EDUCATION

CAMPUS
Season of vocational counselling for 
opportunities abroad
Smriti Kak

With the board examinations having concluded, students wishing to pursue higher education overseas have started the tedious task of seeking information to help them realise their aspirations. Inadequate and often incorrect information coupled with scepticism creates hurdles that most students and their parents find difficult to overcome.

Despite some consulate divisions and legitimate counselling centres offering their services, a number of students are ‘taken in’ by the touts each year. Needless to say, they lose money and sometimes an academic year too.

However, aspiring students now seem to have plenty of help on hand. A three-day international exhibition and conference is being held in the Capital from April 3-5 at Pragati Maidan, which would offer students a unique platform to explore career opportunities from some of the most prestigious educational institutes from around the world.

Dr Karan Singh will inaugurate the event that is being organised for the second time in Delhi. The exhibition would provide the student and the academic fraternity an exposure to what the world has to offer in terms of education, technology, new disciplines and career opportunities. More than 300 colleges, institutes and universities from more than 30 countries would be showcasing various options that the Indian student can choose from, both as regular and through correspondence studies.

Seminars for vocational counselling and empowering teachers, country-by-country student workshops and round table meets have been planned for the benefit of the students and professionals. Experts will impart information on issues such as visas, employment opportunities while studying overseas, grants and loans, course options, lifestyle and the cost of living.

France being the focus country will be represented by Edu-France through composite participation from various French universities and institutes.

For those wishing to study in Australia, IDP has announced that it will hold direct interview sessions for students wishing to go for higher studies to ‘down under’. The session has been scheduled to take place on the April 10 at the Taj Palace.

The aim of the organisers is to simplify the admission procedure. The IDP has also announced that it will conduct spot admissions for some courses. Representatives of more than 29 Australian universities and institutions will be present on the occasion to interact with the students.

The city will also play host to an Irish education fair, beginning from April 5. The fair will offer information to students about the educational opportunities in Ireland. Statistics reveal that there are over 1,800 Indian students enrolled in various courses in Ireland. Meanwhile, Machino Media has launched a magazine, ‘Ready to Go?’ with the aim to provide necessary information to students wishing to study abroad. The magazine claims that it will help parents and students get first hand information about studying abroad.

Study tour

Members of IIPM who were part of the ‘Global Opportunity and Threat Analysis Programme’ tour.

As part of the European chapter of the ‘Global Opportunity and Threat Analysis Programme, 60 students from IIPM were selected for a tour in March this year. These students visited several organisations in Switzerland and participated in various lectures and seminars.

Multimedia course launched

Arena Multimedia has launched a two-and-a-half-year, five semester career course, ‘Multimedia Specialist Programme-2003’, which incorporates the latest industry relevant technologies including modules on graphics, authoring multimedia, 3D animation, multimedia for web and games and portfolio management. Students have the option of completing the course in one-and-a-half-year if they choose the fast track option.

The new look ‘Multimedia Specialist Programme 2003’ integrates multimedia for web and gaming and utilises the latest globally acclaimed software and multimedia technologies.

The curriculum includes Illustrator 10.0, Photoshop 7.0 with Image ready, Pagemaker 7.0, Dragons Naturally Speaking in the graphics suite, Sound Forge 6.0, Adobe Premiere 6.5, Director MX, Author ware 6.5 in the authoring multimedia suite, 3D Studio Max 5.0 and Character Studio 3.0 among other things. The graphics module will enable the student in visualisation of imagery, creating digital graphics, editing and optimising of graphics for the web, print and publishing including digital printing, and broadcast media.

In the digital portfolio development module, the student learns the process of multimedia development life cycle including project scheduling, resource allocation, quality processes and maintenance of the developed projects. On completion, they will be able to plan, develop and implement projects on their own. 

Moot Court held to provide practical experience

Former Chief Justice of India B.N.Kirpal inaugurating the Amity National Moot Court Competition.

National University of Judicial Sciences, Kolkata, bagged the first prize in the ‘Second Amity National Moot Court Competition’. National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, Hyderabad, came second among 16 teams participating from across the country. The competition, which was inaugurated by the former Chief Justice of India, B N Kirpal, was aimed at providing practical experience to law students. Speaking on the occasion, Justice Kirpal said, “unfortunately as far as the legal profession is concerned, there is a dearth of practical training.

As a result, when young practitioners enter the profession they may be very brilliant academically, but are unable to give practical advice.”

Melange 2003 fest celebrated

Union Minister Sahib Singh Verma at a function organised by the Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad, as part of its festival ‘Melange 2003’.

Institute of Management Studies, Ghaziabad, organised ‘Melange 2003’ a three-day extravaganza. The Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Mr Ashok Gangwar, inaugurated the event.

The Union Minister of State for HRD, Mr Ashok Kumar Pradhan, delivered the keynote address. The fest comprised of events such as corporate quiz, media, skits, treasure hunts and an extempore competition. Students from colleges across the city participated in the various events.

A school where children would love to learn
Our Correspondent

Gurgaon, April 2
Founded on the principle that every child has a special ability to learn, Shikshantar, a school promoted by Unitech, has developed its own educational curriculum. The curriculum is based on the principles of child psychology, educational philosophy and school effectiveness.

The above remarks were made by the Shikshantar chairperson, Ms Minoti Bahri, while speaking to mediapersons here yesterday. The curriculum at Shikshantar is guided by the principles of integrated education, which enables students to make connections between the development of their physical, emotional, mental and social selves. Students in the school, which would be operational in a couple of days, are encouraged to develop linkages between subject knowledge, creative experimentation and communication skills, claimed the chairperson.

With activity corners, small group research projects, a well-equipped library, laboratory, auditorium and playground, the joy of discovery and the desire to participate is strongly reinforced inside and outside the classroom, she claimed.

The educational director of the school, Mr Sunil Batra, said that the foundation of Shikshantar is built on the philosophy that children learn because they want to and not because they have to. 

HC summons SP, SHO in minor’s rape case
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, April 2
In a case of missing of two youths of Kakroi village from the alleged custody of police, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has summoned the Superintendent of Police, Sonepat, the SHO, the minor girl of Kakroi village who had allegedly been kidnapped and raped and the girl’s father to appear before the court on April 10.

According to information, one Birbhan of Kakroi village lodged a complaint with the police on November 14, 2002 that his minor daughter, Meenakshi had been missing. But when the police failed to trace her for more than one and a half months, Birbhan informed the police that he suspected the involvement of a village youth Pradeep in kidnapping his daughter.

After registering a case under Sections 363 and 366 of IPC, the police started searching for them and finally both-girl and Pradeep-were arrested by the police. After the medical examination of the girl, two more Sections-376 and 506 of IPC, were added to the case and Pradeep was produced in the court from where he was remanded in judicial custody.

However, as alleged, two more youths Pravesh and Sunil of the same village who were reportedly present with Pradeep at the time of his arrest, were also taken in custody by the police, but their names were allegedly not entered in the police register.

The parents of the two youths failed to get any information about them and after waiting for more than two months, they lodged a habeas corpus writ in the High Court.

Justice A K Goyal of the High Court deputed a warrant officer to conduct surprise raid on Sadar police station but it failed to find the youths. After the warrant officer’s report, Justice Goyal has directed the persons concerned to appear on April 10.

CULTURE

Shubha communicates social message musically
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 2
Singing for a cause do have takers. Yet recording companies show reluctance to back musical projects. Reason? Abysmally low record sales. “Recording companies have their doubts about launching songs with a social message, because the sales records of such songs in the past have been a deterrent,” says noted singer, Shubha Mudgal who has lent her voice to an album with a social message, this despite being aware of the unpredictable sales market.

The singer, however, is hopeful that music will continue to remain an effective means of communicating and transmitting messages of social relevance. “Music has always been a strong mode of communication and I have always been drawn towards causes like this.” The singer has recorded a song ‘Sapna Dekha Hai Maine’ with six underprivileged children selected from Amitasha, an NGO started by the Amity Group.

The song written by adman Prasoon Joshi highlights the yearnings of the underprivileged. Poignant lyrics coupled with realistic visuals have given the music video an impetus to drive home the message, of the need to nurture the dreams of the underprivileged girl child.

“It was a great experience to sing with these children, who are talented and confident. And it is time that we do something about the declining state of the music industry. All we do is complain about the falling standards, the way women are portrayed in music videos, but no one does anything,” says Mudgal.

Asked whether she plans to work with the underprivileged rather than just work for them, Mudgal told the ‘NCR Tribune’, “It is a challenge working with these children. We will like to work with them as much as we can. However, it is difficult to spend the requisite time with these youngsters. It is unfair to teach them for a few days and then leave again and then come only when the schedule so permits. Working together needs more time.”

The proceeds from the sale of the album will be utilised for the underprivileged children. As for the children who got to share the microphone with the diva of classical music, the experience has been a lesson worth recounting. Their teachers and parents vouch for the fact that the youngsters show more promise and panache.

The focus is now on the response the album gets. “We have to make a collective effort,” points out Mudgal, but for the promoters of the album, real music will be a befitting sales record.