In a major move, the Gujarat University has postponed the first phase of the final year examination that was scheduled to begin on August 21, 2020. The offline exam has been postponed for only courses under UGC and not for courses governed by councils like the Medical Council and Dental Council.
With the postponement of the exam, a lot of chaos marred the varsity headquarters. Later GU Registrar Piyush Patel clarified to the deans the courses for which the exam has been postponed. However, students can register for the online examination till August 16.
Vice-Chancellor Himanshu Pandya said, “The offline exam has been postponed keeping in mind Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines of keeping educational campuses closed till August 31.”
However, the Dean of Law and Education Department on Monday said that varsity will provide the option of holding an online exam for the final year students in courses like BA, BSc, BCom, and others.
The varsity has released the exam dates for UG and PG courses in July. The exams would be conducted in two phases, the first beginning on August 21 and the second on August 31, 2020. The University administration informed that the exams would be conducted in both online and offline modes.
This year around 70,000 students will appear for final year exams for various courses.
Ed-Tech social enterprise ConveGenius, has acquired Gray Matters India (GMI) to augment its personalised and adaptive learning platform.
Gray Matters India has an annual revenue rate (ARR) of about $1 million.
The acquisition will help ConveGenius integrate GMI’s measurement science with its automated learning capabilities and help under-served students diagnose their remediation requirement for missing skills and knowledge through a tailored set of instructions.
The step has been taken to further strengthen their ‘EdTech for Naya Bharat’ campaign that aims to empower 100 million students at the bottom of the education funnel.
The digital learning fingerprint of every learner contains encoded information associated with their cognitive skillsets. This helps ConveGenius understand the growth of a learner. GMI will help ConveGenius enhance students’ learning levels with transparent communication infrastructure.
“Bringing education to the bottom 100 million children in India at an affordable price point, done in a viable manner, is a tough social entrepreneurship problem to crack,” Rajat Dhawan, senior partner at McKinsey & Company, who was an angel investor in ConveGenius in his capacity, said.
From last few months, Ed-Tech firms are making their presence felt in the education sector with the closure of schools due to Corona. The future is looking good for ed-tech firms as hybrid learning will be the new norm.
Amid the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the schools across the country are closed from mid-March. Thousands of students and parents are concerned about the re-opening of schools. As per reports, Education Ministry has not set any specific timeline for the reopening of schools.
There have been rumours that the HRD Ministry has already outlined a plan to reopen schools in Sept. However, putting all rumours to rest, the Ministry confirmed that no such plan has been prepared for reopening of Schools in the near future.
As per the media reports, so far Education Ministry has not received a positive reply from any of the states and union territories about reopening of schools. In fact, majority of the state across the country are against the decision and instead have recommended completion of syllabus for the first half of the year through online learning.
One of the biggest concerns for the Education Ministry and the respective state governments with regards to reopening of schools is the consistent rising number of COVID-19 cases across the country, despite school closure. Once schools reopen, movement of students might lead to a further spike in this number.
However, reports have also hinted that the Central Government might only share an advisory in this direction along with the necessary SOPs and Guidelines and may not issue specific orders.
In a major development, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the UPSC NDA admit card 2020 for both April and October exams. Candidates can download the admit card for National Defence Academy Examination (1 & 2) from the official website- upsconline.nic.in.
The NDA exams has been postponed due to the corona pandemic in the country.
Candidates will need their registration number and date of birth to download the admit cards. NDA 2020 is scheduled to be held on September 6, 2020.
In a major move, AICTE has released its Environment Policy 2020. The policy of AICTE is to conserve natural environment, develop sustainable solutions, innovations and startups, promote rural technologies and control energy consumption in order.
The long term goals for educational institutes as per the policy includes educating students and employees on environmental concerns and sustainability; to evolve Research and Development programs that could turn an institute into a carbon-negative institute; to include environment concerns in planning and decision making; to encourage collaborations among institutes etc.
All AICTE approved institutes have to include the Environmental Policy in their institutional policies and strategies.
Institutes will also mention all activities and initiatives undertaken under the policy in their Annual Report and publish the same on their website.
AICTE Model Curriculum will include subjects which enhance Environment Management and Conservation awareness and knowledge. Students Induction Programs will also include awareness activities on Environment including visit to nearby villages.
Institutes are also required to include AICTE Activity points in Model Curriculum. Some of the activities in the point system include preparing and implementing plan to create local job opportunities, improving education quality in village, preparing actionable DPR for Doubling the village income etc. Universal Human Values are also to be included as a credit course in third or fourth year.
According to officials, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) new chairman Prof Pradeep Kumar Joshi will have tenure till April 4, 2022. Joshi had joined the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as its member on May 2015. On Friday, Joshi was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Arvind Saxena, the outgoing chairman of the UPSC.
The commission conducts the civil services examination to select the country’s bureaucrats and diplomats. The officials said Joshi will have tenure till April 4, 2022 as the chairman of the UPSC.
Prior to joining the UPSC, he was the chairman of the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission and the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission, according to an official statement.
He also served as the Director of National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) here, it said.
“In his illustrious academic career, Prof Joshi taught more than 28 years at post-graduation level and held many important positions in various policy making, academic and administrative bodies,” the statement said.
A specialist in the field of financial management, Prof Joshi has published and presented research papers in several national and international conferences and seminars, it added.
The Union cabinet announced sweeping changes in the national education policy, a move that should go a long way in aligning education to the requirements of the times. While the pandemic induced lockdown has sped up the process of bringing in technology into education, the policy goes far beyond simply providing an alternate platform to the chalk and talk system in prevalence.
The NEP, 2020 emphasized the usage of technology in education. E-courses will be developed in regional languages and virtual labs will be developed and a National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) is being created. E-content will be developed in many regional languages other than English and Hindi in NEP, 2020. The ministry will use the technology in education planning, teaching learning and most essentially in assessment.
Elets Technomedia and digitalLEARNING Magazine organized “School Tech Summit, 2020” to highlight the use of technology in school education. The panelist discussed the usage of technology in school education and implementation of National Education Policy.
Dr Ravi Gupta, Editor-in-chief, digitalLEARNING Magazine and CEO, Elets Technomedia Pvt Ltd welcomed all the panelists for the discussion in the inaugural session.
Om Pathak, Founder & Chairman, DPSG Society & Selaqui International School, Dehradun said “All the teachers are putting their best to provide quality content to students in this pandemic. From last four, it’s been a very hard for teachers.”
Over the NEP, he said “I welcome the New Education Policy, which the govt brought after 34 years. The new policy will address many things which were pending from last three decades. With NEP, the focus is shifted to competency of child. The stress of students will be reduced with NEP.”
“There will be a new test for teachers to qualify for teaching. The implementation will be very tough for the govt. It will be a herculean task. It’s very unfortunate the govt and private being discussed across the country. The private schools have done better than govt ones”, he said.
Phatak said “Private and govt schools must collaborate for the good of education. Education must be service not public service. Teacher is irreplaceable and cannot be substituted by the technology. Technology can enhance the education sector. Teachers need motivation in this crisis and they can do wonders. The COVID fast tracked the usage of technology in education sector. There will be challenges as internet and devices for students. We must find new ways tackle the crisis. The AI is coming in a big way.”
Lastly, he said “Private schools must be addressed to grow but should be watched. We should leverage the private schools to grow. Education is the single empowerment tool which can change the face of the country. We need to work on it to become the Global Guru. We need to work the students in rural areas.”
Dr MVV Prasada Rao, Director, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) said “There was no other substitute other than technology in the COVID world. The COVID has thrown a great challenge. It was growing very slow during initial stages but now it’s compulsory for schools. Now Technology is inseparable from education sector. Without technology what would have happened to education sector in this crisis. We need to address certain things- internet speed and accessibility, gadgets. Now technology is the only option.”
Over the National Education Policy, he said “I am very happy the govt has come up with the NEP in right time. It will enhance the education sector in the country.”
He said “The CBSE is training the teachers immensely from last any years. The ATL Labs are doing commendable jobs. We have developed DIKSHA for students. We have e-Pathshala which has audio and videos content for students. We are upgrading and up skilling the teachers.”
The development of new professional skills within teachers and listening skills for students much needed. The curriculum can be related to life skill values which can provide much needed for our students, he added.
Divya Lal, Founder & Managing Director, Fliplearn said “We have 3.7 million users and over 2000 schools. We are growing immensely. We must focus on moderation and choose how much enough for students is. Virtual class rooms at are their best when it will have interaction.”
She also said “I am very happy for the NEP. The new revision has come from 34 years; it’s a very good welcome.”
Sharang Arvind, Associate Director – Sales and Customer Success, Prodigy Game said “We are a global revolution in a game-based learning. We are a 7-year old firm and now we have 8 cr students learning from platform and we have 8000 lakhs with us. A child learns during the game. We nurture the child during the game.”
In the second panel, it was discussed over “Future Ready Schools: Building Technology Infrastructure for Learning & Connecting.”
Dr Madhav Deo Saraswat, Principal, The Scindia School, Gwalior said “We have to adopt and adapt technology due the COVID-19. Technology is a tool used for assisting in learning. The investment must be happen in people. Technology will help us in transformation of knowledge. Teachers cannot be replaced in schools. Human touch is must in education as the machines can only assist.”
He also said “The purpose of education is not going to change. Future schools must address many things and technology will be the main stake in coming days.”
Over new National Education Policy, he said “The NEP is very futuristic. The new changes will bring new revolution. But there are huge challenges to implement the NEP. “
Payal Rajpal, Founder, Hack the Crisis India, South Asia Head Robotex said “We believe in blended learning. The NEP advocates the usage of technology in education sector. We use AI in our classes to enhance learning. We use technology in proctoring as it can change the ace of education.”
She also said “From last three years we are using many new technologies in our workshops to enhance the education sector. We are trying to develop students from rural areas. We are eyeing to empower teachers with new tools. The COVID has taught us how to change our education system. We need to focus on human interaction.”
Dr Shalini Advani, School Director, Pathways Schools, Noida said “There are certain fundamental of education and it should revolve round people. Our education sector has never delivered on people- centric. The COVID-19 has forced to change. The change is embedded in our world.”
Dr Advani said “Leadership is very important to implement the change. As leaders we must ask right questions. Teachers are forced to change; they must develop value -based education. We need to add value-based subjects to our curriculum. Parents are now a part of classes.”
She also said “Schools must also incorporate parents to make our system robust. Technology is individualization learning. This has created way to collaborate with each other. The AR can help students to understand many complex subjects. The NEP has brought many new things to the sector. The whole framework needs to be relooked. The teachers have done a commendable job in the time of crisis. “
Dr Kamal Sethia, Chairman, Vardhman Group said “We are not future ready. When the COVID started we were struggling. We were not fully equipped to handle the crisis. The technology has given a chance to evolve the education. Parents and society are expecting new things. The e-learning has came has saver for schools. We took inputs from many stakeholders over the online education. Parents are worried over the usage of technology. “
He also said “Parents were worried over the usage of devices in education. We need to reach the rural areas and provide them the benefits of e-learning. We need to surge our reach to every part of the country. Technology is here to stay post COVID-19 crisis. Schools have major roles- education, culture, discipline. The environment of schools can never be replaced. Students need that freedom to play and express themselves. The govt must prepare solar powered labs for rural areas. The govt must provide new facilities to the schools.”
Dr Skand Bali, Principal, The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet said “Technology is here to stay and it cannot replace the human part. Technology can only assist but cannot replace teachers. Technology can be way out for us in time of crisis. There are many schools, which are providing critical thinking, skill based learning and many more. Technology was there but we were not using it. Schools don’t have to be future ready, students have to future ready. “
Over NEP, he said “A lot of people are giving back to the country. The NEP is very futuristic and people centric. The implementation of the NEP is a challenge. The delivery and implementation of curriculum is very important. The NEP looks very promising. The world of education has become closer and time to change the dynamics of it.”
Dr Kavita Aggarwal, Chairperson, MISA said “Need is the mother of invention. Everyone has changed their parental role. It was unprecedented time for teachers to change their ways. The teachers have evolved in a better way to tackle the crisis. Learning something new is very difficult or many teachers but they have adopted it. The change is very drastic and adaptability of technology was eminent. “
She also said “Technology is not everything. The future is blended learning and we don’t know when will be the schools will be reopened.”
Over NEP, he said “The NEP has many new things for the sector. The govt has taken strong initiative with brain drain. The cream of the society moves out of the country. The skill based education is the most commendable move.”
Vibha Mahajan, Vice President-Strategic Growth & Alliances, Ken42 said “We have available all the courses on our platform. The platform also manages fees for some schools. The data security is most important for us. We provide application, academic and student managements.”
Over the NEP, he said “It’s a very futuristic policy. It advocates skill development and value based learning. It will change the face of education.”
Bhaskar Majumdar, VP Digital, Lamhas Satellite Services Ltd said “We are 15-year old firm. We are a complete Made in India product. The COVID has accelerated the usage of technology. Vu2Learn is a modular, light and easy to use platform. We have LMS system, Live classes, exam modules. It can be deployed on cloud.”
Surbhi Goel, CEO, Aditya Birla Education Trust Schools, Mumbai said “Life skill is how we can quickly adapt the changes. This is the need of the hour for many schools. Technology is here to stay. We must develop mental health and wellness within our students. Life Skill cannot be taught in classes. “
Over the NEP, he said “The NEP is a long awaited and has come up right time. There are very good addition to the sector. The reduction of content is very good. Coding being added as subject is very good. Teacher training is highlighted in NEP. We have to look how it can be incorporated.”
Preeti Kwatra, Founder Director, Petasl Group of Schools, Delhi said “The like skills are very important for students. This is a time which no one has ever imagined. Every teacher is doing its best to provide education to students. The role of teacher has been multiplied a number of times. The responsibility of teachers have surged a lot. We are providing proper training to teachers to take care of children. We are trying to provide engagement activities to students.”
She also said “The screen time has increased a lot for children. We are educating students and parents over the pros and cons of screen timing. We are teaching students about cyber security. Parents must guide children what and when to watch during the classes.”
Over the NEP, she said “The reform is happening after many years. The NEP is focused on creative and experiential learning. The new NEP will enhance the growth of students from day 1. Now students can take two subjects. Language is not a barrier but it can be medium of transform of knowledge.”
Nikhil Wagh, Chairman, Educon International School, Pune said “The impact of COVID is changing in every passing day. New things are coming up for schools. Life skills is a very important thing which provide base to students. We must provide engaging class activities. We can teach life skills to students through many platforms. The very essence of education is usage of mind.”
Wagh said “Many schools are using online to teach. The connection with students is very important during the online classes. The core set of life skills have developed among the students in this pandemic. It can also learn subconsciously. The teacher must connect with the children. Failure is the first to success. Students must cope with failures if they want to succeed.”
He also said “Digital literacy is very important for parents and children. We must prepare our students to tackle any such crisis. The NEP has brought many new things. Teaching vocational skills from schools is out of box. It looks very great but there are challenges also.”
Astha Kataria, Managing Trustee, Ashoka Group of Schools, Nashik said “The way people have adapted the change is life skills. A lot of innovations came during the COVID. This is a blessing in disguise for many. This crisis will teach us a lot. This has open up the minds of teachers, students and parents. This is very essential in VUCA world. Entrepreneurship cannot be taught through a subject. It can be only done through conducive environment.”
Over the NEP, he said “The NEP is very futuristic approach. The success of this policy lies in the implementation. It requires a lot of phase wise training. It was long awaited and things can change a lot in coming days.”
Harsh Madhok, Director, Sunbeam Group of Institutions said “Teachers have to evolve rapidly. The COVID has moved the learning from traditional. We must not waste the crisis. This can create new dimensions for education. We must keep a tap on digital data and survival skills are most important in this crisis. We have encouraged many private networks in last few days. There is a lot of new security concerns have popped up. The cyber security is the main issue.”
He also said “The NEP has come after 34 years. Things are in pipeline and 6 pc of GDP to be given to education. They have spoken to reduce the content. Changing the English main languages is not a good idea and the NEP is a very good progress.”
Dr Sandeep Khanna, Principal, MIT- Vishwashanti Gurukul School, Pune said “We are very well-equipped schools and we started online classes on 2nd of April. We have three weeks time to provide proper training to teachers. Initially, there were challenges but out IT team resolved it. Most of our students’ are taking online classes. We started the virtual classes with assembly sessions and provided them breaks during the classes. We even celebrate the festival virtually.”
“We started yoga sessions, dance classes, music sessions and many other activities virtually. These sessions can break the monotonous of students. We started taking feedbacks from parents. We have divided our fees structure into six parts. We provide discounts to parents” he said.
“We did sessions for parents on Sunday morning and many participated in these sessions. We provide reliefs to parents. Technically, parents have entered the classroom and teachers have to be very careful during their classes, he said.
Amey Parulekar, Head – Business Development, Financepeer said “It’s been challenging times for all of us. The schools must invest on time and train teachers. Technology is here to stay and it can reduce our costs. It is very difficult for teachers to check on camera what a student is doing.”
He also said “We have integrated everything to our platform. From assessment to attendance everything is very clear in our platform. With the help of technology we can look into new things in education.” There are plenty of programmes available now and we must choose what to keep and what not. Security is very important for schools. We are dealing with the best in the industry, he said.
Anjana Deva, CEO, Mount Litera Zee School, Varanasi said “The COVID was like Tsunami for all of us. The onus of teaching felt on the solders on teachers. The pandemic has created new ways of teaching. The teachers did a commendable job during the crisis. We started our session from 2nd April with online classes. The pre-primary block was a huge challenge. There was lot of anxiety within parents and teachers.”
Anjana said “The teachers and parents didn’t lose patience. The hybrid learning will be the new norm for schools. The management of every school must be applauded for making this possible. Learning is not bounded by physical boundaries.”
The hybrid learning is here to stay. Schools have to be tech savvy for coming days. The parents must be also tech savvy. The mind-set is very important, she said.
Pratibha Mishra, Principal, Panbai International School, Mumbai said “The budget is our priority as school leaders. We need to come together to tackle the crisis. There is solution for every challenge. We were prepared to provide any kind of assistance to students in this crisis. We convinced parents before starting online classes. Training was given to teachers as things started to change drastically.”
She also said “We have to change the mind-set of teachers towards online education. We need to understand the emotional connect between the parents, teachers and students. School has helped parents through councelling.”
We have cut down unwanted expenses. We started many things online from yoga to martial arts to dance virtually. We have given the privilege of payment monthly wise to parents. We are not compelling any parents to clear the dues, she added.
Ramanjit Ghuman, Principal, Oakridge International School, Mohali, Mumbai said “We are living in challenging times. We focused on continuous learning. We opened up our resources for students and shared our own devices to students. The focus was on learning. The biggest assets are our teachers.”
He also said “It was an immense learning experience. We must provide quality and interrupted learning to students.”
Sami Ulla, CEO, Manipal International Schools, Anantapur said “Quality is education is misunderstood. We must be clear what we are delivering in schools. The basic structure of any school is to develop the core learning within students. We must understand what is need of the hour. We must get into the digital world and learning skills of students must not be hampered. We must not break the chain.”
Sami also said “We have to replace the classroom with the digital world. The change must start from teachers and they require proper training to teach in virtual world. Digital world has its own challenges and we went ahead to customize things. We were ready to accept the change. We have to re-work on our expenses and bring down our costs.”
Dr Lekha Visaria, Principal, Swami Vivekanand Vidyalaya, Mumbai said “We found there was lack of digital infra. We have to start from the scratch. Parents were reluctant to permit their child to it in front of devices for long time. Now, with time every parent has accepted the usage of technology in the pandemic. The process of adaptation is going on. “
He also said “The hunger to learn will grow in coming days. The dynamics will change as food, shelter, clothes and technology will be the the new norm.”
Dr Deep Khare, Principal, Jodhamal Public School, Jammu said “This COVID has given an opportunity to everyone. Teachers found how to use technology. We can make children as independent learners. This is a lifetime experience. Students must have the courage to face any issue. Children cannot start a new lesson of their own.”
He also said “We must let our children to do things of their own. Children must understand things not learn them. Children must have wisdom when they pass out of schools, which have never changed. We have to break the class to individuals. We cannot the assessment of a child. We are preparing children for past not for future. Nothing has changed in last 30 years. The children must be allowed to think and stop helping them. Allow them to self pace learners.”
Arpita Chakraborty, Principal, Eicher School, Faridabad said “The biggest challenge is to change the mind-set from traditional way of teaching to online classes. There are various other challenges emerged. We must focus on children specific and need based education. The role of teachers has changed a lot.”
She also said “This COVID has brought a huge change in the education sector. Our teachers not only accepted it but mastered it. It was an initial hiccup for teachers when they are seen by parents but not things have settled down well. Our willingness to accept and adapt the change is the main things. Technology was always there and will be there. We must take the call how to use the technology.”
Asha Alexander, Principal, GEMS The Kindergarten Starters, Dubai said “We started the online classes from last 9 years. We started online classes without any fuss when the pandemic started. It is not completely easy to handle. We are looking to go back to school in the month of September but it will be a huge challenge for us.”
“We opened the doors for parents to attend the physical classes. It was a very appreciated by parents and there is a huge learning for parents, teachers and students. The technology has compelled everyone to adapt the technology. It’s not about competitions but collaboration”, she said.
Preetee Kumar, Managing Director, Solan Public School, Solan said “We started training sessions for teachers. It was a huge challenge for teachers to shift from traditional teaching to virtual. We conducted sessions for parents. For older children, we provided them project-based learning, which can help them a lot.”
She also said “The technology is here to stay and hybrid learning will be the new norm in coming days. Everybody has joined hands to tackle the crisis. Collaborated learning started to boom in this crisis. It was a wonderful journey for all of us.”
1- What makes Satluj Group of Schools among the top institutions in India?
A: Our flagship school, Satluj Public School, was founded in 1976 in Chandigarh, India, becoming the region’s first private, independent school. Over the years, we’ve grown to 13 campuses all over North India—our Panchkula campuses occupy the largest land area with the tri-cities region of Chandigarh, and house the maximum number of students. With over 30,000 students studying under the Satluj umbrella, we are grateful for the faith, love and respect generations of families and alumni have showered us with.
Our academic programmes have been honoured by top organisations and media houses across the world and have produced innumerable academic toppers and successful alumni across industries. What sets us apart is the perfect blend of tradition and modernity that is the ‘Satluj Way of Education’, with a focus on futurism. We not only educate and develop young minds to deal with the world as they see it now, but the world of the future where technological cohabitation will be as important as one’s moral compass.
2- What are the benefits of having a franchise of Satluj Schools?
A: Simply put—our 44+ years of expertise in running successful legacy schools in India. Apart from that, high returns, 100% pre-launch and post-launch running support, unique marketing and admission support amongst other types of support. And the chance of achieving your dream of becoming an Edupreneur by learning from internationally trained and successful experts.
You will witness that most of the schools that franchise are pretty new in this domain. We have stood strong for more than 44 years, delivered most optimized results and have a strong backing when it comes to administration, education, human resource and talent, marketing, training support and franchise development.
We run 13 Schools across North India and we are more than satisfied with our performance and result. We have a number of parents coming to us for their child’s admission but unfortunately, we have our hands full. We believe that for best results, the number of schools that we currently operate are more than enough and now, we need to get into franchising, to collaborate with like-minded, enterprising and focused franchisees to take on the extra load.
So, the partners who collaborate as franchisees will have the leverage of the overflow of students that wish to study at Satluj. This is applicable for areas around our present schooling centers. This will enable an income or influx of operational revenue from day one from the franchise. We doubt any other franchisor will enable such a deliverable.
Satluj Group considers itself to be an educator of the masses. A typical Indian household spends around 20-25% of their income on children’s education. That is, they would want to send their children to schools that have the most optimised fee structure, curriculum, facilities and infrastructure. We would rather claim to be the leader in that segment in North India. In the long run, our franchisees will always have more volume than our competitors, thus reducing their operational break-even time and return of investment period.
Satluj comes with a legacy of education. From our Founder—S. Pritam Singh Serai, one of Punjab region’s most respected and recognised educationists who was one of the first Indian Educators to teach at a University in the UK—to the sons (Mr. Krit Serai and Mr. Gur Serai) and now me, his Grandson—we’re a third-generation educational legacy. All of us have worked in the US, UK, Singapore, Canada or Europe and completed our Masters from England. This is what we do and this is in our DNA. We want partners who would want to make schooling/education their livelihood. We encourage this so that our partners take full interest in their work and provide the highest quality of education to the students. We believe in leaving no stone unturned when it comes to the quality of education, safety and well being, overall growth and development of our esteemed students. Therefore, we only want franchisees who can share our load and have a similar mindset.
3- How many franchises of Satluj Group across India and how they are different?
A: We have two franchise brands—Satluj World Schools (Primary or K-12 franchise schools) and Little Satluj Pre-Schools (Day-Care/Crèche/Play-Way till UKG).
Currently, we have signed 6 franchise schools, with one operational. This is apart from the 13 schools under the Satluj umbrella.
Each campus is unique in terms of positioning, academic and co-curricular programmes as they cater to different communities. But, all schools are leaders in their respective regions.
4- How Satluj Group has handled the COVID crisis?
We were well-equipped and had numerous systems in place before the lockdown. Thankfully, we’re blessed with missionary teachers and supportive parents. We had to shift to an online education platform overnight, which came with its own set of teething problems. But, we persevered and have emerged stronger not only as a school but a community. Everyone is used to a blended approach now (online + offline teaching), with this being the only way forward. And I’m sure that given the way our teachers and students have adapted to this new normal, we’re geared up for exciting times ahead when schools re-open soon.
5- From Pre-schools to K12, Satluj Group is everywhere, what are your future plans?
We’ve recently launched two franchise brands to cater to the ever-growing demand for quality education in India, which presents a lucrative opportunity with high returns for investors and Edupreneurs. These franchise brands are—Satluj World School (Primary & K-12/ 10+2) and Little Satluj Pre-School (Day-Care/Crèche/Play-Way till UKG). We launched our first franchise school in Jammu recently and have signed 5 more, to be launched soon.
With the prevalent COVID scenario, a lot has transpired when we talk about the thought process and way forward plan for people. Where couples and single earning members were happy with a cushy corporate setup, now they will look at an additional source of income which is self-reliant and self sustainable. In short, a lot of people will now consider entrepreneurship, that too from the comfort of their homes.
People have shifted from the thought of fancy incomes and fancy lifestyles to a wiser approach, thanks to COVID. People would rather go for a safer more sustainable approach than take big corporate jumps, away from their homes.
This will lead to a great shift in the franchising sector. Great brands with legacies will take the major share of franchising since people will be more inclined to trust brands that are in the system for long.
We at Satluj understand that requirement very well and therefore offer great plans for people who want to get into school franchising. We have a pre-school franchise starting at just 15 lacs that one could operate from a 2000 sq feet area, called Little Satluj Pre-School.
Even for existing schools, we have a model where they can convert to a Satluj World School franchise and leverage our expertise and legacy and turnaround their schools for higher returns.
Apart from this, we will be launching new campuses fully-owned by us in different parts of India over the next few years.
In total, we plan to open 50 Little Satluj Pre-Schools and 25 Satluj World Schools across India by the year 2025.
The online applications for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2021 will begin from September 14 and the application process will be closed on September 30. This year IIT-Bombay is conducting the exam and interested students will have to apply at gate.iitb.ac.in.
The number of applications in GATE 2020 had hit a five year low in 2019. Later, IITs had announced a hike in fee for MTech courses to discourage the non-serious candidates. The decision was later roll backed. IITs had citied a huge drop-out ratio from MTech as students go for government jobs. All these aspects might affect the GATE 2021 as well.
This year, there has been a change in the exam format as well as revision in the syllabus. The entire exam will be held computer-based format. The exam will be held for 27 subjects. The two new introductions being environmental science and engineering and humanities and social science. In humanities and social science students can opt for economics, English, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, and sociology exams.
While there is no upper age limit for GATE, the eligibility criteria has also been relaxed. As opposed to fourth-year graduation students, from this year on those studying in the third year of an undergraduate degree or having completed a three-year degree can also apply. This could be introduced because most humanities courses are of three-year while engineering degree duration is four-year.
As proposed in new National Education Policy 2020, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has formally unveiled the UGC guidelines on the implementation of internship embedded degree programmes. The guidelines were launched as part of the Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy 2020. Earlier, PM Modi delivered the inaugural address for the Conclave.
Education Minister said that the guidelines have been designed keeping in mind the visionary goal set by the NEP 2020 to ensure holistic development of the students. This includes providing them with the necessary theoretical knowledge as well as hands-on experience and training. The internship / apprenticeship embedded degree programmes will go a long way in helping institutes design programmes that are based on practical training which help in development of the necessary skill-set for the students that is required by the job market.
MoS Education Sanjay Dhotre said that apprenticeship embedded degree programmes will have the way ahead for enhancing the employability of students after they complete their education. “The apprenticeship-integrated degree programme will allow the higher education institutions to prepare the students for the need[s] of [the] job market,” he added.