Disagreement on the WCCU and National university plans

Following are excerpts from a report in Telegraph.

The Prime Minister’s plans of setting up a new class of universities to specifically compete with global institutions are being held up by differences between key government arms.

The HRD ministry has proposed a category of “Navratna” institutes comprising 14 new universities and existing top state varsities, government officials have said.

These institutes would be on a par with “world-class” universities but would be known by the new name because some people are against the earlier nomenclature.

The universities of Calcutta, Mumbai and Chennai are being considered for Navratna status.

However, the University Grants Commission has opposed starting institutes with the specific mandate of competing with the world’s best, sources said.

… The UPA government had promised 14 new world-class universities, including one in Calcutta, under the eleventh five-year plan. But the differences have led to an impasse and the plans, though not yet shelved, are headed for the backburner, the sources said.

… At meetings with universities in July, September and last week, HRD ministry officials were questioned on how a new university stood a better chance of becoming “world-class” compared with established institutions.

So, the ministry — through higher education secretary R.P. Agrawal — suggested that instead of having just 14 new world-class universities, a new category could be created.

This could be called the Navratna category and it could include top state universities apart from the 14 new ones aspiring to world-class standards.

But UGC chairman Sukhdeo Thorat apparently said that creating another category would introduce a new Brahmin into an already layered “caste system” in higher education.

Under the “caste system”, central universities receive maximum attention from policy makers, followed by state universities. Deemed-to-be universities are a rung lower.

… Officials have also questioned the basis on which state universities would be given Navratna status.

“For instance, if Calcutta University is given the status, how can we refuse Jadavpur University?” an official asked.

The concept of “world class universities” is a part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s plans to make India a “knowledge economy” — a global hub of myriad branches of education and learning.

The initial plan sees them as unified centres of excellence in engineering, the sciences, humanities, management and medicine — on a par with the IITs, IIMs and the AIIMS.

Add comment November 19th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

Call for EOI for establishing a medical college in Balangir

Following is from http://www.wodcorissa.org/notice.pdf. As per http://www.wodcorissa.org/Corrigendum.pdf the deadline has been extended till November 30, 2008.

Add comment November 18th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

Indian Institute of Handloom Technology at Baragarh inaugurated: Sambada

The report at http://handlooms.nic.in/hl_dhds.pdf has details about the establishment of this IIHT. Following are some excerpts.

3.6 Setting up of IIHTs in Central Sector, Bargarh  

In order to cater to the needs of the handloom sector for technically qualified manpower, provision for opening the IIHTs in the Central Sector, where required, has been made in the 11^th Plan. The IIHT is being set up at Bargarh (Orissa) as announced by the Hon’ble PM during his visit to the State of Orissa in August 2006. As per the approved norms, the total cost for setting up of the IIHT is Rs. 13.05 crore and the total staff strength is 35.

Funding pattern :- The component will be fully funded by the Central Govt. and the funds will be required for meeting the expenditure on construction of building, salary, wages, scholarships/stipend, travel expenses, machinery & equipments and office expenses. 

…

Add comment November 18th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

Naveen asks for a regional center of IGNTU in Kandhamal and more

Following is an excerpt from a PTI report in Hindu:

Orissa government has asked the Centre to adopt a long term plan for Kandhamal, prone to ethno-communal violence instead of seeking any quick solution, official sources said on Tuesday.

Orissa’s suggestion came after the high-level central team headed by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, which visited Kandhamal today, sought to know what assistance was needed in mitigating the problems there.

"The Centre wants to support Orissa in building confidence among all sections of the people in Kandhamal," Pawar told reporters after the team arrived here yesterday.

Identifying backwardness in education, lack of connectivity and poor livelihood means as the cause behind the ethno-communal violence in Kandhamal, Orissa government asked the Centre to set up a campus of the National Tribal University, Amarkantak at Phulbani, the district headquarter town.

"As scheduled tribes constitute 52 per cent of Kandhamal’s population, it is proposed to have one Ekalavya model residential school (EMRS) in each block to cater to the needs of tribal children," …

This apart, the state government also asked for at least six schedule caste hostels to cater the children of SCs who comprise 17 per cent of the total population in the district . ..

Following is from a report in tathya.in.

Naveen Patnaik has demanded for a Regional Centre of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) in Kandhamal. 

Presenting the memorandum to the Central Ministerial Team headed by Sharad Pawar, the Chief Minister pleaded for the Centre of Higher Learning in the riot –hit tribal zone.

… He said it will go a long way to provide education to the tribal youth, who are in difficult situation.

Add comment November 18th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

Indian student numbers in the USA

(Thanks to Bijoyraj for the pointer in an orkut message board.)

Following is an excerpt from a report in the Economic Times.

… For the seventh year running, India is the leading source of foreign enrolments on US campuses, sending a record 94,563 students 

during the academic year 2007-2008.

Indian students now constitute 15 per cent of the total US university foreign enrolment which stood at 623,000 in this academic year, a 7 per cent increase over the 583,000 foreign students who came here in 2006-2007, according Open Doors, the authoritative annual report on the subject released on Monday.

The Indian increase of 13 per cent (up from 83,833 in 2006-2007) is only marginally overshadowed by the resurgence of interest in the US from Chinese students, whose numbers jumped up from 67,723 in 2006-2007 to 81,127 this past year, a 20 per cent increase. But since 2001/02, when it took over from China, India has remained the leading place of origin for students coming to the United States.

South Korea (69,124), Japan (33,974), and Canada (29,051) round off the top five countries sending students to the US, together accounting for 49 per cent of all international students.

… Among the many noteworthy facts in the 2008 Open Doors reports was the surge in students from Nepal coming to the US. There was a 15% increase in enrolments from Nepal this past year, putting it at number 11 with 8,936 students, following a 28% increase the previous year.

1 comment November 18th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

Ravenshaw University in two years under the leadership of VC Devdas Chhotray

Following is excerpted from a report in tathya.in.

• With a heritage of 150 years, it has a vision to grow as a Knowledge Center for the South East Asia, with 25000 residents in campus, by 2025 AD.
• Mr. Chhotray, who joined as the first Vice Chancellor of the Ravenshaw University on 15 November, two years ago obtained UGC approval in a record time of 6 months.
• Ravenshaw has also been restructured into eight Schools of Studies and several Centers on the model of JNU.
• … the new administration has introduced semester system of course work, with flexibility in choice of subjects.
• The university has ensured uninterrupted academic sessions, timely results and excellence in performance.
• Ravenshaw has now opened up 153 new faculty positions for which 6500 applications have been received on line.
• Ravenshaw has started its flagship MBA program from the current year in collaboration with XIMB, Bhubaneshwar.
• In collaboration with ICICI Bank, Ravenshaw has launched a PG Diploma Course in Banking and Insurance Management.
• Activities have been intensified for establishment of School of Aviation Management, jointly with the University of Kremb, Vienna, School of Foreign Languages and Master’s Course in Development Management.
• Initiative for establishment of the Center for Contemporary Music, with a large scale of Music Library and Department of Sound, Center for Understanding Orissa and Spoken English Portfolio is yielding results.
• Government of India has funded Ravenshaw for making the first barrier free University in the State and introducing disability studies.
• Ministry of Tourism has consented to set up a School of Hospitality & Hotel Management.
• Ministry of Communication & IT are considering a project for Language Technology Center, and Ministry of Culture will support a Conservation and Documentation Cell in the Ravenshaw Library.
• The Ministry of External Affairs has set up a Regional Centre for ICCR inside the Ravenshaw Campus and the Ministry of I & B have licensed Ravenshaw to run a FM Channel, as ‘Ravenshaw Radio’.
• In the meantime the State Government has cleared the project for a second campus, ‘Ravenshaw II’, by granting 150 acres of prime land in Cuttack free of cost.
• On the co-curricular front, Ravenshaw has floated 30 forums for students including the Ravenshaw Film Society, and has taken measures to set up Art Centre, Heritage Museum, and Ravenshaw Choir, said sources.
• Writing of the History of Ravenshaw College (1868-2006), has been commissioned.
• Under the Project ‘Ravenshaw -200’, two hundred eminent and elderly Ravenshavians are being captured in camera while reminiscencing their college days, to create a base of oral history.
• Ravenshaw has reinstituted many prestigious events like ‘Borasambar Debate’ after decades of discontinuance.
• Ravenshaw has proposed to set up a publication enterprise, the Ravenshaw University Press (RUP), for serious academic works, as well as peer reviewed research journals.
• It is also negotiating with the Ginger Group of Hotels for a 100 room unit as a public private partnership and utilize a part of the facility as a University Guest House for visiting faculties.

4 comments November 17th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

Two third of IGNTU students are tribals

Following is from a PTI report.

Tue-Sep 16, 2008

New Delhi / Press Trust of India

The first tribal university of the country, which aims at promoting higher education among the Scheduled Tribes, has started functioning from this session in Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh but sans teachers and a campus of its own.

Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), the first of its kind dedicated for education and research on tribals, has given admission to 150 students this year. It will offer courses in humanities and commerce.

"We have given admission to about 150 students, including 100 belonging to tribal communities. We are offering Bachelor Degree programmes in anthropology, tourism, political science, geography, history and commerce," IGNTU Vice-Chancellor C D Singh told PTI.

The university, which is yet to have its own Academic Council, has adopted the syllabus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) for the courses.

HRD Minister Arjun Singh had laid the foundation of the university at Amarkantak on April 19 this year. However, the land is yet to be acquired for its campus.

"We have hired a building of an Ashram in Amarkantak where we will conduct classes. Hope we will get the land soon from the state government," the Vice-Chancellor said.

A major portion of the land earmarked for the campus comes under forest area. It has not been transferred to the university till date.

The university has started the process of recruiting its registrar and teaching faculty.

The courses on anthropology and tourism will touch upon the tribals’ tradition and culture, he said.

"We will start research on tribal art, culture, tradition, language, custom, medicinal system, forest-based economic activities including special studies in flora and fauna and advancement in technologies relating to natural resources of tribal areas. All these will start after we get the campus and adequate staff," the Vice-Chancellor said.

The university, set up under a Central law enacted last year, will have jurisdiction all over the country and will be funded by the University Grants Commission.

The education of the tribal people has been a matter of concern in view of low gross enrolment ratio (GER), the percentage of people of the relevant age group in the realm of higher education. While the national GER is 11.6 percent, the GER of the tribals is a meagre 6.6 percent.

The university, which will be broadly on the pattern of existing Central universities, will cater particularly to the tribal people in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat, he said.

Besides headquarters at Amarkantak, the university will have regional centres and campuses in other tribal concentrated areas, the Vice-Chancellor said.

Authorities of the university like executive council, academic council, college development council, boards of studies, academic boards, management boards and finance committees will have adequate number of members from among the Scheduled Tribes, he said.

Amarkantak has been selected as the site for the university because it is a central point in the tribal areas stretching between Madhya Pradesh, Chhattishgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

Add comment November 16th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

Indian money spent in Australia for higher education

Thanks to Abi for the tip. 

As shown below, about $2 Billion Australian Dollar is being spent by about 60,000 Indians for their higher education in Australia. If 1/3rd of it is picked up by Vedanta University then they will be in great shape.

Add comment November 16th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

Oxford bookstore opens in Bhubaneswar

Following is an excerpt from a report in Statesman.

Chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the 28th store of Oxford Bookstore here today. The store has a huge collection of books relating to the state, its history and culture from Indian and international publishing houses.

In addition to the popular sections of fiction, literature, travel, and cookery, there are sections dealing with health, yoga, tantra and reiki. The New Age section includes books on religion, children, art and architecture, business, Indians writing in English, reference, vernaculars and nature. A collection of Indian and International magazines is also available at the store.

It is in a 1500 sq ft area and  located in Pal Heights which is 500 mts north of the Jayadev Vihar - NH 5 crossing and 500 mts from many other hotels (Mayfair Lagoon, Swosti plaza and Ginger.)

Add comment November 15th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

Manipur campus of IGNTU approved

Following is an excerpt from a report in e-pao.net.

New Delhi, November 11 2008:

STATE CHIEF Minister Okram Ibobi along with the Education Minister L Jayantakumar and the Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at the Prime Minister’s Office here this afternoon in connection with the reservation policy for recruitment of scheduled tribes in Manipur University and opening of a regional centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Manipur.

During the half an hour meeting, Chief Minister Ibobi told the Prime Minister that the Manipur University, which was a State University , became a Central University in the year 2005.The All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) and Manipur University Tribal Students’ Union (MUTSU) had been requesting the Central Government as well as the State Government seeking adoption of the State Government’s reservation policy in matters of recruitment in the Manipur University.

The Chief Minister further stated that based on the population composition of Manipur, the reservation policy of the State Government stipulated 31 pc reservation for Scheduled Tribes and 2 pc for the Scheduled Castes, as against 7.5 pc for Scheduled Tribes and 15 pc for Scheduled Castes in the Central Reservation Policy.

As such, the State Government had recommended to the Central Government the adoption of the State Reservation Policy by the Manipur University as a special dispensation keeping in view of the ethnic composition of Manipur.

O Ibobi also referred to the establishment of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh by a Central Act namely the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Act 2007.This Act empowered the University to make special provisions for the employment or admission of women, persons with disabilities or of persons belonging to the weaker sections of the society and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and scheduled Tribes.

The Chief Minister further expressed that Manipur had nine districts; out of which five districts were predominantly inhabited by the tribal communities.

The facilities for imparting education in hill districts were inadequate.

It would help a great deal in promoting education among the tribal communities of the State, if a Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University had been established in one of the hill districts of Manipur.

He demanded for setting up a Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in one of the hill districts of Manipur.

After patient hearing, the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh expressed that the rectification of the Central Reservation Policy required an amendment of the policy and it would take time.

But the Centre would see the possible way to rectify it.

In regards to the opening of a Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Manipur, the Prime Minister nodded enthusiastically at the proposal.

He advised the Union Secretary of Higher Education Shri Rameshwar Pal Agrawal who was also in the meeting asked to sit with the Ministers from Manipur tomorrow at 4 pm for working out the modality for opening of the Centre in Manipur.

Tomorrow, the Manipur Education minister Shri L.Jayantakumar Singh and the Tribal Development Minister Shri D.D.Thaisii will sit with the Union Secretary (Higher Education) Shri R.P.Agrawal at Shastri Bhavan here to chalk out the modality for opening of the Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in one of the hill districts of Manipur.

Following is an excerpt from the report in e-pao.net on the follow-up meeting.

 

November 13 2008: STATE CHIEF Minister Okram Ibobi and the Education Minister L Jayantakumar on Wednesday met the Union Minister for Human Resources Development Arjun Singh at Shastri Bhawan here to relay the assurance of the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh made on the previous day for opening of the Manipur campus of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University.

The meeting lasted for about 10 minutes.

In the afternoon at 4 pm on Wednesday at Shastri Bhawan here; the Manipur Education Minister L Jayantakumar, Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii and students leaders had an hour long discussion with the Union Secretary (Higher Education) RP Agrawal assisted by two Joint Secretaries for formulation of the proposed Manipur campus of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh.

The Union Secretary (Higher Education) informed the Manipur Ministers that the matter regarding the opening of a Regional Centre of the University in Manipur had been communicated to the Vice Chancellor of the University.

An expert group consisting of the representatives of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi had been formed for preparation of Detailed Project Reports of the proposed Centre in Manipur.

RP Agrawal also communicated to them for sending a high level team comprising of representatives from the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University to Manipur very soon to see the suitable location of the Centre.

The Secretary asked the Manipur representatives to find out a suitable location of the area of 500 to 700 acres.

He informed them that the appointment of faculty staff of the Centre would be done on the basis of the all-India norm and as for the admission of the students; it would be based on the ethnic composition of the State.

… The Manipur Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii said here today that the opening of the regional centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University would have a good opportunity not only for the tribal people of the region but also for the general people in learning different subjects in the University.

The Minister further stated that the proposed regional centre in Manipur would be the first campus of the University.

The Union Secretary told them that the Ministry received many proposals from different States for opening of the branches of the University in their respective States, he added.

Why is not Orissa proposing one such regional center in one of its tribal districts? At the current moment Kandhamala would be an easy sell.

2 comments November 14th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

AICTE to allow doubling of seats in colleges with a more than 4 year record

Following is an except from a report in expressbuzz.com.

As per AICTE’s decision, all degree and diploma technical institutes, which have completed four years, can double their students intake without having to augment the existing infrastructure.

In plain words, they can run a second shift because they have facility which are otherwise underutilised.

Going by the current scenario in Orissa, there are approximately 57 private engineering colleges with an approved intake of 22,000 seats in engineering disciplines, 3,000 in MCA classes and another 3,000 for MBA programmes. Then there are diploma institutes.

Of the 57 colleges, about 30 have completed four years and more which means they will be entitled to run the second shift. A conservative estimate would put the number of seats in second shift at 15,000.

The decision has come as a pleasant surprise for the engineering colleges which stand to gain the most.

For the students, it could be mean more opportunities to get an engineering degree.

‘More seats will mean more students can enrol in engineering courses and it is a good news for all those willing to pursue technical education,’ Orissa Private Engineering Colleges Association chairman Binod Dash said.

The existing facilities remain idle in many technical institutes in the State and the second shift would be able to utilise the same.

Addition of 15,000 students would not be a burden for the colleges, Dash said. Moreover, the teaching faculty would stand to gain, he added.

However, addition of 15,000 seats would also mean more work for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Committee which holds the test.

The million dollar question is will the addition benefit technical education? ‘Such a decision has taken me by surprise. It only makes business sense to me,’ said a member of the JEE Committee.

Given the AICTE assumption that existing facilities can be used for second shift means teaching faculty members would have to put in double the work if private institutes choose not to augment their number.

‘If facilities are remaining idle in the technical institutes, we had suggested in the past that the same can be used to train ITI and polytechnic students,’ said the official.

Besides, one of the most important issues will be employability of students who pass out every year.

‘Not many parent would send their wards to general colleges anymore but it remains to be seen how many would get jobs at the end,’ head of an institute said.

The AICTE decision will affect new colleges since more seats will now be available in old and established institutes which may prompt the former to cut down on their fees, another insider said.

1 comment November 13th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral

IIT JEE 2009: Students passing qualifying exam before Oct 1 2007 are not eleigible

The eligibility criteria has been made to discourage multi-year preparation for IIT JEE. To be eligible for IIT JEE 2009 students must NOT have passed their qualifying exam before Oct 1, 2007 and must not have taken admission to an IIT/IT-BHU/ISMU in the past by paying full fees. They must also have secured at least 60% in their qualifying exam. See details at the IIT JEE 2009 sites such as at IIT Guwahati.

3 comments November 10th, 2008 Author : Chitta Baral