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 (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.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is going to initiate Digital Wellbeing Alliance for making Chennai the “Digital Wellbeing Capital” of the world by deploying digital technologies.
Under the alliance, the Institute will work for the wellbeing of the community with special focus on young workforce and weaker sections of the society by using its expertise in technologies like Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, IoT and Motion Capture Technology.
Dr Ram D Sriram, Chief, Software and Systems Division, Information Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), US federal government, inaugurated the alliance at IIT Madras this week.
Speaking about the importance of this workshop, Prof M. Manivannan, Biomedical Engineering Group, Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras, said, “There are many issues that only an alliance can solve. We will brainstorm to identify those issues in this workshop. This Alliance is spearheaded by several passionate people, apart from me, including Prof D. Janakiram of IIT Madras, Mr. Sridharan Sivan of S10 Health Solutions, Ms. Sharmila Devadas of MedioTek Health Systems, Mr. Subbarao of Chola MS Risk, again emphasizing alliance of people rather than individuals.”
The alliance is likely to have NITI Aayog and other regulatory bodies along with academic institutions such as all the IITs, health technology companies, medical device makers, digital health players, medical institutions and various corporate firms as the stakeholders.
The ‘Global Alliance‘ is an initiative of IIT Madras along with Industrial partners, hospitals, and global thought leaders.
This Alliance is intended to improve quality of life for healthcare providers and seekers; and to leverage India’s strength to enhance global health and wellness care.
The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to expand the scope of Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) by enhancing its capital base to Rs 10,000 crore.
The enhanced capital base will help the agency to meet the rising financial requirements of educational infrastructure in the country.
The CCEA also tasked the HEFA to mobilise Rs 1,00,000 crore for Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Higher Education (RISE) by 2022.
The CCEA, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the expansion proposal of HEFA to facilitate all the institutions, especially set up after 2014, Central Universities with very little internal resources and the school education or health education infrastructure like AIIMS and Kendriya Vidyalayas.
The CCEA has approved five windows for financing under HEFA and the modalities of repaying the principal portion of the fund (interest continues to be serviced through government grants in all these cases).
HEFA was set up by Ministry of Human Resource Development on May 31, 2017 as a Non-Profit, Non Banking Financing Company (NBFC) to mobilise extra-budgetary resources for constructing crucial infrastructure in the higher educational institutions under the Central government.
In a statement by the Government, it is stated, “The CCEA also approved that the modalities for raising money from the market through government guaranteed bonds and commercial borrowings would be decided in consultation with the Department of Economic Affairs so that the funds are mobilised at the least cost.”
“This would enable addressing the needs of all educational institutions with differing financial capacity in an inclusive manner,” the statement further said.
Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education, says Linda Liu, Vice President, International, The College Board, in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).
What is the aim of India Global Higher Education Alliance?
Linda Liu, Vice President, International, The College Board
The India Global Higher Education Alliance is a platform for driving collaboration between the College Board and participating universities in India and abroad to achieve three primary goals. First is to build a community of innovative secondary and higher education leaders who will work to improve the transition for students to higher education in India. Second is to establish a forum for sharing of global best practices to learn from what is working in admissions around the world. Third is to take concrete actions to help ensure that all students in India, regardless of income, geography or social class, can access excellent higher education.
How do you think this alliance will bring about a change in the education scenario in India?
There are a few ways that Indian students will benefit. All Indian Alliance member universities will be accepting the SAT as an admissions examination. This will greatly simplify the application process and expand opportunities for many students. Students in India can now use one test to apply to the Indian member universities, or universities around the world. Students in India will also have four opportunities each year to take the SAT.
Students who opt to take the SAT can also practice using the Official SAT Practice from Khan Academy (satpractice.org). This world-class resource was developed in partnership with Khan Academy and provides free, personalised practice to all students.
Indian students who qualify for fee reductions will be able to take the SAT at a reduced rate. The SAT fee reductions for Indian students will be scaled according to family income. Based on current prices, this would be: For students from families making less than four lakh annual rupees income, they will be charged 10 per cent of the US fee. That’s roughly Rs 600-700 for students from families in the 4-6 lakh annual rupee income range, they will receive a 50 per cent reduction in the fee around Rs 3,000 – 3,500. The current price of the SAT in India is: $95 without Essay, and $109 with Essay.
Through the College Board India Scholars Programme, qualified low-income, high-achieving students in India will be eligible to receive full scholarships to Indian member universities. The Alliance will also allow member Indian universities to learn from best practices in university admissions from institutions around the world that are part of the Alliance. This includes innovative practices used by Indian and non-Indian member universities. A key belief underlying these best practices is that admissions and enrolment processes remain focused on supporting and expanding opportunities for students to demonstrate their merit. Learning about these practices will allow member universities to adapt them to their own context and improve the experience for students who would be applying to those institutions.
By also including the perspective of secondary schools, member universities can work collaboratively with school leaders to ensure that the transition from secondary to higher education is seamless for the student.
Which universities are part of the Alliance?
Founding Alliance members from India include: Ahmedabad University, Ashoka University, Azim Premji University, Bennett University, BML Munjal University, FLAME University, Manav Rachna University, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, NMIMS and SRM Institute of Science and Technology.
Affiliate members from around the world include: Columbia University (US), MIT (US), Pomona College (US), Purdue University (US), McGill University (Canada), University of Cambridge (UK) and University of Hong Kong (HK).
The Indian education system requires changes. What according to you are or should be the key focus areas?
The objective of the Alliance is to provide a platform where stakeholders on both the higher education and secondary education side can work collaboratively to streamline the transition from secondary to higher education and ensure that all students in India, regardless of income, geography or social class, can access excellent higher education. The Alliance is not intended to be an endpoint for changes that need to be made now, but rather a consistent platform that empowers secondary schools and higher education institutions to continuously focus on innovations that expand opportunities for students.
Can you elaborate on the India Scholars initiative?
The Alliance recently launched the College Board India Scholars Programme whereby we will partner with NGOs and Alliance members in India to helplow income students in India get ready for the SAT, access fee reductions to offset the cost of the SAT and earn full scholarships that will be co-funded by the College Board and Indian Alliance member universities.
Students in India who achieve a designated score on the SAT will be designated as top performers and students who come from low income backgrounds will also qualify to apply for a co-funded scholarship. The College Board and member universities from India will co-fund tuition support for qualified College Board India Scholars. Tuition can only be used at participating Alliance member universities in India. Over time, we hope that philanthropic organisations in India and elsewhere would consider contributing funding to this initiative so that it may benefit more students.
Are you looking at expanding the alliance? What is the aim for The College Board in the long run?
Over the next year, we hope to add another 10-15 India Global Alliance member institutions. We are working with our founding members to refine the membership criteria right now.
Regardless of whether institutions are members of the Alliance, they are always welcome to use our programs such as SAT and Advanced Placement and many do. For example, many universities participating in the Study in India initiative use the SAT as an admissions and scholarship credential. Furthermore, through the DASA program, the NITs use the SAT Subject Tests as admissions credentials for Non-Resident Indians. In the long run, we hope to see the transition from secondary to higher education become more seamless and streamlined for all students. Furthermore, that all students in India, regardless of income, geography or social class, can access excellent higher education.
What is The College Board all about?
The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization (NGO) that connects students to undergraduate university success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. The original members of the College Board were universities and secondary schools seeking to simplify the university application process. This is also one of the key goals of the India Global Higher Education Alliance.
Kerala Government has sanctioned two additional seats for admission of transgender students in all the course of Universities across the State and their affiliated colleges.
The government order issued in this reagard is a remarkable step towards inclusive education. The order has come after the Social Justice Department recommended and forwarded a request for issuing a special order for reserving seats for transgender students.
“Social Justice Department has recommended and forwarded the request for issuing special order for reserving seats for Transgender Students for various courses in Universities and affiliated Arts and Science Colleges,” the government order said.
The order also stated, “Due to societal issue, these students often have to discontinue their studies or to join other academic institutions after an academic year or after the admission process is closed”.
“In the above circumstances, Government are pleased sanction two additional seats in all courses in Universities and affiliated Arts and Science Colleges exclusively for admitting transgender students subject to the fulfillment of qualification,” said the order.
The Government has issued the order to Director of Collegiate Education and also to registrars of various state universities and higher education institutes. The universities include Kerala University, Mahathma Gandhi University, CUSAT, Calicut, Kannur, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit and Thunchathezhuthchan Malayalam Universities.
Dr Lalit Singh, a renowned educationist has been appointed as the new Managing Director of McGraw-Hill Education.
Dr Singh is a senior executive with over fifteen years of experience in the sectors like healthcare and higher education across multiple functional areas including healthcare delivery, solution sales, product strategy, product development and general management.
In his current role at McGraw-Hill Education, Dr Singh manages education business of the organisation.
With experience in product management across the product life cycle, his role involves identifying opportunity, pitching ideas, business case preparation, securing funding and product development.
Dr Singh is a double masters in General Surgery & Business Management. He is an avid reader, passionate speaker and thought leader in the field of education, healthcare delivery and health IT.
McGraw-Hill Education is a learning science company that delivers personalised learning experiences that help students, parents, educators and professionals improve results. The company has its presence in over 135 countries and its products and solutions are produced in nearly 60 languages. The organization has also partnered with over 14,000 authors and educators in various fields of study to generate unique and relevant content.
Ericsson, a leading organisation in telecommunications, has launched India’s first “Centre of Excellence (CoE) and Innovation Lab” for 5G at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi with an objective to stimulate the 5G ecosystem in India.
“India cannot afford to miss the 5G bus. It is of strategic importance to us,” Union Communications Minister Manoj Sinha said during the inaugural of the centre.
“We need the entire eco-system to work together to make 5G a reality in India over the next 2-3 years,” the minister added.
The 5G innovation will act as an open platform and support the industry along with academia to leverage the 5G technology to develop new 5G-based apps and business models.
“The 5G ‘Center of Excellence’ supports the government’s plans to foster a robust and vibrant 5G ecosystem in the country. We want India to be an active participant in the design, development and manufacturing of 5G-based technologies, products and apps,” Sinha said.
The Minister also revealed that the Government is in the process of identifying potential use cases for 5G. He also said that the sectors like health, education and disaster management, among others, have emerged as frontrunners for 5G adoption.
“I would like to urge the industry, academia, students and start-ups to leverage the Ericsson Innovation Lab to develop new 5G-based apps and business models that could potentially lead to better agricultural yields, better healthcare, smarter cities, more efficient manufacturing and enhanced lifestyles,” Sinha further said.
Addressing the gathering, President and CEO of Ericsson Borje Ekholm said, “We would like to unleash the creativity and innovation of the Indian industry, academia and entrepreneurs to fully leverage and make 5G a reality in India.”
As per an Ericsson report, 5G-enabled digitisation revenue potential in India will hit $27.3 billion by 2026. The Indian operators can generate additional revenue of $13 billion if they take up roles beyond being connectivity and infrastructure providers to become service enablers and service creators, the company said.
The Directorate of Higher Education (DHE), Odisha has released the first round selection merit list for admissions to +3 degree courses in the colleges (including self-financing degree colleges) of the State.
Candidates can check the DHE Odisha +3 merit list on the official website: dheodisha.gov.in and samsodisha.gov.in.
There will be 1,88,960 admissions in various colleges of the State of which 1,14,331 seats are for admission to Arts course; 19,753 are commerce seats and 54,876 are science seats.
The application process for +3 admissions was conducted by the DHE through a Common Application Form (CAF) from June 12, 2018 to June 26, 2018.
According to officials, the directorate has received around 2.75 lakh applications online for admission to 498 colleges across the State.
Selected candidates have to enroll themselves in colleges from July 4 to 7. The second phase merit list is scheduled to be released on July 11 for which admission process will begin on July 12 and 13. The classes for the new academic session are likely to begin from July 16.
The admission for vacant seats for plus three courses will be done offline using common application forms. Admission for autonomous colleges has already been done. The Government has introduced online payment for the admission process.
Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Satyapal Singh said that the education system needs to be changed to make it India-centric and to minimise the influence of western education practices in the country.
He asked how many research papers have resulted in tangible benefits for the society and said that research done should be relevant and result in innovation.
The minister was addressing a gathering at the 23rd Prof Ram Reddy Memorial Lecture at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). He said, “The process for the new Higher Education Commission has been initiated and the suggestions are being sought from all the stakeholders.”
During his address, Singh emphasised on developing the new education policy with focus on holistic-development and with an approach to inculcate the right value-system among the learners. Singh also suggested IGNOU to have course content which helps imbibe those values in learners for society building.
He also instructed the educational administrators that autonomy for institutions comes with accountability and it must be used to develop institutions of quality.
According to an official statement, Singh also took dig at those who would pursue doctorate for earning just another degree, the statement said.
