Internships revamp the theoretical aspect of learning into praxis

Interviews

By

-

September 5, 2022

Theory and practicals are two parts of learning that need to be focused on equally. Educators & industry experts believe that now is the time to reverse the curriculum of 70 per cent theory and 30 per cent practical. We have a few professional courses that are already working towards a more practical approach in lieu of a theoretical one.

Most recently, something similar came up from the doors of the Bar Council of India and they decided to revamp the curriculum by allowing the final year students to act as paralegals for a period of six years. There are many other erupting alterations that are happening in the world of law students.

To delve into the topic deeper, Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network interacted with Adv. Kritika Padode Bhandari, Trustee, IFIM Institutions, Founder, Vijay Bhoomi University. The conversation was insightful and elucidative.

Bar Council of India (BCI) is all set to revamp the curriculum and allow final-year law students to act as paralegals for a period of six months. What is your take on the same?

It is definitely a welcome move. A legal internship of any sort will give students a chance to apply the knowledge of legal subjects they have acquired over the course of four years. Application of knowledge in a real- life setting will also allow them the freedom to explore which area of law excites them to pursue professionally and also the kind of lawyer they would want to be. A lawyer can play multiple roles in the profession- advocate, judge, briefing counsel, working in a firm etc and an experience of this nature will help them choose an appropriate role for themselves wisely. A longer internship will also help them get a better understanding of process and practice which is not possible in a shorter duration internship. Apart from all the benefits to the students, this will also help add manpower to the much-needed legal aid force in our country. With an exploding population spread across different parts, we are in a dire need of quality legal aid volunteers and this experience will motivate students to pursue legal aid in the future as well along with their private practice.

Similar to other professions, lawyers also need hands-on experience from internships. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing internships in the rural areas of India?

I only see advantages to this proposition and no disadvantages as such:

Application of knowledge of legal subjects in a real-life setting
Ability to develop skills that are essential for lawyers communication skills, listening skills, mediation skills, drafting, dealing with clients, and learning the ropes of the system
A chance to explore and make an informed choice are your specialisation and the kind of lawyer you would like to be
The ability to connect with the grassroots and inculcate social responsibility
To get a chance to work closely with practitioners and find your mentors

At National Law University, students go to district and high courts or corporate law firms. Do you think traditional law colleges will ever be able to compete by working on Rural Internship for Law?

The real learning from internships is agnostics of labels or higher forums. Key aspects of a good quality internship are being able to undertake more serious tasks during your stint like drafting, working closely with seniors to monitor their professional work, engaging in precise high-quality case research & analysis, and getting to go to Court regularly to monitor the progress of the case.

Theory and practical are two segments that need to be focused on equally. Though we have an ample amount of courses that work on the curriculum of theory only. Should all courses introduce some practical application to their theory courses?

They absolutely must because there is a sea of difference between what we study in the classroom and how these Statutes play out in the Act. Importantly for each subject it is essential to get drafting experience to understand the nuances of the Act in its entirety and actually ensure that your knowledge may be of ready use to the employer. Also, as many legal academicians may not have a practice background, it is a good idea for them to explore the opportunity to invite a legal professionals to co-teach courses especially procedural ones to expose students to the pragmatic nuances and give them exercises and assessments that are focused on knowledge and skill building for the professional world.

How is the adoption of technology changing things at Law Schools? What are the technologies that are presently in place at various institutions?

Technology is slowly penetrating Indian Law Schools. We see most of the future-looking law schools use advanced digital teaching tools to enhance learning. With the pandemic, we have witnessed an increased exposure of students to lectures from leading legal academicians and professionals owing to the robust use of platforms like Zoom. Competitions such as Moot Court Competitions, negotiation and mediation competitions have taken the virtual route- increasing access of students from all over to these competitions. Assessments, attendance, timetables, and access to lectures are now enabled digitally in forward-looking institutions.

Even the idea of the BCI introducing an aptitude test to place young lawyers in the chambers of senior lawyers is a welcome move as it will introduce more meritocracy in the system and give many students who are first-generation lawyers the chance to work with and learn from stalwarts of the profession.

President Droupadi Murmu addresses the IIT-Delhi’s diamond jubilee celebration

Higher Education

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 5, 2022

President Droupadi Murmu said that the multi-disciplinary approach of the IITs is well aligned with the new National Education Policy. These comments were made by her during the closing ceremony of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT Delhi).

“The IITs proved to the world the capability of India in the domains of education and technology. In more than one way, the story of the IITs is the story of Independent India. The IITs have contributed immensely to India’s improved standing on the global stage today,” she said.

“IITs have expanded outside their traditional strengths in science and engineering. They now offer qualitative programmes in humanities, social sciences, design, management and public policy. This multidisciplinary approach is well aligned with the new National Education Policy,” she said. President Murmu said that this multi-disciplinary approach of the IITs is well aligned with the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

President Murmu highlighted how IIT Delhi is ‘encouraging research and innovation in a big way’, and the research and innovation park which was inaugurated on September 3 would give a boost to growth and innovation. The new research and innovation park aims to create an ecosystem in which students, faculty and industry would exchange ideas.Emphasising on the role the IITs have played in improving India’s standing at a global level, the President said that the nation expects the IITs to help them achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

IITians are leaders not just in the field of science and technology but also in the fields of education, industry, entrepreneurship, civil society, activism, journalism, literature, and politics.The President also hailed IIT-Delhi’s contributions during the pandemic, helping India overcome a public health crisis, and in the development of new IITs also such as IIT Ropar and IIT Jammu.

Edtech goes Hybrid: An innovative edge to the educational panorama

Interviews

By

Sheeba Chauhan, Senior Sub Editor

-

September 5, 2022

The education sector has faced an ultimate challenge during the pandemic period and landed with its own solutions and methods like hybrid learning, and remote learning. Despite being a relentless journey, the outcome is revolutionary and gives an innovative edge to the educational panorama. To delve deeper into the current scenario in the educational landscape, Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network (ENN) had an exclusive conversation with Siddharth Chaturvedi, Vice President, AISECT Group. Edited excerpts:

After the pandemic, everyone is talking about edtech can replace classroom learning. What is your take on the same? Are there any positives that came along with edtech for classroom learning?

The pandemic has altered the ways of life we were used to. The entire scenario pushed people beyond their comfort zone and encouraged them to come become solution-oriented. Ed-tech as a sector saw unparalleled growth much before the pandemic, however, it was during the lockdown that people understood the true potential of e-learning. With blurred lines as to when the education will resume to its former state, schools and colleges made online learning a way of life for students.

There is no scope for ed-tech to replace classroom learning in totality, a hybrid model is a way forward. The pandemic has made it seamless for online learning and classroom learning to co-exist in a way that provides the best of both worlds for students. Edtech players like Byjus & AISECT Learn are doing the same by integrating self-paced online learning with center-based faculty-based classes.

As we have witnessed the main language that is used for learning in edtech is English. What is the scope of edtech courses being available in different languages and not being restricted to only one language?

With rapid innovation in ed-tech, the language barrier, in my opinion, is the least of the concerns. Regional content has seen a meteoric rise in the past few years, which is making education inclusive.

Due to the vast regional diversity present in India, ed-tech has taken a different approach as compared to the west. There is no dearth of content available in different languages, dialects and even scripts. With languages and dialects changing every few meters in India, the challenge is to provide personalised content. As far as regional content is concerned, I feel we are on the right track and there is immense scope for growth and innovation in the years to come.

There are many players like Learnvern and AISECT Learn, which offers courses in Hindi and other regional languages apart from English.

Edtech has been making headlines for instant firing from jobs. Do you think this should be the case for traditional institutes as well if the faculty or staff isn’t performing well?

More, than ed-tech, this is a pattern witnessed with most startups. This cannot be categorized specifically to ed-tech. Traditional institutes have teachers and instructors who have been loyal employees for years and they are fueled by their passion to teach. Hiring and firing is a highly subjective topic and it has to be assessed based on individual performance. Moreover, we believe that faculty should be periodically trained and upskilled so they are aligned to the current landscape.

Covid has forced ten years of digital technology into a month. Do you think the speedup of the process will lead to better results?

COVID accelerated innovation in a manner that could not have been imagined in years. With the ambiguity and fear of the unknown, people did not have a choice but to make the most of the situation to stay afloat and changed the way people look at life in general. It is safe to say it has impacted every arena of life, not just digital transformation. As for digital transformation, is concerned, COVID has been a major catalyst for innovation and fast-paced growth of the sector as well.

There are MOOCS (Massive open online courses) from platforms like Udemy or Coursera. Faculty or Staff is fearing that this transformation will ultimately replace them. What is your take on the same?

The biggest advantage of MOOCS is that they are a powerhouse of access. They complement traditional education but will not be able to replace that system altogether. Players like Udemy, Coursera & AISECT-MOOCs have played a pivotal role in making education accessible to a pool of students who do not have access to the traditional learning ecosystem, having said that, it has not impacted our traditional education system. On the contrary, it has been the biggest enabler to continue to support imparting education to the remotest parts of the country in case of students not being able to attend physical classes.

Technology as the harbinger of global connectedness – A revolution in education spectrum

Interviews

By

Sheeba Chauhan, Senior Sub Editor

-

September 5, 2022

Educators are an imminent part of the landscape that built the foundation of students.With the development of technology aspects to the educational ecosystem, the faculty is also pushed to adapt to the new normal of education. Well, everyone is doing so with utmost credibility and acceptance. To know more about the same, Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network (ENN) interacted with Venu Gopal, Principal, MIT Pune’s Vishwashanti Gurukul to put the challenges and opportunities forward from their vision and how an educator looks forward to these changes. Edited excerpts:

Being associated with the education sector for such a long time is bliss in itself. How has been your journey? Please elaborate.

I am blessed to be associated with a field that holds the power to transform societies, nations, and the world. Association with the education sector is indeed blissful – intellectually, emotionally, socially, psychologically, and spiritually. My journey as an educator and now as an education administrator has been filled with moments of delight as I saw my students do well academically, with moments of pride when my students brought a positive impact to society, and now when my teachers win accolades for our school through their work. My admissions, marketing, and HR teams similarly awe me with their dedication. As their leader, I hope to have played my role in formulating processes, procedures, vision, and pathways that have led to benefiting everyone.

Your academic journey has been closely related to Mathematics & Statistics. Do you think the emergence of technology into the education landscape can bring easy aid to such complex subjects?

Technology is the harbinger of global connectedness, and it has revolutionised the field of education as never before. The power of technology to make education accessible to students in the remotest parts of the world; and to make the process of teaching and learning interactive and fun is unquestionable. The remarkable shift in thinking from the local to the global can be attributed to technology.

Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has institutionalised the applications of digital technologies in education exponentially, which has made a paradigm shift in the entire education system; with technology as a co-creator of information, a mentor, and an assessor. Technology has also facilitated school connections, buddy programmes and virtual competitions, internships, and collaborative opportunities among global institutions.

You are presently associated with an institution that is right at the “Centre of Excellence in the field of Education and Research”. What are your thoughts on the evolving education ecosystem with the technological push?

Ed-tech seamlessly bridges the gap between educators and students with its ability to go beyond geographical barriers. Technology is also enabling innovation, commercialization, and enterprise, which are the need of the hour.

At MIT Gurukul, being an IB School, technological innovations are arguably necessary, simply because of the nature of the said education program. Globalisation and student-centric educational pedagogy are central to it, and inclusivity and inter connectivity are the cornerstones of our tech-enabled educational approach. We at MIT Gurukul have the inherent intent of shaping the individual as a whole, and many can attest to its inimitable benefits. The level of education the students receive is unmatched and has been made world-class with technology amalgamation.

You have more than a decade of experience in teaching the CIE/IB curriculum. What could be the salient features and advantages of the IB Board in comparison to others?

From among the many national, international, and state boards, IB is certainly one of the most comprehensive, rigorous, and all-inclusive programmes that offer holistic education for the students.

The programme lays emphasis not only on academics, but also on sports and extracurricular activities, necessary life skills, and social values so that the students grow to become responsible global citizens. The IB programme makes the students future-ready by preparing them for higher education while instilling in them skill development for jobs so that they can compete with the outside world.

Being a CIE/IB teacher I also gained high-quality professional development training that encouraged my critical thinking, and self-reflection and provided me with diverse education frameworks, unit planners, teaching resources, and evaluation tools.

Maharashtra Academy of Engineering Education and Research (MAEER) strongly believes in the virtues of the Guru-Shishya Parampara. In the fast-paced world of Machine Learning/AI, what are the possible challenges you face to equip the students with instructional technology in the Gurukul ecosystem?

MIT Gurukul features a modern learning process along with maintaining the Indian ethos. We believe that technology is integral to learning new methods that bring out the full potential of the child. Yet we uphold the Guru-Shishya Parampara at the core of our education where teachers enable and support students as they develop the approaches to learning they need – for both academic and personal success. The curriculum is designed in ways that enable teachers to invoke an interest in students’ learning.

Teaching and learning at MIT Gurukul celebrates the ways people work together to construct meaning and make sense of the world. We firmly believe that education empowers students for a lifetime of learning and independent decision-making.

Swaying the educational paradigm with nano learning

Article

By

Sheeba Chauhan, Senior Sub Editor

-

September 5, 2022

With technological advancements, experiential learning is becoming the new norm in education. Facilitating conceptual insights and practical experience at learners’ own convenience, the simple yet effective nano learning model is swiftly taking over the innovative trend. Micro lessons and micro sessions, commonly referred to as nano learning, are videos containing multimedia-rich material, which explains complex ideas through interesting bytes, leading the next wave of learning in the education sector. Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network (ENN) explores the future of the novel method in the e-learning landscape.

From the era of gurukuls to landing on google for everything, the education ecosystem has witnessed a phenomenal transformation. In today’s fast-paced and evolving digital era, learning and teaching are embracing innovation to stay competitive & relevant.

The Covid-19 pandemic has further instigated and fastened the adoption of tech-driven innovation in the education system. It would not be hyperbolic to say that the pandemic has pushed us ten years ahead when it comes to technology adoption.

Though digital technologies existed earlier, they emerged more significant and effective during the pandemic, speeding up the adoption of innovation trends in the education sector. The significance of digital technologies has been amplified by the widespread use of various online learning methods like hybrid learning, blended learning, virtual learning, and obviously, the elephant in the room, nano learning.

Though the digital shift in education is revolutionising the learning process, one of the biggest challenges of online learning is the struggle with focussing on the screen for long periods of time. According to recent research by Microsoft, the human attention span has dropped to eight seconds – that is a shrink of about 25 per cent in just a few years.

Offering an effective alternative to traditional lessons, nano learning is emerging as the future of learning for the interesting methodology and flexibility that it offers. It is scouting over long monotonous videos, keeping online classes crisp, engaging and interactive.

It imparts highly-focused knowledge to the learners through multimedia tools. For the people who continuously crave more valuable content in a short time, nano learning is the best possible solution for them. It is valuable, efficient, and most importantly, significant for retention of content as you are not overloading yourself with feckless content.

Ever wondered why Twitter is still acing the game of social media? Well, it is delivering the most updated information, that too with credibility and in nuggets size punches. Nano learning is “Twitter” for e-learning. For instance, if you want to learn to create pivot tables or calculate the sum of rows, by applying a formula to a column in excel, you will get it all in minutes. This learning method is proven to be most effective due to its short duration and more worthy content. According to a study conducted by the Dresden University of Technology, short form of content drives 20 per cent more retention of information than the long form of content.

Bridging the learning gap with nano learning

Fortunately, teachers are more accustomed to using technology in remote learning and are more skilled with the tools that can enable youngsters to catch up. By giving students the chance to engage in nano learning, which is essentially condensed learning in an entertaining style, teachers can help students adapt quickly.

The pandemic was the time when educators started to adapt to this remote learning or online learning process. Technology has been a game changer for many sectors and it has indeed made a whirl in the education sector too. Nano learning is only possible because we have easy access to technology today and the various gadgets like smartphones, laptops, etc, that are making it handy to leverage tech-led innovation. Today, a three-year-old kid is also watching YouTube,but if we look some 15 years back, nobody would have envisioned this.

Nano learning is here to stay and it will make an impact all over the world. The only key rule is that educators have to effectively deliver content that is crisp, short, to the point, and easy to understand.

A few aspects of nano learning that are pertinently making their existence to create noise in the e-learning environment are:

Short bits of content: The ideal reading time for content is two minutes, but it must be brief enough to be consumed in five minutes or less. According to research, our working memory, which is where we process information, is very little. Giving students too much information at once can confuse them and make it difficult for them to learn the material. It’s crucial to keep the amount of input brief, whether it’s a lecture, a video, or a brief text. Even educational activities, such as playing a quick math video for the class and then having them do a few tasks, should be kept to a minimum.

Ample amount of examples: No matter the subject—math, physics, reading, writing—teachers must provide specific examples or explain a solution for nano learning to be successful. According to research, students require cognitive assistance to study. As a result, students can concentrate on each step when teachers illustrate how to solve a problem, which lowers the cognitive burden.

Measurable learning objectives: There should be no more than three measurable learning objectives included in the content, and at least one assessment method. When describing what you want your students to be able to do by the end of the lesson or unit, utilise action verbs. When you have defined measurable objectives from the beginning, it is considerably simpler to align assessments with course expectations.

Impact on Content & Assessments

Nano learning can’t be a replacement for comprehensive programs, still, it is an effective method to gain and keep yourself up to date with the enormous knowledge that is available. Educators have tried to make nano learning useful for comprehensive courses by creating short nano learning courses. These courses will be for 5-30 days but will stick to the base concept of delivering more in less time. It will be an amalgamation of images/GIFs, questions, videos, feedback, and responses to make it as efficacious as possible.

The content that is on various platforms has taken another leap because of the competitive edge that comes after the eruption of e-learning. The very fact, today, is that you have to deliver more in less time, and if you manage to deliver that with rich content that is worthwhile, you are the game changer. Hence, it’s not about making a long bundle of notes or working on some lengthy assignments that will take your entire month, it is about the smartness to stay integrated into the changing landscape.

Similar is the case with assessments. Today, we have Flipgrid, Edpuzzle, Mentimeter, Google forms, and many other options that don’t need much of teachers’ time to assess the students. It is more of a self-assessment than the traditional teachers assessing the students.

Catching up on ISTE standards

Nano learning is the real method which is provoking true learning. The various techniques used are transforming students from the process of learning from exams or academics to learning while having fun and retaining the same for a longer time. According to the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE), nano learning is addressing quite a few objectives of ISTE, be it empowered learners, digital citizens, innovative designers, knowledge constructors, creative communicators, and more. A thorough roadmap for the efficient use of technology in classrooms around the world is provided by the ISTE Standards, which offer the competencies for learning, teaching, and leading in the digital era. It is witnessed that the world has been constantly transforming with the changing time and it was the same for educators, administrators, and students too. They have changed themselves with the recent standards, adapting to the latest technologies, researched-based learning, practical learning, and more. Now is the time that the world should also adopt this utilitarian method of learning. It is effective, appropriate, customisable, and allows students to communicate creatively while learning in the most impeccable way

Is nano learning the way forward?

It is indeed a revolution for the education industry but at the same time, it is clear that it can never take the place of comprehensive education. It has been able to carve its own niche in the landscape but there is a long way to go. It is transforming the traditional education system and refurbishing innovation, efficiency and quality content. Nano learning supports lightning-fast learning, giving an upper hand for learning with higher adoption rates. The road for this learning method is indeed full of bright opportunities. To create an ecosystem for this, we need educators to be tech-savvy ‘content curators’. Though it is not very much recommended for andragogy right now, researchers are working towards making it more worthy for them also, by creating engaging & inclusive content.

There is no denying that technology has made life simpler and easier for us, but some of us have never fully believed in technical advancements. Prove that to the elder generation, and they’ll regale you with a fascinating story about the doubters who questioned the digital medium’s viability. They characterised it as a bubble that would eventually burst, but digitisation has already happened and has flourished citizens with its pros & cons.

Likewise, with nano learning, it is a fresh idea that is starting to take off. Learners have already experienced the advantages of text message courses, which are easily created, effective, and accessible. According to experts, nano learning is here to stay, given the futuristic trends and the overwhelmingly positive reception it is currently experiencing.

UGC to launch research grants, and fellowship schemes on the occasion of Teachers day 2022

News

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 5, 2022

University Grants Commission has announced that it will be launching new research grants and fellowship schemes on the occasion of Teachers Day 2022. UGC India will be launching 3 research grants and 2 fellowship schemes, as per this announcement. These new schemes would be launched on September 5, 2022 at 3 PM through the livestream through the official Twitter and YouTube channels of the commission.

Following mentioned are the grants that will be launched for faculty members and in-servicde members,as per the information issued by UGC:-

1. Dr. D.S. Kothari Research Grant for Newly Recruited – The D.S Kothari scheme is a post-doctoral fellowship scheme for those in the field of sciences, medical and engineering sciences. The tenure will be for 2 years.

2. Research Grant for In-Service Faculty Members. The tenure will be for 2 years.

3. Fellowship for Superannuated Faculty Members – UGC launched this scheme in order to provide an opportunity to the superannuated teachers who have been actively engaged in research and teaching programmes. The tenure will be for 3 years.

A post-doctoral and doctoral scheme will be launched, under the fellowship schemes. All of these schemes will be launched on September 5, 2022. These are –

1. Dr. Radhakrishnan UGC Post-Doctoral fellowship scheme – The objective behind this fellowship is to provide an opportunity to carry out advanced studies and research in the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences including languages in Indian Universities, Colleges, and Institutions. The tenure will be for 3 years.

2. Savitribai Jyotirao Phule fellowship for the single girl child. The tenure for this doctoral fellowship will be for 5 years.

NEP 2020 to reorient India’s education policy to global benchmarks: Jitendra Singh

News

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 3, 2022

Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday, The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, will reorient India’s education policy as per global benchmarks.

“NEP was the biggest path-breaking reform in India since independence as it is not only progressive and visionary but is also in keeping with emerging needs and requirements of 21st century India”, addressing the PHDCCI Education Summit, 2022, Singh said.

The minister said NEP 2020 gives due priorities to the inherent talent, knowledge, skill and aptitude of students, rather than focusing only on degrees. He added that it also gives young scholars and students enough room to decide on their options depending upon their aptitude and their personal circumstances from time to time.

Regarding the benefits of NEP 2020, Singh argued that the availability of multiple entry/exit options should be cherished because this academic flexibility will benefit students by enabling them to take advantage of various career opportunities at various points in time, depending on their innate learning and aptitude.

The policy advocates a creative and multidisciplinary curriculum that includes humanities, languages, culture, sports and fitness, health and well-being, arts and crafts, in addition to science and mathematics, said the minister.

Around 40 million Indians are pursuing higher education, more than the figure for the US and the European Union combined and the ambitious new education policy seeks to double that number. He said it was a big goal, but achievable.

One of the most commendable opportunities that stem from the NEP is the chance for universities and colleges to incorporate entrepreneurship into their curriculum. If this is done in a meaningful manner, it has the potential to provide impetus to the nation’s economy in a fairly short period of time, he further added.

As per the report, 2,000 institutions in higher education are set to begin as skill hubs and of this 700 have registered on the common portal of the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship.

He said the NEP was launched to transform India’s education system through a multidisciplinary approach. With the National Education Policy completing two years on 29 July 2022, 2,774 Innovative Councils in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in 28 states and six union territories (UTs) have been established, as per an internal progress report by the ministry of education.

UGC issues guidelines on multidisciplinary education: IITs to teach medicine

News

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 3, 2022

Soon students could be learning medicine at IITs and doing research at general universities, how? The University Grants Commission is aiming at changing the way higher education is imparted. Stand-alone colleges and specialised universities to look multidisciplinary way as per UGC demands. Also, UGC has asked colleges to follow multiple measures including mergers, offering dual degrees, collaboration, and online courses to name a few to dive in a multidisciplinary direction.

In an official letter, UGC said, “Multidisciplinary education is known to build vibrant communities of scholars, and peers and enable students to become well-rounded individuals. It is in this backdrop, the National Education Policy 2020 lays strong emphasis on the transformation of Higher Education institutions into large multidisciplinary universities, colleges and HEI clusters”.

There can be multiple types of multidisciplinary colleges including, Multidisciplinary teaching-intensive universities (TUs), Multidisciplinary research-intensive universities (RUs), Degree-awarding multi-disciplinary autonomous colleges (smaller than a university). To achieve this, UGC has issued guidelines, here is a glimpse of these new norms:

Emphasis on online courses

UGC has asked colleges to emphasise more on online learning. All affiliated colleges should become degree-awarding multi-disciplinary autonomous institutions by 2035. Colleges can either do this on their own or through collaboration with nearby institutions in the form of clusters or by becoming a constituent part of a university as envisioned in NEP 2020.

Collaborative Dual Degree

Collaboration between two institutions for the award of dual degrees facilitates students enrolled in an HEI to take up the first degree at the host institution and the second degree at the partnering institution. Also, UGC proposes mergers of institutions functioning under the same management to put the academic and physical resources to optimal use and to offer multidisciplinary education.

Credit transfer

To offer multidisciplinary programmes successfully, HEIs are expected to conduct student-induction programmes to create awareness among students about various learning pathways and career opportunities; to register in the Academic Bank of Credit (ABC); and adopt online courses, in addition to other collaboration with other HEIs, to offer the programmes with a strong interdisciplinary flavour, the guidelines stated.

Expert colleges to offer specialised bed

Multidisciplinary universities and multidisciplinary colleges must also aim to establish departments in education, which aside from carrying out teaching and research, can also offer four-year integrated programmes, in collaboration with other departments such as Indian languages, Psychology, Philosophy, Sociology, Neuroscience, History, Arts, Literature, Science and Mathematics.

Fall in school enrolment to continue till 2025: NCERT Study

News

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 3, 2022

School enrolment in primary classes from grades I to V started declining in India in 2011, and the trend is set to continue until 2025, according to a “projection and trends” report prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).

The Council has attributed this dip in enrolment to a fall in the growth rate of India’s child population. Similarly, according to a report,the upper primary (classes VI-VIII) and secondary stages (IX-X) started witnessing a decline in enrolment in 2016 and 2019, respectively.

The NCERT report had studied trends since 1950 when the country had 2,171 schools with 2.38 crore students. While overall growth of more than 900 per cent has been recorded in enrolment in the school system in classes I to X between 1950 and 2016, the share of girl students rose “precipitously”, registering an increase of over 1,000 per cent, according to the report.

At the upper primary stage, the enrolment of boys, girls and the total started to decline in 2016 and during the period, enrolment is projected to decrease by 9.47 per cent (in total) — 8.07 per cent among boys and 10.94 per cent among girls.

The research made it very evident that enrollment is a function of the population; as a result, if the number of persons in a given age group declines, enrollment would as well. Citing census information, it was noted that between 1991 and 2011, the percentage of children in the age range of 0 to 6 years in the overall population fell from 18 to 13.12 per cent.

“As a result, the gap between enrolment and population also decreased. The enrolment figure is also declining at each stage. The same reflection is seen in the study,” the report stated.

According to the researchers, it will help policymakers frame appropriate policies and programmes. “For example, the number of new schools to be opened or upgraded and the number of teachers required are decided on the basis of the number of children to be potentially enrolled in the system,” it stated.

M Jagadesh Kumar appointed as AICTE interim head

News

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

September 2, 2022

The Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Jagadesh Kumar has been handed over the additional charge of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on Thursday.

The Chairman of the AICTE, Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, retired at the age of 65. Sahasrabudhe took over as the AICTE chairman on July 17, 2015. Kumar, on the other hand, was serving as the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi before assuming the position of the Chairman of the UGC this year.

“With Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe, the outgoing Chairman of AICTE. A warm-hearted and energetic person. Wish him all the best in his new endeavours”, said and shared a picture with the outgoing AICTE Chairman on Twitter to break the news.

It is to be noted that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2022 has proposed a Higher Education Council of India (HECI) which will become the umbrella organisation for the UGC and the AICTE.

The Ministry of Education has put out a notification advertising for the post of the Chairman of the AICTE. “While the appointment of the regular chairman, AICTE, is under process, approval of honorable education minister is conveyed to entrust the additional charge of chairperson AICTE, temporarily, to professor M Jagadesh Kumar, chairman UGC, till the appointment of the regular chairman AICTE or until further orders, whichever is earlier”, a notice issued by the Ministry said.

LATEST NEWS

Top Trending News

Top Trending Categories