Rajasthan signs MoU with Microsoft; free digital training for 9,500 students

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July 11, 2018

The Rajasthan Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft to provide free digital training to 9,500 college students of 50 government colleges in a year.

While signing the MoU, State’s Higher Education Minister Kiran Maheshwari said that the initiative was taken for the enhancement of digital learning and capacity building of college students in Rajasthan.

“Today is time of technology and speed and those who are not updated will be outdated therefore the government has taken a new initiative to increase digital learning of college students,” the minister added.

Informing about the benefits, the College Education Commissioner Ashutosh A T Pednekar said that the MS office specialist training programme will be run by the company in 50 government colleges of Rajasthan from August this year which will benefit 9,500 students.

A spokesperson of the department informed that the MoU was signed for one year and successful participants will also be given certificates.

Few months back, the department also signed MoU with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for nearly two dozen courses on skill development in which 16,500 students are enrolled.

Delhi Govt to send 400 teachers to Singapore for training

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Akash

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July 11, 2018

Delhi’s deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has announced that the State Government has approved the proposal for training of 400 teachers at Singapore based National Institute of Education (NIE).

In a tweet mentioning NIE as world’s top educators-training institute, Sisodia, who also handles the education portfolio, revealed that 200 teachers have already got trained by the institute.

In another tweet, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated, “The future of any country depends upon its teachers. They shape our kids. Del govt is committed to providing best training to its teachers.”

Recently, six government school teachers from Delhi were awarded the ‘Fulbright Teaching Fellowship’.

In its three years, among various measures undertaken by the Delhi Government include: introduction of nursery curriculum, training sessions for teachers have been doubled, fast-tracked appointment of guest teachers and parent-teacher meetings have been made mandatory.

In its budget for 2018-19 session, the present Government of Delhi allocated around 26 per cent of the total budget to education.

10 Reasons Why Australia is an Ultimate Engineering Destination

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Akash

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July 10, 2018

Australia’s innovative, unique, and practical approach to engineering education, it’s no surprise that the country has proven to be a magnet for talented Indian students looking to change the world, writes Amit Das Gupta, India Country Director, University of New South Wales for Elets News Network (ENN).

Engineering, unlike the pure sciences, requires practical applications in addition to strong theoretical knowledge. It’s for this reason that a world class engineering course must possess the infrastructure, drive, and expertise required to effectively inculcate in its students, a thorough understanding of engineering and its real world applications. Universities too, should simultaneously equip them with the tools they need to be able to adapt to the ever-changing tech environment once they graduate.

This entrepreneurial approach to a dynamic field like engineering gives students a competitive edge over their peers, helping empower them to be the inventors, innovators, and leaders of tomorrow. This relationship between quality education and a realistic approach to job markets of the future is highly evident at universities in Australia. Here are ten reasons why we believe that the country is the ultimate destination for Indian engineering aspirants:

World-Class Ranking

According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject for 2018, universities in Australia rank high for fields like Civil, Mineral & Mining, Electrical & Electronic, and Mechanical Engineering. Several major universities in the country have earned a reputation of being internationally recognisable. As a result of the calibre and dedication of academics combined with the exposure students achieve, Australian universities have contributed phenomenally to the field of engineering, and their achievements are recognisable globally.

Wide Selection Of Engineering Courses

Universities in Australia can proudly boast of their faculty. In fact, the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), boasts of the largest faculty of engineering in the whole country. In total, the University offers 165 individual course specialisations, out of which, 140 are postgraduate degrees, while 25 are undergraduate courses. Engineering courses in Australia are regularly updated in order to stay relevant to technological advancements, while empowering students to use their knowledge for real-world applications. Some of the most popular engineering courses among international students are mechanical and electrical engineering programmes.

The Forefront Of Technological Research

The engineering departments in Australian universities are internationally acclaimed for being a frontrunner in several advanced research programmes, ranging from quantum computing, environmentally friendly waste disposal, and membrane technology, to name a few. Their departments have made several key scientific breakthroughs and are known for producing award winning professionals in a range of fields.

Exposure and Accreditation

Engineering students at Australian universities are encouraged to pursue internships alongside their coursework, in order to gain work experience. Additionally, they are exposed to students from different countries, giving them access to unique ideas, perspectives, and opinions, while creating phenomenal opportunities to connect with some of the most intelligent people from all over the world. Many universities, like UNSW Sydney, offer industrial training placement opportunities which allow students to explore several different work environments, jobs roles, and projects, to give them a more realistic understanding of the profession they’ve opted for. Some even go so far as to facilitate an accreditation by Engineers Australia, which carries immense value and weightage for aspiring job-seekers.

Diversity and Multiculturalism

Australian universities are home to some of the world’s most diverse engineering programmes, with students of different nationalities, races, religions, and creeds, acting as a beacon of respect, tolerance, and brotherhood. As a strong proponent for women in engineering, UNSW Sydney, besides many other universities in Australia, has seen a 23% female enrolment, significantly higher than the national average, a number which it hopes to increase by an additional 7% by 2020.

High Employability

Given its impeccable legacy, world renowned faculties, and strong industry connections, engineering students in the country are highly sought after, and campus placements at universities feature some of the most prestigious companies from Australia and across the world. Their focus on real-world applications means that students are well equipped to handle the pressures of the corporate life and dealing with change, which is particularly important in a field like engineering that is known to evolve on a day-to-day basis.

Student Led Initiatives

Australian universities host several student-led programmes such as UNSW’s Sun swift, the solar racing team, which offer them the opportunity to gain first-hand leadership experience while fostering an atmosphere of competition, teamwork, and fun. Working on these initiatives gives students valuable life lessons in a controlled environment; knowledge that could never truly be replicated in a book or a classroom. They emphasise very strongly on such activities because of their ability to build character and inculcate a sense of teamwork in students.

Tie-ups With Industry Giants

As part of industrial training programmes, universities in Australia connect their students to some of the biggest and most influential industry leaders in the country and across the globe. They encourage internships as part of their degree, thereby helping acquire industry knowledge, and a practical understanding of the concepts they’ve learnt in class, along with a chance to network with professionals. These internships have, on several occasions, translated into full-time employment after graduation, depending upon the individual student’s competence, knowledge, and performance.

A Strong Alumni Network

Former students of Australian Universities currently occupy senior positions in several major corporations and tech giants across the globe. There is a very strong sense of pride and camaraderie associated with fellow alumni. All major Australian Universities have alumni associations that serve as a global network of former students, to help each other out in the form of professional references, recommendations, and advice.

Student Focused Courses

With numerous scholarships for talented Indian applicants, and an 11-month diploma course that counts as a first year for those wishing to pursue engineering, Australian universities such as UNSW focus strongly on creating convenient, accessible, and high quality programmes for all students.

Six universities selected for ‘Institute of Eminence’ status

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Akash

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July 10, 2018

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has granted the Institution of Eminence (IoE) status to six institutes of which, three are in the public sector and the remaining in the private sector. The public sector institutes include IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay and IISc Bangalore.

Academy of Higher Education, BITS Pilani and Jio Institute are the private sector institutes selected for the Institution of Eminence status. The University Grants Commission (UGC) received 103 applications including JNU and Delhi University for IoE status.

In one of its tweet regarding the decision on IoE status, the Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar tweeted, “The Institute of Eminence are important for the country. We have 800 universities, but not a single university in top 100 or even 200 in the world ranking. Today’s decision will help achieve this.”

In another tweet, the HRD Minister said, “While today’s decision gives virtually full autonomy, it will also ensure that no student will be denied opportunity of education with various measures like scholarships, interest waiver, fee waiver and ensure all equity principles”.

Under the Institute of Eminence, 10 private and 10 public universities are to be selected. The IoEs are proposed to have greater autonomy in comparison to other higher education institutions. The institutes will be free to decide their fee for domestic and foreign students and have a flexible course duration and structure. Moreover, their academic collaborations with foreign institutions will be exempt from approvals of Government or UGC except institutions based in MEA and MHA’s list of negative countries.

Delhi’s private schools to get Rs 600 more per EWS Child

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Akash

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July 9, 2018

Delhi’s all private schools will now receive an additional Rs 600 as monthly reimbursement by the Delhi Government on admission of every child under Economically Weaker Section category from the upcoming academic session.

The decision comes after Education Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia received complaints from different schools on the ‘minimal amount’. “Schools pointed out that the amount that has been given so far was just enough, and this was taken into consideration,” said an official.

“It has now been decided that the amount will be raised to Rs 2,242 for students from Nursery to Class V, and Rs 2,225 for students from Class VI to VIII. Currently, the government reimburses Rs 1,598 to private schools in lieu of admission of students who belong to this section,” said a Directorate of Education (DoE) official.

In addition to that, the schools will also get an annual reimbursement of Rs 1,100 for students up to Class V for their uniforms and Rs 1,400 for students up to Class VIII for the purpose.

“Every school is required to maintain a separate bank account for receiving the reimbursement amount. Schools shall furnish utilisation certificates to districts within two months of receipt of money, and also furnish a certificate that it had provided uniforms and textbooks to these students as prescribed by the school,” the official added.

“The reimbursements shall be restricted to the period the student studied in that school during the year”, said government officials.

JEE Main, NEET to be conducted twice a year

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Akash

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July 9, 2018

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar has announced that the national level engineering entrance exam – JEE Main and medical entrance examination – NEET – will be held twice a year in online mode from 2019 in.

According to the minister, the newly formed examination conducting authority – National Testing Agency (NTA) will conduct the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

Apart from NEET and JEE Main, NTA will also be responsible for conducting National Eligibility Test (NET), Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) exams from now on.

The newly formed body will conduct National Eligibility Test (NET) in December this year as its first exam. JEE Main exams will be held in January and April while NEET will be held twice in February and May. These competitive exams will be held on multiple dates, the minister added.

The new agency will relieve the pressure from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) which is currently the nodal agency responsible for organising JEE Main and NEET examinations.

The syllabus, question formats, language and fees for the aforementioned exams would not be changed and the candidates appearing for these tests will be allowed to use the best score from the exams in the counselling process, the minister added.

“The exams will be more secure and at par with international norms. There will be no issues of leakage and it would be more student friendly, open, scientific and a leak-proof system,” Javadekar said.

Indian appointed as head of top Chinese biz Institute

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Akash

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July 6, 2018

Dipak Jain, a renowned Indian professor in the US, has been appointed as the new head of the Shanghai-based China Europe International Business School (CEIBS).

Jain, 61, will take over as the European president of the premier global business school in China replacing Pedro Nueno who held the position for 28 years.

In his previous job roles, Jain worked as a dean of two of the world’s leading business schools – the Kellogg School of Management and INSEAD. He will work alongside his Chinese counterpart Li Mingjun.

“We are targeting any individual who has an interest in China. Someone who might want to work here and perhaps try and create something here; an individual who is trying to build a bridge between this part of the world and anywhere else,” Jain said.

“This to me is the real CEIBS thing-leaders who have an interest in China or the region,” he stated.

Exuding confidence that the new role will grant him the opportunity to study a country that he has seen mainly from outside, Jain said he put forth the importance of business education to “put structure on unstructured problems”.

Brought up in Assam, Jain, who lives in Chicago and works in Shanghai for 10 to 15 days each month, has been teaching marketing at CEIBS since September last year when he took on the president-designate role.

DU fourth cut-off list released, 20% seats left

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Akash

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July 6, 2018

DU Cut-off listDelhi University has released its fourth cut-off list for admission to undergraduate courses of its affiliated colleges. As per the list, only 20 per cent undergraduate seats are left for admissions but some popular courses such as Economics (Hons) and English (Hons) are still open at few colleges.

In the fourth list, the drop in cut-offs for many courses ranged from 0.25 to 0.50 percentage points and for others it remained same as the third list.

Under the third cut-off list by Delhi University (DU), Out of the 56,000 total seats available, 44,700 seats were filled, a university official said.

Admission to Economics (Hons), BCom (Hons) and English (Hons) were open at Hans Raj College where the cut-off was 96.75% for the first two courses and 95.75% for the last. Similarly, at Hindu College, admissions were open for Economics (Hons) and English (Hons) at 97.25% and 96%, respectively.

At Lady Shri Ram College, Philosophy (Hons), BA Programme and Statistics (Hons) are open at 92 per cent, 93.50 per cent and 97 per cent respectively whereas Economics (Hons), which was reopened for admission at the college during the third cut-off list, is closed for admission under the fourth list.

With a drop of 0.25 per cent in the cut-off under the fourth list, Economics (Hons) is open at Miranda House along with English (Hons) at 96.50 per cent, Sanskrit (Hons) 65 per cent, Sociology (Hons) 94.75 per cent and BA Programme 94.75 per cent.

The maximum number of admissions till now is in BA Programme with 7,538 students being admitted in different colleges. In BCom, there have been 4,711 admissions while in BCom (Hons) 4,511 were admitted.

The top three courses in which students withdrew admissions were Bcom (Hons), BCom and BA Programme.

“Many students take admission in these courses in whichever college they get in the first two lists. But later, they move to other colleges which they consider as better as cut-offs drop in subsequent lists,” a DU official said.

This year, DU is likely to announce five cut-off lists and then conduct central counselling for the remaining seats in the undergraduate courses.

Admissions under the fourth list will start on Friday and continue on Saturday and Monday. Verification of documents and approval of admission will be conducted from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm for regular shift colleges and 4 pm to 7 pm for evening shift colleges.

Wonder Cement honoured for contribution to education

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Akash

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July 5, 2018

Wonder Cement Ltd is honoured with State Level Bhamashah Award “Shiksha Bhushan” by Government of Rajasthan for its contribution in the developing and improving the infrastructure of Government Schools in the State.

The company is actively involved in developing infrastructure for government schools situated in the vicinity of its cement plant located in Nimbahera. It has constructed toilet blocks for the schools, donated computer sets for promoting practical computer education, provided educational material and painted child friendly art in the classrooms with a view to enhance the education experiences of students in these government schools.

In the annual function of these schools, Wonder Cement awarded the best performing students of elementary classes and distributed cycles to encourage them. The company supports the development of schools giving good performance in their results. It has also provided donation in Mukhya Mantri Vidya Daan Kosh established by Rajasthan Government to support Chief Minister’s endeavour for the betterment of education.

Wonder Cement was awarded with State Level Bhamashah Award in year 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 also. It is most prestigious award by the State Government in the field of education promotion.

ABB partners IIT Roorkee to drive smart power distribution

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Akash

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July 5, 2018

ABB (India Limited) has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) to provide technical support in developing an operational Smart-electricity Distribution Network and Management System (SDNMS) in the institute.

The network will serve as a pilot project for the Government of India’s Smart Cities Mission. ABB and IIT Roorkee have signed a MoU in this regard under which Smart Grids Resource Centre and joint R&D facilities in the field of efficient power generation and distribution with a focus on clean energy will also be developed over the next five years.

“ABB has a strong relationship with India, having collaborated on several projects over many decades. Our agreement with IIT Roorkee strengthens ABB’s mission to nurture innovative thinking that helps people lead better lives,” said Sanjeev Sharma, Managing Director, ABB India.

“The project signed today serves as a proof of concept of using smart grids and intelligent automation to efficiently manage power distribution. It would make India’s vision of power to all a reality and ultimately realize ABB’s goal of building technology that runs the world without consuming the earth,” he added

Speaking about the MoU, Prof Ajit Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, said, “Concern for sustainability has always driven all major campus development related activities of IIT Roorkee, making us one of the pioneers in this space. IIT Roorkee has been harnessing solar energy not only for electricity generation but also for providing direct hot water to all its hostels and residences in the campus, and also carries out solar based cooking in the hostels.”

“The smart energy management and distribution agreement with ABB takes us many steps closer to creating a 100 percent green campus and achieving zero carbon dioxide emission in the long run,” Prof Chaturvedi further said.

IIT Roorkee and ABB will collaborate in assimilating various supply and demand side equipments, devices and systems into an automated and hybrid energy distribution and management system for the campus. ABB will also provide design, engineering, procurement, testing and other services for the SDNMS project, expected to be operational in 2018-19.

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