Dr. Haresh Tank, Director, Station-e Language Labs & Vice Chairman, CII, Western Gujarat Zonal Council
India stands at a profoundly significant juncture which can define its future and accelerate its growth, unlike any other phase in history we have seen so far. In view of unprecedented possibilities, we also face the same old issues which plague us, as usual. For a country embarking on growth juggernaut, based primarily on the idea that the largest part of our population is constituted of youth, it is challenging enough to equally and adequately skill the young population in such large numbers. On the one hand, it is a documented fact that 10% of our general graduates and 15% of our technical graduates are readily employable. On the other hand, it is found in survey after survey that 48% employers find it difficult to recruit in India. There is a large skills deficit staring at us while we bask in the glory of changed circumstances.
Appreciating the scenario a decade earlier, Station-e was envisioned to provide complete skilling solution for India. As against the conventional education system that privileges marks and grades, we had decided to focus on actual learning because it is tangible learning that translates into tangible skills. In order to ensure that the youth of the country becomes readily employable, Station-e conceptualized training programs ranging from Communicative English to Call Centre Training, from Vedic Mathematics to Computing Skills, from Interview Skills to Leadership. After the launch of Station-e a decade ago, we have implemented salient and wide-ranging training programs to address the diverse needs of the country.
In the attempts to upskill India, we have made ample use of the differentiator of the present age- technology. It is the deft use of technology and its blend with human intelligence that determine the success of any and every project today. Statione’s campaign to skill India has served its purpose due a considerable extent to the integration of cutting-edge educational technology in the training and learning of the aforementioned courses. Station-e Skills Development Centre (SDC) is the next generation lab in which skills development is defined and redefined with the use of technology. Every activity and every process is powered by the harmonious integration of technological prowess and human excellence. Each learner is empowered and armed by sophisticated tech tools to learn and deepen the learning that takes place with complete and total customization, unheard of so far in the space of education and training in India.
Where India lacks in digital space is in imagination. We have simply not been able to imagine how innovatively and creatively we can apply and integrate technology in education and training. Our conventional structures and processes have lost all the charm because the world went digital decades ago and we still continue to languish in the 20th century practices. India definitely lacks in infrastructure but India does not lack in talent to find a solution around the difficult situation that the country usually offers when it comes to implementation. We have been skeptical in making a drastic break from the past in terms of full-blooded integration of digital tools in education and training. If Station-e has been relatively effective and successful in skilling India in the decade-long run across education institutions – schools, colleges, universities etc, it is primarily because we chose to break new ground using digital means.
How we wish to see the program go forward is that Station-e becomes instrumental in upskilling India with an accelerative thrust not witnessed in the recent past and the scale of which should put us past competing economies in terms of ‘Scale, Speed and Skill’. The growth of this breath-taking society and exemplary democracy lies in the skilled hands and trained minds of the youth. We see the Station-e skilling campaign and its initiatives going forward to reach its culmination in the next decade and enable the fulfillment of the aspirations of its people.
The imminent need in the field of education in Kerala is modernisation and the state is heading towards it, says A Shajahan, Secretary, General Education Department, Kerala, in conversation with Nayana Singh of ENN
Please give us an overview of operations in your department?
We have around 12,000 schools under the direct management of the government. 62 per cent schools are in the government aided sector. Aided sector means the school is managed privately and salary to teachers is given by the government. 38 per cent schools are government and 62 per cent are government aided schools. 11,999 schools up to class 12 are in our system. Apart from that, we have some CBSE and ICSE schools, which are permitted to function in Kerala with the permission of the government. In Kerala, schools are operated under the purview of state education rules. There are state-specific education rules that require minimum criteria to be fulfilled to set up a school in Kerala. Kerala has comprehensive procedures for the education sector as stipulated by the Right to Education Act. We have achieved 100 per cent enrollment with cent percent retention and less than .5 dropout. We are even making efforts to bring the dropout students back into education. For general education development, there are institutions like State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT), State Institute of Education Management and Training (SIEMAT) and a special project termed ‘IT at School’. We have a unique educational channel under this department and are planning 17 hours telecast under the channel named Victers. The equipment for IT facilities like computers, smartphones, and broadband connectivity has been accomplished in the state. In addition, we are also providing ITbased training to teachers through Victers.
What are the new schemes or initiatives that the state government has launched towards digitisation at the school level?
We have come up with a scheme of UID for all students and have already covered 90 per cent UID for enrollment. We have a software solution that has complete database of teaching and non-teaching staff of Kerala. We have also captured the database of all school infrastructure including furniture, building, equipments, etc., for any further planning of the schools. We have introduced IT text books for conducting examination for IT as a subject. We are also implementing SSIRMS, MP, MLA and local body funds for provisioning better education in the state. The administration of the school is distributed among local bodies. For operational ease, we have a good system of decentralisation that enables a project to be managed better.
Education sector in the state is one of the best in the country and the state has the highest literacy rate. What is the reason for your success?
Traditionally, in the state, promotion of education has been given highest priority by missionaries and community educationalists. The geographical condition of the state and its socio-cultural exchange by the means of trade relations with China, Sri Lanka, and Middle-East have also exposed the state to development outside and created an environment of development. The state is even in direct influence of western civilisation since the arrival of Vasco da Gama to Calicut in search of America.
What is your vision for future development of the state in terms of education?
Quality is an important issue to be catered to. As we are into the third generation of education, the public see scope in English medium schools which are more in demand now-a-days. Technology and physical condition of school is another big issue in Kerala education. We have school buildings that are approximately 50 to 100 years old. Some schools here even belong to the 11th century. We have to modernise those schools. One such example of a school modernised with public participation is a girl school in Calicut, where alumni and school foundation has invested `15 crore and have led the school to international standards. The state education department, with the help of associations like IIM Calicut, is devising programmes to train teachers for the modernisation of schools. So, imminent need in the field of education in Kerala is modernisation and we are heading towards it.
Having set off his political career with the Kerala Students Union, which he served as President from 1967 to 1969, Oommen Chandy is now a 10-time legislator and is currently serving his second term as the 21st chief minister of Kerala. Prior to being sworn in as the CM for the first time in 2004, he was also part of four different governments holding diverse portfolios and several constitutional positions.
In an informal conversation with Elets Technomedia CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Dr Ravi Gupta, and Nayana Singh of Elets News Network, the septuagenarian politician reflects on the strides Kerala has made vis-à-vis development, mistakes that previous governments made with regard to ignoring the power of IT and the measures initiated to offset losses from follies of the past
Tell us about the state of overall development in Kerala and the pace of infrastructure creation.
Our investment is very low and leads to unemployment and lots of development issues. This time round, we are putting thrust on social sectors like education and health to keep up the pace of development. We are also giving due importance to infrastructure development. The upcoming Kannur International Airport will be the fourth international airport in a small state like ours. Kochi Metro will be another feather in the cap of the state. We have acquired almost 55 per cent of the required land for the Metro project. Then, there is Millennium port – a dream project of Kerala, which will be getting final clearance in the days to come. We want to commence actual construction work early next year. We had also been planning Monorail for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, but some feasibility issues cropped up. So, we have shifted to light metro now. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is ready and plan approved, and the Cabinet will clear the project for the two important cities soon. Coming to strengthening the national highway network in the state, the main problem is land acquisition. Land is very scarce and costly. Some people are not happy as they demand more, which is too costly for the state. So, we have worked out a different plan for acquiring land for the expansion of national highways. In short, we have commenced infrastructure development in Kerala in a big way.
Kerala has a large number of expatriates. Do you have any plan to retain the local talent?
In Kerala, youngsters have not been very keen entrepreneurs traditionally. They either go for degrees to get government jobs or seek visa to go abroad. But of late, we are witnessing a shift in the attitude of youngsters in the state. In September 2012, the Prime Minister unveiled the student-entrepreneurship policy and launched “Emerging Kerala” project. I also pushed the student-entrepreneurship policy with a view to turning them into job-creators instead of jobseekers. The response was very encouraging, especially in the second year of the policy. We convened a big summit on September 12, 2014, named “Young Entrepreneurship Summit” (YES) and it was a great success. It was attended by some 4,500 delegates as against our expectations of 2,500. A new trend is here, and we are encouraging the startups.
Can you tell us something about the IT parks in the state?
Thiruvananthapuram Techno Park is best not only in India but in whole of Asia. As this Techno Park is full, we are planning another techno park city here. An info park in Ernakulam and a cyber park in Kozhikode are already under way. A smart city is also coming up, and a Dubai company has been provided 256 acres of land. The first stage of smart city is to be inaugurated in March 2015. We are fully satisfied from changes taking place in the development arena.
What about healthcare facilities in the state?
Literacy in the state is cent-per-cent and there is no starvation. However, according to our assessment, healthcare is one of the most important issues in today’s Kerala, as a large number of people require government assistance in this area. Although world-class healthcare facilities are available in Kerala, owing to financial problems, those are not available to everyone. A large number of families are yet to get access to health services in the state. So, we are planning a host of healthcare programmes. When we came to power in 2011, there were only five government medical colleges. We have decided to set up 16 government medical colleges across the state. We intend to provide free healthcare services to the common people, including free medicines and other facilities.
“We top the literacy and education chart, but we are amongst the last in terms of introduction of IT in different sectors. That’s why, now we are keen to develop the IT sector.”
How do you think IT can help improve governance in Kerala?
We lost lot many opportunities to develop IT network in the state, as since the 1980s, CPM opposed computerisation. They said computer is enemy of the youth. And, it was the time when other states excelled in computerisation and IT sector. We top the literacy and education chart, but we are amongst the last in terms of introduction of IT in different sectors. That’s why, now we are keen to develop the IT sector. We lost our chances in the past, but we will make it up through expeditious implementation of e-governance in Kerala. The Government of India has decided to make 50 districts of India e-districts, and among those 50 are 14 districts of the state. We are giving adequate importance to e-governance to ensure better delivery of citizen services. Akshaya service, first started in Kerala, is a model to the country. People living in villages are also getting excellent services…we want to take it forward.
You are also directly looking after the Science & Technology department in the state. What are the notable interventions in these areas?
The Science & Technology department in Kerala was established in 1972. Over the last three years, the department has added four premier institutions. To strengthen education and research in Basic Sciences, a new institution, Srinivas Ramanuja Institure of Basic Sciences (SRIBS) has been established at Kottayam. This is modelled on the lines of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. For felicitating technology transfer, in collaboration with Science & Technology department, Government of India, the State Centre Resource Institute of Partnerships in Technology (SCRIPT) started functioning in Trivandrum. To add value addition to the costly mineral sands of Kerala, a research & development institution, namely Critical Minerals Research Institute (KSCAT), was established for felicitating education, empowerment and employability of differently abled people, particularly the blind and visually challenged.
Higher education in India is at a crucial juncture at this point of time. On one hand is the mammoth task of making India’s young future-ready and on the other, challenges that seem insurmountable. Elets News Network takes an eagle’s eye view
News headlines and analyses in the past few months since the new government came to power have been laden with information about ways that the new government programmes are going to transform the face of the nation in coming years. In the education sector, there is a buzz about the transformation that the Digital India programme is going to bring about. Digitisation of educational services and curriculum is a welcome move. However, lack of technology alone is not what ails this vital domain.
India’s education sector is amongst the biggest in the world. The number of higher education institutes too is high. The challenges are several and most of them are linked to the basics – accessibility, power, availability of teachers, infrastructure, so on and so forth. These are issues that have existed for long and the problems – especially in rural and tier II and III cities is only compounding.
Lack of proper colleges, staff crunch and uncertainty has acted as the biggest hurdles for students in higher education. Finding good, motivated teachers and retaining them is getting tougher by the day. Higher education acts as a vital link between the aspirations of young India and the demands that the industry places on them. The integration of vocational courses with formal education is one issue that has captured the imagination of the government and the nation alike. The increasing number of technical graduates being rendered unemployable by the industry must act as a wakeup call. We must realise that there is a difference between creating a skilled workforce and an army of clerks.
Higher education institutes either funded or aided by the state or central governments also need greater assistance and autonomy to function. Too many regulations and bureaucratic machineries at all levels have plagued this sector for long and this is something that India can ill-afford. Higher investment in this sector will be crucial to development and improving quality standards and learn ing outcomes. Research and innovation need to be ramped up across universities if we really see ourselves competing with the rest of the world.
Getting Future Ready
By 2030, India will have the largest population in the world in higher education
Rapid industrialisation would require a gross incremental workforce of 250 million
Transformational and innovative interventions would be required across all levels
India will need a robust higher education system that can deliver on multiple imperatives
23 Indian universities are among the global top 200, up from none two decades ago
India is a regional hub for higher education, attracting global learners from all over the world
Each of these issues assumes importance as they will define the future roadmap not just for the country but the entire world. India will have the youngest working population in the world in the coming decades and the sphere of India’s global economic influence is only going to increase. The road that India takes in these years is going to be extremely crucial. The world is watching.
Background of Shri Ram Study World
Shri Ram Study World is a professionally managed company engaged in providing early child education and care in India. The company has been licensed to set up a chain of preschools under the brand “Kingdom of Kids” which is owned by the renowned and highly reputed Shri Ram Education Trust with a view to bring world class education and personality development practices for every young kid across India. Shri Ram Study World has a vision to combine conventional bricks and mortar education with cutting edge technology to provide holistic development of learners to make them champions of tomorrow.
Salient features of the approach o The structure is oriented towards the meeting of the varied needs of the child, each one of whom has his own special pace and process of development.
o It is not merely the ‘subjects’ of study that should count in education; the aspiration, the need for growth, the experience of freedom, the possibility of educating oneself, of selfexperimentation, the discovery of the inner needs and their relation with the programme of studies, and the discovery of the aim of life and the art of life — these are much more important and the structure of the organisation must provide for them.
o A great stress falls upon the individual work of the students. This individual work may be the result of the student’s own choice to follow a particular topic of interest; or it may be the result of a suggestion from the teacher but accepted by the student. It may be a follow-up of something explained by the teacher or it may be an original line of inquiry. The essential aim is to encourage and stimulate the student to find genuine interest and joy in work.
School’s Philosophy The structure is oriented towards the meeting of the varied needs of the children, each one of whom has his own special pace and process of development. We accept that it will be irrational to set a standard of progress which is uniform for all. It would be wiser although more difficult, to consider each individual as a special centre having his own unique rhythms and modes of progress and thus to assess each individual’s progress by standards appropriate to him/her.
Deliverables for the Franchisee owner:
o Architect Brief and Assistance
o Advice on Human Resource and Recruitment Management
o Curriculum & Learning Management.
o Advice on Procurement and Material Management
o Advice on IT Management
o Advice on Financial & Cost Management
o Advice on Marketing & Promotion
o Teacher Training
o Training on Unique SRSW Sales System
o Quality Audit
Contact details for Franchisee enquiry:
E mail: info@kingdomofkids.com
Website: www.kingdomofkids.com
Area and Investment: The investment for opening a Pre-School in a constructed building is between Rs 35 lakh for a 100-kid school (3,500 – 4,500 Sq Ft) to Rs 75 Lakh for a 300-Kid school with an area of 8,000-10,000 SqFt.
Expansion Plan – 500 Pre-Schools pan India in next 5 years Requirements for taking up franchisee with your group:
Founded in 2011 by Krishna Srinivasan and his wife Hymavathy, Everest Edusys and Solutions with its flagship project Quest Explore Discover (QED) seeks to change the way science is taught and learned at schools in India. Excerpts from an interaction with Krishna Srinivasan, Founder & Chairman, QED
Mr. Krishna Srinivasan, Founder & Chairman, QED
What was the primary reason behind your decision to set up QED? At the time, I was exiting my last business venture that my wife Hyma, who had earlier relocated to India with our son after a successful stint at Silicon Valley and was pursuing her PhD in technology aided education and contemplating a socially meaningful project, had set up. Her passionate academic zeal with research and product development strengths and my strong sense of adventure came together to create this social venture with its sole focus on quality science education and 21st century global learning methodologies for India. We felt the need to contribute to the community and the logical start point was to address, in our own small way, the quality and quantity issues unique to education in India. This is where my roots and values originated, and this is where my global exposure and connect could add value. The constraints and challenges of delivering change at a grassroot level and creating a sustainable profitable business with social relevance, was what attracted me to the social venture space. Planning, executing and delivering on the demands of a double bottom-line is exciting.
Which things in school science education are you trying to address through QED? Founded in 2011 by my wife Hymavathy and I, Everest Edusys and Solutions and its flagship project Quest Explore Discover was launched in order to change the way science was being taught and learned at schools in urban and rural India. QED brings fun into the fundamentals of science. Experiential and exhibit-centric learning takes the child up the ladder of blooms taxonomy from recall and knowledge through understanding, analysis to synthesis and application. QED centres promote blended learning by moving from hands-on to digital augmentation and assessments. QED learning methodology is proven to enhance engagement and learning outcomes. All exhibits are mapped to curriculum of all boards and have teacher resource material for seamless integration into current learning and teaching. These models have enabled the students with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge of science and increase their creativity through newer learning methodologies, at par with developing technology. It has also improved the competitive skills of these students in areas like model making, problem solving, and presentation skills. It promotes scientific inquiry, critical thinking, a problem solving mindset etc. and build pride and high self-esteem in them.
What are the most important things that an educator should bear in mind while teaching science? Teaching science is, at its best, teaching about and connecting to the world around us. Science is often defined as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment”. Most of us know but we often don’t realise that close to 230 science concepts get introduced in middle school science – across all boards and curricula. The ability to question when, where, why and how of phenomena, keen observation, eye for detail and a scientific temper are critical to teaching and learning science. At QED, we say “Come with a QUEST, EXPLORE for yourself and DISCOVER truths you will never forget.
We believe science educators should enjoy connecting the history of scientific discoveries and phenomena to applications in everyday life. There are interesting stories behind and beyond all laws and definitions dating right back to the Age of Reason and Enlightenment. Theatre and drama can bring abstract concepts to life. And experiential learning is best suited to this purpose. Educators should keep in mind is that they teach students from different background. In the present environment, students are more technology enabled. Thus, technology has the lion’s share in today’s education system. They are also required to have a high sense of adaptability, and stay up to date with developments in the world of education.
Why do the children need it? Isn’t it already in the text books? Hands-on learning experience develops better understanding, enables knowledge retention in students’ minds, involves application and deals with real life situations. As QED solutions are interactive, they create a deeper impact and also encourage team work.
What are the focus areas of the company? QED focusses on both private and government schools. We have touched 1 million students through public spaces, exhibitions, events, science fairs and science days. We have seen rise in engagement, performance, learning outcome, confidence in communication and competitiveness. Currently, over 100 schools including over 20 Chennai corporation gallery (managed science center) enjoy the benefits of active science education through QED Labs and managed science centres.
Help us understand the future plans of your company. QED, with the vision to touch every Indian child with the our unique experience by 2020, is poised to launch a platform of learning analytics that would complement its current 1000+ curated hands-on exhibits and live science concepts mapped to curriculum. Hyma and I have set out with a mission and purpose to bring a global approach to science education and make it truly relevant to the local context. We knew what we wished to do – “Bring FUN into the FUNdamentals of Science”. We pledge our commitment to bring 21st century learning methods, innovation and quality in education by setting up a QED Teachers Learn Lab as education is the route to create citizens for a better tomorrow.
QED recently launched a unique first of its kind interactive digital augmentation platform in India: Science club. It is a fantastic opportunity for learners and teachers to quest, explore and discover aspects of science that may not always be possible to do within the constraints of a normal school program. The Science Club aims to offer an ongoing exclusive forum that enriches the science education experience beyond the classroom. The platform to share videos, ideas, documentaries, research papers, DIY activities and dramatic, delightful and thought provoking experiments. It is a supplement to the physical exhibit centric and activity based QED learning methodology. In such a short span, we have about 6,000 active users.
Can you give us a brief description of a real case implementation of your program? Our partnership with Cognizant Technology Solutions to implement our solution is a good example.
• First is with the Cognizant Technologies Company and their employee CSR program called outreach, where we have trained their employees and enabled them with a set of mobile exhibits which they use at their discretion to support their company premises which is in OMR.
• Other association is with Cognizant Foundation. Here the foundation identifies the grass root level NGOs, namely Gandhigram trust, with proven decades of community services and identified their need for the science partner. QED was evaluated as a science partner, approved setting up a full-fledged 100 science concepts based working models and exhibits that facilitate hands–on science learning at the Thambithottam Higher Secondary School, Gandhigram. This program will provide the rural students of the area with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge of science and increase their creativity through newer learning methodologies, at par with urban students.
QED, in partnership with Chennai Corporation and Teachers College Columbia University, benefits nearly 80,000 students and 3,000 teachers with the help of this center. The centre aims to curb the student dropout rates by working on methods to improve their concentration levels while in class, while also working on a system, whereby students attend school more often. This centre will be customised to improve the teaching capability and to assess the student potential by analysing data on student profile, learning behaviour and assessment metrics. The programme will also enhance the learning environment which will motivate students to focus on the career of their choice. The centre will also impart necessary technical education for headmasters and teachers that the 21st century education system demand.
A team of experts, including eminent scholars from the Columbia University Teacher’s College in New York, National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) in Delhi and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, will advise the centre on its functioning and suggestions will be implemented to improve its efficiency on a periodic basis.
Both imagination and play are inherent parts of effective education, Arpita Mittal, CEO, Helen O’Grady International, tells Elets News Network
What is the role of speech and drama in the education of a child? Guidelines from the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), two respected professional associations, affirm that play is essential for all children’s healthy development and learning across all ages, domains, and cultures. Play contributes to children’s cognitive, language, literacy, social/ emotional, and creative development. Traditional education may be summed up as curriculum centred outside the child. However, the new movement in education, which has introduced the concept of child-centred education, is combined with children’s play. Moreover, drama is seen as the “play way” to education. Both imagination and play are inherent parts of effective education.
What is the genesis of Helen o’Grady? Founded in Australia in 1979, the system is widely used in over 25 countries across the globe. We are the world’s largest after-school drama programme which has widely gained acceptance by over one million children across the world. In India, Helen O’Grady International Pvt. Ltd. has partnered exclusively with Govind Knowledge Ventures Pvt.Ltd.
What is the USP of the group?
Well-defined international curriculum, innovative and unique methodology and comprehensive and systemised training of teachers.
Why choose Helen O’Grady drama academy? To give your child the gift of lifelong confidence and creativity. The child will feel energetic, enthusiastic and more positive. Our classes are fun! We help the child to unleash his or her creativity. The child’s conversation skills, listening skills and concentration skills will be enhanced.n
The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has approved a proposal to overhaul the education system by bringing in changes in the syllabi at school, college levels, technical institutions and universities.
Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Information Technology minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy said the syllabi would be revamped and the quality of education enhanced to enable the students face global competition. He said a separate unit for upgrading skills of 1,000 students would be established in an engineering college in each district. Students from engineering, polytechnics and ITIs would be imparted training in those units.
In a bid to strengthen education system, it was decided that only academicians should be appointed as vice-chancellors and also to executive councils. University teachers and lecturers would also undergo training to upgrade their skills. The services of academicians from foreign universities could be hired by the universities.
Reddy said the Cabinet had also approved a proposal to directly remit pension into bank accounts of the beneficiaries. He said every eligible person would get pension and 38 lakh people have been given enhanced pension. There were over three lakh new applications and eligible among them would get from next month.
Aligarh Muslim University vice-chancellor Zameeruddin Shah has sought Rs 20 crore in grant from the Ministry of Human Resource Development to expand the main university library so that it can accommodate girls from the Women’s College.
In a letter addressed to the HRD ministry, Shah has said, “Despite being open for 18 hours from 8 am to 2 am for seven days a week, it (the library) is always overcrowded. It was constructed to cater to 7,000 students but now the strength is 28,000. It is not at all feasible to take more, we are also examining if it is feasible to get Women’s College girls, the problem is of space and we need funds for expansion of the library. I will be projecting a requirement for special allocation of funds to MHRD.”
Shah said he will also use the funds to start a bus service for the girls of the college, which is 3 km from the university campus.
Shah had courted controversy when he stated that girls in the library would attract boys. He later clarified that he was in favour of girls coming to the library. Shah has also clarified to HRD minister Smriti Irani that AMU has not violated the fundamental rights of women. He said, “The safety of girls moving from their college to the main library after dark is a major security hazard because of the lumpen elements of Aligarh city. There have been several cases of chain snatching and ‘eve teasing’. This aspect can be taken care of if the College has bus service. Unfortunately, there was a total ban on purchase of new vehicles by universities, till it was clarified that replacements for condemned vehicles could be restored to.”
In a one-of-a-kind bid to check education loan defaulters, banks have now started to track students having availed loans from them using their Facebook and Twitter accounts. The modus operandi involves banks using information available on social networking websites to track down customers and get in touch with them with the help of local branch staffers when payments are delayed.
According to official figures, government banks have over 2.6 million education loan accounts with outstanding credit of about Rs 60,000 crore. The industry estimates that 5-6 per cent of these loans have turned bad. The government is yet to set up a credit guarantee fund for education loans.
Central Bank of India, the top provider of education loans to the Indian Institutes of Management last year, has switched to keeping a tab on borrowers through social networking websites. This is a step ahead from the earlier measures to track borrowers through alumni forums as tracking footprints online is much easier.
Under the Indian Banks Association’s model educational loan scheme, collateral is waived for all loans up to Rs 4 lakh, while those above Rs 7.5 lakh need tangible security and have to be taken jointly with the parents. However, in case of a default, banks have little recourse to recover the money, apart from filing a case.
Facebook, the world’s largest social network, is estimated to have more than 100 million users in India.
India stands at a profoundly significant juncture which can define its future and accelerate its growth, unlike any other phase in history we have seen so far. In view of unprecedented possibilities, we also face the same old issues which plague us, as usual. For a country embarking on growth juggernaut, based primarily on the idea that the largest part of our population is constituted of youth, it is challenging enough to equally and adequately skill the young population in such large numbers. On the one hand, it is a documented fact that 10% of our general graduates and 15% of our technical graduates are readily employable. On the other hand, it is found in survey after survey that 48% employers find it difficult to recruit in India. There is a large skills deficit staring at us while we bask in the glory of changed circumstances.
