgment as this will pave the way for millions of our children to access good quality education. At Educomp, our mandate has always been to promote quality and access across the education spectrum. We sincerely hope that the RTE Act will be implemented in its correct form and spirit, in coordination with all important stakeholders, and this will hold the key to its success.”

Government introduced Right to Education Act in April 2010. The Act envisages that all poor children aged between 6-14 years should be given free and compulsory education within their neighbourhood. This included unaided minority institutions, but these institutes have been removed from the ambit of the RTE Act by the Supreme Court verdict. The Act is operational in 32 states. The Central outlays for implementing the RTE-SSA programme have practically doubled since 2009-10 (Rs 13,100 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 25,555 crore in 2012-13). The government will reimburse private schools for admitting poor students, but only to the extent of the expenditure made by the government schools.

“There will be challenges in implementation and there are still some areas that need greater clarity, but all stakeholders must come together and clear all doubts and allay fears so as to create a workable implementation plan. We have created scientific teaching systems that provide an opportunity to all children to shine. We will also be counting on the support of all like-minded parents to ensure that transition and eventual integration is smooth”

Mixed response from schools

The judgment has got mixed response from the education community. The decision has been opposed by many schools throughout the country; in addition to financial issues, some educationists have also highlighted psychological impacts of this decision.

“A New Beginning will have its Teething Problems“

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May 4, 2012

By Pragya Gupta, Elets News Network (ENN)

Dr Vandana Lulla, Director and Principal, Podar International School, Mumbai

On Supreme court’s verdict on RTE

I personally feel that the Supreme Court’s verdict on RTE will be a welcome change to a society that has a great economic and social divide. More than deliberations, we need to focus on how to smoothen the process for the children and teachers at large. This social initiative by the Supreme Court is definitely good but I only hope that this integration does not make the disadvantaged section of society more aware of the divide.

Impact of the Judgment on Schools

The judgment by the Supreme Court will impact schools to a certain extent. In the sense, schools now have to think about ways and means on how to implement the RTE successfully. Definitely, any new beginning will have its teething problems but schools will have to work out a way of making this process as problem free as possible. The only impact from the school point of view will be working out the finances, once the school takes in 25 percent of children from the weaker sections. The concern that probably will arise is funding the gap between government subsidy and actual cost.

Any psychological impact on the children

Children might develop an inferiority complex studying alongside children from better homes. They may try to ape their life styles. Thus, to tackle this problem that could arise, the school needs to appoint counsellor to handle such children.

What are your plans to cover the expense on these 25percent students? Will it shift this financial burden on those 75 percent by hiking fees?

AGPS is a Charitable Trust and has been providing education free of cost to students from disadvantaged section.

Expectations from the government

The only expectation from the government is to improve the environment in state run schools. Education can surely be used as a tool to break down social barriers and thus the government should build more schools.

“Why do States Decide how Much they Pay us”

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May 4, 2012

By Pragya Gupta, Elets News Network (ENN)

Amol Arora, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Shemrock & Shemford Group of Schools

On Supreme Court’s verdict on RTE

Since education is the basic Constitutional right for every child, it will now be exercised and will give equal opportunities for all. However, the unfortunate aspect of RTE’s implications on private schools is that education at such institutions might turn out to be more expensive, which may be beyond the reach for people who can still afford private school education for their children. How can the government pay us only what they spend on the child when private schools spend much more per child – on better infrastructure, better curriculum, better teachers ,invest in teacher training?

Impact of the judgment on Schools

Unfortunately, the Judgment will have a direct impact on the fee structure of private schools. As there is uncertainty for finances, the private schools will have no other alternative, but to increase the fees for the rest 75 percent of students, to make space for the 25 percent of students they are liable to take as per RTE provisions. It is still unclear about how much grants will the private schools receive from the state government. Private schools are also concerned whether they will get timely reimbursement of the tuition fee from the state government. The RTE implications might prove to be a setback for those who wish to start their own schools, to enter and expand in the field of education.

Psychological impact on the children

Those schools who do not handle social integration will probably see fall out of students. The schools are required to bridge the gap between the have’s and have not’s, to avoid any bias on the grounds of social class. The schools should instill in students a sense of mutual respect and acceptance for each other irrespective of the diversity in the backgrounds. To lessen this psychological impact, the schools are required to handle the situation sensibly.

What are your plans to cover the expense on these 25 percent students? Will it shift this financial burden on those 75 percent by hiking fees?

Since there is no other alternative but to follow the RTE provisions, we are most likely to hike the fees for those 75 percent of students, to accommodate the expenses on the reserved category of 25 percent of students.

Do you have any further expectations from the government?

We would like less disparity in the amounts that the government is providing the private schools. Since we have the same book sets and uniforms across the country, have to pay teachers the sixth pay commission then why do states decide how much they pay us. The government should be encouraging private players to setup quality institutions and create a conducive environment for them rather than stifling the private school sector.

AICTE should Make ERP Mandatory for Institutions

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May 4, 2012

Karan Garg, MD, IFW Techno Creations Pvt Ltd, shares his insights with Pragya Gupta on the latest trends in implementation of ERP solutions in Indian institutions

Inefficiency of Manual, Paper-Based Processes generates the demand of ERP in education. How does ERP make the processes more efficient?

Data Duplication, removal of human errors, and automation of routine tasks are some of the main areas in which ERP solutions are a big help to educational institutions. ERPs save a lot of time by helping us safeguard the integrity of the data.

A lot of time is wasted in making the reports and data sheets related to attendance, exams, etc. for submitting to affiliating state Universities and to AICTE like approving bodies. ERPs like IFW College ERP provide readymade interfaces for all such records. Old models used by colleges for attendance, exam evaluation, leave management timetable settings, etc. have traditionally required a lot of paperwork. With the advent of ERP solutions these tasks have gone online and can be finished quickly and efficiently. There is also more transparency in the system.

Since, AICTE has made ERP solutions desirable for all technical colleges, there is renewed interest in these solutions. But, the rate of progress will be slow till the time AICTE makes it mandatory for institutions to have such solutions. The established colleges are eagerly implementing ERPs, but the new colleges are not showing similar enthusiasm.

What is the market size of the ERP vertical for higher education in India? What rate of growth are you expecting in times to come?

With approximately 1000 Universities and more than 10,000 technical and management colleges operating in the country, the market size is tremendous. New institutions are coming up every year, and as all of them must implement ERP at some point of time, the future looks very bright and exciting for this market. The day ERP solutions are made mandatory by State Universities and AICTE like bodies, this market will see a huge jump.

It has been noticed that not all the ERP implementation are success. What are the reasons for these failures of ERP implementation?

The following are some of the reasons due to which ERPs sometimes fail in colleges due to reasons like lack of adequately trained staff, lack of proper infrastructure, or lack of adequate research on the exact needs of the institution. There can be various other reasons for failure also.

The thing is that Rome was not built in a single day. Many organisations feel that they can create their own ERP solutions by deploying a team of developers. It’s not impossible. These organisations end up creating solutions that can only serve the purpose of hampering the process of standardisation. There can also be problems if the organisation makes wrong choice when it comes to ERP. For instance, if you are a University, you should not be going for a solution that has been developed with a School or College in mind.

Have you faced situations where institutions are unable to make proper usage of ERP solutions?

ERP Implementation is a race where everyone’s legs are tied up with each other. If one department fails it will necessarily create problems for other departments. ERP brings centralisation so that information can flow between different departments easily. If some of the departments do not work properly it becomes problem for the others. It is the prerogative of the ERP Manager to ensure that all departments are working in tandem with each other on the ERP front.

There are Tremendous Opportunities in ERP Space

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May 4, 2012

“The adoption of ERP systems brings all the departments on the same platform, leading to the creation of more efficient campus,” says Rajendra CM, Managing Director, Asia Pacific & EMEA, Talisma Corporation, in conversation with Pragya Gupta

Tell us about your views on how ERP solutions bring efficiency in management institutions?

Traditionally the higher education institutes have had processes that are manual and their data to a large extent is paper-based. The data is often resident to any single department and other departments might find it difficult to access and use the same data. That is why electronic data is important, as it facilitates the flow of information from one department to another. The adoption of ERP systems brings all the departments on the same platform, leading to the creation of more efficient campus. For instance, in admissions by adopting a simple online application processing solution, the institution can receive application forms on-line, collect payments on-line, and it can bring efficiency to the process of short-listing and selection of students.

How does ERP help the institutions in complying with regulations?

The Indian higher education sector is very diverse and one of the largest in the world. Hence, the ecosystem of regulators and governing authorities is also equally vast. The institutes are under constant surveillance from regulatory bodies for conforming to regulatory compliance. This calls for mandatory disclosures from the institutes to the regulators. Institutes today spend significant amount of time preparing for regulatory reports. Institutes can definitely look up to an ERP system for generating of accurate reports. Therefore, for a good ERP system it is necessary to have a comprehensive out-of-the-box regulatory compliance module that can bring ease to the creation of statutory reports.

Talisma’s Offerings in ERP The integrated CampusVue Ecosystem comprises of the following components:
•   CampusVue Student: Student Information System for integrating departments and workflows
•   Self-Service Web Portals: For students, faculty, administrators, advisors, and employers
•   LMS: Moodle-based e-Learning for online and blended academic delivery
•   Decision Support and Performance Analytics: For a 360° view of multi-campus, distance and continuing education
•   CRM Solutions: For communications, recruiting, admissions, retention, advising, and alumni relations
•   Finance, HR & Payroll
•   Enterprise Document Management System
•   Scholarships Management System
•   Social Media Solutions Placements Career Advancement Solution
•   Transportation and Facilities Management Solutions
•   Virtual Learning Platform
•   Library Management System
•   Regulatory Compliance System
•   RTI System

How challenging is it to convince institutions about the value you bring in?

Historically, adoption of technology in the Indian higher education system has been slow. Therefore, in general it is quite a challenge to convenience the value of an ERP for a traditional institute as against a forwarding looking school.

However, the good news is that in the recent past, the sector has shown high appetite for technology adoption as a result of globalisation and strong influence of global trends. This is definitely complimented by other factors such as call by the government to improve the performance, efficiency and transparency in the operational governance.

Higher Education is in Preliminary Stage of Automation

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May 4, 2012

Shaji Thomas, Executive Director (Business Development), Entab Infotech Pvt Ltd, provides his insight on the possibilities for automation with ERPs, in an interview with Pragya Gupta. He also dwells on the challenges and opportunities that are inherent in the sector

How does automation through ERP make the system of education more efficient?

Efficient management through disciplined action is one of the factors that set good schools apart from those that are mediocre. ERP is the secret behind the success of most modern educational establishments. A comprehensive campus ERP enables the institution to bring efficiency into the labour intensive task of finance collection, and various other management related tasks of tracking attendance, scheduling time table, generating transcripts, and much else. A user-friendly ERP saves valuable time, frees the administrator, faculty and office staff to focus all their attention on the most important task of imparting education.

Tell us about your ERP offerings for higher education. In what ways are your products different from that of other ERP vendors?

We believe in the dictum that “well began is half done.” The first step in any ERP implementation should consist of a thorough analysis of the customer’s needs and the various automation processes. We are providing comprehensive ERP solutions for academic, administrative, and financial areas of an institution. In the academic environment, we provide solutions for the complete student life cycle. From student and staff database management to hostel to transport management are covered. Similarly, in the finance department, the areas of fee collection, asset management, and procurement cycles are covered by our solutions.

What is your opinion of the innovations and trends in ERP for higher education.

In India higher education is in the preliminary stage of automation. There is hardly any higher education institute in India, which is fully automated so far. But things are now changing.

Online admissions, online digital contents, online examination, online result processing, smart payments, online verification of university certificates for authenticity, etc. are gaining popularity. There is demand for MIS (Management Information System), which provides overall information to institutions as per their choice, and assists them in taking wise decisions. The student and parent portal ensures restricted information flow to various stakeholders.

What is the rate of Growth of ERP in the higher education sector?

Among new generation universities, professional and vocational institutions automation process are in the fast track, whereas in government sector and traditional institutions the rate of growth is quite slow. In terms of market size, the ERP segment is much bigger than what we have in Europe. Awareness campaign is required to educate Indian institutions about the right products and utility.

What are the opportunities in the ERP market?

India is a big market for ERP because of volume of business. Under AICTE there are more than 10,000 institutions, another 1000 universities and a good number of parallel institutions.

What are the challenges do you face while implementing ERP solutions?

The major challenge is the attitude of the staff. There will always be those who keep saying, “We have always done it that way.” Such attitudes force us to develop some customisations, which hardly serve any genuine purpose. Lack of knowledge about the requirements of the institution and functionality of the system may also lead to wrong customisation. Lack of initiative by different department heads and their staffs in implementing the technology at the right time is also one of the important issues.

Capturing of old data could be difficult for many companies. Maintenance and support of customised software for future is again a herculean task. The trained manpower for ERP implementation is always on high demand. There is very high attrition rate.

Online Systems Can Monitor Lakhs of Schools

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May 4, 2012

J S Saharia, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of School Education, Government of Maharashtra, talks to Rachita Jha about development of education in the state

Tell us about the implementation of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan in the state.

Sarva Siksha Abhiyan is being fully implemented in the state. We are focused on ensuring that the financial outlays are made in efficient and transparent manner. The issue of stakeholders is also important. We also recognise the fact that there is need for more e-Governance in the education system. Steps are being taken to implement the e-Governance initiatives. There is lot of technical and repetitive work that can be easily done through online systems and other technological tools. Lakhs of schools can be monitored through online systems, which are now being created. It is important that we have a robust and efficient software. We have plans to use latest mobile communication systems to seamlessly transfer data wherever it is needed.

Please shed light on the e-Governance projects being implemented in Maharashtra.

e-Governance brings transparency to the working of the entire system. The citizens of the state are able to access services from the government in an easier manner. e-Governance also enables the government to have a holistic look on how its projects are working at the ground level. Are the benefits actually reaching the targeted sections of the population? There is a new kind of clarity in the system that is beneficial for both the citizens and the government.

How effective are the e-Governance systems?

The e-Governance systems that have been launched are already bearing fruit, and in times to come their scope will be much wider. Speaking specifically of the education sector, the most important stakeholders in education are, of course, the students. We are using e-Governance systems to bring more benefits to the students. Online tools are being used to monitor the teaching system and bring more efficiency to the management of our institutions.

What kind of mobile based projects are you planning for education sector?

Students are already very close to mobile technology. It is possible to transfer information to them about the course and the content through mobile devices that they hold. Basically this is an emerging technology. We still need lot of new information to create solutions that are durable and useful. But we are determined to bring mobile based solutions into our education system and there are going to be lot of new developments in times to come.

Have the new developments in ICT inspired some changes in curriculum?

Of course, technology always has the power to change not just the methodology of education but also the content. Computer labs are being started in various schools. There is renewed focus on ensuring that our students get quality education in latest technological trends. Our first and foremost priority is the students. We are doing everything we can to ensure that they have access to best teaching methods. We have in place a system of monitoring the quality of the computer labs and ensuring that the quality of teaching is as per the guidelines set by the state government. There is a system for receiving regular feedback from schools located across the entire state.

Policy: News May 2012

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May 4, 2012

AICTE, Microsoft Join Hands to Provide Cloud Technology for Engineering Students

AICTE Chairman Dr S S Mantha in the presence of Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, has announced that it is deploying microsoftlive@edu as one solution amongst many such initiatives with IT majors and Industries to more than 10,000 technical colleges and institutes throughout India. The initiative has been taken in a bid to broaden educational reform to improve technical education and prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow, Live@edu is the first step in AICTE’s deployment of Microsoft cloud computing for education.This initiative make AICTE into Microsoft’s largest cloud customer in the world. This will expand students’ access to high-quality technical education and collaboration.

Kapil Sibal has also launched AICTE’S two new management programmes. A Five year integrated masters level management programme and five year dual degree management course.

MHRD Reschedules 59th CABE Meeting

The 59th Meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE), which was schedule to be held on 23rd April 2012 has been rescheduled to 6th June 2012.

The Minister of Human Resource Development also proposes to hold Education Minister’s conference to have wide-ranging discussion on various issues concerning both sectors of education on 5th June 2012.

Mallikarjun Kharge unveils Web Portal of DGET for Effective Implementation of Skill Development Scheme

Union Labour & Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge has unveiled and dedicated the Official Web portal Directorate General of Training & Employment (DGET), M/o Labour & Employment to the nation for the effective implementation of Skill Development Scheme (SDIS) to promote training of around 6 lakh people in the Country annually. The portal is is developed by the Helwatt Paackard, India.

“I am quite confident that this powerful Web-portal would not only facilitate DGET in all these aspects but also enable to keep a track over outcome of the Scheme,” Kharge said.

Corporate: News May 2012

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May 4, 2012

NEC Appoints Angira Agrawal as Head for its Cloud Business

NEC India has announced the appointment of Angira Agrawal as Head & Associate Vice President for its Cloud business in India. Angira will be responsible for heading the Cloud initiative for NEC India, defining the overall strategy, including cloud offering partners, the Go-To-Market (GTM) partners and the Platform capabilities.

Datatel and SunGard Announce Merger

Datatel and SunGard Higher Education, two education technology companies, have announced merger. The combination has a new name Ellucian.

John F. Speer, President and CEO, Ellucian announced the new Ellucian name to an energetic audience of 6,200 clients at Summit 2012, an annual user conference.

Pearson Launches Stanford Achievement Test Series

Pearson has launched Stanford Achievement Test Series, Tenth Edition (India) – Stanford 10 India. This is the Indian adaptation and standardisation of the gold standard for achievement testing. Devised to suit the needs of the Indian education system, this is a valid and a reliable tool needed for objective assessment of achievement.

Stanford 10 India enters India at an interesting juncture, when the country is slowly realising that application of learning is more valuable than getting good marks by rote-learning. Stanford 10 India gives parents, teachers and the students a glimpse of where a child stands on a national percentile scale, unlike normal exams where the child is tested against her classmates alone. This test series measures student’s progress towards high academic standards. It includes a range of user friendly score-reports, designed with the inputs from administrators and teachers across the country and also supports teaching, learning and accountability requirements.

InfoPro Launches Collaborative Learning Platform GNOSIS

InfoPro Learning, Inc, a learning solutions company, has announced the release of Gnosis, an online collaborative learning platform that empowers learners by helping organisations tap into the in-depth, tacit knowledge and experience of their experts. With Gnosis, people can share knowledge, experience, and expertise in real time.

Mercury Launches 3G Voice Tablet, mTab Neo2

Kobian has announced the launch of mTab Neo2, 3G Voice model, which will support Android 4.0. The Samsung chipset provides excellent picture quality. With a long battery backup of 6 hours and multi-touch capacitive screen, one can enjoy richer experience at both work and play.

Mumbai-Angels Funded CarveNiche Rolls out WisdomLeap Platform

Bangalore-based, Mumbai Angels funded, CarveNiche Technologies, has launched their flagship product WisdomLeap in India. The multi-dimensional Wisdom Leap addresses the needs of all the stakeholders, including the students, their teachers, parents and the school management on a single platform. WisdomLeap, developed with over 100,000 man hours is customised, interactive-content that can be used for teachingstudents across Class 1 to 10 across all key subjects.

Pearson Launches Teacher Certification Programme

Pearson Education Services has launched a ‘Teacher Certification’ Programme. The programme certifies the proficiency of teachers in using technology in their classroom sessions. The programme is a model developed to produce technologically-competent teachers, who can facilitate an effective learning process. The assessment can be taken by the teachers online with two levels of certification.

Educomp bags Rs 209 crores ICT@Schools Project from Government of Assam

Educomp has announced that its ICT Division Edureach has won an order worth Rs 209 crores from the Government of Assam under the prestigious ICT@Schools Project.

Educomp signed the agreement with the Assam Electronics Development Corporation Limited, Government of Assam, on 23rd March, 2012 for the implementation of Rajiv Gandhi Computer Education Program (RGCEP) under the GOI Revised ICT@Schools Scheme in 1,054 Government High and Higher Secondary schools of the state. Over 650,000 students are expected to benefit from this program every year.

CL Educate to Train Youth under Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna

CL Educate Ltd and NIRD (National Institute of Rural Development) has signed an MOU through which CL Educate will be training 7800 rural BPL youth under the Rural Development Scheme of MORD (Ministry of Rural Development) GoI, New Delhi. CL educate will impart training to the youth of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bundelkhand Districts of MP and UP in various trades so as to make them employable. CL Educate will bear 25 percent of the total cost of this project. CL Educate will be training the youth in various trades viz- Electrician, AC and Refrigeration Repair, Diesel Engine Repair, Beautician, Mobile repairing, etc.

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