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Quality matters
New programme for secondary schools CAMPUS
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Quality matters Interestingly, educationists are circumspect, a trifle wary, but certainly not against the Foreign Education Providers Bill, which got the Cabinet’s nod in 2007, and is likely to be pushed through by the HRD Minister who seems to be in a tearing hurry to change the Indian education system. So, can foreign universities infuse the much-needed quality in our otherwise mediocre system? Quips Brijender Singh Panwar, director, MS Panwar Institute of Communication and Management, Solan: “All said and done, we have quantity but not quality. Most of our educational institutions but for IITs and IIMs do not conform to international standards. Among universities, only JNU passes muster”. Agrees Dr Amarjit Singh, former professor, Department of Journalism Languages and Culture, PAU, Ludhiana, who suffers from no delusions that when it comes to quality foreign universities, not only rate better but are vastly different as well. He says: “Their way of education encourages individuals to think differently, creatively and independently as against ours that lays undue emphasis on memorising, which has only limited use.” His only worry is that the best may not come and it has to be ensured that the third rate do not land up. Even for Dr Pankaj Singh, professor, English, HP University, Shimla, who is all for opening horizons in the realm of knowledge, quality is the crux. Though the Bill seeks to protect students from sub-standard quality education, she hopes that the rot of deemed universities should not set in the foreign education providers, too. Dr Iqbal Preet Kaur, professor of physics, DAV College, Sector 10, Chandigarh, sees no harm even if they are deemed universities, and qualifies, “provided proper checks and balances should be in place.” On the need for foreign education, three is no ambiguity if one were to pay heed to Sibal’s remark: “Nearly 1.6 lakh Indian students go abroad every year and spend millions of dollars.” Can the arrival of foreign education providers in India stop this mad rush to distant lands? “Yes, feels Panwar, “now the place doesn’t mater. If the standards are the same as in their universities, it can save India precious foreign exchange.” Dr Pankaj Singh is anyway dead against students being tempted to pay more just for the heck of it. Regulation in fees structure too is a unanimous demand. Educationists are vociferous about quality education becoming the prerogative of the well-heeled alone. A system of scholarships, just as they have in the West, could increase access for all including the economically disadvantaged. However, Dr Iqbal does not favour reservations at all and is adamant, “Merit must prevail”. Besides a levelling field for all, Panwar even wants an assurance that both in the structuring of the syllabus as well as in inculcating value system, Indian ethos would be kept in mind. Won’t over-regulation defeat the very purpose of system that thrives on flexibility? We certainly don’t want clones of what we already have. In fact, even the government has promised that there will be no political interference. This raises another pertinent issue: Is India ready for foreign education? Dr Amarjit aware of the India-Bharat divide cannot say for sure, but is positive that educated Indians are doing India proud and that in the future knowledge is going to be the biggest earner. He adds: “The nation that races ahead in knowledge race will be the winner”. Clearly, India cannot afford to stay behind. And any measure that will be a step closer to quality is welcome. After all, education is number one priority world over. It is time India too followed suit.
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New programme for secondary schools THE Centre is all set to implement another comprehensive and countrywide educational programme, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), at a time when the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is about to enter its final phase in 2010. The present programme has also been named as Universalisation of Secondary Education (USE). Interestingly, over 2.5 crore schoolchildren are likely to be benefited from the educational programme which seeks to provide a secondary school within a distance of 5 km, ensure universal access to secondary education by 2017, universalisation retention by 2020, providing access to secondary education with special references to economically weaker sections of the society, the educationally backward, the girls and the differently able children residing in rural areas and other marginalised categories like SC, ST, OBC and EBM. RMSA is a unique educational programme which has been designed in such a way to respond effectively to the emerging demands of our society and rapid developments that are taking place due to liberalisation, globalisation and privatisation. Moreover, all these three components have been greatly affected by scientific and technological developments which in turn have further affected our secondary education system. Now, receiving elementary education has become a fundamental right, therefore, in that perspective too, it has become essential to push this vision forward to move towards the universalisation of secondary education (USE). RMSA is mainly focussed on to achieve the following objectives:
Achievement of the above objectives would also, inter alia, signify substantial progress in the direction of the common school system. Access, quality, equity, institutional reforms and strengthening of resource institutions are expected to be used as key strategies to achieve the targets of USE. Similarly, universal access, equality and social justice, relevance and development, and curricular and structural aspects are planned to be implemented with greater care. Hardly there is any country in the world which has ever thought of introducing the concept of universalisation of secondary education. In this context, RMSA appears to be a landmark in the educational history of India as the government has not only shown its keen interest to improve the general well-being of our school-going children but also that of their families and the country as a whole.
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Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar THE Distance Education Council of India has given recognition to 17 courses run by the Directorate of Distance Education, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology (GJU). The university has been accorded recognition for three academic years with effect from the current academic year. GJU is first university in Haryana to get recognition by a joint committee of the University Grants Commission (UGC), All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and DEC. The university was recently re-accredited as 'A' Grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, Bangalore. The Distance Education Council of India is responsible for promotion and coordination of the open and distance learning system in the country. The council has been taking various initiatives to maintain the standards of distance education in the country. In order to safeguard the interests of students in India and to ensure the quality of education, the council has framed guidelines for regulating the establishment and operation of open and distance learning institutions in the country. Presently, the university is running M.Sc (Computer Science), Master of Computer Applications, MCA (5 year integrated course after 10+2), M.A. (Mass Communication), Master of Insurance Business, Master of Business Administration, Master of Commerce, Diploma in Computer Applications, Diploma in Advertising and Public Relations, Diploma in Taxation, Diploma in Environmental Management, Diploma in Bakery Science and Technology, Diploma in Counselling and Behaviour Modification, Diploma in Industrial Safety Management, Bachelor of Business Administration and B.A. (Mass Communication). CCS Haryana Agricultural
University, Hisar Haryana Agricultural University has allocated Rs 8.80 lakh to provide books free of cost to students belonging to the scheduled castes category. Under the scheme, there would be no restriction on the type of books these students want to purchase. But these books will be supplied by the Nehru Library of the university through its bookshop. All undergraduate and postgraduate students belonging to the SC category will be eligible for the grants for the purchase of books. While the male undergraduate students will get Rs 2,000, girls will get Rs 3,000 every year. Postgraduate students will get Rs 8,000 and Rs 12,000, respectively, during the entire programme. Girls pursuing Ph.D will get Rs 15,000 and male students Rs 10,000 for the entire programme. New barley variety Scientists of Haryana Agricultural University have developed a high yielding and disease resistant variety of barley - BH 902. The Vice-Chancellor, Dr K. S. Khokhar, said this variety would add significantly to the qualitative and quantitative production of barley in the country. He said this variety had been identified for timely sown cultivation in the irrigated areas of the North-Western Plain Zone comprising Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Western UP and the plains of Uttrakhand. He said a competitive barley variety for timely sown irrigated conditions was long awaited to meet the demand for feed and industrial use. — Contributed by Raman Mohan
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Armed Forces Indian Air Force, PO Bag
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Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore 560076 (Kar) Fellow Programme in Management in: (Corporate Strategy & Policy / Economics & Social Sciences / Marketing / Organizational Behaviour & HR Mgmt / Finance & Control / Productions & Operations Mgmt / Quantitative Methods & Information Systems / Public Policy & Public Systems) Eligibility: 4-year Bachelors degree (60%) / Masters degree / CA / ICWA / CS (55%) Application Form & Details: Website. Application Deadline: 29 January 2010 Lal Bahadur Shastri
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Written Test: For 1: 01 November 2009; Interview Application Form: Download from Website Details: Employment News (05 – 11 September 2009) / Website Application Deadline: 28 September 2009 Scholarships University Grants
Commission, Selection & Awards Bureau, University of Delhi, South
Campus, Benito Juarez Marg, New Delhi 110021 Post Doctoral Fellowship
to Women candidates for the year 2008-09 Eligibility: Women
candidates with PhD in respective subjects. Selection: Merit Fellowship: Rs
18,000/- pm (For 2 years) and Rs 20,000/- pm (For remaining tenure)
fixed for 5 years Contingency: Rs 50,000/- pa for five year
Departmental Assistance: 10% of fellowship for host institution. Application Form: Send in prescribed format with required documents to the Joint Secretary (SA) at the above address through the Universities/ Institutions/ Colleges. Details: Employment News (5 - 11 September 2009) / Website Application Deadline: 05 October 2009 Indian Council of
Forestry Research and Education, PO New Forest, Dehradun 248006 (Utt)
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Technology, M/o Science & Technology, Technology Bhawan, New
Mehrauli Road, New Delhi 110016 DST-DFG Awards for Participation in Meeting of Nobel Laureates & Students (Interdisciplinary): 27 June – 02 July 2010 (For selected students and young researchers to attend the meeting of Nobel Laureates in Chemistry / Physics / Physiology / Medicine at Lindau, Germany) Eligibility: Full-time Indian student / researcher in the field of natural sciences with an excellent academic record. Genuine interest for science and research, strong commitment both to your principal field and to interdisciplinary dialogue with the international academic community, strong recommendation; Fluency in English; Valid passport 3 categories of participants to be nominated: Category-A (Undergraduate Students): With strong General knowledge of natural sciences, have done some research work. Category-B (Master’s & Doctoral Students): Excellent graduation record, have good research work; Category-C (Young
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(2 years) Eligibility: Bachelors degree (50%) Selection: Test: 13 December 2009 Application Form: Send request letter with Rs 750/- (each programme) by DD favouring "Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai," payable at Mumbai to the Registrar at the above address / Download from website. Details: Website Application Deadline: 23 October 2009 University Institute of Distance
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(Central University) 1) Master of Library
& Information Sc Eligibility: For 1: BLibISc. For 2, 4 & 5: Bachelors degree. For 3: BJ (Comm). Application Form: Send Rs 300/- by DD favouring "Registrar, Dr Hari Singh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar" with stamped (Rs 32/-), self-addressed envelope (9" x 5") to the Director at the above address / Download from website. Details: Employment News (05 - 11 September 2009) / Website Application Deadline: 31 December 2009 Pervin Malhotra,
Director, Career Guidance India (CARING) |
ANYTHING foreign in India is either viewed with a great degree of suspicion or hailed as too good to be true. Our knee-jerk reactions invariably alternate between two extremes—either we tend to dismiss foreign as antithetical to our Indians sensibilities or beyond our capabilities. So, foreign education that the Union HRD Minster Kapil Sibal now intends to bring to our shores too is likely to evoke similar sharply divided reactions.