Decks cleared for ITIs exclusively for women

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June 27, 2014

With an aim to ensure women empowerment by helping in gaining employment, Centre agreed to a proposal by Punjab government for setting up ITIs exclusively for women in the state.

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi agreed to a proposal mooted by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal when she called on the latter at Kapurthala House in New Delhi this morning, according to a statement of Punjab government.

During the meeting, the Minister also assured Badal that the Centre was ready to fund any scheme/programme aimed at overall development and welfare of women and children in the state and impressed upon him to submit a proposal for setting up ‘One Stop Crisis Centres’ in each district across the state to ensure assistance to women afflicted with gender crime.

She asked the Chief Minister to send a detailed proposal to her ministry for the establishment of a network of ITIs across the state for imparting technical and vocational training to women for enabling them to be gainfully employed.

Gandhi hoped the unique initiative would go a long way in instilling a sense of confidence amongst women to live a life with self respect and dignity besides enormously contributing in the national growth.

The Minister apprised Badal of the scheme under which the state was required to hand over 250-300 square yards land to establish such centres by erecting pre-fabricated structures, the entire cost of which would be borne by the Centre.

Badal also raised several demands including revision in honorarium of Anganwari workers and helpers under ICDS scheme from Rs 5000 and Rs 2500 per month to Rs 8000 and Rs 4000 per month respectively.

Badal also pleaded for introduction of Contributory pension scheme with a minimum monthly contribution of 10 pc honorarium to facilitate retirement of workers and helpers at the age of 60 years, as demanded by Anganwari Unions.

He also sought liberal financial grant from the Centre for construction of Anganwari centres in a phased manner and asked for a grant of Rs 4.50 lakh per building for the construction of 2000 centres during 2014-15. Badal said more than 25000 Anganwari centres were running in rented/community/panchayat buildings across the state.

AICTE, Cusat nod to M Tech in Network Computing at TIST

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June 27, 2014

A new M Tech course in ‘network computing’ introduced by Toc-H Institute of Science and Technology (TIST) at its Arakkunam campus has been given approval by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT).

The two-year post graduate course has been designed to cater to the growing demand for professional network engineers in various industry verticals.

TIST Vice Principal Prof Babu John said the postgraduate course focuses on acquiring knowledge in multimedia networking, network management, wireless and mobile networks to make the students expert in network engineering.

Apart from giving prime importance to coding theory, network security and advanced communication technologies, the course also imparts training in information and resources management, cluster and grid computing, cloud computing and big data analysis.

The college has set up well equipped laboratories for the students to gain hands on experience in computer network and wireless network protocols.

‘Decision to grant 5 per cent quota to Muslims historic’

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June 27, 2014

The state government’s decision to provide 5 percent reservation to Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions has been termed as ‘historic and revolutionary’ by Maharashtra’s Minority Affairs Minister Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan.

“Several surveys had mentioned about socio-economic as well as educational backwardness of Muslim community. The Sachhar panel of Central government and Rahman panel of the state government have also highlighted the same,” he said.

Khan said that both the committees were positive about the need for reservations for Muslims in education and jobs.

“As per available data, the representation of Muslims in government jobs is very poor,” the minister said, adding that the quota would help to empower Muslims socially and economically, which will go a long way in bringing them in the mainstream.

In a politically significant decision, the Congress-NCP government approved 16 per cent reservation for Marathas and five percent for Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions.

Delivery boy clears IIT entrance test

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June 27, 2014

C Prashanth of Mysore is now an inch closer to realising his dream of studying engineering in IIT as he cleared the IIT-JEE (Advanced) with 255th rank (ST category).

Prashanth, 18, is from a poor family as his father Chandra Nayak is a construction labourer. To supplement the family’s finances, he delivered newspaper to homes in Mysore when he was in high school. “I was not expecting the 255th rank. It’s a wonderful feeling,” he said.

All credit goes to my family and Rashtrothana Parishat and Base institutions, which encouraged and gave me education free of cost,” Prashanth said, adding that he couldn’t afford to buy a newspaper, but while selling them, he managed to read them and that helped him gain knowledge to crack the prestigious exam.

Till SSLC, Prashanth did not know what IIT meant. “Initially, it was very difficult to follow the IIT subjects, but hard work and my teachers’ interest made things easy for me,” he added. He wants to pursue electronics, mechanical or civil engineering. His father and mother Jyothi saw to it that poverty didn’t come in the way of providing education to their three children.

Prashanth’s elder brother C Vasanth Kumar is pursuing BA in Mysore and sister C Chandana finished her SSLC this year with 87 percent.

His maternal uncle, Gopala, who is in the police department, ensured that once he finished schooling, he came to a Bangalore college. “I was scared of Bangalore as it’s a big city. But my uncle forcibly brought me to Bangalore to study,” he said.

Tapas, coaching centre of Base institutions, provides free education for economically poor students, who are keen on studying in the IITs. Tapas office coordinator S Rukmini said, “Prashanth was a hard worker and he has made us proud.”

Leaders meet to mend education in Arunachal Pradesh

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June 27, 2014

To reform the gloomy education scenario in Arunachal Pradesh, a joint coordination meeting adopted several resolutions to work in tandem with all stakeholders of the state.

The meeting held at Itanagar on June 20 resolved that maintenance of existing infrastructure in schools may be accorded top priority while expansion of infrastructure should be made as per the growth and need of the institutions, a copy of the document made available to the press said here today.

The meeting, attended by elected representatives including ministers, parliamentary secretaries, MLAs, municipal and panchayat leaders also resolved that new schools should be opened up only after construction of sufficient classrooms and posting of teachers.

Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, while addressing the meeting, exuded hope that the meaningful suggestions that have evolved should emerge as policy guidelines for the government.

He suggested for constitution of a committee to be headed by Education Minister Tapang Taloh with Health Minister Kalikho Pul, Parliamentary Secretary Phosum Khimhun, MLAs P D Sona, Kento Rina, Paknga Bage, Honchun Ngandam as members to submit their recommendations to the government so that early decision can be taken for these reforms.

Education minister in his observation said that the involvement of ministers, MLAs and public leaders would bring about revolutionary changes in the education sector.

He insisted on strict implementation of transfer and posting in the schools and asked all the senior officers to come up with data to his office to examine the feasibility of transfer and posting right in the beginning of the new academic session.

Foreign universities may set up campuses in India

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June 27, 2014

If all goes well, foreign universities will set up campuses in India soon as Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani has decided to focus on a legal framework for allowing foreign universities to enter India and curb unfair practices by education institutions as part of the HRD ministry’s legislative agenda, a government official said.

In doing so, the minister hopes to address the questions of increasing access and improving quality of higher education institutions in the country. “The Foreign Education Providers Bill and the Prohibition of Unfair Practices Bill are on the priority list of the minister. We will have to go through the entire process — circulating a Cabinet note, discussions with the legislative department, then Cabinet approval, then vetting by the standing committee, before the Bill can be taken up for discussion and passage by Parliament,” an official said on the condition of anonymity.

“We don’t know for sure if all of this can be completed in the course of the Budget session, but these bills are on the priority.” Both legislative measures were initiated by the previous Congress-led government, but fell off the government’s legislative priority agenda in the face of political opposition, some of it from within the ruling parties.

There is at present no legal and regulatory framework to allow foreign universities to set up campus in India, despite efforts by the previous government.

Faced with delays in enacting a law allowing foreign universities to set up base in the country, the human resource development ministry decided in September 2013 to take the executive order route to open the doors for the top 400 institutions to set up campuses in the country and award degrees, giving Indian students the opportunity to study in global institutions without leaving home or spending a fortune in dollars.

A legal framework making this possible has been pending for more than a decade now. The proposed UGC (Establishment & Operation of Campuses of Foreign Educational Institutions) Rules required that foreign education providers set up the India campuses as not-for-profit companies, that is companies set up under Section 25 of the old Companies Act (Section 8 of the new one). The proposal had the support of the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and the department of economic affairs.

However, the regulations were never issued with the government’s legislative department failing to notify them. With newer players operating in the field of higher education, there is a need to improve the protection available to students against fly-by-night operators and other malpractices. The intent of the legislation is to give a legal basis to curtail profiteering in higher education institutions as well as ensure accountability of institutions by making it mandatory for them to disclose information related to admission process.

New courses for security job seekers

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June 26, 2014

To provide youth with better academic qualification in fields of counter-terrorism, anti-insurgency and cyber security, Raksha Shakti university has launched specialised courses for such career aspirants.

The Raksha Shakti university, set up in 2009 when Narendra Modi was Gujarat’s Chief Minister, has launched four new specialised courses this year in the field of prosecution, police administration, cyber security and police psychology for which admission process is underway. The varsity, established by Gujarat government and approved by the UGC, conducts certificate, diploma and degree courses in the field of police science and internal security.

These post graduate level courses, of two-year duration each, are designed keeping in mind, the present situation and challenges faced by forces, university’s Deputy Director General Vikas Sahay said.

“In the masters level course of police administration, students will be taught different aspects of internal security, coastal security, terrorism, anti-insurgency tactics, etc. This course is designed for those, who want to build a career in the domain of internal security,” he said.

“Those who want to become expert in cyber security and preventive measures, they can opt for M Tech in Cyber Security. For students having inclination towards psychology, we have launched the Masters in Police & Military Psychology course with the help of experts from Delhi-based Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR),” Sahay said.

A one-year PG Diploma in Prosecution for practising lawyers and LLB students has also been designed.

“We have taken suggestions from renowned lawyers before finalising the course, which revolves around the entire process of how prosecution is done in any court,” he said.

The university started in 2009 with a one-year Diploma in Police Science (DIPS) course. In subsequent years, three more courses were added in the field of police science, criminology and security management, Sahay said.

“To facilitate students of other states, all the courses will be taught in English. The admission process for all these courses has been started and ends on June 25,” he added.

Mahindra forays into higher education, first batch next month

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June 26, 2014

‘Mahindra Ecole Centrale’ (MEC), Mahindra Group’s flagship engineering institution in the higher education space, will roll-out its pilot batch next month.

MEC has been formed in collaboration with Ecole Centrale Paris (ECP), one of the oldest engineering institutions in France, and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad.

The institute will offer an integrated dual degree five-year programme at its Hyderabad campus, which will include B Tech and M Tech degrees.

The pilot batch will have 180 seats. Ecole Centrale is a 200-year-old engineering institution in France that prides itself on its multidisciplinary approach.

Its alumni include Gustav Eiffel, the man behind the Eiffel Tower and Robert Peugeot, founder of Peugeot Cars. Just like Ecole Centrale, MEC will also keep an integrated multi-disciplinary approach in its engineering curriculum.

Apart from traditional branches such as computer sciences or mechanical engineering, among others, the curriculum will also cover some fundamentals in natural sciences, humanities, business and management.

Schematically, over five years, one third is devoted to basic knowledge: mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, humanities, philosophy, language and culture. Another third is on engineering and another one third is on business and management, soft skills, projects and internships.

“The multidisciplinary approach is the guarantee of the programme’s modernity: through this institution, students will develop the ability to adapt to change, to master the complexity of organisations, and to adapt to new technologies that are still in their infancy,” said Didier Clouteau, Dean, Academics, Mahindra Ecole Centrale.

Ranks in the JEE (Main) 2014 for national students and a valid score in SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) for international students (NRI / Foreign / PIO) are mandatory for admission to the programme. In addition, a candidate has to undergo counselling and branch allocation session of the institute to qualify for admission to the programme.

The annual academic fee for Indian students is Rs 4,00,000 per annum (which includes tuition fees, academic fees, institute exam fees, library, university eligibility fees and gymkhana facilities).

The amount for international students is $8,000. “The benefits for Indian students are many, but they all sum up with the same end: better jobs. Better jobs because of their ability to bridge several branches of engineering together, the international exposure they will get, the opportunities offered by French companies in India, and the job opportunity all over the world since the degree will be accredited by the French board of engineers,” said Clouteau.

Swraj Paul honoured for furthering Indo-UK educational ties

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June 26, 2014

NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition for his work in elevating Indo-UK educational ties.

“It is always nice to know when your own community recognises you,” Lord Paul said in reference to the award presented to him by the Global Skill Tree consortium at a gala ceremony at Madame Tussauds waxworks museum on Tuesday night.

“Education is one field India can be a world leader in. We need universities in India, which are world class and education needs to be the first thing on the agenda of any Indian government. The new government has started talking about it and I hope they stick to it,” said Paul, Caparo Group chief and Chancellor of two major UK universities – Wolverhampton and Westminster.

Other key awardees of the evening included his niece Sushma Berlia, president of the well-known Apeejay Stya Paul Group of Education in India.

She was among a select few Indian educationists to be awarded an international certificate and award for her role in “promoting the credibility of Indian education within India and globally”.

Apeejay Stya University is credited as being the first to initiate and promote liberal studies since its establishment under one of India’s noted visionaries, the late Dr Stya Paul – brother of Lord Swraj Paul.

“Education does not have boundaries and this is a very opportune time, as a new government takes over in India, to have a proactive policy in the field of Indo-UK educational exchange,” Berlia said.

“This is one field where the more we share, the richer we will become. Apeejay was founded 48 years ago by my father, Dr Stya Paul, who was the inspiration behind this institution based on human values and excellence.

“Over the years, we have invented and re-invented and gained from a lot of knowledge sharing with collaborations in India and internationally. With Britain, there is a strong shared history that we can build on,” she added.

Global Skill Tree is an India-based think tank which has launched a new ‘Great Place to Study – India’ initiative to promote India as a global hub of international education in the coming years.

India’s first consortium of Indian private universities and institutions is backed by Lavasa Corporation Limited, the construction giant behind a first-of-its-kind hill city in India.

“The thinking behind this new platform and new initiative is that India is great in everything and can be great in education as well,” said Shekhar Bhattacharjee, founder of Global Skill Tree.

Whistling Woods International film school, XLRI, Manipal University and Yenepoya University were among some of the other Indian educational institutions recognised with awards, which were presented by Dame Asha Khemka, chairperson of the Association of Colleges in India and only the second Indian-origin woman to be awarded a Damehood by Britain’s Queen this year.

British Indian lawyer Sarosh Zaiwalla, Liberal Democrat parliamentarian Lord Navnit Dholakia and NRI businessman Richie Nanda were also recognised with Global Leader Awards for their work in the fields of law, race relations and entrepreneurship respectively.

Jadavpur University ranked 76th in Asia

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June 26, 2014

In Times Higher Education Asia University Ranking 2014, West Bengal’s Jadavpur University has been ranked 76th among Asian universities.

Giving this information to the West Bengal Assembly during Zero Hour on Wednesday, Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) member Tarun Kanti Naskar said people in the state now could be proud of at least one of its educational institutions.

Naskar said the IITs have enough central assistance, but the city-based Jadavpur University achieved it with limited resources.

For the Asia rankings, data was collected and analysed by Thomson Reuters, using 13 indicators to examine performance in teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

The top 100 Asia Universities included 10 Indian universities – Panjab University, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee, IIT Guwahati, IIT Madras, Jadavpur University, Aligarh Muslim University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.

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