“Strong push” to ensure English fluency

Chennai: The state Planning Commission, in its Approach Paper to the 11th Five Year Plan has sought a “strong push” to ensure fluency in English among school students.

It has said that this is essential in view of the emerging nature of the job market and the importance of the language as an essential pre – requisite skill in the modern economy. “It is possible to do this without affecting the primacy of Tamil, especially at the primary level, but will need considerable resources and a major capacity building exercise among teachers themselves.

“Strong push” to ensure English fluency

Tamilnadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation Ltd (TAHDCO)

Thirumangalam
Chennai – 600 101

Inviting proposals to conduct one year Air Hostess Training for SC / ST Girls.

TAHDCO invites proposals from reputed institutions to conduct one year Air Hostess Training Programme to 100 SC / ST Girls.

Tamilnadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation Ltd (TAHDCO)

IIT Madras Plans a second campus

Chennai: Its growth profile coupled with restrictions on expanding within reserve forest area is marking Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) consider establishing second campus.

“We hope to find land elsewhere to put up a second campus,” IIT-M director M.S.Ananth told a national seminar here on Thursday.

Later, taking to The Hindu he said IIT-M at one point considered setting up the proposed second campus in another State. But, with the Centre shooting down the proposal, it would soon approach the Tamil Nadu Government for land.

IIT Madras Plans a second campus

Madras University to commercialise newly patented products

Chennai: The University of Madras is on lookout for small and medium enterprises in the region to commercialise 10 of its newly patented bio and pharma products. These were developed by the technology business incubator (TBI) promoted by the university and the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

“We want to put these products before the small and medium enterprises working in the area of pharmaceuticals in early December, so that they can commercialise the products, or market them. Some of the SMEs may even like to refine the products or look at prototyping or scaling up the production facility,” says Prof. Ramachandran.

Madras University to commercialise newly patented products

State Open schooling to offer Tamil medium courses for class 8, 10 and 12

“Government urged to allocate Rs.1 – crore revolving fund”

Chennai: State Open schooling could be expanded to offer Tamil medium courses for Class 8, 10 and 12.

In a revised proposal calling for Rs.1 crore in funding, more manpower and doubled enrolment, the Directorate of Teacher Education Research and Training (DTERT), along with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), has asked the State Government to revive the struggling project. The Tamil Nadu State Open Schooling (SOS) system, the oldest in the country, has been suspended for the last four years, reportedly due to a shortage of monetary and human resources.

State Open schooling to offer Tamil medium courses for class 8, 10 and 12

500 Students chase a dream at Classmate Young Author finals

Chennai: More than 500 students from various city schools attempted to script success stories at the ‘Classmate Young Author Contest 2006’ Chennai finals held on Tuesday at Kamaraj Arangam.

A panel headed by author Ruskin Bond will judge the thrillers, mysteries and fantasies, written by students from class IX to XII. They will take into the topicality, originality, style, grammar and story line, before deciding the winners, according to organizers ITC Limited.

500 Students chase a dream at Classmate Young Author finals

Symbiosis International University

10 additional Symbiosis institutes included in Symbiosis International University

The Central Government, on the advice of the University Grants Commission (UGC), has declared that the 10 institutes listed below are included under the ambit of Symbiosis International University.

Students enrolling for full-time academic programmes at these institutes will now receive a Master’s / Graduate Degree on successful completion of the programme. As part of Symbiosis International University, these institutes will have regular additions, upgradation & innovation of syllabi as per needs of the time and as approved by the University.

Symbiosis International University

Bharathiar University refresher course in computer science

Coimbatore: The UGC – Academic Staff College of the Bharathiar University will organize a refresher course November 22 to December 12.

College and university teachers belonging to the computer science steam and who have completed two years of service may attend the course.

Experts from the field of computer science and engineering will impart training in the areas of recent training in the areas of recent researches, software development, industry-institution interaction and knowledge on emerging technologies.

Bharathiar University refresher course in computer science

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

Human Resource Development Group
(Examination Unit)
C.S.I.R. Complex
H.R.D. Group
Library Avenue, Pusa
New Delhi - 110012

The result of the Joint CSIR – UGC Test for Junior Research Fellowship and Eligibility for Lectureship held on 18th June, 2006 has been declared. Candidates may

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

National Defence Academy (NDA) to hike seats from 2009

Pune: IN a bid to meet the shortfall of officers in the Armed Forces, the National Defence Academy (NDA) has decided to increase its intake by 140 cadets. The academy currently admits 1, 800 cadets each year.

While the increased intake which translates to an increase of roughly 25 cadets per batch – is likely to start from 2009, the academy will start expanding infrastructure from next year. The academy will add one more squadron to the existing 15 to accommodate the extra cadets. “Work will start in the coming year and we will get a new building within two – three years. The plan is to increase the strength from the current 1, 800 cadets to 1, 940 cadets,” NDA commandant Lt. Gen A.K. Chopra said.

National Defence Academy (NDA) to hike seats from 2009

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) Students visit Cornel University

Coimbatore: Seven students and faculty members of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) had been on a two-week study tour to Cornell University, USA, from October 21 to November 4. The students of the International agriculture and Rural Development Course (INTAG) went on this trip as part of the Memorandum of Understanding between TNAU Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University and University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, and Cornwell University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, and Cornwell University, Ithaca, according to a press release of the TNAU.

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) Students visit Cornel University

Congress plans Rajiv Gandhi concept schools

New Delhi: The Congress high command is toying with the idea of setting up schools on the lines of “Saraswathi Sishu Mandirs” of the Sangh Parivar to create cadre base for a party.

The schools will be named Rajiv Gandhi concept schools. They will have ultra modern facilities and high-tech curricula. Of course, the history of the Congress party will be an important subject.

Admissions to these poorest of the poor belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes. They will also get free board and lodging.

Tenali MP V. Balashowry submitted the concept schools’ proposal to Congress president Sonia Gandhi recently. Sources said that Sonia asked Balashowry to prepare a detailed presentation on the schools for the senior leaders of the party.

Congress plans Rajiv Gandhi concept schools

IITs ready to implement quota from the next Academic Session

9% quota each year as per Veerappa Moily panel roadmap

New Delhi: The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) will implement the first phase of reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) from the 2007-08 academic session.

The Directors of the IITs made this clear to the Union Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh at a meeting in his office here on Monday.

The institutes are to implement nine per cent reservation each year as per the roadmap drawn by the Veerappa Moily committee in the next three academic sessions. “In the first year (2007-08) there seems to be no difficulty in implementing but they have some requirements for the next two years which will be addressed,” Mr. Singh told reporters after the meeting. The difficulties pertained to space, building and additional staff.

IITs ready to implement quota from the next Academic Session

Munnabhai’s Gandhigiri to be taught in college

Jaipur: In order to popularize Gandhigiri, the Vardhman Mahaveer Open University in Kota is all set to start a new course on the concept popularized by the Sanjay Dutt-starer ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’.

According to university authorities, which there are several institutes, which offer courses on Gandhian ideas and philosophies, there is no course, which deals with the practical implementation of these teachings in everyday life to resolve conflicts peacefully. It was this aim to bridge the gap between learning and practical implementation that the university decided to launch a certificate course on Gandhigiri.

Munnabhai’s Gandhigiri to be taught in college

No Satellite signal for a year, no education

Nashik: In tribal Gadchiroli, the satellite link connecting hundreds of students to the world of virtual learning has snapped. Even as ISRO plans to set up a statewide virtual hub at the Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU) in Nashik, its tribal students have started at blank screens across numerous virtual centres for nearly a year now.

“Last year, we ran BA and B.Com programmes through the satellite uplink for 15 days,” says Prof B.P.Barde, in-charge of the Aheri centre in Gadchiroli. “Since then there has been no enrolled any student for the MPSC programme. And even the 250 odd students pursuing various courses with us are not benefiting from the virtual classes in other parts of the state.”

No Satellite signal for a year, no education

Students barred from taking Examination

Hyderabad: In a jolt to some students, the B.Ed Committee on Monday decided not to permit the students of 19 B.Ed colleges that have flouted the norms to take the examinations this year.

The decision was taken at the B.Ed committee meeting convened at the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education. The list of the colleges will be disclosed on Tuesday.

The meeting also discussed issues that have been posing hurdles to the conduct of the counselling for admission into the colleges this year.
Flouting of norms by Bed Colleges

Accordingly, the National Council of Teacher Education, the apex body of teacher training, sought details from the universities and colleges separately.

Students barred from taking Examination

CAT 2006 The Detailed Analysis:

This year, we saw an extremely malnourished Common Admission Test (just 75 questions as against 90 last year). As expected, CAT 2006 threw up surprises. These were the prominent ones:

1. There were five options instead of the customary four, making it similar to GRE/ GMAT.

2. Every single question in VA was inferential, with the options being extremely close. One felt the necessity of an electron microscope to discriminate amongst them.

3. Grammar, the eternal favourite, was nowhere in sight. Para jumbles, where art thou?

4. Quant, surprisingly, failed to intimidate. It was like vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate and nuts on top. Need we say more?

5. DI/ Reasoning had no surprises. It was similar to the mock tests you have been writing in the past three months (in fact, easier).

CAT 2006 The Detailed Analysis:

Anna University rankings

With reference to the ness item “Chennai Students sweep Anna University results” (The Hindu, Chennai, November 15, page 1), some of the colleges have raised questions about the way the institutions were projected in terms of the ranks secured by their students.
Medals

The SRM group has stated that its final-year students secured 27 ranks and not 16 as reported. A.M. Natarajan, principal of Kongu Engineering College, has written to say that the college had actually got 19 medals and not 15 medals as mentioned in the report.
Position

Similarly, T.Krishnan, principal of Easwari Engineering College, has stated that the college stood in the eighth position with 14 university ranks.


Anna University rankings

English tough for many of the IIM Aspirants

Chennai: As they walked under the overcast sky on Sunday after the nationwide common admission test for prestigious management institutes, students, cursed in the same breath: “English did us in.” More than the questions, it was the answers that gave them a hard time.”

After a year’s preparation, a tough verbal ability was hardly on their minds. Their disappointment could not be washed away even by the quantitative analysis paper that was a tad easier.

“QA and DI (data interpretation) were easy, but English did me in,: said Dileep, who works for a software firm here. His friend Deepthi, who attended the test, echoed his words.

English tough for many of the IIM Aspirants

The great Entrance test debate

The Tamil Nadu Government’s decision to scrap the Common Entrance Test for professional courses has created divisions.

The Tamil Nadu Government’s decision to scrap the Common Entrance Test (CET) for admission to professional courses has sparked a lively debate. Political circles and a section of academicians have welcomed it as a decisive tilt in favour of the rural student’s community. But academics involved in syllabi up gradation and higher education appear skeptical; they are worried about the impact of doing away with a CET. Unfortunately, the actual report of the Anandakrishnan Committee has not been released. Officials say it will be tabled in the State Assembly during the winter session, when the Government is also expected to come up with a Bill to scrap the CET.

The great Entrance test debate

Hotel management admission

The National Council for Hotel Management will conduct the All-India Joint Entrance Examination for the admission to the B.Sc. course in hospitality and hotel administration at affiliated Institutes of Hotel Management in the country for the 2007-08 academic sessions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 15.

Hotel management admission

Indian Institute of Management

Indore

Announces the commencement of the seventh edition of the Global L'Oreal e-Strat Academic Challenge, an online business simulation game.
Details

This international competition is open to undergraduate and MBA students in their final two years of university or business school.

The six months long global competition will be hosted under the auspices of the Entrepreneurship & Consulting Club between November 2006 and April 2007

Prof. Scalem is the coordinator of the L'Oreal Academic Challenge 7th edition at IIM-Indore.
The game simulates the actual challenges faced by global cosmetics firms.

Indian Institute of Management

Italy internationalizes its education

Asian Students may be the flavour of the day, but Italian universities are leaving nothing to chance in attracting international students of all ilk.

Luiss University, for example, has a study programme for foreign students to learn Italian, but has also identified key areas for internationalization and orients its course suit global markets: Master’s programmes in General Management and Legal Advanced World Studies are specifically meant to attract international students. “We are also trying to identify areas of partnerships with Indian universities,” says Massimo Egidi, the university’s representative.

Italy internationalizes its education

Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management

Delhi
Extents

Last Date for Issue & submission of LBSIM application Forms for PGPM-2007-2009 upto 8.12.2006
Admission Procedure

Candidates who have appeared in desirous of applying to LBSIM, may obtain application forms on all working days from 8.30 AM to 8.00 PM on payment of Rs.1250/- in cash or DD in favour of Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, payable at New Delhi (Add Rs.75/- for sending form by post). The forms are also available from all centres of IMS Learning Resources and Career Launcher.

Application Form can also be downloaded from our website: www.lbsim.ac.in and submitted along with a DD for Rs.1325/- in favour of Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, payable at New Delhi.

Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management

Now a course in ‘Gandhigiri’

Jaipur: With the Gandhian thought back in popular consciousness, the Vardhaman Mahavir Open University at Kota in Rajasthan has decided to introduce a certificate course in “Gandhigiri” to make the students aware of non-violent methods of conflict resolution.

The university has appointed a core group of experts to formulate syllabus for the six-month course, which will have three main sections of introduction to the Gandhian thought, the concept of non-violence, and application of Gandhian philosophy to the daily life.

Now a course in ‘Gandhigiri’

UGC to review amendments

The University Grants commission’s expert committee intends to revisit existing amendments about upgradation of colleges to universities and the affiliation system in India.

The issues will be reviewed in the vision document being drafted for the Eleventh Five Year plan, UGC Secretary Tilak R. Kem said here recently. He was in Chennai to launch ‘Universal Education’, a monthly magazine on higher education.

Mr.Kem said that good colleges that offered quality education should get the chance to develop as universities. However, such colleges must not exploit education for commercial or political gain, he cautioned.

The UGC Secretary urged colleges to equip their students with ‘employable’ skills to suit the global market. Madras University Vice-Chancellor S.Ramachandran said only about nine percent of young people in India were enrolled in higher education programmes. Even Malaysia, Indonesia and China had higher percentages, he said.

UGC to review amendments

University of Madras - Institute of Distance Education Centres

University of Madras - Institute of Distance Education Centres

Centre Notification Other State, Mofussil and Chennai City Centers October / November 2006 Examinations

Other States
S. No. CENTRE / VENUE EXAMINATIONS
1. BANGALORE: S.S.R. College of Science and Commerce No. 11, Sixty Feet Road, Amarjyothi Nagar, Vijaya Nagar Extension, Bangalore 560 040. UG and PG All Branches, MCA, M.Sc (I.T) MBA BLIS, MLIS, M.Ed & M. Sc (Science)

University of Madras - Institute of Distance Education Centres

Teacher post will be filled through employment exchanges

Minister promises requisite teachings staff in all schools

Coimbatore: Minister for School Education Thangam Thennarasu said there on Saturday that 7, 979 newly created teacher’s posts for higher secondary classes (STD VI to VIII) will be filled in two months through employment exchanges. He told reporters that the Government was keen or providing adequate infrastructure and requisite teachings staff t o all Government schools. It had announced the filling up of 8, 500 existing vacancies. Of these, while 650 PG assistants and 4, 000 B.Ed. assistance would be recruited though the Teacher’s Recruitment Board (TRB), the rest were Secondary Grade candidates who would be recruited through employment exchanges.

While the list for the PG Assistants recruitment was awaited from the TRB after the examinations, the absorption process of B.Ed candidates began on November 5. Certificate verification was on in the case of Secondary Grade recruits.

Teacher post will be filled through employment exchanges

Malayalam portal on jobs and Education launched

Envisaged as a repository of digital information.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Malayalam portal on jobs and education – www.padavukal.org of the Kerala State IT Mission was launched here on Friday on Minister for Education M.A. Baby.

In this inaugural address Mr. Baby said the Government had launched a drive to reach IT-enabled education to students belonging to the underprivileged sections of society.

“A major weakness in this sector is the inability of teachers to fully utilize the potential of IT tools in educating the children.

The children for their part are using IT tools to learn. More training needs to be provided to the teachers overcome this shortcoming,” Mr. Baby said.

Malayalam portal on jobs and Education launched

Plus Two Syllabus to get Lighter

Committee examining syllabi of all the other classes.

Chennai: Students of Plus Two can relax a little bit. Having realized that the present syllabus is to heavy, the Government has decided to lighten it well ahead of the March final examinations.

A committee, headed by the State Planning Commission vice-chairman, M.Naganathan, has taken up the syllabus for detailed study. On Friday, School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu met Dr.Naganathan and the syllabus review committee, and held discussions on various issues in which portions to be detected figured.

The meet also discussed the 11th Five Year Plan approach to school education. Mr. Thennarasu said that he was told that the committee would submit its report by next week.

Plus Two Syllabus to get Lighter

Students display novel Projects at Science meet

Kurnool:Young minds came out with myriad solutions to the challenges of ecological disaster at the 14th State-level National Children’s Science Congress, which began at Montessori School here on Friday.
While Mayor S.Raghurami Reddy declared open the show, Collector M.Dana note address and went around the stalls.

Some of the projects presented by students on contemporary issues like bio-pesticides, herbal products and safe disposal plastics caught the fancy of the Collector and other judges.

Unlike the conventional science exhibitions, wherein students exhibit their models, the participants of the Science Congress develop a project, collect data and show the result.

Students display novel Projects at Science meet

Veterinary University ties up with U.S. Institution for Research

Projects to be taken up on infectious diseases, biotechnology.

Tiruchi: Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Virginia Tech University, Maryland, United States, to take up research Programmes.

Addressing presspersons was impressed over TANUVAS efforts in containing the bluetongue disease and the MoU would form part of the Indo-U.S. Knowledge Initiation programme.
The university had signed an MoU with Michigan State University and research was in progress.

Veterinary University ties up with U.S. Institution for Research

Bannari Amman Institute of Technology inks MoU with Biotech Company

Sathyamangalam: Bannari Amman Institute of Technology (BIT) has linked an agreement with Helix Infosystems, Chennai, to train its biotechnology students in real-time projects in bio-informatics.

The MoU, according N.S. Vasanthi, Head of Biotechnology, will help the students gain practical knowledge in bio-informatics and enable them to work on projects as well.

Bannari Amman Institute of Technology inks MoU with Biotech Company

Govt. Arts College set to celebrate Golden Jubilee

Udhagamandalam: A series of events has been planned to commemorate the 50 years of the Government Arts College here.

Though the institution came into being on June 16, 1955 its 50th anniversary could not be celebrated in 2005 due to various reasons. The celebration to this prestigious college is likely to take place in mid-December.

Stating that the celebrations would be spread over about three days, the Principal, R.Sreeramulu, said here on Thursday that an adhoc committee headed by a senior member of the faculty A.J. Lakshmanan has been formed to organize a number of events.

Govt. Arts College set to celebrate Golden Jubilee

Computer-aided Learning Centers need Upgradation

Chennai: Education Department officials are now acting upon the complaints received from school authorities to upgrade the computer Aided Learning (CAL) Centres, promoted in coordination with the Azim Premji Foundation.

Official sources in the department told *Express* on Wednesday that most centers were not being used effectively due to additional material, upgradation and the non-availability of a regular trainer.

“The CAL centers are meant for students from the government and Corporations schools in the 10 zones. As most centers have only four computers, which can be used by a small group of students at a time, additional computer terminals are required,” an official said.

Computer-aided Learning Centers need Upgradation

Going to Germany becomes easy

Chennai: Applying for a visa to go to Germany will no longer be a cumber-some process now. On Wednesday, the Consulate General of Germany opened visa application centre in Chennai.

On the same day, the consulate also opened visa centers in three more major cities in South India – Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kochi. The Chennai centre was inaugurated by Birtta Petersohn-Barnhusen, Head of the Visa Section of the German Consulate General.

The Consulate General of Germany has commissioned VFS (India) Private Limited to operate the visa application centers. VFS is an outsourcing partner to diplomatic and consular missions in India, Singapore, South Africa, Bangladesh, UAE and GCC region, Malaysia, Ghana, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Russia and China.

Going to Germany becomes easy

Netaji Subhas Open University wins Commonwealth award

It has more than 85, 000 students

Kolkata: Netaji Subhas Open University, Kolkata, is one of the joint recipients of the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) Excellence in Distance Education Award for Institutional Achievement, 2006.

The award was presented on November 2 to the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Surabhi Banerjee, by COL – an intergovernmental, international apex organization for open and distance learning in 53 Commonwealth countries – during the Fourth Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

The two other universities conferred the award are the University of Botswana and the University of South Pacific in the Caribbean.

Netaji Subhas Open University wins Commonwealth award

New Linguistic Survey of India to begin in April next year

A gigantic exercise involving at least 10, 000 language and linguistic experts.

Mysore: The biggest linguistic study of its kind ever conducted in the world, the Linguistic Survey of India (LSI), will be taken up from April 2007, nearly 80 years after the first survey was completed. It is expected to open up exciting new dimensions in the study of languages and on linguistic diversity in the world.
The survey is being conducted by the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore.

A gigantic exercise involving at least 10, 000 language and linguistic experts, the survey – the first in post – Independence India – will be conducted over a period of 10 years at a cost of Rs.280 crore. The ambitious project will involve nearly 100 universities.

New Linguistic Survey of India to begin in April next year

Chennai students sweep Anna University results

Chennai: Engineering students in Chennai and its suburbs have outdone their peers in other districts in the latest Anna University semester examination results.

Chennai colleges have taken the first six places in terms of the number of medals or top three ranks in almost all key branches.

St. Joseph’s Colleges of Engineering tops the list with 40 medals: Computer Science (3), Electronics and Communication (1) Electrical and Electronics (5), Electronics and Instrumentation (6), Instrumentation and control (5), Mechanical (2), Chemical (7) Biotech (4) and Information Technology (7).

Chennai students sweep Anna University results

Health education from Standard VI mooted

Chennai: The State Government plans to introduce a comprehensive education programme on health and hygiene from Standard VI to enable students overcome adolescent programs, Minister for School Education Thangam Thennarasu has said.

After launching a students’ rally and witnessing cultural events performed by students of different schools in Chennai as part of the Children’s Day celebrations on Tuesday, Mr.Thennarasu said the proposed programme would create awareness among students on gender bias and sexual harassment clean would be part of the programme.

Health education from Standard VI mooted

Italians scout for Asian engineering talent

Rome: Italy, Asia is the new America: moving in to cash in on the near-saturation of the U.S. And U.K. educational markets, Italian higher educational institution are promising a “barrier-free” study environment for Asian engineering students, especially from China and India. The market shift in preference for Asian students is perhaps the best indicator that this country, with some of the oldest known universities in the world, is gearing up for a complete internationalization its education.

For Indian students, the initiatives are already in place: promotional and marketing campaigns in major Indian cities, a sizeable increase in the numbers of the international faculties in all major universities, phased switch-over to English as a medium of instruction and exclusive scholarships for Indian students.

Italians scout for Asian engineering talent

CBSE, NCERT to offer new Vocational Courses

New Delhi: The National Curriculum Framework, 2005 – which called for interdisciplinary subjects and the need to sharpen specific, employable skills through professional subjects – will lead to an exciting new senior school classroom in 2007.

Under two different projects, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is collaborating with the NCERT and members of specific industries to craft a new gamut of subjects. These subjects, all of then optional, are to be taught in Classes XI and XII from the coming session.

The first project, done with NCERT, involves subjects that are unconventional for high school level. All come under humanities and there’ll be a section geared towards professional courses which will also have practical training component.

CBSE, NCERT to offer new Vocational Courses

Disclose marks of Civil Service exams: CIC

New Delhi: The Central Information Commission (CIC) on Monday ordered the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to disclose within two weeks from Monday the marks assigned to candidates in this year’s civil services preliminary examination.

The CIC also directed the UPSC to disclose within two weeks then cut off marks fixed in respect of the general studies paper and in respect of each of the optional papers and if no such cut – off marks are there, to disclose the subject – wise marks assigned to the short – listed candidates.

The CIC decision came on two petitions – one filled by Shiv Shambhu & others and the other by Sanjeev Kumar & others.

Disclose marks of Civil Service exams: CIC

Draft bill on CET abolition in next Assembly Session

Anandakrishnan Committee submits report to State Government

Chennai: A draft bill to abolish entrance examinations for professional undergraduate admissions will be tabled in the next Assembly session.

Following the submission of the Anandakrishnan committee report to the State Government on Monday, the draft bill will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting and, subsequently, during the winter session of Assembly beginning on December 4. The committee has recommended abolition of the entrance exam, a press release said.

Draft bill on CET abolition in next Assembly Session

Goa to develop Educational Estate

Panaji: Goa Education Development Corporation Ltd. (GEDCL), a State-owned corporation working for promoting higher education in the State, is in the process of developing an educational estate at Verna in South Goa.

The State Government is in the process of acquiring land of around 13-lakh sq.m for the proposed education estate, GEDCL chairman M.K.Shaikh told The Hindu on Monday.

The Plan is to develop the entire infrastructure, including common facilities, at the estate and then attract reputed national and international higher educational institutions to set up shop.

Mr.Shaikh is planning to put up to the Government the entire proposal for infrastructure development to seek Government funds in the coming State Budget.


Goa to develop Educational Estate

National Child Awards

For Exceptional Achievement, 2005 to following children with exceptional ability in various fields

List of National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement, 2005 Awardees
S. No Name of children Field of exceptional Name of State/ UT
Gold Medal
1. Miss Benzy Art & Culture Delhi
Silver Medals
1. Miss J.V. Sushmitha Magic (Indrajalam) Andhra Pradesh
2. Miss J.V. Mounika Magic (Indrajalam) Andhra Pradesh
3. Master Raushan Kumar Sports Bihar

National Child Awards

U.K. Universities Woo Coimbatore Students

Coimbatore: Fashion and media studies seem to emerge as the newfound areas of interest among candidates who thronged the Education UK Exhibition organized by the British Council at The Residency.

The interest for fashion designing and management was very high, especially with queries flowing in from students, said Coin Matheson, Director of Scholarship of the University of Westminster. A couple of the British Universities had also introduced a new course, Fashion Retail Management, Mr. Matheson added.

The two-day fair, which is who on till November 14, has 24 British Universities almost all of them offering a range of scholarships for international students. Around 600 students visited the fair on the first day.

U.K. Universities Woo Coimbatore Students

Researchers meet at MGR University

Chennai: Dr MGR University conducted a ‘Researchers Meet’ for research scholars in the city recently.

The meet was convened to facilitate research scholars to present their research problems in the form of a paper or visual presentation and also to interact with a team of panelists drawn from academic institutions, R & D organization and industrial establishments.

The research meet was inaugurated by former deputy director, IIT Madras, C R Muthukrishnan. In his address, he emphasized the need for establishing a research wing for solving societal problems through development of research and research projects.

Researchers meet at MGR University

School fined Rs 50, 000 for Expelling Student

New Delhi: Concerned over certain public schools forcing non – performing students to leave midway, a consumer forum has imposed Rs. 50, 000 as fine on Delhi Public School (DPS), Faridabad, for expelling a student, who fared badly in exams.

“It is a sorry state of affairs that schools like DPS in their anxiety to show good academic results are ready to go to any extent to expel a student in the mid – session of the 12th standard,” said G.D. Dhanuka, president of South – West District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum. Holding the school guilty of “unfair trade practice”, the forum directed its administration to pay within a month the amount as compensation to Ritwik Puri, who was expelled after the semester examination of class XII.

School fined Rs 50, 000 for Expelling Student

Teachers, activists welcome move to Create Uniform Syllabus

Suggest measures and strategies for panel’s consideration

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Government’s move towards creating a uniform syllabus won support from teachers, members of the Tamil Nadu Elementary School Teachers Federation and activists who met here on Saturday.

Welcoming the initiative, they prepared a draft memorandum, which they intend to submit to the Dr. Muthukumaran Committee, appointed by the Government to look into the issue, latter this week.

Participants were from Madurai, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Virudunagar, Tiruchi, Thiruvallur, Chennai and Pondichery.

Teachers, activists welcome move to Create Uniform Syllabus

Madras University sings MoU with Dutch University

Chennai: The Department of Econometrics, University of Madras, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Economics and Business, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

The MoU is aimed at promoting exchange of scholars and staff, exchange of undergraduate and graduate students, exchange

NGO’s Academicians call for Common School System

Chennai: The Campaign for Equal Standards of School Education represented by NGOs and academicians called for a common school system to ensure access to equal and quality education to all children in the State on Saturday. The campaign will submit its final recommendations to the Muthukumaran Committee by December 15.

In the State-level consultation held in the city, the campaign deliberated upon the draft memorandum to be submitted to the Muthukumaran Committee appointed by the State Government.

NGO’s Academicians call for Common School System

SC, ST Candidates “Content with Class III, Class IV posts”

They seldom write exams for higher posts: officer

Chennai: Vacancies in class Scheduled Castes / Tribes in Central and State Governments are high compared to vacancies in class III and class VI posts, which are almost filled.

P.G. Ramachandran, sub-regional employment officer, Union Ministry of Labour and Employment, said here on Thursday that a majority of the SC and ST candidates were content with class III and class IV posts. Though the candidates were aware that they had 22.5 per cent reservation in all posts, they seldom attempted to write the civil service examinations for higher posts, However, a good many of them competed for clerical and lower level posts. The Government had set up 22 coaching-cum-guidance centres, including one in Chennai, to help equip the SC and ST students to take competitive and staff selection commission examinations.

SC, ST Candidates “Content with Class III, Class IV posts”

Universities will focus on spoken English: Ponmudi

Language teaching to stress communication skills

Chennai: Language teaching in the State’s universities is set to change with the focus shifting to improving communication skills of students rather than learning by rote.

“The emphasis will henceforth be on encouraging students to learn more spoken English rather than merely teaching Tamil and English as languages. This will make students more employable,” State Higher Education Minister K.Ponmudi told reporters after chairing a special meeting of Vice-Chancellors of all universities. The meeting was organized by the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education in Chennai on Friday. The feasibility of rationalizing the university syllabus system – with 60 per cent of all core and optional subjects being taught under a common syllabus and the varsity getting to individually decide on the rest—was also being examined.

Universities will focus on spoken English: Ponmudi

An hour online, on way to Guinness

A college professor takes class for students all over the world

Coimbatore: Is it possible to teach 1, 824 students spread over 15 countries simultaneously? S. Subramonian, principal of R.V. Arts and Science College made it possible here on Thursday. He was addressing students of the “Largest Computer Class” for an hour from the college premises through a dial-up connection.

In an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, Prof, Subramonian took an hour-long class for student’s class for the students to break the previous record created by China with 1,135 students. He used his computer to create the virtual classroom with the help of teaching software known as Conference V2 software.

An hour online, on way to Guinness

Court sets guidelines for Private Medical Colleges

Says deadlines for every stage of selection must be mentioned

Chennai: The Madras High Court has laid down a set of guidelines for private medical colleges in the State to follow, and said the two statutory committees regulating admission and fee structures in professional colleges would cease to exist to 2007-08 after the new Act framed by the Government gets presidential assent.

The First Bench consisting of Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice K.Chandru was passing orders on a batch of writ petitions and writ appeals from individual students as well as two private medical colleges – the Chettinad Hospitals and Research Institute (CHARI) and PSG Institute to medical courses from next academic year, the Bench said the colleges should follow the time schedule prescribed by the admission committee or any competent authority without any deviation. They must clearly mention in the prospectus as to whether they were selecting students on the basis of option or preference of institutions expressed by them.

Court sets guidelines for Private Medical Colleges

Teaching goes digital

Kochi: New modes of teaching are fast emerging and are assuming significance, said T.P.Sasikumar, Director of Academic Staff College, Kozhikode. At a discourse held in the city recently, he discussed the merits and demerits of various systems of teaching focusing on the importance of a digital path.

The learners and the teachers have their own styles. The teachers and the students identify the styles themselves. The quiz, test, feedback and the discussion in the class can help analyse the knowledge of styles.

The wrong answers need no be analyzed to understand why the student makes a mistake. The reason for the wrong answer could be confusion. This means that the teacher who taught the student or the text, which, he had studied, led to the confusion.

A software-based analysis supports this. The answer also gives a clue to the teaching style of the teacher, he said.

In the traditional method of teaching, the students do not have the option to select the teaching style according to their aptitude. As a result, they scores less marks in the examinations. The learning is incomplete as the teaching style is unacceptable to the learner, Mr.Sasikumar explained. “Assume that the learner can select the teacher of his choice in the style he likes, and then he will have cent per cent learning possibility.”

Teaching goes digital

Business English course for students

Chennai: With a view to enhancing job opportunities for the students of Tamil Nadu, the State Government has decided to introduce a certificate course in Business English in all the Arts and Science Colleges.

A Memorandum of Understanding was singed on Tuesday between the Directorate of Collegiate Education of Tamil Nadu and the British Council, Chennai, in the presence of Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudy at the Secretariat.

The course is purely optional, an official release here said and added that in the context of multinational companies investing in Tamil Nadu, the introduction of such a course would open up new avenues for jobs for the youth of the State in multinational companies.

Business English course for students

International award for Chennai schools

Chennai: Two city schools, Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School and Sri Sankara Vidyashramam, are among six Indian schools which received the ‘International School Award’ (ISA) given by British Council and Education and Skills, recently in Mumbai.

The schools were awarded the ISA for 1005-2006 based on the framework for developing international work as a ‘whole school’ commitment and towards incorporating the international dimension in all school activities.

International award for Chennai schools

B. Ed Entrance exam on November 12

Coimbatore: The B. Ed Entrance Examination of Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU) will be conducted at two centers in Coimbatore zone on November 12.

A release from Jayalakshmi Karuppannasamy, local coordinator of TNOU, said that the examination would be held at Dr. NGP College of Education and Dr. NGP Arts and Science College. About 1700 candidates are expected to appear for the examinations.

B. Ed Entrance exam on November 12

CET to stay: AICTE Chief

Chennai: Prof Damodar Acharya Chairman of All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has made it clear that the Common Entrance Test (CET) for admission to engineering courses could not be scrapped by Tamil Nadu Government.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 27th convocation of Anna University here on Monday, he said, “The Supreme Court has said that the students have to clear the CET for admission. So, the test would be held for the 2007-2008 Academic year. As such, the State Government cannot scrap the test.”

Stating that there was a shortage of teachers in various institutions, Acharya said, “We are also planning to start regional and nodal centers for training teachers. We are permitting retire teachers. We are permitting retired teachers to work till 70 years of age.”

CET to stay: AICTE Chief

Now Colleges too can air their grievances

Coimbatore: The Bharathiar University and its 118 affiliated colleges in the region now have a forum to air their grievances.

The grievance redressal committee headed by vice-chancellor prof G Thiruvasagam started hearing grievance for Monday, Henceforth, the first Monday of every month would be ‘Grievance Redressal Day’ at the varsity.

Explaining why a grievance redressal day was started, the V-C remarked that he used to receive about 20 grievances per day after the introduction of ‘Green Box’ system, where grievance mail could be dropped.

The V-C promised that no longer the grievances would be left unattended for long. Between 10.30 am and 11.30 am on the Grievance Redressal Day, the first category of petitioners, which includes teaching and non-teaching staff, students of the varsity could petition. There are about 650 staff and 2,200 students and varsity.

Now Colleges too can air their grievances

Need to update Parma education stressed

Chennai: Drug Controller General of India M.Venkateswaralu on Saturday stressed the need for updating the syllabus for pharmaceutical studies, which would make the graduates suitable for employment in the industry.

Participating in the two-day national conference of the Indian Pharmacy Graduates Association here, he expressed concern over the lack of updation of knowledge among the pharmacy graduates.

“The industry has an enormous potential for growth with eight percent rate annually in global scenario, while it is 10 percent per annum in India. But Parma students are employed just to fulfill the mandatory obligations and the companies are satisfied even with any science graduate. Our students should get jobs not because of mandatory rules, but for their efficiency,” he said.

To achieve this, there should be interaction between academics; industry and regulators, so that any graduate would come out with the abilities what the industry really needed.

Need to update Parma education stressed

Tirupur to host Business School

To focus on knitwear exports

Tirupur: The TEA Public School, the NIFT TEA Fashion Institute, the Netaji Apparel Park and the India Knit Fair Convention Centre. These are all the brainchild of the Tirupur Exporters’ Association.

Now, the association has rolled out one more projects: a business school with international standards.

The motto: not 100 per cent placement but making all the students business leaders. The school will come up on the 30-acre tea Public School at Palangarai near Avanashi.

“We want to have a number one business school here. The focus should be on international marketing and export business. In the first phase, Rs.2.5 crore will be spent on infrastructure,” says A. Sakthivel, president, Tirupur Exporters Association.

Tirupur to host Business School

IGNOU ‘ready to offer computer training to local body chiefs’

Varsity has started a placement cell

Vellore: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is ready to cooperate with Government or non-governmental organizations in offering computer literacy programmes to the newly elected local body chiefs, according to K. Panneerselvam, Regional Director, IGNOU, Regional Center, Chennai.

Speaking at the IGNOUTNF (Tamil Nadu Foundation) Festival-2006 organized jointly by the IGNOU-TNF Programme Study Center and the Parent Teacher Association of the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School in Katpadi on Sunday, Mr. Panneerselvam was replying to a request from M. Anbalagan, Coordinator, IGNOU Study Center, Voorhees College to conduct such programmes for municipal chairpersons and local body chiefs and councilors to enable the local bodies to adopt e-governance in their daily administration.

IGNOU ‘ready to offer computer training to local body chiefs’

New link with Bharathiar University on the cards

Agreement will pave way for student and faculty exchange

Coimbatore: East University of Sri Lanka is likely to sign a memorandum of understanding with Bharathiar varsity here, which will help co-operation and co-ordination between the two institutions of higher learning. For the benefit of students from both countries.

According to a release issued here by C.M. Ravichandran, Professor and Head of the Department of Tamil of Bharathiar University, a proposal regarding this agreement was mooted during the discussions that the Head of the Department of Fine Arts of the East University, C. Mounaguru, had with the Vice-Chancellor of Bharathiar University, G. Thiruvasagam, a few days ago.

Prof. Thiruvasagam had “accepted this in principle” and had directed Prof. Ravichandran to initiate steps in this regard, so that the scheme could become a reality as soon as possible, for the benefit of students in both countries.

New link with Bharathiar University on the cards

University of Mysore to retain its original name

Change will have negative bearing on students, says VC

Mysore: The Government’s decision to rename Bangalore as Bengaluru and Mysore as Mysooru, will not affect the universities.

The University of Mysore will retain its original name as incorporated under the Act when it was established by Nalwudi Krishna raja Wadiyar in 1916.
Mysooru

Vice-Chancellor of the university J. Shashidhar Prasad told presspersons here on Saturday that change of geographical names would not affect the original name of institutions and universities. University of Mysore will continue to be called as such but the geographical situation, Mysooru, will be appended next to it, Prof. Prasad added.

University of Mysore to retain its original name

Best Teacher award for University Professor

Best Teacher award for University Professor

Coimbatore: N. Balasubramanian, Dean, Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Technology of the Bharathiar University, has been conferred the A. Gnanam best-teacher-award, by the Governing Council of the Pondicherry Psychology Association, for his contributions in the field of education.

From a Municipal school English teacher in Cuddalore to a Dean, Dr. Balasubramanian has served in various capacities in the teaching field.

Best Teacher award for University Professor

Coimbatore to be major ITES hub

Coimbatore to be major ITES hub

‘City is known for its technical resources and entrepreneurship’

Coimbatore: Owing to the presence of a large number of engineering colleges, Coimbatore is likely to become a major destination for Information Technology and IT Enabled Services, next to Chennai in the State, said A. Sakthivel, former president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore.
IT Park

Speaking at the annual general meeting of the association here recently, he said that the chamber had sought early commencement of works for the IT park here.

The first phase of the runway expansion work at the airport was over and it was “poised for operation of 18 flights throughout day and night.”

Coimbatore to be major ITES hub

TCS opens new lab in Chennai

TCS opens new lab in Chennai

Chennai: Tata Consultancy Services inaugurated its innovation laboratory for the travel and hospitality sector. The company has invested between US$ 500,000-one million on the lab, which will have a headcount of 1,000 employees for travel and hospitality of which research and development would constitute a strength of 10 to 15 percent. An employee strength of 1,500 is expected for retail, according to Ravi Viswanathan, vice president Chennai operations.

Talking to media persons, Viswanathan said the lab would provide proactive business solutions for clients including airlines, hotels, resorts, and travel companies. The TCS innovation and creativity with a team of domain experts, business process analysts, technology specialists, and an R&D team.

TCS opens new lab in Chennai

National Council for Teacher Education

National Council for Teacher Education
Wing –II, Hans Bhawan,
1 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg.
New Delhi – 110002.

Attention of Institution conducting various teacher training programmes without recognition by NCTE and have been granted affiliation by concerned Universities, is invited to the NCTE (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance 2006 for prompt corrective action on their part.

National Council for Teacher Education

Students, don’t Go abroad; Foreign Universities are coming to India

Students, don’t Go abroad; Foreign Universities are coming to India

Pune: There’s nothing official about it. Yet, good news is in store for the thousands of Indian students planning to go abroad to study, costing crores of rupees in foreign exchange for earning foreign degree. For the scores of graduates and steadily increasing number of undergraduates who incur around $50,000 a year in places such as Stanford, this could indeed be wish come true.

There’s no denying the fact that top officials form the best universities in the world have been making rounds of India with the express purpose of exploring the possibility of an entry into the country’s very lucrative education business. Be it Berkley, Harvard or Stanford or the less known names from Singapore and Australia, they are all eyeing India and its multitude of students. The idea is to start with a study centre or research programme for the time being, before rolling out a full-fledged independent campus.

Students, don’t Go abroad; Foreign Universities are coming to India

BC Students Scholarships to be Increased, says Minister

BC Students Scholarships to be Increased, says Minister

Coimbatore: The scholarships for Backward Class students will be hiked, Union Minister of State for Social Welfare Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan said here today.

Delivering the special address at the 5th state level conference of Backward Class Employees of Union Bank of India Association, she said, “In the present scenario, the scholarship of Rs.25 for school education and Rs.200 for college education being provided by the Center to Backward Class students is not adequate”, she added.

According to the Minister, schemes to provide scholarships to Backward Class students who want to study abroad and training programmes for employment will be introduced soon.

BC Students Scholarships to be Increased, says Minister

Loyola Institute Of Business Administration LIBA

Loyola Institute Of Business Administration LIBA
Invites Nominations for Mother Teresa Award for Corporate Citizen 2005

A Prestigious Award for Public Limited Companies

LIBA, recognized and ranked as one of the top-notch business schools in India, is committed to train its students as much for managerial expertise on international standards as for ethical and social values.

True to this spirit, LIBA has instituted the Mother Teresa Award for Corporate Citizen to uphold to management students, the corporate world and the general public, a business enterprise as a role model in responsible corporate citizenship. The Award is meant for corporate who reach out to the disadvantaged and marginalized sections of society far beyond the call of their responsibilities.

Loyola Institute Of Business Administration LIBA

New research centers for Madras University

Chennai: The University of Madras will have new research centers for Ocean and Coastal Studies, Environmental Science, Population Studies, Herbal Sciences and Infrastructure Management Studies.
The proposals to create them were approved on Saturday by the Senate.

In his introductory remarks at the Senate Meeting on Saturday morning. Vice-Chancellor S. Ramachandran announced that the centers would improve the value of research at the university by collaborating with international institutions.

Memoranda of understanding were being finalized with the United States Educational Foundation of India, University of South Australia and the Stendhal University in Grenoble, France, with provisions for exchange visits and mutual use of complementary resources.

New research centers for Madras University

Department of Technical Education

Government of TamilNadu

Applications are invited by the Commissioner of Technical Education, Government of Tamilnadu, Chennai, in the prescribed format from the Registered Trust/ Society for starting of new Diploma level Institution (Polytechnic Colleges/ Hotel Management and Catering Technology Institutions) in the State of Tamilnadu, during the academic year 2007-08.

Department of Technical Education