Orissa HC rejects CBI probe into multi-crore coal linkage scam in Orissa

29.6.2011 (UNI) Orissa High Court today refused to order for a CBI probe into the alleged multi-crore subsidised linkage coal scam in the state. 

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice V Gopala Gowda and Mr Justice B N Mohapatra, while disposing of a PIL seeking court's direction for a CBI probe into the scam, observed that the State Vigilance Directorate should be allowed to continue its probe in the matter. 

'At this stage, direction for CBI probe is not necessary,' the division bench ruled ordering the State Vigilance to conduct the enquiry. 

The court also directed the Vigilance department to take appropriate coercive steps against the accused persons involved in the scam and the anti-corruption wing of the police should complete the enquiry as soon as possible. 

However, petitioner Nishikanta Mishra, an advocate of the High Court, indicated that he would challenge the High Court ruling in the Supreme Court in a special leave petition (SLP). 

Mr Mishra had filed the PIL in June last year in which at least seven persons, including the Director of State Vigilance, were made opposite parties. 

Earlier, the vigilance sleuths had registered at least seven criminal cases against several persons including IAS officer Srikant Prusty, two officials of Orissa Small Industries Corporation (OSIC) were also arrested in connection with the scam. 

State Urban Development Minister Badri Narayan Patra and School and Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena, who on different occasions headed the OSIC were alleged to have been involved in the corruption as irregularities were committed when they were heading the OSIC.

The incident created a furore both inside and outside the State Assembly as the opposition parties created a hue and cry over the issue and demanded resignation of these two ministers. 

The High Court had granted anticipatory bails to as many as 20 officials and traders, including BJP leader and former president of Orissa Consumers’ Co-operative Federation (OCCF) Golak Mohapatra who were booked by the State vigilance directorate for their involvement in linkage coal scam. 

Former Managing Director of OCCF Akhila Chandra Jena, former MD of Cuttack DIC Srikant Prusty, were among the accused who obtained the anticipatory bails. 

Later the Vigilance Directorate submitted a status report in the High Court stating that at least 83 witnesses had been examined and a total of 97 documents were seized so far in all the seven criminal cases. UNI

Ostracised families knock on HC

The 52 families of Patana and another 12 of Gobindpur who were ostracised by antiPosco activists for supporting the steel project, have sought the Orissa High Court intervention into their plight. The families, led by Chandan Mohanty, filed public interest litigations (PILs) against the State Government, Jagatsinghpur administration and leaders of Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti. Their demands include resettlement in native villages and provision of maintenance allowance, education, health and other basic amenities. These families knocked on the High Court door after their repeated pleas to the Chief Minister, the Governor and the district administration to resettle them in their villages at Patana of Dhinkia panchayat failed to elicit any response. Around 217 members of these families are living in a rehabilitation colony of the company. Though Posco has been giving maintenance allowance to 52 families of Patana, no allowance has yet been given to the families from Gobindpur, claimed a villager. Besides, 12 families of Gobindpur were forced to leave their village in 2008 due to clashes between the anti and proPosco activists in which a person from the antiPosco camp was killed. Meanwhile, United Action Committee (UAC) has also appealed to the district administration to help the families to return to their villages.Work Continues to be StalledWork remained stalled at Posco's proposed plant site near Paradip for the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday, prompting Jagatsinghpur administration to invite agitating villagers for talks to break the deadlock. The administrative sources said that members of the United Action Committee (UAC), who are opposing the work on boundary wall and rehabilitation colony in Nuagaon and Gadakujang areas were invited for talks. Stating that the administration was waiting for UAC response, the sources added that the deadlock over UAC's six demands was likely to be resolved in two to three days to pave the way for resumption of project activities. UAC's demands include contract work for the local youths, rise in the price of homestead and agricultural land and increase in the compensation for betel vine workers and others.

Orissa: 134 schools likely to be adopted by different corporate houses

In a bid to improve the quality of education and also provide opportunities to various companies in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) sector, Orissa govt. has decided to hand over some schools to corporate houses in 10 industrialized districts.
These schools are presently run by SC and ST welfare department. The department has proposed for the new idea and asked the collectors Keonjher, Sundergarh, Koraput, Rayagada, Dhenkanal, Angul, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Jajpur and Kalahandi to take immediate follow-up action.
The Collectors will first call up a meeting with the CSR heads of the concerned corporate houses and will request them to take up the schools under the School Adoption Programme. Then after five year perspective plans will be drawn up along with commitment on part of both the schools as well as the adopting organization with clear cut responsibilities of either side. While doing the five year plan a financial implication for different activities will also be worked out.
A total of 134 schools are likely to be adopted by different corporate houses such as  OMC, Essel Mining, Rungta Mining, Sirajuddin, Ahluwalia, RSP, SAIL, Vedanta, IMFA, Bhusan steels ltd., JSPL, MCL, NALCO, Hindalco, Aditya Alumina, VISA, NINL, OHPC, NTPC, Monnet, Rohit ferrotech and JK Paper Mills.
Once the adoption programme is complete, then various activities are to be taken up, added the govt. notification sent to 10 district collectors.
There will be exchange programme of teachers and students with capacity building of teachers. School library and laboratory will be developed with modern equipments. Computer aided learning programmes will be carried out with visiting of eminent personalities. Regular Health check up, eye check up, blood donation camps will be organized.
Apart from this steps are to be taken to develop the infrastructure aspect of the school campus. Provision of drinking water, separate toilet for boys and girls, a good auditorium, school and hostel electrification are the important parameters for infrastructure development.

Hold babu’s salary till teacher gets dues, tribunal tells Orissa

The State Administrative Tribunal has ordered that the salary of senior IAS officer, who is the secretary of the Orissa school and mass education department, be held back till a Sanskrit teacher gets his dues from the department.

SAT chairman Nityananda Prusty directed the government to stop the salary of Aaparajita Sarangi from this month till the teacher, Prafulla Chandra Mishra, got his dues from the department. Chief secretary B K Patnaik said the government would abide by the tribunal’s order.

SAT sources said Mishra had filed a case before the tribunal over payment of his dues under time-bound advancement scale of pay from 1988. In August 2009, SAT had asked the department to pay Mishra his dues within four weeks. When the dues were not given, Mishra filed a contempt of court case before SAT in August 2010.

Cloud Computing comes easy for IT aspirants

NIIT Limited has announced launch of newage BSc(IT) bachelor's degree in information technology programme that can be pursued from anywhere anytime, by leveraging the unique 'cloud learning methodology'. NIIT is the leading global talent development corporation and Asia's largest IT trainer. The pioneering NIIT Cloud CampusTM empowers the student to learn on his/her own terms, at his/her own pace, wherever and whenever s/he wants it. Students enjoy higher mobility as they can easily access educational services using a 'Netbook' that connects them to NIIT's Cloud CampusTM network. The BSc(IT) syllabus is based on a revolutionary educational paradigm called collaborative learning which takes students beyond the traditional classroombased studentteacher relationship. The technologydriven learning environment of NIIT's Cloud Learning Methodology supports group learning through interactive features like 24x7 lab and elibrary access, instant tech updates, interaction with faculty and peers and access to online video streams. G Raghavan, Chief Executive, Career Building Solutions, NIIT Limited, said, "The newage BSC(IT) programme will help create a pool of trained professionals for today's globalised knowledge economy.'' Cloud computing is a phenomenon of the 21st century, an all new services delivery model that uses the Internet as a platform. TNIE SCHOLARSHIP: In order to enable the college students acquire most essential skills at graduation level, The New Indian Express has announced scholarships for BSc (IT). The scholarship entrance test will be conducted at specific education centres of NIIT in Orissa. The scholarships will be in the form of substantial fee subsidy to PlusTwo appeared students belonging to any stream in the State aspiring to begin their career in the new global economy.

Annapurna Studios launches International School of Film & Media

Annapurna StudiosPrivate Limited today announced the launch of the International Institute ofFilm & Media (ISFM) in Hyderabad, the onlyprivate, non-profit film and media institute in India.  The institute has the dual mission ofproviding world-class education to aspiring students and offering highlytrained talent to the entire media industry. The launch event was marked by thepresence of Mr. Akkineni Nageswara Rao, veteran actor Nagarjuna and instituteCEO, Mr. Kurt Inderbitzin who jointly unveiled the logo of the institute.

Located in the premises of Annapurna Studios, the International School of Film and Media will provide a world-class learning experience by combining government-recognized degrees with the best practices of international higher education. Theinstitute will also associate with multiple international film schools,establishing student and faculty exchange programs and other internationalopportunities for aspiring students

Privately managed, non-profit filminstitute

·       Awards recognized Degrees

·       Offers students cutting-edge technology

·       Modelled after the best higher education institutes in the world

·       Rivals the best film and media programs

·      Largest campus of any film school in Asia: 22 acres.

ISFM is built ona pillar of state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology, aiming to addressvery relevant concerns raised by the media industry today. These concernsinclude, according to FICCI Frames 2008, a shortage of quality institutionsoffering technical training in media and resulting in a huge “shortage ofskilled media professionals.” These concerns also include, according to theNational Skill Development Corporation, that the Indian media and entertainmentindustry will require an additional 3 million trained staff over the nextdecade.

CEO KurtInderbitzin summed up the issue: “India should be a globaldestination for media content production. But unfortunately it is not.. Despite the fact that India is developing world-class studio facilitiesall over the country; despite the fact that labour here is still relativelycheap; despite the fact that the country has extraordinary locations forshooting; despite all of that, relatively little international media is createdin India.  And we believe the majorreason for this is the accurate perception that there is a lack of properlytrained people here in media.”.Annapurna Studios, one of South India’s leadingfilm production companies and studios, has taken a giant step towards tacklingthese problems by way of creating access to a 22 acre campus, with 10 soundstages, permanent sets and cutting-edge post production facilities for aspiringstudents at the International School of Film &Media. The institute is affiliating with the world’s best media technologycompanies to provide students with 24 hour access to the latest computers andfilmmaking software and is backed by some of south India’s biggest names in filmmaking,acting, animation and visual effects. These relationships will provide studentswith unparalleled opportunities for internships and placements.

As India’s firstprivate, non-profit film institute, ISFM will strive to help the film and mediaindustry  throughout the country byputting students’ quality of education over profits and by encouraging mediacompanies to be involved with the school by offering training input,facilities, equipment and/or donations. Also, as part of the institute’scommitment to giving back to the community, all full-time students will beinvolved in community service, helping other charitable organisations tounderstand and utilise media better.

The institute isalso establishing an endowment fund, managed by an independent board ofdirectors, to provide scholarships to talented students from underprivilegedbackgrounds.

ISFM is built ona model of openness and transparency, with publicly available data postedonline for all to see, and staff and faculty meetings open to the public.

Mr. N AkkineniNageswara Rao, Founder, Annapurna Studios, commented at the event that “Sincetime in memorial, the Akkineni family has made a mark in a variety of ventures.There has always been a discussion within the family on ways to give back tothe industry and community and the country. We strongly felt that the best wayto give back was through education, and specifically, education in media.Hence, a decision was made to develop a non-profit film school to train thenext generation of media professionals.”

CEO Kurt Inderbitzin added: “The mediaindustry in Indiahas not historically embraced professional training.  Now, as competition increases in Indiafromdomestic and international media sources, there is a growing realization thatfor Indian media to survive and prosper long into the future, it must havewell-educated professionals to lead the way. And that is what we will beproviding at theInternational School of Film &Media.”

Courses:

Admissions openfrom 1st July for short courses in film-making. These courses have small classsizes and limited seats. Students are requested to apply as early as possible.

Admissions fordegree programs will open in the next six months to a year.

Faculty:

The faculty willbe comprised of experienced filmmakers and media industry professionals. ISFMis currently in talks with potential faculty across India and around the world, and islooking forward to announcing our teachers shortly.  The faculty will undergo rigorous training toensure that their teaching methods are top-notch.

Veteran actorNagarjuna commented, “The major force of change is globalisation. Indian filmsare reaching wider audiences around the world and international films areconstantly being released in India.The result is that Indian film, television, and animation has to compete on aglobal stage. Today, there is a greater tendency among the young Indians tocompare Bollywood movies with the latestHollywoodproductions and they expect the same technical and story quality. In order tomatch international standards there is a dire need for well-equipped filminstitutes like ISFM.”

Realty loan surges after a lull year

Bank loans to commercial real estate surged during the year ended May 20, registering a growth of 20 per cent, compared to a one per cent growth in the same period the previous year, data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed. Overall bank credit has risen 21.9 per cent in May, compared with 18.1 per cent in the corresponding period last year.

Similarly, growth in home loan disbursements grew at 17.4 per cent, compared with 9.6 per cent the previous year. This was despite RBI increasing risk weight of high-value home loans. During the second quarter review of the monetary policy of 2010-11, RBI had raised the risk weight for residential housing loans of Rs 75 lakh and above to 125 per cent.

Bank loans to non-banking finance companies also saw a robust growth of 54.4 per cent —significantly higher than the 17.5 per cent in the corresponding period last year.

Loan growth to the farm sector, however, declined sharply, to 12.8 per cent in May, as compared with 21 per cent the previous year.

Retail loans, comprising home, auto and education, among others, rose 17.7 per cent, against 5.6 per cent in the corresponding period last year.

In retail, while consumer durables and vehicles loans surged, growth in education loan fell. Banks, worried about delinquencies in study loans, became cautious in disbursing such loans. As a result, education loan growth fell from 29 per cent to 19 per cent. Growth in consumer durables was 26.6 per cent, compared to 1.8 per cent; while auto loan grew 24 per cent, compared to 7.3 per cent.

Frontline Magazine Extols Cuban Education

The latest issue of Frontline magazine, published in New Delhi, India, featured an article about Cuba reading that the island’s education system excels due to the resources and support provided by the Cuban government to this field. 

The magazine highlights that a large part of the Cuban’s gross domestic product is earmarked for education, which, different from other Third World countries, is considered a priority by the island's government.

Frontline, which is a well-known magazine among intellectuals and progressive readers of India, suggests that some of Cuban experience in education should be applied in the Asian country.

Cuba is known for allocating one of the largest education budgets of Latin America. Its education system is one of the greatest social achievements of the Revolution and is taken as a model by the United Nations.

Ministers from Latin American countries have praised in several international forums the Cuban government’s efforts to maintain its education system free and universal. / Radio Habana Cuba

Incurable disease info sought in 20 days

The state information commissioner has directed the public information officer to provide a list of incurable diseases and, in particular, specific information about sickle cell disease to the city-basedSickle Cell Society of India (SCSI) within 20 days after discussing the issue with the health department, Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) and the dean of Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital too. 

President of the society, Sampat Ramteke has been trying to get the information from DMER through an RTI application which deflected the question to the information officer of the health department. When no reply was given by either of the departments, he sought the help of the information commissioner. 

"DMER did not answer the questions claiming they did not have the relevant information. They are the people who regularize the content of medical education in the state. If they don't know all this, how are they going to teach the students," asked Ramteke. 

He approached the commissioner as the health department also did not reply even after two months of the date of receiving the application. After hearing the complaints and explanations from both sides, state information commissioner PW Patil declared that the issue should be given priority as it concerns the health of the common man. He also said that the information sought by the organization be provided within 20 days of receiving the order by the respective departments. 

The information being sought included the meaning and definition of incurable diseases, a list of diseases that can be grouped as incurable, and the authority issuing certification to people with such diseases. Several questions are also raised about sickle cell disease like whether it is a genetic blood disorder, its ill effects, the average lifespan of an affected person and the expenses of living a quality life after being affected by it. 

"Several provisions have been made by the government for those afflicted by blood disorders, including financial benefits. The answers we get would make it clear whether SCD affected people can avail of them, too. It is very important as most people who get this disease belong to the economically weaker section of the society," explained Ramteke.

UK-India is about strategic partnership - Lord Stephen Green

"UK-India partnership is about strategic partnership and not just about buying and selling transaction" said Lord Stephen Green, Minister for Trade and Investment, UK at the ‘UK -India: Next steps towards greater partnerships’, a conference jointly organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the University college London (UCL) in London, today.

UK is now very focused on its needs to be engaged in India and naturally seeking their place in the very exciting, rapidly developing Indian market, he said.
Lord Green added that while India faces challenges especially in infrastructure, it also presents huge opportunities to businesses especially in the entire urbanization process and the digitalization of the economy. As new technology sweeps through the world, both UK and India can do a lot together. Lord Green later released a  CII and UCL Report on “Partnerships in Manufacturing: Roadmap Ahead”.

Speaking at the conference, Mr Nalin Surie, High Commissioner of India to UK pointed out that the Report contains recommendations  that the two governments have been focusing upon. Mr Surie further said that there is a need for both our economies in the near and medium term to refocus on manufacturing especially in the SME and advanced manufacturing sector. This shift is necessary not only for providing additional employment but also sustainability, he said.

Mr B Muthuraman, President CII speaking on the occasion said that the manufacturing sector in India is under rapid transformation and innovation in manufacturing is the way forward. This will be the prominent area of cooperation between Indian and UK. Both countries can jointly explore emerging areas in manufacturing and also cooperate in new technologies in the small and medium enterprises.

Also speaking at the session were professor Michael Worton, Vice provost UCL, Mr Anil Shrikhande, President Rolls Royce, India and Prof David Begg, Principal, Imperial college business school.

The Conference also covered a session on Partnerships in Innovations and Design and Skills development, speaking at the session on Innovation and Design, Mr Adi Godrej, President Designate CII, identified Education, Health and IT as the key areas for Partnerships in services sector.

During the conference, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) signed two MoUs in the field of higher education and research -with University College London (UCL) and with Imperial College. Director-General of CII, Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, signed the MoUs with Vice-Provost (Academic and International) of UCL, Professor Michael Worton, and Head of Imperial College’s business school, Professor David Begg. The MoUs were signed in the presence of UK’s minister for trade and investment Lord Stephen Green.

The objective of the MoUs, is to promote co-operation between the two institutes of higher learning and CII in the field of research, education and training. The understanding with UCL is that it will contribute to social engagement, community building, regeneration and social mobility through collaborative projects.

With Imperial College the identified areas of co-operation are aeronautics, automotive, water, bio-inspired technology, climate change, earth science and engineering, innovation and entrepreneurship, nanoscience, nanotechnology, energy, materials and health. Besides conducting joint seminars and workshops, the MoUs will see promotion of technology offers and requests from both the countries through a common portal. Joint studies will also be undertaken on models of success.

Mr B Muthuraman, President, CII, and Vice Chairman, Tata Steel, is leading the annual CII CEOs’ Mission to UK . The CII delegation had a fruitful interaction with Rt Hon Dr. Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovations and Skills. The 16-member CII CEOs Mission to the UK includes Mr Adi Godrej, President-Designate, CII and Chairman, Godrej Group; Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII; CII past presidents, Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, Hero Corporate Services, Mr Rajive Kaul, Chairman, Nicco Corporation, Mr Subodh Bhargava, Chairman, Tata Communications, and Mr Dhruv M Sawhney, Chairman & MD, Triveni Engineering and Industries together with Mr. Phiroz Vandrevala, MD & Vice Chairman Diligenta Ltd.; Dr. Naushad Forbes, Director Forbes Marshall; Mr Deepak Premnarayen, Chairman ICS Group; Mr Atul Punj, Chairman Punj Lloyd Ltd.; Mr Mukesh Aghi, CEO(Asia Pacific), Steria; Mr Prashant Jhawar, Chairman Usha Martin; Mr Sanjay Nayar, CEO KKR India Advisors and Mr Suhel Seth, Managing Partner Counselage India Pvt Ltd. The delegation also met Lord Mc Nally, Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords Ministry of Justice

MP first in India to give UGC-salaries to professors

Madhya Pradesh is the first state in the country to give UGC-approved-salary to the college professors.

In a letter addressed to the professors in the state, Madhya Pradesh Higher Education and Technical Education Minister Lakshmikant Sharma assured that he would not restrain from taking action against irregularities and deterioration in quality. the minister said now that the government has granted the profesorrs whatever theyd emanded, better performance is expected of them.

The higher education minister further wrote the next session that starts from Friday will be celebrated as the Quality year for education. He also said the government will pay attention to solving issues related to promotion, filing up of vacancies and providing better facilities for colleges and universities in the state.

Sharma said if a professor has some personal grievances, he or she can personally meet the minister. He will also make surprise visits to the various colleges, he added in the letter.

Newcastle University maintains its rank

Newcastle University, UK, the global partner of ECube Global, Mumbai, has maintained its strong position as one of the top institutions in the country, according to the latest Times Good University Guide.

The guide, released this week, puts Newcastle at 25th place in the UK, the same position as last year, but with substantial improvements to its overall score and to its performance in several of the key indicators.

At a time when students are considering higher tuition fees and choices for 2012 entry, an important category is 'graduate prospects'. Newcastle University is placed 15th in the UK, up from 29th last year- a key indicator of the employment boost a degree from Newcastle can give. The University has also improved in the categories of student satisfaction and the percentage of good honours degrees achieved; along with spend on facilities and services, entry standards and the completion rate, which is now at over 94% placing Newcastle 12th nationally.

At subject level, Newcastle University scored well across the spectrum, with 26 subjects in the top twenty including 14 in the top ten and 5 in the top five.

The Complete University Guide released by the Independent earlier this year had Newcastle in 24th place overall, up five places from the year before. And the latest Sunday Times University Guide placed Newcastle in the top 20 in the country.

Suzanne Cholerton Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Learning & Teaching- Newcastle University, said: "It is pleasing that we are maintaining, and in many cases improving on, the very high standards we set ourselves. We continually look at how we can improve the experience we offer to students studying at Newcastle. The way in which our programmes provide students with knowledge and skills to enhance their employability is an outcome of higher education which will become increasingly important for students with the increase in tuition fees in 2012."

Sandeep Goenka, Director- ECube, also added: "It is a proud moment for ECube Global to be associated with a brand like Newcastle University; moreover this will definitely restore the faith on the quality of education that we offer with our associations. With this announcement the benchmark for ECube has rose further".

Notes to Editor

ECube Global College (EGC) & Newcastle University, UK , both have a transparent but strategic association. This association is to offer twining programmes in India in various courses in the engineering system. Broken on a 1+2 format, the student will complete his first year of the engineering course with ECube Global in India and subsequently proceed to the University for the second and third year.

ECube Global College is a state-of-art educational hub with a difference. It aims at being a centre of distinction imparting education to meet the career development ambitions of students bearing in mind the demands of a changing global environment. The name ECube is an acronym for Enlighten, Enrich and Empower, the three prime factors that have driven the promoters to strive towards Education, Equality and Excellence.

Educomp conferred with Excellence Award by Institute of Economic Studies

Educomp Solutions Ltd, India’s largest education company, was conferred with the prestigious “Excellence Award” and Mr. Soumya Kanti, President of Edureach (PPP & ICT Division of Educomp Solutions Ltd.) was awarded the “Udyog Rattan Award” by the Institute of Economic Studies.

Institute of Economic Studies (IES), a premier research-oriented and awareness-promoting organization, conferred the Excellence Award to Educomp for its outstanding contribution towards developing the education sector in India through excellence in Productivity, Quality, Innovation & Management of holistic range of educational products and services. The Udyog Rattan Award was given to Mr. Soumya Kanti because of his invaluable contribution to the industrial development of the country through transforming of the teaching-learning processes by empowering teachers and encouraging students to acquire knowledge and gain conceptual clarity through use of ICT

Over the years, Educomp, through its Edureach division, has partnered with over 15 states in implementing various ICT projects covering about 16000 Government schools and over six million students every year. Under PPP model, it has been providing ICT infrastructure, skilled manpower, training faculty, multimedia content & courseware, training and capacity building of subject teachers and educational stake holders etc. depending on the need and agreement with different state Governments. Mr. Soumya Kanti has led this effort at Educomp and under his leadership Edureach has become the preferred partner for large scale education projects under the PPP model.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Soumya Kanti said, “This prestigious award validates Educomp’s efforts in trying to bring about a visible change in the way education is imparted in the country. I dedicate this award to my entire team of over 10,000 members who are carrying high the flame of ICT in the remotest corners of the country. These awards will further motivate them in their efforts to fulfill Educomp’s mission to provide quality education and access to education for all”

The awards were presented by H.E. Shri Shekhar Dutt, Hon’ble Governor of, Chattisgarh atIES’ Economic Development seminar in the presence of various eminent personalities. Some of the dignitaries present at the occasion included; Mr. S.P.S Bakshi, Chairman & Managing Director, Engineering Project India Ltd, Shri Kishan Kapoor, Hon’ble Minister of Industries, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Dr. Bhishma Narayan Singh, Hon’ble Former Union Minister & Governor of Tamil Nadu & Assam

Canada-India education summit at Carleton produces course for collaboration

EMC News - A meeting of minds occurred when over 40 university presidents and vice chancellors from Canada and India came together last week at Carleton University to concentrate on solving the very real problems which present roadblocks to greater collaboration in research and academic programs, more exchange programs and joint supervision of graduate students. One of the roadblocks specifically addressed was credit transfer and one of the tools to promote greater collaboration was technology. Delegates proposed a number of positive steps to further collaboration, to resolve the credit transfer issue and to promote the expanded use of technology. They included:

Undertaking a joint (bilateral) project to create a cell phone application to be available in both nations,

- Collecting among Canadian universities information on programs, faculties and universities, colleges or IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) already approved for credit transfer by each institution so this can be shared to eliminate (or at least reduce) the need to complete research on every program for which credit transfer is sought,

- Considering not credits but content and hours of lecture as well as the students' ability to succeed in the program for which credit transfer is sought,

- Creating a committee to continue work on the issue,

- Requesting governments to provide additional grants specifically for joint research projects between researchers in both nations,

- Creating a website where researchers could locate partners and where universities could list the desired qualities of their desired exchange partners,

- Seeking exchanges which will specifically enhance the strengths of two institutions or which will create strength,

Finding means to support the travel of students and faculty who cannot afford it. 

he conference was opened in style by Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. John Baird, whose insights provided a fine platform for thought and action. The conference has set a pathway to future collaboration, specific goals and identified the players and committees to be consulted. The conference also aided all the players in getting to know each other better and during the proceedings many new collaborative partnerships were begun.

AICTE to Restore Engineering Eligibility Percentage to 45%

Reportedly from sources, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has nodded for lowering down the minimum +2 / II PUC percentage by 5%. Which means the eligibility criteria for engineering admissions will now be restored back to 45% for General and 40% for reserved categories. Earlier this year AICTE has hiked the eligibility norms to 50% for General & 45% for reserved classes keeping in view of quality. The decision will favor many Engineering Colleges & Students across the Country, as many as 15,000 engineering seats were left out in Karnataka Engineering Colleges, 20,000 seats were unfilled in Maharastra last year.

The decision might just help students to secure admission in Engineering Colleges, however it may have worse effect on the quality of Engineers. The unemployment rate will significantly go up with thousands of Engineering Graduates graduated every year, colleges find it difficult to offer campus placements.

Top MNC’s like Infosys, TCS keeps a standard benchmark of 60% through out the academics to sit in campus placements. This also includes percentage in +2 / II PUC level, students who just made it to the Engineering Colleges with lower cutoff marks will have to face tough battle later on.

What is your opinion ? Should AICTE emphasize on quality rather than quantity ?

New vistas for India-New Zealand trade

New Zealand and India may well appear to be two widely different nations in the Asia-Pacific region, but we share strong and deep people-to-people links across sport, education and tourism. This week New Zealand Prime Minister John Key and I, along with a delegation of senior New Zealand business and government leaders, have had a chance to build on these bonds - from the boardroom to Bollywood.

With both countries committed to strengthening the existing bilateral relationship, developing greater economic interaction and enhancing socioeconomic cooperation, the New Zealand-India relationship has a solid base for strong growth and development.

Over the past 12 months, India has become New Zealand's seventh largest export market, with exports increasing by 40% from March 2010 to March 2011. There has also been growth in imports and two-way trade between India and New Zealand is now at NZ$1.28 billion per annum.

But both the New Zealand government and our counterparts here in India believe that this relationship has much further to grow - and it is in the interest of both nations to realise this potential.

There has been much talk during our visit about our recent Free Trade Agreement negotiations, which are still in discussion. A comprehensive FTA is the single-most important bilateral platform for increasing trade, allowing more open access and investment flows, and its conclusion would provide the impetus for each country to grasp mutual benefits.

The FTA will provide a platform for the New Zealand-India economic relationship to soar. It will improve business and investment links between both countries. It will set up a more strategic relationship, offering partnership and development opportunities across industries - for example, New Zealand helping India to meet food security objectives. India is looking to ramp up production to meet increasing demand and New Zealand has a long agricultural history.

We are widely regarded as leading the international farming community in animal welfare, traceability and food safety, and agricultural sustainability - and we believe we can work closely with the agricultural sector in revolutionising post-harvest management logistics in India.

New Zealand can also offer technology in a broad range of areas, including agri-processing, food processing, technology transfer in refrigeration, cold chains, storage and logistics for minimising post-production losses.

New Zealand's interest is in growing trade in agricultural products, including dairy, horticulture and wine. But we are aware of the need to complement, rather than compete with, Indian goods - as with apples. New Zealand is not just known as a safe food basket though - we also have niche skill-sets, in areas such as aviation, wood, ICT, high-value manufacturing, and green technologies.

During the New Zealand delegation's time in India, I was happy to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between New Zealand technology company Finzsoft and HCL Technologies , around innovative banking software. The two companies will work in partnership to deliver new high-value technology solutions into India, New Zealand, Australia - and ultimately further afield. 

Are Indian institutes casting a negative light on minority groups?

Just when you thought the reputation of India’s higher education sector couldn’t get worse, two recent developments regarding scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/ST) cast doubt on the approach of a few of New Delhi’s academic institutions.

In one case, two Delhi University officials have been arrested for supplying fake caste/tribe certificates to students for admission to colleges. In another case, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, a branch of one of the most prestigious engineering and technology oriented institutes of higher education in India, has proposed to dish out “etiquette lessons” for its freshman SC/ST students.

The arrest of two permanent employees of Delhi University’s Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) cell came after a 26-year-old man allegedly managed to secure admissions for a dozen students in eight colleges this admission season.

His “educational consultancy firm” guaranteed admission to renowned colleges in the university by providing forged caste certificates for which he charged exorbitant amounts.

Delhi University reserves 22.5 percent seats for candidates who belong to the SC/ST category, recognised as minority groups by the Constitution of India. This reserved provision allows the relaxation of 5 percent on the minimum required qualifying marks.

In another embarrassing development, IIT Delhi, which eases 10 percent in the admission criteria for SC/ST category students, has devised a ‘self-enrichment programme’ for its SC/ST freshman batch, a move that suggests a distinction between two sets of students on the sole basis of caste.

“A campus is a symbol of assimilation of many minds and several lives. To carve out a group on the basis of their origins and put them through a training programme — I would term it nothing short of apartheid,” a faculty member of the institute was quoted as saying.

Conversely, the IIT Delhi director told an English daily that the notice was worded inaptly. “There is something amiss in the notice. The classes are meant for all students from rural backgrounds – and not just for SC/ST students – and were conducted last year too,” Surendra Prasad clarified.

These fiascos have not only helped in tainting the reputation of these premier academies, but have also placed scheduled castes and scheduled tribes on the line for no fault of their own.

The reserved seats in higher education are gibed by many general category aspirants as they feel they miss out on opportunities because of these conditions. Such instances may have widened a chasm that has always been sensitive to begin with.

AICTE lowers cut-off for tech courses

The All India Council for Technical Education has reduced the cut-off marks in Intermediate for admissions to engineering courses, bowing to pressure from several states, including Andhra Pradesh.

It has brought down cut-off marks in 10+2 to 45 per cent for students from open category and to 40 per cent for reserved category students.

The AICTE had in January made it mandatory for students in the open category to secure 50 per cent marks in 10+2 group subjects (maths, physics and chemistry), and 45 per cent marks for students from reserved categories, in order to improve standards in engineering education.

However, several states have opposed the move, arguing that it will prevent students from studying engineering, particularly those from reserved categories and rural areas.

To date, getting pass marks (35 per cent) in the Intermediate was enough for a student to get admission in BE, B.Tech courses, apart from securing 25 per cent marks in Eamcet.

For students from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, even a ‘zero’ in the Eamcet would fetch them BE, B.Tech seats if they managed to pass Intermediate.

This has led to a deterioration of standards in engineering colleges. The state currently has 2.8 lakh engineering seats of which 95,000 seats remained vacant last year.

Afghan team visits Hisar varsity to discuss coordination in education

On a trip to India, a five-member delegation from Afghanistan visited the Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, to discuss mutual coordination in higher education. Led by Afghan Deputy Minister of Higher Education for Academic Affairs M Osmam Baburi, the delegation met university Vice-Chancellor M L Ranga on Thursday.

Baburi said that the purpose of his visit to India was to identify quality higher education institutes, so their students could be sent here for education. India had a significant role to play in the reconstruction of Afghanistan, besides helping it groom an educated future generation.

The delegation visited the departments of Physics, Environmental, Science and Technology, Bio-technology, Food Tech, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Technology, Electronics, Communications and Engineering, Pharmaceutical Science, Printing technology, Physiotherapy and Library, besides its hostels and computer centre.

Focus on strong education, industry training: India Inc

It is the responsibility of colleges to train the students in the fundamentals of the course while industries should provide the fresh recruits with the requisite training and skill set - this was the unanimous view of speakers at an interactive session held here. 

"Institutes will train students in basics. Industries can adopt colleges and train the students so that they are aware as to what the industry looks for in them," said M.S. Shunmugam of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras. 

He was speaking at an interactive session on Tamil Nadu Manufacturing Outlook 2011-12 organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Wednesday. 

According to John Devadason , unit head of Apollo Tyres Ltd Chennai operations, the company is tying up with local educational institutions so that its employees can pursue B.Tech courses and the company officials also teach the students on tyre production technologies. 

"There is no separate course curriculum on tyre technology , as a result the students are benefited with our teaching," he said. 

The tie-up with educational institutions has resulted in reduction in attrition rate, he said. 

Asked if the industries were trying to shift the training burden on to the educational institutions, Shunmugam said: "Educational institutes cannot churn out industry ready graduates. Industry has to train the fresh graduates. Industry has to invest in people." 

Giving the industries' perception, N.K. Ranganath, managing director at Grundfos Pumps India Pvt . Ltd, said: "Most of the engineering graduates are unemployable and many colleges do not have proper facilities." 

"Industries look at the basic skill sets in a recruit. We expect the institutes to impact such skills in their students, and companies can take on from there," said Jayakumar Ramdass, managing director at Mahendra Submersible Pumps Pvt . Ltd. 

Stressing the important role played by micro, medium and small enterprises (MSME) in the economic development of a state, R. Mahadevan, group technology director at India Pistons, said the involvement of SMEs in Indian economic development is below expectations. 

According to Ramdass, MSMEs need a Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF) similar to the one for the textiles industry so that they are able to upgrade their operations. 

Predicting downturn for next three quarters, Ranganath said Tamil Nadu is lagging behind among the four southern states in terms of growth rates. 

He said the vision of policy-makers is short-sighted and restricted to five years. 

"For developing power sector, one needs a vision for 25 years. We have to make development widespread and take the industries away from Chennai," Ranganath added.

Free education till Class X under 12th Plan: Sibal

HRD Ministry to connect 31,000 colleges via National Knowledge Centre in next 2 years

Advocating the need for holistic approach to improve education and thus employability status in India, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal today said here the 12th Five-Year Plan will look at providing free education from Class I to Class X. Currently, free education is available only till Class VIII.

He also announced the roll out of National Knowledge Centre that will connect 31,000 colleges over the next two years. “The knowledge centre will also provide 1,100 courses that have already been developed, to students free of charge. On the school education front, a National Mission of ICT has been set up and will use technology to the fullest,” he said while addressing the CII Edu Summit 2011 here.

Also, there are efforts to provide a 3D geospatial access of any college, university or school to a parent sitting at home. “The pilot project has already been carried in Karnataka, which would soon be a reality. As the future lies in geospatial technology, a parent or a student would be able to have a look at the classrooms, get information on the kind of education provided, infrastructure as well as other data pertaining to the institute sitting at his place,” Sibal said.

Top 10 Engineering Colleges in Orissa 2011

Top 10 Engineering Colleges in Orissa, 2011

1) University College of Engineering  - RANK 1
Burla, Orissa. Ph:                         +91- 663-2430211      

UCE under Biju Patnaik University of technology is the top rated college in Orissa providing undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in engineering. Teaching mode and handling practicals are of high standards in the college.
Useful links: http://www.uceburla.ac.in/

2) Institute of Technical Education & Research – RANK 2
SOA University, Bhubaneswar. Ph:                         +91-674- 2350181      
ITER is the part if Siksha O’ Anusandhan University approved by UGC. The institute is dedicated to provide high quality education and is also known for their management system.
Useful links: http://iter.ac.in/

3) College of Engineering & Technology (CET) - RANK 3
Bhubaneswar, Orissa. Ph:                         +91-674-2384110      

CET possesses well equipped laboratory facilities and campus for students to deliver maximum outcome. Training sessions within the course curriculum is the most notable advantage for the aspirants.
Useful links: http://www.cetindia.org/

4) Silicon Institute of Technology - RANK 4
Bhubaneswar, Orissa. Ph:                         + 91-674-2725448      

This private institute is counted as top among private institutes in Orissa and one among the top list. They are destined to flourish this as centre for excellence in the field of engineering and technology.
Useful links: http://www.silicon.ac.in/

5) CV Raman College of Engineering - RANK 5
Bhubaneswar, Orissa. Ph:                         +91-674-2460693      

The college offers undergraduate programmes in various branches of engineering and technology. The placement cell is highly effective in creating opportunities for students.
Useful links: http://cvraman.org/

6) National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) - RANK 6
Berhampur, Orissa. Ph:                         +91-680-2492421      

This private institute provides best conditions for the growth of engineers and technologists. The industrial training and consultancy services help students to improve their future standards.
Useful links: http://www.nist.edu/

7) Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology - RANK 7
Bhubaneswar, Orissa. Ph:                         + 91-674-2725113      

Top quality infrastructure and lab facilities in KIIT made it one among the top colleges offering engineering and technology courses. Eminent professors and lecturers deliver informative sessions and ideas for healthy discussions among students.
Useful links: http://www.kiit.ac.in/

8 ) Aryan Institute of Engineering and Technology - RANK 8
BARAKUDA, PANCHAGAON, KHURDA, Orissa.      Phone:                        +91- 09776209535      

The institute is affiliated to Biju Patnaik university of technology and B.Tech and lateral entry B.Tech courses. They are also conducting supplimentary coaching classes for better carrier options of students.
Useful links: http://www.aryan.ac.in/

9) Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology (IGIT) - RANK 9
Sarang, Orissa. Ph:                         + 91-6760-240371      

Eminent instructors and high tech lab facilities in IGIT made it as one of the prime choice among aspirants in engineering and technology field. They offers bachelor and degree courses in the subject.
Useful links: http://www.igitsarang.ac.in/

10) Orissa Engineering College (OEC) - RANK 10

Bhubaneswar, Orissa. Ph:                         +91-674-2541340      

The college, affiliated to B.P. University, stands for quality education to nurture talents for the society. They hope to create professionals with responsibility and dedication.
Useful links: http://www.oec.ac.in/