With the country undergoing a digital transformation in almost every sphere of life, education could not be an exception. Bihar and Chhattisgarh, two vibrant and progressive States of the country, are prominent examples as they focus on its education sector in a remarkable way.
digitalLEARNING magazine’s latest cover story — Reforming Education Through Digitisation — highlights the education sector’s growing inclination towards latest technologies and the best digital practices. It explores Government and private sector’s initiatives to introduce innovation and modern concepts in the country’s educational ecosystem.
As Elets organises Education Conclave Bihar in Patna on June 22 and Education Conclave Chhattisgarh in Raipur on June 27, with Microsoft as a presenting partner for both the summits, the special features of the magazine are focused on overall education scenario in the two States.
The special feature – Bihar Set to Regain Ancient Glory in Education Sector — showcases the efforts by State Government, public sector and private sector organisations to establish Bihar as educational hub for eastern and north-eastern States of India.
Another special feature – Chhattisgarh: Laying Foundation of Futuristic Education System — on the similar lines showcases the efforts by the State’s education sector likely to be developed as most preferred education destination for Central States of India.
The issue also covers the thoughts of top leaders of School, Higher Education and Edu-tech corporate who have tried to explore and implement inspirational initiatives to transform the States’ and country’s education sector.
Our latest issue also carries the conference report of Education Conclave Uttar Pradesh 2018, showcasing efforts of Uttar Pradesh to provide education to all and ensuring opportunities to learn skills in this tech-driven world.
Hoping the latest bouquet of special features, interviews, articles and industry perspectives will evoke deep interest in the education system of Bihar and Chhattisgarh, we look forward to our esteemed readers’ invaluable feedback.
Dr Ravi Gupta
Editor-in-Chief
digitalLEARNING magazine and CEO
Elets Technomedia Pvt Ltd
Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus (SSTC) with its proficiency and excellence in higher education for over 19 years was established in 1999 with its main campus equipped with world class infrastructure , including state-of-art research facilities and modren library setup in Junwani Bhilai –CG. The esteemed members of the society comprises of eminent personalities from industry , academia and business besides the contemporary social activities.
Jaya Mishra, President, SSTC
Shri Shankarcharya Technical Campus is the first engineering college in the India to be named after Adi Shri Shankaracharya and blessed by the all present jagatguru.
This college is commissioned during the session 1999- 2000, accredited by NBA-AICTE, New Delhi with the goal of providing under graduate education in engineering and technology with a close interaction with industry and a strong emphasis on research and Innovation.
SSTC comprises of three engineering college along with Management and Computer Application and Pharmacy in to Shri Shankaracharya Technical Campus that is SSGI, SSEC, SSITM all having various branches like Computer Science Engineering, Information Technology, Electronics and Telecommunication, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and also having Specialized Mtech courses in various streams like (CTA, CSE, IT, Power System Engineering, Power Electronics, Power systems, thermal, Design, Production Structural Transportation, Communication,Instrumentation) as well as one Pharmacy college (SSIPS ), MBA(Specializaion Marketing ,Finance, System and HR), MCA come under SSTC and also we r having research centre with full equipped with modern amenities and experience faculties.
While we come across so many reports about the employability issues amongst the youth and graduates in India, we keep missing the basic problem in our education system and that is the skill education. It is very essential to integrate existing higher education with skilling for every programme and in every subject.
Dr Swati Mujumdar, Pro-Chancellor, Symbiosis Skills Universities
“Aspiring graduates should ask for the education that will provide them not only degrees but degrees with skills that make them industry ready right from day one of the graduation,” says Dr Swati Mujumdar, Pro-Chancellor, Symbiosis Skills Universities and a thought leader in skill education in India. She headed the research committees at Maharashtra State and Central level that studied various university and education systems in the developed countries. The outcome of the study was the education model that not only integrated skill education into the higher education but also customised it for India.
Symbiosis is a top name in the higher education sector for past five decades. It was but natural for them to foray into this new model of higher education as pioneers. Today, it has Symbiosis University of Applied Sciences Indore and Symbiosis Skills and Open University Pune as two pioneering skill development universities. While they offer degree programmes in management, engineering, technology, architecture, banking and beauty wellness, the biggest differentiator in all programmes is its pedagogy that focuses on 70% learning through hands-on teaching. Both universities are equipped with industry machinery, learning facilities, skill centres and workshops that are unmatched and can be found only in the industry!
“Our pedagogy involves working on machines that are the most contemporary machines one will find in the sector. Hence our graduates get the industry skills during their stay at Symbiosis Skills Universities and become productive right from day one,” Dr Mujumdar explains the university model further. “Another important feature of our universities is the meaningful collaboration with our industry partners. Unlike conventional universities or institutions, our industry partners not only set up workshops and skill centres for our students but also participate in the academics by training our teachers conducting joint training programmes for their own staff as well as helping us enhance our curricula to align with industry needs. Placements and internships just happen on their own!”
Programmes offered by the two universities also consist of short term certificate and re-skilling programmes for the working professionals. Its Skills Finishing School is a great source for recent graduates to acquire employability skills including technical and soft skills. Symbiosis Skills Universities’ degree and other programmes are modular in nature, making them most flexible for aspiring learners. Learners can bank their credits with the university and rejoin to complete the programme.
“Our vision is to create graduates that are not only industry ready professionals but also leaders who will shape the future of the country. Hence we have included interdisciplinary courses in every programme for the all-round development of students.” School of Interdisciplinary Sciences at both universities offer courses in soft skills, work life balance skills, writing and business communication, skill courses in technologies like Blockchain and Data Sciences, foreign languages etc. to all students of degree and certificate programmes.
Symbiosis Skills Universities are on a mission to skill India and build it through its innovative education system and programmes.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is planning to use encrypted question papers for classes X and XII board examinations to avoid exam paper leaks.
Under the encrypted system, login details will be provided to each examination and the centers will distribute the printouts or photocopies of the question papers. Till now, the question papers were printed and then kept at the banks. The centre superintendents take the papers to the centre an hour before the examination.
In March this year, the board faced major embarrassment after class XII economics and class X mathematics question papers were leaked. The CBSE had to conduct a re-test for the class XII paper. However, re-exam was not conducted for the class X maths paper as it was leaked only in the Delhi region, stated the CBSE
“As a pilot project, we did this (used the encrypted system) for the class X compartment exam. There was no problem with it. We realised that the number of (test) centres were fewer — just 32. For the board examinations, we have almost 4,500 exam centres and close to 30 lakh children, so the board is deliberating on providing infrastructure at the examination centres,” CBSE secretary Anurag Tripathi said, adding that the board would also provide a “printed set of question papers in the banks in case of any emergency” like technical glitches.
The board is also planning to provide logistical support to examination centres for implementing the encrypted system, an exam centre would require equipment, like computer, printers, internet connection, photo copier and continuous power supply.
The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of pre-matric, post matric and merit-cum-means based scholarship schemes for students belonging to minority communities.
According to an official statement released in this regard said that the scholarships are likely to cost over Rs 5,000 crore up to 2020. Under the schemes, around 70 lakh scholarships are likely to be disbursed annually, the statement further said.
“The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the proposal for continuation of pre-matric, post matric and merit-cum-means based scholarship schemes for the students belonging to the six notified minority communities at a total cost of Rs. 5338.32 crore for period up to 2019-20,” it added.
The students who have secured not less than 50 per cent marks in the previous final examination and studying in government schools, institutes or recognised private schools and institutes will be eligible for the scholarship.
These schemes shall be implemented through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) and scholarships will be disbursed through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
“The objective of the pre-matric scholarship scheme is to encourage parents from minority communities to send their children (from Class I to X) to school, lighten their financial burden on school education and sustain their efforts to support their children to complete school education,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, Minority affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, said, “The Government is working for the development of minorities through educational empowerment, skill development, economic empowerment, preservation of traditional skills and infrastructural development in minority concentration area, etc. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Zoroastrians are the six religious minority communities in the country.”
The Delhi government will build 12,748 new rooms including around 10,000 classrooms in its schools in the next one and half years, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said today.
The entire project will incur a cost of around Rs. 2,892 crore. The cabinet sanctioned construction of a total 12,748 rooms in Delhi government schools, including 9,981 classrooms, 106 multipurpose halls and 328 laboratories. It also includes 204 libraries, principal, vice principal and staff rooms, as well as 1,067 toilet blocks, stated the Delhi government’s official communiqué released today.
Construction of these rooms will incur an estimated cost of Rs. 2,892.65 crore. This will include Rs 1,300 crore in the current financial year and Rs 1,562.65 crore during 2019-20 fiscal, Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, said.
He said the Delhi government wants to develop capacity of the schools run by it and the municipal corporations to facilitate accommodating at least 44 lakh children there. Since coming to power in 2015, the AAP government has built over 8,000 rooms in its schools and with the construction of new rooms, the total number will cross 20,000, the deputy chief minister added.
The Central government has renewed the appointment of Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe as the chairman of the technical and professional education regulator All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe Graduated from BVB College of Engineering and Technology, Hubli affiliated to Karnataka University, Dharwad, Karnataka in Mechanical Engineering with First Rank and Gold medal in 1980. Subsequently, he obtained Master’s and Doctoral (with UGC Fellowship) degrees from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore in 1982 and 1989 respectively.
Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe, in his illustrious career spanning more than three decades, has held several important academic, research and administrative positions. He started his career as Scientific Officer, at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 1983 and moved to Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) as Engineer in the same year. He served as Lecturer and Assistant Professor at North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) from 1987-1988 & again from 1989-1995, before joining IIT Guwahati as Associate Professor in 1995. Further, he also served as Director, College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP) since 2006 on deputation from IIT, Guwahati prior to joining as AICTE Chairman.
Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe is presently working as Chairman & Expert Member on various National Level Committees. Some of these include: Chairman, Basic Scientific Research (BSR), Empowered Committee of UGC, SWAYAM Board and Chairman BOG of NIT Itanagar. As a Member/Fellow he is actively involved in the activities of many Professional Bodies/Societies, such as ISTE, ASME, ASEE, ASI, IET, Institution of Engineers (IE).
Central Government’s main objective behind introducing the ‘Bridge Course’ is to open the doors for formal and mainstream education for dropout students, said Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday.
Elaborating on the recent steps taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Government to not just improve the education system for the marginal sections, but also to best prepare them for the job opportunities of the future, the Union Minister clarified that the Government’s agenda is not to shut down religious seminaries (Madrasas), but to provide an opportunity to every student to secure a better job.
“The course aims to get school dropouts and madrasa students into the mainstream. The Central Government does not want to shut down the doors of Madrasas, it only wants to open the doors for formal and mainstream education. School dropout rate among Muslim girls has considerably decreased. It has come down from 70 per cent to 35 per cent, due to our awareness and educational empowerment programmes,” Naqvi said.
So far, a total of 260 students have been trained in the ‘Bridge Course’ initiated by the Government, out of which, 182 candidates have successfully completed the course.
We believe in imparting quality education to the students so that they develop intellectual capacity, skills, right attitude in addition to humane and cognitive abilities, says R K Trivedi, Dean, O P Jindal Group of Schools, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).
How do you perceive the current technology-driven education scenario?
R K Trivedi, Dean, O P Jindal Group of Schools
The learners of present time are digital citizens and a technology-driven education environment is well suited to their adaptive needs. Today, innovative and creative blending of traditional pedagogical approaches with digital contents and technology is transforming the learning experiences and outcomes. Digitalisation of records and opening of high-tech communication channels between various stakeholders of education has led to their integration and empowerment. Conversely, preserving and guarding digital data is now a new imperative for schools. Educators must now demonstrate to their students how to use technology as a tool to gather correct knowledge and reject forged knowledge acquired through a process of copying and pasting without understanding. Schools also need to take up the challenge of maintaining a balance between the goals of education and excessive dependence on technology.
What are the innovative methods you have introduced in your school?
We constantly challenge ourselves in order to bring the best possible solutions to cater to the needs of our students who come from diverse socio-economic and cultural strata. A judicious blend of traditional and technology-based method is implemented for the Pre-Primary Section. Writing Slate boards promoting ease of writing, storytelling method; simulated learning environment for integrated learning has been implemented alongside diagnostic Assessment Sheets for personalised learning. Life Skills are emphasised in the school calendar, right from the junior most class.
Our school promotes the competitive spirit in academic excellence by conducting Competency tests in core subjects from Primary Section onwards. CMP committee monitors CMP or Common Minimum Programme. A theme-based Science Park for experimenting with science apparatus is aimed to stimulate scientific enquiry of learners of all ages.
In order to develop the diverse co-scholastic skills of our talented students, the school conducts special evening coaching for sports, visual and performing arts.
Freedom to express is promoted and guaranteed to teachers and students alike. Several social services are designed and executed by and for the students, giving them opportunities to think, act and proudly exhibit their works throughout the year.
What initiatives are being taken in your institution?
Our institution pursues a nationalistic philosophy and our nation’s agenda is our agenda. We are dedicated and committed to bringing transformations in the ecology and demographics in and around the periphery of our school.
A large-scale and sustained tree plantation programme as a community participation project helped our teachers and students to plant around 6,000 trees. In second stage of plantation project, we have set the target of planting 10,000 trees by 2020.
Initiative of imparting Digital and Financial Literacy to the students of schools in our periphery, 20 schools have already been provided 100 % Digital Literacy.
An inclusive education is part of our school’s corporate responsibility that is actively implemented in our school catering to the students of 32 peripheral villages.
Various activity clubs and International associations/collaborations like the British Council, IAYP, UNESCO, USO, SpicMacay activities help our children to carve an edge to their personalities. We believe in the benefits of developing competency in area-multilingualism. Our students learn not only the prescribed languages but also regional languages and international languages like German. Blended learning activities on language development in school assembly are one of our child-centric learning initiatives in this area.
Our strive for excellence extends to CPD of our teaching staff. Frequent in-house, interactive training sessions are organised by, and for the teachers where they share, brainstorm, and standardize the best teaching practices to be adopted by the school.
Our school functioning is being monitored, recorded, evaluated on a day-to-day basis through the software & systems developed and maintained by in-house, full time tech-professionals.
We comply and abide by all the ethical and mandatory CBSE and Government of India norms and the agenda of the nation.
How do you ensure holistic development of students?
We are focused on accomplishing our school mission and vision in complete letter and spirit. We endeavour to sculpt and integrate the varied aspects of each student’s character and personality and groom him/her as a life-long learner, responsible citizen and above all a good human being. This is secured through a child-centric pedagogy oriented in activity-based learning.
An emphasis on Yoga helps students to connect their mind and body as well as reach out to the roots of our ancient heritage. We promote sports with a conviction in its far-reaching impact on not only physical and motor development, but also team spirit. The annual calendar of school activities is carefully planned and executed for a balanced learning in a technology driven environment.
What methods have you introduced to encourage creative bent of mind?
A proximity to nature, with trees peeping inside classrooms provides an apt ambiance to the mind with a creative bent. While designing and executing their lessons, our teachers who hail from diverse cultures and demography bring the desired creative thinking prompts to their students. This exposure stimulates students to tap into their own creativity by blending inputs from our rich heritage and their own rich experiences. Students are engaged in myriad activities to stimulate their creative thinking in visual arts, performing arts, languages and other core subjects.
Freedom to express is promoted and guaranteed to teachers and students alike. Several social services are designed and executed by and for the students giving them opportunities to think, act and proudly exhibit their works throughout the year.
It is the teacher who guides students and filters information. They are facilitators and not information providers, says Sudha Acharya, Principal, ITL Public School, Dwarka, New Delhi, in an interview with Elets News Network (ENN).
How do you perceive the current education scenario?
Sudha Acharya, Principal, ITL Public School, Dwarka, New Delhi
For me, education means preparing a child for life. Education does not mean only a curriculum, or how to score good marks. Education means when a child has holistic development – inclusive of education, appropriate skills, values and attitude so that the child develops social and emotional intelligence and can give back to the society. Our motive is to globalise Indian thought.
What role does a teacher play in a classroom?
There has been a paradigm shift in the current teaching scenario – from expert to novice to learner to learner. Hence, the teacher stands as a lifelong learner; as a facilitator who guides the student and filters information. The ever compelling addicts to all kind of information play havoc to young mind. It is precisely at this crucial juncture that the facilitators guide through a series of age appropriate informal for intellectual growth.
What initiatives are being taken in your school for the overall development of students?
ITL School is completely inclusive school. There are more than 50 children with special needs in our school. We take good care of them. Currently, we have five children with special needs in Class 10, one of them has scored 78% with music and home science. We give them a platform by modifying the curriculum, including the games wherein 100% participation is a must. There is no competition. .
When a child has holistic development, the child develops social intelligence, emotional intelligence and can give back to the society.
Which are the top technologies that you have incorporated in the school?
Our school is a smart school; all the classrooms have smart boards. We have a well equipped Language Lab, Maths Lab and 3D Technology too. Foreign Exchange programme are yet another forum where cross culture learning takes place. Recently, our exchange with Egypt has not only made students culturally aware but augmented learning through exchange of best practice.
We adopt innovative pedagogical practice of recording audios of classroom lecture for hearing impaired student and video for students with low vision. Such reinforcement makes our students confident and better learners.
How do you encourage creativity and innovation among students?
Students of our school have taken a great project in their account under Start Up India Project. The Chemistry and Biology department came up with the school with an idea to manufacture in house Ayurvedic produce in school. School’s herbal garden – Sanjeevani Vatika became the crucial hub for herbal sources. The Chemistry & Biology department initiated the idea to develop HERBAL based Mosquito Repellent, Floor Cleaner, Hand Sanitizer, Facial Moisturisers, Lip Balm and Organic Hair Oil. Subsequently the products were sent to FICCI for authentication. This was followed by the commerce department where in pricing, branding, tagging, sales promotion and packaging was done. This was culminated with Skill Bazar, where students sell and market all the handmade products. Amount secured & raised through Skill Bazar Venture was reinvested & the surplus amount was donated to orphanage. Venture like these are experiential learning which is the purpose of education.
digitalLEARNING magazine’s latest cover story — Reforming Education Through Digitisation — highlights the education sector’s growing inclination towards latest technologies and the best digital practices. It explores Government and private sector’s initiatives to introduce innovation and modern concepts in the country’s educational ecosystem.
