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IIT Kharagpur with University Of Pennsylvania to study climate’s effect on Darjeeling Tea

By
Akash
-

IIT Kharagpur (IIT-KGP) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) jointly are going to conduct a study to find that how climate change has affected the quality of Darjeeling tea.

Teams from the department of Architecture and Regional Planning of IIT-KGP and the department of Geography and Regional Planning of IUP have come together under Summer Study Abroad Programme in India, 2017 to conduct the research on above topic.

“Through this study we are taking a look at what are the special factors responsible to give Darjeeling tea its uniqueness. From environmental perspectives, we would analyse what changes or climate change impacts have been affecting the tea industries,” Principal Coordinator of the programme for IIT-KGP Haimanti Banerji said.

“We would also try to take a look at how the tea gardens are evolving or changing their production process as a response to the changes,” Banerjee added.

Seven students and two faculty members of IUP have already arrived in Kolkata.

“Tea is something that the entire world can relate to, even Starbucks has introduced Chai Latte in their menu. And when we talk about tea it is the world famous Darjeeling tea which comes to the mind,” Principal Coordinator of the program for IUP, Sudeshna Ghosh said.

“This research will focus on the socio-economic and geographic issues of tea -plantations and how they are impacted by climate change. Darjeeling has been selected as the test bed for this year,” Ghosh said.

The teams from both the institutes would be visiting Makaibari Tea Estate and Darjeeling Tea Research & Development Centre at Kurseong this month to conduct their field study.

“We would also be collecting weather related data of the region for the past 50 years, to understand the extent of climate change and how it gave Darjeeling tea its unique aroma,” Ghosh added.

Centre to replace UGC and AICTE with single higher education Regulator

By
Akash
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The central Government in its attempt to revamp the education space of the country is planning to bring in a single higher education regulator. The Human Resource Development Ministry has proposed for Higher Education Empowerment Regulation Agency (HEERA).

HEERA will replace University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE).  The agency will be set up with an aim of removing overlaps in jurisdiction and to curb irrelevant regulatory provisions. HEERA will also act as a regulatory body for the technical and non-technical institutions.

‘The University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) are soon going to be a thing of the past with the government planning to replace them with a single higher education regulator,’ a report said.

Education experts from past many years are demanding to set up a single regulator for India’s higher education sector. The blueprint and legislation is still to be worked upon. “Both Niti Aayog and HRD Ministry officials are working on the plan. It was felt that multiple regulatory bodies led to excessive and restrictive regulation and hence contributed to lack of institutional autonomy,” an official said.

UP Board makes NCERT books mandatory for its students

By
Akash
-

Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) – UP Board, most likely, from the coming academic year is all set to follow National Council of Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks.

Additional Secretary (Administration) UP Board Shiv Lal said, “We received a communication in May from Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, who also holds the secondary education portfolio, with the direction to introduce NCERT books into our curriculum”. This implies that those writing their Class X and Class XII exams in 2019 will comprise the first batch of students to be facing their tests under the new system.”

Except the students who will study Agriculture (high school) and Business Studies (Intermediate) need not to follow NCERT textbooks as there is a huge difference between the syllabus of both the Board for these subjects.

“The proposed changes will thereafter be vetted at a meeting of the Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad  (secondary education council), which would be presided over by the Director, Secondary Education. Thereafter, the draft proposal will be sent to the government for approval,” Lal said.

Every year millions of students appear for UP Board’s Class 10 and Class 12 exams. Around 32.6 lakh students appeared for class 10 board exam last year, whereas the number for students appeared for class 12 board exam was around 29.2 lakh.

UPMSP conducted the board examinations in the month of March- April 2017 and it is expected that the results for the exams will be declared on June 9.

NAU signs MoU to develop professional courses

By
Akash
-

The National Aviation University (NAU) has signed an MoU with the Bird Worldwide Flight Services (India) Private Limited to develop professional aviation and aerospace education programmes.

The MoU will benefit the Indian civil aviation industry in research and development. MoU provisions also include internships and campus placements for eligible students.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation is encouraging industry participation to ensure employability of the persons on the one hand and sustainability of skill development programmes on the other.

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Bird Education Society for Travel & Tourism have also signed an MoU aimed at training, skilling and empowering more than 30,000 unemployed youth across every Indian state over the next six years.

The focus of the skill development programmes would be on quality of skilling as per the guidelines of the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). Supportive measures will ensure the creation and implementation of efficient and effective training modules along with assessment and certification for skill development and placement of skilled and certified workforce. It includes conducting Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) training programmes across public and private civil aviation enterprises. It is also proposed to set up Centres of Excellence in different parts of the country in cooperation with NSDC and the Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC).

CBSE sought data from private schools on fee structure to cub overcharging

By
Akash
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The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked private schools to provide data related to fee structure and hike carried out in recent years.

The step has been taken by the CBSE to curb charging of “unreasonable” fees other “hidden” costs charged by the private schools.

A few weeks ago, the board has also warned private schools against turning into “shops” by selling uniform and books in their premises.

“We have told the schools that they should not charge unreasonable fees. The charges should be reasonable and there should be no hidden costs as that is the more irritating part for the parents,” said Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar.

He said, private schools are ordered by the CBSE to reveal their fee structure and increase in fees. “Many schools have sent it and the data is being analysed. Schools which haven’t sent it, have been sent reminders and penalised,” he added.

The minister, however, did not throw light on the penalty measures for schools found guilty of overcharging and having hidden costs in their fees structure.

Parents often raise concerns about the overcharging and hike in fees every year by the schools. “We value private investment as it contributes to the GDP, but schools should not be overcharging,” Javadekar said.

World Environment Day 2017: SFI to plant 5 lakh saplings in educational institutions across Kerala

By
Akash
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Students Federation of India (SFI) will plant 5 lakh saplings in educational institutions across Kerala on the occasion of World Environment Day 2017.

Based on the slogan – Preserve the goodness of nature and its water resources, the student body will also dug 5 lakh rain pits act along with planting the saplings. The theme of World Environment Day for 2017 is – Connecting People to Nature.

Kerala Government’s minister of welfare and culture AK Balan has inaugurated the State level programme held at Palakkad Victoria College.

According to an official statement by the organisation, seminars and debates related to Environment Day are also conducted.

World Environment Day is the biggest annual event for positive environmental action and takes place every year on June 5. Canada is the host country for this year’s event and has chosen the theme – Connecting People to Nature. Canada will be at the centre of celebrations around the planet.

Snapdeal partners with online course provider edX

By
Akash
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Snapdeal has partnered with leading open online courses provider edX to offer to its users. edX is a joint venture of MIT and Harvard.

The partnership between the two will help Snapdeal users to access the Ivy League education offered by institutes like Harvard, MIT, Oxford University, IIT Bombay, The Wharton School, Microsoft etc on edx.org.

Commenting on the same, Vishal Chadha, Chief Business Officer, Snapdeal said, “We are very excited about this collaboration with edX, a pioneer in the field of online education. We are confident that our consumers will find immense value in earning certifications that are well regarded by industries around the world, along with the convenience and flexibility of learning at their own pace. At Snapdeal, we are committed to bring the best in every sphere, to our consumers. Our partnership with edX is another step in that direction.”

These certified courses on edX are available at a price as low as Rs 3400 in different disciplines. Learners can buy courses in streams like business, engineering, arts, law, communication skills etc through Snapdeal. The courses are accessible from PC or Mobile at their own pace and convenience.

Amit Goyal, India Country Head edX, added, “Snapdeal has become a household name across India and we’re excited to partner with them. This association will help us to further the edX mission of increasing access to high-quality education for everyone, everywhere. By offering courses in emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, communication skills, leadership, business and management subjects that relate to the most in demand fields of today’s workplace, we are enabling learners to gain the skills and knowledge needed to launch or advance their careers.”

ICSI announces fee waiver scheme for north east students

By
Akash
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Silhouettes of Diverse International Students Celebrating Graduation

The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has announced 100 per cent fee waiver scheme for north eastern students.

The scheme is available under company secretaries’ foundation and executive programme for a limited period. ICSI president Shyam Agrawal said, students from the north eastern region may avail the benefits of fee waiver scheme by registering under the ‘Swavlamban-Samagra Shiksha, Samagra Vikas’, from June 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018.

In line with Central Government’s guidelines, the policy is for inclusive growth of all parts of the country, Agrawal said adding “Through this proactive move, the institute is expecting to empower the students of the region.”

It will also increase the representation of students from the north east and the increased number of students may result into set up of an examination centre in the state.

“We are also launching career awareness programme in various schools and colleges in the state,” he added.

According to vice-president of ICSI Makarand M Lele, “the institute has been playing a catalytic role in promoting governance and creating awareness on various critical issues of corporate governance in the country”.

Haryana government relaxes norms for J&K students’ admission

By
Akash
-

The Haryana Government has decided to provide concessions to the students belonging to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for their admission in the colleges and universities of the state.

The government’s initiative will integrate the students of Jammu and Kashmir into the national mainstream education space.

According to a spokesman of higher education department, the concessions include up to 10 % relaxation in cut-off percentage subject to minimum eligibility criteria along with increase in intake capacity up to 5 %, course-wise.

He said that In Other concessions, at least one seat will be reserved under merit quota of technical and professional institutions waiving of the domicile requirements. Moreover, a grievances redressal mechanism will be set up for the students of J&K in every institution, the official added.

The state government in this regard has sent a letter to all vice-chancellors of state and private universities, deputy commissioners, superintendents of police and principals of government and aided colleges for compliance.

UGC to make father’s name on degree certificates optional

By
Akash
-
UGC

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is planning to make father’s name on degrees optional.

The commission may soon start working on a proposal in this regard as Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) agreed to the suggestion made by Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi.

“We are okay with the idea. Whether the student wants to mention mother’s name or father’s name should be his or her choice,” said Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar.

“We like the concept and have no objection to it. The UGC will work on it soon,” he added.

Recently, Gandhi wrote a letter to Javadekar after single mothers raised raised the rule that requires father’s name to be mandatory mentioned on a student’s degree certificate.

“I have been approached by several women who are separated from their husbands and who face problems getting degree certificates issued for their children without their father’s name,” Gandhi had said in her letter.

According to Gandhi, breakdown of marriages and separation between husband and wife is a reality nowadays in our country and our rules must reflect the same.

“Keeping in view the sensitivity of the single/separated mother, we need to make a provision for this purpose by changing rules/guidelines,” the letter added.

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