GSIS partners with STI to offer educational assistance

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March 10, 2009

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has tied-up with STI, a leading provider of ICT and ICT-enhanced education in the country, to make schooling more affordable for GSIS members, their dependents, and pensioners. With the partnership in place, dependents within the 6th civil degree of affinity and/or consanguinity of any GSIS member or pensioner, who are incoming freshmen this school-year, will enjoy a 20 % scholarship grant in tuition and laboratory fees if they enroll in any STI campus nationwide. GSIS members can avail of the same benefit. To avail of the partial scholarship grant, GSIS members or pensioners and their qualified dependents need to present to STI the GSIS eCard Plus, subject to verification.

The eCard Plus, a pioneer service introduced by the GSIS, is a multi-purpose utility card issued to all of its members and pensioners to improve the facilitation of loans, pension, and claims proceeds. The card serves as an identification, ATM, debit, and discount card. It also serves as a savings account at Union Bank, among others. GSIS members and qualified dependents can continue to benefit from the 20 % scholarship grant in the succeeding semesters until they have graduated from their chosen field, provided that they continue to meet the required standards and qualifications of the STI Scholarship Guidelines. STI scholars are required to maintain a General Weighted Average (GWA) of at least 2.25 or its equivalent of 83 % to 85 % with no grades lower than 2.5. In addition, scholars should not obtain a failing grade or absence without official leave (AWOL) in any subject; must not be dismissed, warned or held on probation due to scholastic delinquency; should not have any disciplinary offense, and must take a full load course for each semester as prescribed in the STI curriculum, excluding the National Service Training Program. STI has a network of more than 100 campuses nationwide with academic programs in ICT, Business and Management, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Engineering and Healthcare.

One’s own reading room

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March 10, 2009

Around 30 people huddle over large wooden tables in a dimly lit hall near crumbling Golcha Cinema in the heart of old Delhi. The tables are draped with newspapers. In a corner is a small rack weighed down by dozens of magazines in Hindi and English. Despite the whir of the three vintage fans suspended from the high ceiling and the ever-present hum of traffic outside, this is a peaceful place. The kind of place meant for reading. Welcome to the reading room run by the Hardayal Municipal Public Library. The room, which does not require membership, is popular with an assortment of people: students, teachers, office-goers and senior citizens, many of regulars. 'I have been coming here for the past 30 years to read newspapers,' says 72-year-old R.S. Gupta, a retired Delhi University Professor. 'I give private tuitions to students in the area. Here I catch up on the news of the day in between tuitions.' Rajendra Kumar Buta, who works in the Ministry of Railways is here daily by 6 pm and is often the last to leave at closing time at 8 pm.

The reading room stays packed throughout the day. 'About 150 people visit each day,' says Shamshad a staff member. 'There are always more people than we can accommodate.' The reading rooms are particularly popular with students who do not have the necessary space to study at home. What attract them in hordes here is the peaceful environment, proximity to home and the freedom to come and read without any membership. They can even bring their own books and food. On an average about 100 people visit each reading room in community centers, which are open from 8 am to 8 pm. Another such reading room at the Hauz Khas community center is quite popular with office- goers.

Cisco and the Government of Portugal team up for schools project

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March 10, 2009

Cisco has been selected as a technology partner in the government of Portugal's Technological Plan for Education, which aims to bring information and communication technology (ICT) literacy to students and promote the use of new technologies in the educational system. Cisco

Revision in age to begin with schooling to help summer-born children

K-12

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March 10, 2009

All children will have the option of a school place or free nursery care from the September after their fourth birthday under the biggest shake-up of primary education in 20 years, said the schools secretary Ed Balls. The move will give parents of summer-born babies up to two extra terms of schooling to counter the educational penalty of their birth date. The recommendation is contained in a wide-ranging review of the primary curriculum, published today by the former Ofsted chief Sir Jim Rose. It recommends scrapping the current curriculum and replacing it with a slimmed-down version designed to give schools more flexibility over what they teach. Balls immediately accepted the review's findings and said the new curriculum would be introduced in September 2011. The new curriculum entails mention of elevating ICT learning, introducing focus on speaking skills, emphasizing on learning based on play, teaching children to be happy and healthy and scrapping the 11 standalone subjects.

The change in school starting age, from the term before a child's fifth birthday to the September after their fourth, will be a major reform of the system designed to counter the educational deficit summer-born babies face. Research has shown they get lower grades at GCSE and are even less likely to go on to university. In a letter to Roseaccepting the recommendation, Balls said parents should have the option of 25 hours of free childcare to cater for those who have a 'strong preference' for their child's early education to happen outside of a formal school setting. The review acknowledges the controversy of proposing an earlier starting date among parents who fear their four-year-olds may not be ready for formal learning. Academic evidence is divided over whether starting school earlier or later is the best option for children. Rose revealed research showing that 94 out of 150 local authorities already operate the system of having a single entry point in September every year. Balls said, 'The new primary curriculum will slim down the existing compulsory national curriculum subjects into six new areas of learning that ensure that all children learn core subjects like history and geography but also about their personal development.'

Key to improve education lies in distributing $100 laptop to children: Negroponte

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March 10, 2009

Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of the nonprofit association One Laptop per Child says that the key to improve education lies in distributing a $100 laptop to children around the world.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Negroponte, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has founded the computer-distribution program in order to address the shortage of computer access in poor and rural areas of the world. The One Laptop per Child effort parallels some programs of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other U.S. government agencies. The USAID Digital Freedom Initiative, for example, is a public-private partnership that helps fund Internet connectivity for entrepreneurs and small businesses in the developing world. Negroponte says that this project is about learning, not about laptops. The issue of education is primary for development, peace and other important goals. Negroponte estimates the program will launch with a distribution of at least 5 million computers, and said he hopes to increase that number to 100 million by the second year. Most countries have expressed some level of interest in the program. For now, the program will focus on larger countries for its launch, scheduled for 2007. In Latin America, Argentina and Brazil will host the pilot programs. In Africa, Nigeria and Egypt will be first nations to participate.

HCL seeks to enter ICT education biz in India

Corporate Updates

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March 10, 2009

With a major plan of entering the Indian markets, HCL Infosystems Ltd., the IT hardware vendor, wants to expand its ICT business in India. According to HCL Infosystems' founder and chairman Ajai Chowdhry, HCL is one of the largest companies totally focusing on growing ICT market in India. Business portfolios including products and services business, system integrations and training and education are a part of HCL Infosystems. According to Chowdhry, the company is keen on focusing on education business and will work in providing educational multimedia content to government and private schools for K12. Company is mainly focusing on the education market, where it is investing with a software content company to create the content. Also, it will be hiring sales teams for this market.

Chowdhry informed that the company will raise funds of about INR 820 crore which include INR 500 crore via qualified institutional investors (QIP) and remaining INR 320 crore through sale of shares and warrants. Apart from products and services, system integration, training and education portfolios, the company has strong presence in the areas of e-governance, health and power. According to Chowdhry, behind these growth areas, there's room within system integration and services business for creating back end services centers.

NIPER to conduct JEE on June 14

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March 10, 2009

The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) will conduct the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-2009) on June 14, 2009. Entrance examination will be conducted for the M.S.(Pharm.), Medicinal Chemistry- M.S. (Pharm.), Natural Products-M.S (Pharm), Pharmaceutical Analysis-M.S. (Pharm.), Pharmaceutical Technology- (Biotechnology), Pharmaceutical Technology (Bulk Drugs)- M. Tech. (Pharm.), Pharmaceutical Technology (Formulations)- M.Pharm, Pharmaceutics – M.S.(Pharm.), Pharmaco informatics – M.S. (Pharm.), Pharmacology & Toxicology – M.S. (Pharm.), Pharmacy Practice – M.Pharm, Regulatory Toxicology – M.S. (Pharm.), Traditional Medicines – M.S. (Pharm.), M.B.A. (Pharm.).

General category candidates having a minimum CGPA of 6.75 (or 60% marks), 6.25 (or 55% marks) for SC/ST, 5.75 (or 50% marks) for physically handicapped (PH) candidates, on a 10 point scale in the qualifying examination and also having valid GATE/NET score are eligible for the examination. Information Brochure containing Application form can be obtained from March 16 in person or by post from the office of the Organizing Chairperson, NIPER-JEE 2009 on submission of non refundable Bank Draft of INR 1000/- (INR 500/- for SC/ST) payable at S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali)/Chandigarh in favour of 'NIPER-JEE 2009' along with two duly typed self-addressed slips with name (10 cms X 6 cms). Indian nationals residing abroad and foreign nationals have to remit US $100 by bank draft payable to 'NIPER-JEE 2009.' Candidates desirous of obtaining information brochure by post should clearly mention the name of the programme in the application and on the top of the envelope carrying the request letter. Examination will be conducted at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna, Pune and Trivandrum.

Tamil Nadu announces launch of school admin portal

K-12

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March 10, 2009

The website that is expected to connect nearly 35,000 schools, three lakh teachers and 1.5 crore students, is aimed at providing all information on the seven directorates in the school education department. Besides information on number of institutions in a district and vacant posts, it would also contain data on welfare schemes and all other important information and statistics that would enable the department fulfil its RTI obligation. It will also have all essential application forms for students and teachers and help the state education board send examination results through email and SMS to those registering for the service.

According to state education department sources, the new website is also equipped to provide online training and transfer counselling for teachers, besides video conferencing facility. It also has information on the opening of schools and their recognition status as well as facility for online data collection and compilation.

IIT, IIM pass outs look upto Public Sector Undertakings

Higher Education

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March 10, 2009

Global financial meltdown has restored the glamour of the public sector undertakings which have emerged as preferred job destination for students passing out from country's elite institutes like the IITs and IIMs. 'Now, there is a glamour for PSUs which has led to better response from institutes (like IITs and IIMs) who will otherwise not look at us,' said Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE) Chairman Sarthak Behuria. Another blue chip company Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), after a gap of almost a decade, has been invited for campus placement by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), said B Shankar, General Manager (Human Resource) of the state-owned company.

The company has already picked up 400 engineers from different IITs through campus placement, he said. The revised pay structure has made PSU jobs more attractive at a time when the private sector, reeling under the heat of the global financial meltdown, is cutting salaries and reducing jobs. He added that the new pay structure, which has proposed 50 to 60% increase in salaries of PSU employees, has made the PSUs jobs attractive.

Bharathiar varsity partners with National University of Singapore

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March 10, 2009

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is likely to be done between the Bharathiar University (BU) and National University of Singapore (NUS) for research and exchange programmes. The Bharathiar University team headed by the Vice-Chancellor G. Thiruvasagam will visit to Singapore from March 9 to 13 for discussing the modalities for the two institutions to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. The MoU will focus on nanotechnology, biotechnology and bioinformatics, since Bharathiar University is strong in basic sciences.

As part of the MoU, the university was trying to work out an arrangement for visiting professors from the NUS “and funds have been provided. 'Our faculty has been asked to establish professional contacts with their counterparts abroad. This will help us get inputs for framing syllabi to suit the global requirements,' said Dr. Thiruvasagam.

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