NEWS- K 12

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November 2, 2011

Serra Pre-school eyes Pan-India operations

Serra International Pre-school has entered into a joint venture with EtonHouse International Education Group of Singapore to launch a chain of international pre-schools across India.

The Singapore-based group is well-established in Asia with 52 schools and pre-schools across Singapore, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam, Japan and India with students from 54 different nationalities.

“We decided to invest Rs 100 crore for setting up 100 franchised international pre-schools by next year and 1000 franchised international pre-schools in the next seven years across India. Our aim is to revolutionise the early childhood education in the country by providing world-class curriculum,” Serra International Pre-Schools Chairman, Arun Arora said.

“For the next year, we want to focus our expansion plans across Pune, Mumbai, and Gujarat in the west, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Secunderabad in the South Delhi/NCR and Punjab in the north, These, we believe are some of the key markets that value high quality international pre-school education and would enthusiastically welcome an offering such as ours,” said Mr. Arora.

Pre-school education market is set to reach USD 1 billion mark by 2012 against USD 750 million at present. “The Indian pre-school market is set to become the largest in the world. In India, the pre-school segment is currently worth USD 750 million and is expected to reach USD 1 billion by 2012,” Serra International Pre-Schools Chairman, Arun Arora.

Haryana to implement RTE Act from Nov 11

The Haryana government is going to implement the Right to Education Act (RTE) in state-run schools from November 11. The RTE Act will be implemented to ensure free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of 6-14.

The government will implement the RTE Act in all state- run schools from November 11, coinciding with the birth anniversary of India first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

As per the Act, any cost that prevents a child from accessing school will be borne by the state which shall have the responsibility of enrolling the kid as well as ensuring attendance and completion of eight years of schooling.

GEMS Education partners with UNESCO

GEMS Education has announced partnership with The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to undertake world’s largest leadership training programme, wherein 10,000 school principals will be trained globally.

The first phase of the programme will involve India, Kenya and Ghana. Over a period of four years 10,000 school principals will be trained in these countries. In India, 3500 principals will be trained under the ‘Leadership Programme’.

In developing countries like India, there is very little or negligible training programme for school principals, which in many ways has hampered the effective delivery of education. Therefore, there is an urgent need of leadership training for principals that will help them improve their skills in school management and, thus, enabling them to innovate and offer much more effective and efficient learning at all level of education – benefitting thousands of teachers and millions of students.

GEMS Education will undertake this leadership training programme through its not-for-profit organization – The Varkey GEMS Foundation, which is established to improve access to education for 10 million underprivileged children worldwide. This initiative is part of the Varkey GEMS Foundation’s commitment to action the ‘10,000 Principals Leadership Programme’, announced by former President of United States of America Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York, USA, on September 22, 2011. Bill Clinton is the honorary Chair of the Varkey GEMS Foundation.

CM to distribute laptops in Assam

Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister, Assam has announced computers and laptops for school students. Computers would be given to those students who secure 50 per cent marks in school board examinations from next year.

While addressing the Anundoram Barooah Award 2011 he said that government has all along given thrust to education because this alone can solve problems of illiteracy, poverty and unemployment.

Kalinga Institute inks MoU with Intel Technology

The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) and Intel Technology India Private Limited have signed a MoU for promotion of literacy among tribal youth and out-of-school children, sustainable development practices among teachers and innovation among students.

The MoU intends to promote literacy among tribal youth and out-of-school children through the Intel Learn Programme with a hands-on approach to ICT learning for under-served children in the age group 8-16.

Zee Learn to set up Mount Ltera Zee Schools

Zee Learn Ltd’s K-12 vertical is targeting 400-500 schools across the country in 5-7 years under the Mount Litera Zee School banner. The schools will be set up largely through the franchisee route while a considerable number will be management contracts and owned and operated institutions.

There are currently 42 operational schools with another 70 in the pipeline. Next year Zee Learn will add 24 schools followed by 35 more the year after. Sumeet Mehta, CEO, Zee Learn stated that in terms of signing the projects, we should cross 100 schools by next month. The plan is to add 30-40 schools every year under franchise system.

Tree House Education & Accessories Ltd inducts in BSE Small Cap Index

Tree House Education and Accessories Limited, a company providing pre-school and K-12 educational services in India is now included in the BSE Small Cap Index post the latest quarterly review.

As of October 13, 2011, the scrip closed the day at Rs. 176.5 on the BSE. The scrip has posted a consistent increase over the Issue Price of Rs. 129 per share for retail investors and Rs. 135 per share for HNIs/ Institutional investors. From Friday, August 26, 2011; the equity shares of Tree House Education & Accessories Limited were listed and admitted to dealings on the Exchange in the list of ‘B’ Group of Securities.

Tree House Education & Accessories Ltd (THEAL) is the self-operated preschool education provider in India. The Company currently has 230 pre-schools of which 155 pre-schools are self-operated. The Company also provides school management service to 12 K-12 schools. The company currently employs approximately 835 teachers in its pre-schools.

Kapil Sibal calls for sustained drive for awareness on RTE

“There is a need for a sustained campaign to create awareness in every school, among those who need to be brought into school and among those who implement the Right to Education Act as to the various provisions of this Act,” stated by Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development at a meeting of State Education Ministers on the subject of community mobilization and public awareness for Right to Education (RTE). Shri Sibal expressed confidence that he would get support from the State Governments in this effort. Shri Sibal underlined that the Central and the State Government have to work together so that RTE does not falter.

Sibal outlined some of the work undertaken in the RTE in the country. Stating that 20 States have notified rules, he pointed out that in states which have not done, so it is the children who are suffering. He has also said that the teachers’ eligibility test has been undertaken and eight years academic cycle has been brought in by the states. But he emphasised on the continuing need for the Government and the civil society to carry the message that education is a right to all people. The community mobilization and public awareness programme for RTE will commence from 11th November wherein a national event will be held in Nuh in Mewat in Haryana on 11th November. Similarly, events are expected to be held in every state and district of the country on that day.

Is RPL a Myth in India?

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October 31, 2011

Is RPL a Myth in India?

Workers with few, or no formal qualifications are most vulnerable in securing decent employment. By formally recognising workers’ skills, Recognition of Prior Learning is seen as a means of creating a level playing field in order for them to gain opportunities for further learning and to improve career prospects

By Mamta Srivastava & S S Jena

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) provides individuals with an opportunity to validate skills and competencies, which have not been formally recognised. The importance of recognising skills, including prior learning and previous experience, irrespective of the countries where they were acquired and whether acquired formally or informally, is also highlighted by the ILO’s Recommendation (No. 195) on Human Resources Development: Education, Training and Lifelong Learning.

Open and Distance Learning need to address issues on how to standardise competencies within the broad framework of RPL for placing a comprehensive educational system

The role of RPL as a means of facilitating participation in formal education and training is often highlighted. However, in India no documented studies have examined the practice of RPL in the workplace, or otherwise, despite its potential contribution as a means of enhancing employability, labour mobility and career prospects.

The need for giving emphasis on skill development, especially for the less educated, poor and out of school youth has been highlighted in various fora. The skill level and educational attainment of the work force determines the productivity, income levels as well as the adaptability of the working class in changing environment. Large percentage of population in India is living below poverty line. One of the important causes is lower percentage of skilled persons in the workforce.

Those workers who acquired skills predominantly on the job or through other activities are often disadvantaged in gaining access to formal education and training, or in securing employment which adequately reflects their skills and experience. Workers with few, or no, formal qualifications are most vulnerable in securing decent employment due to absence of opportunity both vertically and horizontally.

By formally recognising their skills, RPL is seen as a means of creating a level playing field in order for them to gain opportunities for further learning and to improve career prospects. Recognition of skills can contribute much to the self-esteem and motivation of workers. For the growing enterprises, a better recognition of workers skills is a way to overcome skills shortages and match skills demand with supply. It can also provide an opportunity to improve the overall skill level and work performance of an industry.
In India, skill development at present is taking place mostly in the informal way, i.e. persons acquire skill at the work-place when they help their parents, relatives and employers etc. and such skills get transferred from one generation to another.

However, as been observed often, such persons do not have a formal certificate and thus earn lower wages and are exploited mostly by their employers. They have come through informal system due to socio-economic circumstances of the family and the compulsions of earning a livelihood rather than attending a formal course. While their productivity is low, their contribution to the national GDP cannot be ignored.

It is in this context that there is a growing demand to create a system of certification, which not only recognises their skills but also provides education and training in a mode that suits their economic compulsions. It will not only benefit the workforce to earn a decent living but also contribute to the national economy by better productivity of this workforce.

What Open and Distance Learning should do?

The ODL need to address issues on how to standardise the competencies within the broad framework of RPL for placing a comprehensive educational system, a clearly defined qualifications framework linked to occupational standards, and a sufficient resource capacity to administer the system and ensure quality. For this, the system needs to draw emphasis on several aspects.

These include an established framework of credit, qualifications and/or occupational standards and awareness among employers, practitioners and candidates. Autonomy for providers to develop their own system according to target group, needs and resources are also to be looked into.

Rigorous assessment processes to ensure quality and clear, jargon-free information to the learner is also required. Sufficient resources and investment in the skills of practitioners and assessors will be required to administer the system. There is a need for recognition of, and investment in, skills needed by applicants to access an RPL process.

The major concern in the context is the absence of a well laid down Vocational Qualification Framework in India and how the competencies and the skills be graded. The question of equivalency also needs to be addressed. Awareness among employers is another issue, which needs to be addressed consistently.

The Challenges

As has been observed, majority of the workforce are in unorganised sectors in India and those are the workforce that possess skills required for a particular job. Hence, there is a huge challenge in identifying where skills exist, communicating to potential candidates, and administering the process, is immense, including low levels of literacy and numeracy among potential candidates. Also, RPL is expensive (as mentioned in documents of other countries), yet should be less expensive than training. In developed countries, RPL has tended to incur costs for learners. Cost could be reduced by streamlining processes, using online support, and workshops for candidates.

There have to be clear indications of who is required to pay for what, and when. A nominal charge may help adult learners value the process. In many countries, outcomes are linked to occupational standards rather than curricular structures, leading to a lack of connectivity with further education and a mindset that a certificate of recognition is an end rather than a means to further development. Developing a critical linkage between the practitioners and the trainers in the context of the RPL is required. Record keeping and its updation is the real challenge for the certification. Establishing relationship with the skills and requirement in certification in a graded system and establishing the relationships between RPL, and regular assessment process, within a broad, flexible framework for assessment are the other areas of concern.

Qualifications are regulated because the public – learners, employers and others who use qualifications – want qualifications that are appropriate, of high quality, valued and respected by others in the community and understood by those who take them and use them. Can RPL fit into this framework of traditionally defining the qualification framework needs to be seen in the context.

Virtual Instrument to Enhance Computer Networking Course

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October 31, 2011

February-2011

Today’s test environment is more challenging than ever as pressure on increasing quality and meeting time-to-market continue to increase. Therefore, a sound foundation in computer networking is critical for success in many kinds of computer-based work and universities must produce graduates with solid foundation in computers and their applications. One way to achieve this is through interactive learning and teaching through the use of software packages like LabVIEW (Virtual Instruments) and Java/Visual Basic (Object Oriented Programming). This will also allow the student to have greater interaction with the subject matter and improve his/her skills in the use of number of applied engineering software packages.

By Nikunja K Swain and Raghu Korrapati

The students’ over reliance upon formulas and routine use of technique in problem solving too often lead to poor performance in advanced courses and a high attrition rate in the engineering, technology, and science programmes. The students’ lack of comprehension of mathematical concepts results in wastage of time during laboratory experiments, misinterpretations of lab data and underachievement in standardised science and engineering tests that stress the fundamentals. This problem can be effectively addressed by improving the student’s conceptual understanding and comprehension of the topics covered in introductory science and technology courses. One way to achieve this is through interactive learning and teaching and upgrading the existing laboratories with modern equipment. This will require increased funding and resources. But in recent years there is a decrease in resource allocation making it increasingly difficult to modernise the laboratories to provide adequate levels of laboratory and course work and universities are under pressure to look for alternative cost effective methods. One way to achieve this is through interactive learning and teaching through the use of software packages like LabVIEW (Virtual Instruments) and Java/Visual Basic (Object Oriented Programming).

LabVIEW and Java/Visual Basic are currently used in a number of engineering schools and industries for simulation and analysis. By introducing virtual instrumentation (LabVIEW) and object oriented programming (Java/Visual Basic) to the existing laboratory facilities and course(s) the students can be well trained with the latest design techniques and computer aided instrumentation, design and process control used throughout industry. This will also allow the students greater interaction with the subject matter and improve his/her skills in the use of number of applied engineering software packages.

LabVIEW is based on graphical programming and easy to use. It is an interactive problem-solving environment, where the students can analyse, visualise, and document real-world science and engineering problems. LabVIEW programmes are called Virtual Instruments (VI), and is different from text-based programming languages(such as Fortran, C++, Java and Visual Basic) in that LabVIEW uses a graphical programming languages, known as the G programming language, to create programmes relying on graphics symbols to describe programming actions. LabVIEW also provides an extensive library of virtual instruments and functions to help in programming. It also contains application specific libraries for data acquisition, GPIB and serial instrument control, data analysis, and file input/output with conventional programme debugging tools that can be used to set breakpoints, single-step through the programme, and animate the execution so that the flow of data can be observed.

LabVIEW has the potential of revolutionising engineering education. It is a graphical programming environment and is based on the concept of data flow programming. Data flow programming concept is different from the sequential nature of traditional programming languages, and it cuts down the design and development time of an application. It is widely accepted by industry, academia, and research laboratories around the world as a standard for data acquisition and instrument control software. Since LabVIEW is based on graphical programming, users can build VIs using software objects. With proper hardware these virtual instruments can be used for remote data acquisition, analysis, design and distributed control. The built-in library of LabVIEW has number of VIs that can be used to design and develop any system. LabVIEW can be used to address the needs of various courses in engineering, technology and science curriculum.

At South Carolina State University (SCSU), the PC and VI based system concept is used to design and develop a laboratory called Computer Based Virtual Engineering Laboratory (CBVEL). The CBVEL consists of IBM compatible computers with appropriate software and hardware from National Instruments (NI), Simulation software such as C++, Visual Basic, Java, PSPICE, etc., and is connected to School of Engineering Technology and Sciences (SETS) network and existing equipment. Virtual Instrument (VI) and Object Oriented Programming modules for different courses and research areas are currently developed and used to teach various courses. Examples of some of these VIs are Circuit Analysis, Electronics, Communications, Digital Signal processing, Networking, and Digital Filters.

The built-in library of LabVIEW has number of VIs that can be used to design and develop any system. LabVIEW can be used to address the needs of various courses in engineering, technology and science curriculum

Virtual laboratory or Virtual Instruments (VI) is software driven and does not require dedicated facility. It does not require instruments and there is no need for laboratory technicians. Problems of varying degree and complexity can be easily modeled and simulated using virtual instruments/laboratory concept.

Also, Virtual laboratory is cost effective and flexible. It is suitable for addressing student and faculty needs at a distance and as a result, more and more institutions are adding virtual laboratories to their curriculum.

Number System Conversion VI

The students of Information Technology (IT) deal with different computer application areas and frequently encounter binary, octal, and hexadecimal numbers. At times they have to convert a number in one system into another which requires not just the understanding of the principles behind number system conversions nut also, interactive modules to practice different conversions. A number of principles exist behind number system conversion and the interactive module using LabVIEW.

Outcomes of Using VI

The LabVIEW VI and Visual Basic modules, used by the authors under different situations, are user friendly and performed satisfactorily under various input conditions. It helped the students to understand items relating to IP Addressing in more detail. It also introduced the students to programme development using Visual Basic and Virtual Instruments. Therefore, it is believed that this introduction to Visual Basic and Virtual Instrument will help the students to design modules for other courses. These modules can be used in conjunction with other teaching aids to enhance student learning of Networking and the Internet.

The use of technology has been instrumental for student and faculty success. It has helped the faculty in instruction and has helped in students’ understanding of concepts. The use of face-book, twitter and others has helped in peer based learning and social networks. It has enhanced the quality of engineers and revitalised education as whole and engineering education in particular. Academia needs inputs from industry for effective design of curriculum and laboratory. Academia also needs help from industry for student internships and student placement. Industrial Advisory Councils (IAC) are becoming part and parcel of every academic and accreditation bodies are making it a requirement to have IAC inputs in formulating programme objectives and outcomes.

Note: This work was funded in part by a grant from Bellcore.

Prioritising Initiatives for the Eleventh Plan :: Action Points

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October 31, 2011

May-2007

The government of India feels the country was still a long way from realising the goal of every child completing eight years of good quality education. Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh made this admission while convening the two-day conference of state education ministers, to discuss the human resource targets for the Eleventh Five Year Plan. The Minister also admitted that the surveys of the attainment levels of schoolchildren do not give much cause for satisfaction.

The Conference of State Education Ministers was organised at New Delhi on 10 and 11 April, 2007, by the Ministry of Human Resources Development that was attended by Education Ministers of 19 of the 28 States. Senior officers of the Education Departments represented the other States and Union Territories. The two Ministers of State in the HRD Ministry, M A A Fatmi and D. Purandeswari, and Bhalchandra Mungekar, Member (Education), Planning Commission, also participated in the Conference. The conference deliberated on issues concerning the entire gamut of education such as elementary, secondary, higher and technical education, to jointly take stock and to plan ahead, so that maximum possible progress can be achieved during the Eleventh Plan in the education sector, in terms of access, equity, quality and efficiency.

The minister also hoped that during the Eleventh Plan, the gross enrollment ratio for higher and technical education would go up from the existing figure of 10 percent of the total population of school-going children to at least 15 percent by the end of the plan period.

The discussions revolved round all the vital aspects of education in India. What should we now do to accomplish the goal of Universal Elementary Education (UEE) by the end of the Eleventh Plan? How do we improve achievement levels of children in elementary and secondary schools, especially state funded ones? What action is being taken by states to meet their enhanced share under SSA in the Eleventh Plan? What steps should be taken to increase the Gross Enrollment Ratio for higher and technical education from the present about 10% to at least 15% by the end of the Eleventh Plan? Despite increased outlays, we are still quite far from the goal of spending 6% of GDP on education, which has been reiterated in the Approach paper to the Eleventh Plan. How best can this responsibility be equitably shared between the Centre and the states? How to improve quality of higher education, especially in state-funded colleges and universities? How to maximise use of ICT, including EDUSAT to widen access and improve quality of education at various stages? The discussion also included many other aspects like minority education and vocational education in the country.

Points of consensus emerged

Constructive discussion on the major issues raised by the Central and various State Governments, resulted in some broad consensus based action points.

• The HRD Ministry and State Education Departments will work intensively with other concerned authorities and departments at the Central and State levels, so as to increase public expenditure on education to the level of 6% of GDP, by the end of the XI Plan.

States noted the need to quickly enter into tripartite MoU with ISRO and MHRD for proper utilisation of EDUSAT. All states which are yet to execute these MoUs,agreed to do so in the next two months.

• A consensus emerged to continue the implementation of the SSA programme with vigour and commitment, and with the fullest attention to equity issues; improvement of learning outcomes of students; implementing focused programmes for improving language and mathematics basic levels in early primary grades and tracking student as well as teacher attendance at elementary levels.

• The conference endorsed the view that the issue of the Centre-State funding pattern in the SSA to be continued on a 90:10 ratio for the NE States and on a 75:25 ratio for other States be examined appropriately by the Government of India.

• The Government of India will re-formulate the parameters of the Mid Day Meal Programme such that the entire upper primary stage is covered by the end of the XI Plan.

• With the Universalisation of Elementary Education nearing completion, the imperative of a Scheme for Universalisation of Secondary Education to be implemented in a mission mode was appreciated by all. It was, however, recognised that the contours of the Scheme would only be finalised once the 11th Plan exercise was completed. Pending this, all State Governments and Union Territories were requested to set up a Task Force so as to identify gaps in the secondary education sector, particularly in terms of access and infrastructure.

• At least one State University in each State which does not at present have any Central University may be funded to the level of a Central University, through the UGC.

• State Governments will also encourage all their universities and colleges to go in for accreditation by NAAC, and in regard to technical education courses by NBA. It was agreed that technical education institutions applying for accreditation to the NBA should not be expected to bear any costs in this regard, except for the prescribed accreditation fees, and that all expenses connected with the inspection visit of the NBA team should be borne by the NBA / AICTE.

• Efforts will be made to network all institutions of higher and technical education so that collaborative research and shared experiences strengthen our tertiary education.

• State Governments will also advise their universities to adopt / adapt UGC-approved curricula and to switch over to semester and credit systems, within two years.

• States agreed to encourage their universities / colleges and technical education institutions to become members of INFLIBNET (Information for Library Network) and INDEST (Indian National Digital Library for Engg. Sciences and Technology) consortia, respectively, so that they gain access to e-Journals and other online academic resources through the centralised subscription process of these consortia.

• States may also urgently consider setting up State Councils of Higher Education. According to available information, only Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have done this so far.

• States whose intake capacity in technical education courses per lakh population is significantly less than the national average, agreed to initiate necessary programmes in the XI Plan so as to come up to the level of the national average.

• States agreed to make efforts to set up, by the end of the XI Plan, a polytechnic in each of those Districts which do not have a polytechnic at present, but are large enough to sustain one. The Ministry will work towards providing financial assistance of non-recurring nature for this purpose.

• States noted the need to quickly enter into tripartite MoU with ISRO and MHRD for proper utilization of EDUSAT. All states which are yet to execute these MoUs, agreed to do so in the next two months. States which have already executed the MoUs agreed to intensify efforts for providing infrastructural and administrative facilities for installation and maintenance of Satellite Interactive Terminals (SITs) and Receive Only Terminals.
States welcomed the establishment of the “SAKSHAT” Education Portal by the Ministry, and agreed to host it on State-level servers as well, and also to develop and post on this portal, learning modules in their respective languages.

Haryana to implement RTE Act from Nov 11

K-12

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digitalLEARNING Network

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October 31, 2011

The Haryana government is going to implement the Right to Education Act (RTE) in state-run schools from November 11. The RTE Act will be implemented to ensure free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of 6-14.

The government will implement the RTE Act in all state- run schools from November 11, coinciding with the birth anniversary of India first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

As per the Act, any cost that prevents a child from accessing school will be borne by the state which shall have the responsibility of enrolling the kid as well as ensuring attendance and completion of eight years of schooling.

NKN announces Technical Workshop for Officers from various NKN connected universities

Higher Education

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digitalLEARNING Network

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October 28, 2011

NKN announces a Technical Workshop for Technical/Nodal Officers from various NKN connected universities/Institutes from North Eastern Region including NMEICT during 28th and 29th October, 2011 at The Seminar Hall, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Guwahati, which is being organized by NIC, Assam. Dr. R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA)to the Government of India and Chairman, High Level Committee (HLC), National Knowledge Network (NKN), Prof S.V. Raghavan, Scientific Secretary to the Government of India, Dr B.K. Gairola, DG NIC, Prof. P.S. Dhekne, BARC Mumbai have consented to address the workshop through VC.

As the number of member institutes getting connected to NKN increases, a need is felt to bring all the institutes on a single platform to help them integrate their network with NKN. This workshop aims at explaining the architecture of NKN and provide case studies which would help the member Institutes in their integration process. The workshop will illustrate the methodology for integration of NKN with the internal networks which will help the institutions in using the NKN services in an enhanced manner.

IIT Madras Hosts BrainJam on Entrepreneurship

Higher Education

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digitalLEARNING Network

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October 28, 2011

C-TIDES, the Entrepreneurship cell of IIT Madras, is hosting an engaging UnConference on “IDEA: A Beginning of Entrepreneur's Journey” by Kiruba Shankar, a serial entrepreneur, a columnist and an author. Being from an engineering background, Kiruba has initiated several entrepreneurial ventures like Business Blogging, F5ive Technologies, Vaksana Farms, Verdure Books along with authoring books like Wikipedia: A beginner's guide, Copy Right & Left and Crowdsourcing Tweet. This highly acclaimed UnConference would primarily involve adrenaline filled, highly energetic brain jamming session where the audience are encouraged to openly share their entrepreneurial ideas/thoughts in less than a minute. Along with this thrilling extempore, the speaker would also spice up the session by sharing his entrepreneurial success story. He would also be drawing upon excerpts from the lives of the leading entrepreneurs and business leaders. Kiruba will touch upon how they came across their eureka moment of entrepreneurial idea, what mistakes they made, what to learn from them and how they scaled up their business.

University of Lincoln to launch one-stop admission facility in Mumbai

Higher Education

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digitalLEARNING Network

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October 27, 2011

To help students in their process of applying to the University, the University will be soon launching its one-stop admission facility in Mumbai where students can receive immediate information on their admission status and assistance to complete all their visa and legal formalities. This point of contact will make the admission process faster and easier. To put it together, this facility is going to make the University of Lincoln just a phone call away.

Elaborating on this facility in India, Manjeet Ridon, Director International Office, University of Lincoln, said, “This facility represents our commitment to the Indian community with regards to higher education. Indian students are considered among the brightest in the world and we are glad that with the help of this facility, prospective, well-qualified students can now be part of our University with an easy access to admission and further related processes which will help them in making informed decisions right from applying to the best-fit course to accommodation services, pre-arrival information etc.”

IIT boys develop potato sowing machine

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October 25, 2011

With the objective of assisting the farmer community, two students of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, have developed a unique 'potato sowing machine' that can be attached to a tractor in a farm. The machine has been designed and fabricated by Nivesh Pandya and Rajesh Kumar Dwivedi, first year students of M.Tech. in Design Engineering at IIT-Delhi, who claim there is no such appliance in the market. 'There are many wheat sowing machines available. This is the first time that someone has developed a potato sowing machine,' claim the duo, who displayed the project at 'I2Tech Open House 2009' this past weekend. Explaining the working, Nivesh said, 'Potato is produced in a large quantity in our country and it is sown manually. This machine will be a big boon for the farmers. The machine will be powered by the tractor it is attached to. Potato seeds are placed in the hopper of the machine. Through a belt and cup arrangement, the seeds are picked up and dropped in the field. The machine also has furrows, and as the tractor moves ahead the furrows will cover the soil over these seeds. The machine also has a pump to spray insecticides on the soil before the seeds are placed.'

The machine has been designed in such a way that the right distance between the seeds is maintained. The equipment is light in weight and costs INR 10,000 to INR 15,000. It can be used to sow other large-sized seeds also. 'If three such machines are attached to a tractor, seeds can be sown simultaneously in three parallel lines. Therefore, it makes the manual sowing of potatoes completely automatic and only one person is required for driving the tractor. We will file a patent for our machine in July,' said Nivesh.

Ceeco Launches ELearn

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October 25, 2011

With a vast experience in innovative technology solutions, ELearn offers a revolutionary concept combining the best ICT training tools, Smart School K-12 content and assessments. ELearn's Intelliclass -an unmatched e-learning suite provides comprehensive top of the line hardware and software ICT solution for next generation classrooms. The 100 percent school owned solution is helping convert the convectional class to ICT enabled Intellicass. It supports a unique approach to meet the varied needs of schools and pre-schools.

Intelliclass offers implementation of technology-enabled classrooms equipped with the best infrastructure including Digi-Annotate (a portable interactive device), 88 inches Projection Board, High Resolution WXGA Projector, Dual Core PC, UPS and a compact and powerful eduVOX Audio System.

The high definition Smart School 3D and mapped content delivers in depth explanation of the latest CBSE Curriculum. The beautifully designed and thoughtfully constructed Intelliclass k-12 content, reviewed by education industry experts will definitely improve the student's concentration in the class and help them learn the fun way. Moreover student Ids are provided to enable students to access Smart School server from the comfort of their home.

With the latest e-learning technology the focus is on a holistic and balanced education. Intelliclass e-learning solutions not only offer excellent academics but also include a range of extra-curricular activities thus encouraging the students to realise their full potential. The curriculum is regularly updated with a huge array of practice exercises, comprehensive quizzes and creative modules.

ELearn's Intelliclass Solution is available for schools through a nationwide network of dealers and resellers. Whether you need to convert only one classroom or more, “Intelliclass” will more than meet your expectations.

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