Following is an excerpt from a report in ibnlive.com.
There is a story about how Cassius Clay changed his name to Mohammed Ali. There is an equally interesting anecdote about how Jagran Integrated Business School changed its name to Leeds Metropolitan University. Abhishek Mohan Gupta, director (marketing and strategic development) of Jagran Social Welfare Society, which runs Jagran Integrated, wanted to get his alma mater Leeds Met into the country. For five years, he waded through the maze of government approvals. No luck. Leeds remained out. And Gupta remained stuck.
He then used his last trick. He told the government that he wanted to change Jagran Integrated’s affiliation from Barkatullah University to Leeds Met. Nobody had made a request like that before. The absence of precedent befuddled the mandarins who govern higher education and they ended up giving it a go ahead. Overnight, the soul of Leeds Met entered the body of Jagran Integrated. Last year, 70 students were studying there in four programmes. This year, Gupta is ramping this up to 13 programmes. In a few years, Gupta wants to enroll 1,000 students.
That’s not all; Gupta thinks he can use the 36-acre campus even more efficiently. He plans to add two more universities, make student accommodation and food court common to all three and dub the whole thing an "education city”. He has been talking to Nanyang University, Singapore, and New York University for different programmes. He plans to use the same change-of-affiliation route, though things have now gotten easier.
The partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University is also mentioned in this PR piece.
The JSWS (Jagran Social Welfare Society) has also plans for a 200 acre 509 crore university in Bhopal.
April 10th, 2010
Following is an excerpt from a report in mydigitalfc.
Government is planning to set up a national centre for animation, gaming and visual effects to meet shortage of skilled professionals in the field.
A sum of Rs 52 crore has been set aside by the Planning Commission for the purpose.
Sources in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the proposed centre would promote technical talent in the entertainment sector through specific courses such as animation, digitisation and visual effects.
The centre, which could come up at Pune, where the Film and Television Institute of India is situated, is being set up for meeting the shortage of skilled professionals in the field.
… With the Indian animation and gaming industry expected to grow, the I&B ministry is said to have engaged a consultant to prepare a report on the human resource requirement in this sector.
… Although there are several private animation-training institutes, apart from a few government-run colleges having animation curriculum, India, as of today, has only a handful of institutes teaching high-end animation techniques, sources say.
March 28th, 2010
(Thanks to http://www.rourkelacity.com/rdf/showthread.php?p=41#post41 for the pointer.) Following is an excerpt from a report in Ranchi Express.
State Health Minister Baithnath Ram on Monday informed the Assembly that approval letters have been sent to HEC, Ranchi and SAIL, Bokaro to start medical colleges at Ranchi and Bokaro respectively. About 250 students will be admitted in each medical college, Minister said.
Note that HEC Ranchi is a Government of India enterprise.
We have said this earlier but is worth repeating. Odisha must push the central public sectors that have large operations in Odisha, especially the ones that either use Odisha minerals, pollute Odisha or both to establish medical colleges in Odisha. So far they have pursued this strategy with MCL which has promised a medical college in Talcher.
Odisha government should immediately pursue with the other such public sectors.
- SAIL Rourkela should be pushed for a medical college in Rourkela.
- NALCO should be pushed for a medical college in one of the places it operates in Odisha.
- NTPC should be pushed for a medical college.
They should also do that with respect to some of the private sectors that have been using Odisha minerals. This includes:
- Tatas in the Kalinganagar area.
- Birlas in the Barbil area.
Some of our earlier articles on this topic:
March 17th, 2010
Following is an excerpt from a report in Business Standard.
… Reddy mooted a proposal to IIM-A and IIM-B in 2008, requesting them to set up an “extended campus” in the state. IIM-A is learnt to have been offered nearly 150 acres at a nominal cost and a Rs 100-crore interest-free loan.
… Meanwhile, the Bangalore-located Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is said to be considering over a similar invitation from Andhra Pradesh.
We have received the proposal from the Andhra Pradesh government and we are in talks for the next step forward,” IISc Registrar Mohan Das said. According to sources, the institute has been shown four or five land parcels and is keen on a 1,000-acre plot that is on the Karnataka-Andhra Pradesh border.
IMT’s plans on track
Incidentally, the Ghaziabad-based Institute of Management Technology (IMT) has accepted the state government’s invitation and is in an advanced stage of setting up its campus in Hyderabad — its third in the country. “We are about to begin construction on a 30-acre plot in Hyderabad. It has been over a year since the state government offered us the land. We hope the new campus will be operational by 2011,” IMT Ghaziabad Director Anwar Ali said.
Odisha should take similar proactive steps and invite campuses of IIM Calcutta, ISI Calcutta, ISB Hyderabad, BITS Pilani and other premiere institutions. Similarly, residents of particular locations in Odisha should take proactive steps such as getting together and offering land for establishment of branch campuses of existing successful institutions inside and outside Odisha.
March 9th, 2010
Following is an excerpt from a report in The Australian.
India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is committing up to 10 billion rupees ($A240 million) to set up a world-class university in either Mumbai or Delhi modelled on top US universities.
… During his January 8 acceptance speech in Mumbai for the Dean’s Medal from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, Ambani said RIL would invest 5 billion rupees ($A120 million) initially in the Reliance Foundation to set up the new university, with plans to increase its commitment to 10 billion rupees.
He said the multi-disciplinary university would promote education and research across all areas, from science and technology to liberal arts. It would be international in scale, employ best practices and would seek to forge partnerships with highly regarded universities from around the world.
… Ambani’s A$240 million commitment via the Reliance Foundation is likely to be just the starting point for his university project. Ambani’s great advantage is the Reliance track record in handling large projects. The company prides itself on meticulous planning, delivering on time and “flawless execution on a large format.”
January 25th, 2010
Following is an excerpt in a report in Financial Express.
The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) has announced its plans to establish the country’s ‘first’ university exclusively devoted to urbanisation and settlement issues. IIHS is founded by a group of leading entrepreneurs, intellectuals and professionals including Nandan Nilekani, Shirish Patel, Rakesh Mohan, Keshub Mahindra, Deepak Parekh, Deepak Satwalekar and Jamshyd Godrej. The mother campus of the privately-funded university is likely to be set up in Bangalore.
While Karnataka is a pioneer in establishing the first law university that brought respectability to Law education in India, I wonder if making an urbanization university is going too far in the direction of specialized universities.
January 25th, 2010
Thanks to kalahandia.blogspot.com for the pointer. Following is an excerpt from a report in indiaedunews.
… the country could soon have a new model of central universities that offer preferential admission to students from minority communities which is not followed by any central varsity until now.
The proposal forwarded to the law Ministry for inspection explores a central university model in public-private partnership mode (instead of total central funding), to come up on land donated by the Wakf Board in Rajasthan, Bihar and Karnataka.
Although offering admissions to both majority and minority students, the land for these universities will be given by the Musilm communities with the minorities getting the maximum share of seats.
They are expected to come up at Ajmer, Kishanganj and Mysore and are expected to get the maximum share of seats in these new varsities.
The Minister of Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed confirmed that the concept has been borrowed from Dr B.R Ambedkar University, which came up to educationally empower SC students.
Odisha must take a cue and push for PPP based central universities – in addition to branch(es) of IGNTU – for its tribals.
January 18th, 2010
Following are excerpts from this news item.
- … general universities should be set up in all districts of the state. There are, at present, nine such universities in the state. The aim is to have one general university in each district, or one university for every 100 colleges. This means that ideally, there should be at least 22 such universities in the state’s 29 districts.
- Another important vision of the council is to make the universities and colleges work round-the-clock as learning centres.
“At present, colleges are isolated units, active only in a limited period. It is necessary to make them work round-the-clock, through the year, as learning centres. We would also like to grant greater autonomy to more colleges,”
Following are excerpts from this news item:
- Have you thought of studying Biology with Hitory or Physics with Economics? Have you thought of taking a break from the regular confined course to take a break at any point of time and continue whenever you want? Wouldn’t it help if you had a choice on choosing when to write your exams? How would you feel if you had a choice of changing the University within the State in the middle of your course? Students from Karnataka can expect their dreams come true.
- … students can change a subject midstream — from Arts or Science or Commerce — instead of going through the fixed combination. They can change, not only the subject combination, but also the university. This concept is based on the Cross Learning System in Universities in US and Europe.
January 14th, 2010
Following is an excerpt from a report in Business Standard.
IIT-Kharagpur plans to start by setting up a centre of excellence on Energy Science and Engineering to train students in research and development on various energy verticals like bio-energy, solar energy, nuclear, as well as hydel and thermal energy. …
The institute is also introducing new engineering programme on design and manufacturing where it aims to create globally competent engineering products. It will start School of Entrepreneurship soon where it will offer dual degree in BTech and entrepreneurship programmes. Students will be selected through joint entrance examination (JEE).
“The Innovation Centre will be funded by one of our alumnus, S K Bhattacharya. Each student of School of Entrepreneurship will be attached to an innovation centre. Each student will get a faculty and a successful alumnus entrepreneur to assist him or her. Our aim is to have around 30 per cent of our total student to be PhDs and researchers by 2015, compared to 15 per cent right now,” says Acharya.
An innovation centre is a new concept through which IIT-Kharagpur intends to encourage research and innovation. “We will have support from international institutions and industries to draw on their expertise and develop products of global use. So, for instance, we are collaborating with Warwick Manufacturing Group, Georgia Institute of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, among others,” adds Acharya.
Among international collaborations, IIT-Kharagpur is looking at specific areas of collaboration with National University of Singapore for water policies and issues. Also, the institute has signed an agreement with University of California, San Diego, for a 350-700 bed medical college. The collaboration is both for part-financing the project as well as an academic collaboration.
January 11th, 2010
Following is an excerpt from a report in Economic Times.
The Reliance Group is setting up a ‘world-class’ university as it seeks to promote education and research in sectors ranging from liberal arts to technology .
… India’s largest business conglomerate has started the process of identifying land for the proposed university , according to persons familiar with the development.
The university, modelled on the lines of American universities such as The University of Pennsylvania, will tie up with foreign universities. “It will be international in scale and in best practices, but with an Indian soul,” said Mukesh Ambani, chairman, Reliance Group.
Nita Ambani told ET that the proposed university would be located either outside Mumbai or Delhi. “We are looking for sufficient land to set up a world-class university,” she said.
Mr Ambani made this announcement while making the acceptance speech at Mumbai’s Tident Hotel after receiving the Dean’s medal from the University of Pennsylvania’s engineering school. …
The university will initially offer undergraduate courses. It will later offer postgraduate and doctoral courses, Ms Ambani said. India’s big business houses are strengthening their focus on education as it is poised to become a $80-billion opportunity by 2012. Indian spend $50 billion on private education annually, according to a research report by IDFC. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16%, said a CLSA Pacific study.
This is great news for India. I hope things move faster with respect to Vedanta University. Otherwise it will lose its first mover’s advantage. Another thing to note is that some of the people who were/?are? involved in the Vedanta University project also have University of Pennsylvania ties. They are doing a great thing by convincing various billionaires in India to establish universities that aim to be world class.
January 9th, 2010
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Ravenshaw University should start 5 yr integrated programs in Science subjects and take its students through this exam.
January 7th, 2010
Following information about DRDO research boards is from http://www.drdo.org/academic.html.
DRDO has constituted four research boards to nurture and harness talent in academic institutions, universities, R&D centres and industry. The organization provides necessary facilities for promoting basic research and to catalyse cross-fertilization of ideas with R&D agencies in other sectors for expanding and enriching the knowledge base in their respective areas. The boards provide grants-in-aid for collaborative defence-related futuristic frontline research having application in the new world class systems to be developed by DRDO.
The catalytic role played by research boards has helped rapid growth in building capabilities in the area of aeronautical state-of-art systems like light helicopter, and in setting up a centre of excellence in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) at the IISc, Bangalore, which is anticipated to give a boost to the designing of aeronautical systems within the country. Another centre of excellence in aerospace system design and engineering is being set up at IIT, Mumbai. A Centre for Composite Structure Technology is proposed to be set up at the National Aerospace Laboratory, Bangalore. Grants in aid by DRDO have led to setting up of a hypermedia digital library in IIT-Kharagpur, to the development of audio-visual training aids for aircrew, to indoctrination in air sickness and positive pressure breathing at the Institute of Aviation Medicine, Bangalore and to the development of rarefied gas dynamic facility at IIT, Chennai.
The Aeronautics Research and Development Board (AR&DB) has approved projects in the filed of Aeronautics and related areas. The Armament Research Board (ARMREB) has approved projects in the fields of high energy materials, sensors, ballistics and other armament related fields. Under the Naval Research Board (NRB), projects are being pursued in five technology areas. Under Life Sciences Research Board (LSRB) projects have been supported in the areas of biological and bio-medical sciences, psychology, physiology, bio-engineering, specialized high altitude agriculture, food science and technology.
Following informations about DRDO’s Centers of Excellence is from the page http://www.drdo.org/centerofexcellence.html.
The need for establishing CE by DRDO has been projected long back by SA to RM. The outlay for such a centre will be typically expected to be Rs.50 crores over a period of 5 years. DRDO proposes 5 such centres that will include:
- The science and synthesis of HEM (for use as explosives and propellants).
- The science of polymer physics especially polymer Electronics can emergent and for a variety of military semi conductor devices).
- The interaction of microwaves and matter (for stealth).
- Nanotechnology based sensors for NBC detection.
- Nano optoelectronic devices.
Out of these, for item (a), Advanced Centre for Research on High Energy Materials (ACRHEM) has been established with the University of Hyderabad. We have evolved an Memorandum of collaboration (MOC) exclusively for this centre. Parallely, old MOC of DRDO with Bharathiar Unviersity (BU), Coimbatore has been upgraded as a Centre of Excellence called BU-DRDO Centre for Life Sciences. A separate MOC exists exclusively for it. In order to have effective functioning, SOP was proposed and the same has been approved by SA to RM. DRDO can advertise through newspaper or website the intent of setting up of such a CE in the fields of relevance. This step would stimulate other competitive agencies to submit proposals. Funding of academic institution for research whose expected outcome was judged to be of use in extant DRDO R&D projects/programmes. Instrumentality was the sponsored research proposal ‘instigated’ by a DRDO labroratory or vetted by it for direct relevance of research outcome(s).
Universities and institutions in Odisha should propose and pursue DRDO funded Centers of Excellence.
January 7th, 2010
Following are excerpts from a report in http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/03/stories/2010010360571100.htm that points out some schemes taken up by some of the states in India.
- Chhattisgarh has adopted the three-year-doctor scheme – now the post is called rural medical assistant — to almost completely eliminate vacancies among medical officers.
- Sikkim looked at measures addressing professional and social isolation by building a positive workforce environment – continuing medical education (CME) programmes and turning primary health centres into social hubs.
- Locale-based selection and a special short-term expansion of nursing school capacity under private-public partnership have led to a strategy of filling 10,000 auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) vacancies within four years in West Bengal. West Bengal has focussed on an innovative increase of ANM education. It needed 10,000 more ANMs to close gaps and put a second ANM in place. In the last one year 2,761 new ANMs passed out of 41 schools. In addition, locality-based selection by panchayats has ensured that the candidates are residents of the areas of work.
On the same theme, recently there were reports about a new program proposed by the health ministry and the medical council of India called `Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery’ (BRMS). Following is an excerpt from a report in Times of India about this.
Under the scheme, the undergraduate `Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery’ (BRMS) degree would be acquired in two phases and at two different levels — Community Health Facility (one-and-a-half year duration) and sub-divisional hospitals (secondary level hospitals) for a further duration of two years.
The BRMS degree would be offered by institutes in rural areas with an annual sanctioned strength of 50 students. "Selection of students would be based on merit in the 10+2 examination with physics, chemistry and biology as subjects. A student who has had his entire schooling in a rural area with a population not more than 10,000 would be eligible for selection, which would be done by professional bodies set up by the Directorate of Medical Education of the state governments," the scheme noted.
This was further discussed in an opinion piece in TOI. Following is an excerpt.
The current proposal seeks to churn out general practitioners for rural India. Hence the move to reduce the duration of the degree course from five and a half to three and a half years. This, in a way, seems to be a revival of the Licentiate Medical Practitioners (LMP) scheme that prevailed before independence whereby students were trained as medical doctors for around three years, awarded a diploma and then fulfilled the needs of rural healthcare as a way to bridge the gap between demand and supply of licensed medical practitioners outside metropolitan India. LMPs, in fact, outnumbered MBBS graduates and they were largely serving in the rural areas.
In the US they have Nurse Practitioners who can substitute doctors for many tasks. See this Boston Globe article about Nurse Practitioners (NP) and also this site about where nurse practitioner programs are offered.
I like the idea to have medical positions in rural areas which requires a lower or different qualification than MBBS. However, the name `Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery’ (BRMS) is not good as it suggests that rural medicine is something different from regular medicine. Similarly the restriction on who can pursue this degree, although well meaning, is discriminatory. So my suggestion would be the following:
- Call it something like LMP or NP instead of BRMS.
- Don’t make it completely for a restricted class of people as mentioned with respect to BRMS above. Have a good percentage reserved for those people; but not exclusively for them.
- However, positions requiring those qualification should only be available in rural areas so that when someone takes those programs they know that they can only get jobs in rural areas. So they are mentally prepared for it.
- But there should be a new program that someone with LPM/NP/BRMS can take after say 10 years of job experience so as to get an MBBS equivalent degree. This will allow for an upward career path; but after 10 years of job experience.
- Offer these programs and other associated nursing and health assistant programs widely in all sub-division hospitals. Part of the program may be required to be done in a regular medical college to give wider exposure.
- These programs should have strong public health components.
January 5th, 2010
Following is an excerpt from the PIB http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=56523.
Autonomous Institutions: There are seven existing autonomous institutions under Department of Biotechnology namely National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi; Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad; National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Manesar; National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi; Institute of Bioresource and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal; Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar. Recently, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram has been taken over from Government of Kerala. These institutes have generated 382 publications, 24 patents granted/filed, 9 patents in pipeline and 13 technologies were developed.
Establishment of new breed of institutions in critical areas has been one of the major strategies of 11th plan. Cabinet has approved setting up of institutions namely Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bangalore; National Agri-food Biotechnology Institute with bioprocessing plant Cluster in Knowledge city at Mohali; Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI); Regional Centre for Biotechnology Training and Education under the auspices of the UNESCO, Faridabad and Institute of Biomedical Genomics in Kolkata and efforts are being made to establish institutions. In other proposed new institutions, National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad has been approved by EFC.
Regional biotechnology clusters , around the new institutions are being planned to promote innovation and discovery. These are the Translational Health Cluster at Faridabad, the Agrifood Cluster at Mohali and the Innovation Cluster at Bangaloore. Together, it is hoped that these will become the technology and innovation gateways of India.
December 31st, 2009
Earlier I wrote about people getting together and offering land for a university, a branch campus, or a new institute in Orissa. This is exactly what has now transpired in Delhi. I hope people in various parts of Orissa learn from this. Following is an excerpt from a report about the Delhi farmer’s offer.
… A delegation from Delhi’s villages called on Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday and presented to her a resolution offering 540 bighas of land in the Ghumanhera village in Najafgarh for opening of a State university.
A memorandum seeking opening of a new general university under the Delhi government and naming it after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was submitted to Ms. Dikshit …
They said that opening of a new general university under the Delhi Government would benefit the farmers of Delhi as it would also help in implementation of the OBC reservation list under which the Jat community is covered.
Dr.Kumar had earlier also raised this issue with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for inclusive development in the rural areas by asking to give a portion of the developed land to the farmers from whom it is acquired, said that the meeting was a historic landmark as the farmers have willfully offered to give the Gram Sabha land for a noble cause.
… Sibal had however given a green signal to the plea, in writing to Dikshit that, the government should consider the plan and avail the help of the Centre to set up a new state university providing incentives to the states during the 11th Plan since the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University does not have seats in general higher education, in which a majority of students from the rural areas of Delhi are interested.
Following the interaction, Dr. Kumar said the Chief Minister declared that she would soon work on forming this new university and thanked the farmers for offering to give their land to Delhi Government for the purpose.
The underlined parts above are important points. (i) Returning part of the developed donated land to the farmers, which by then is multiple times worth the original land, is a win-win situation. (ii) General Universities are important and no matter the existence of NIT and BPUT, Rourkela, still the second largest metropolitan area of Orissa, must have a general university at the earliest.
December 23rd, 2009
Following is from a PTI report.
The National School of Drama is in the process of establishing five regional centres in India, including in Jammu and Kashmir and the North East, the Lok Sabha was informed today.
While one of these regional centres –in Bangalore– has already been set up, the NSD is in the process of identifying locations for other centres in consultation with state governments and other stake holders.
This was said by Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs, M V Narayanasamy, who also holds the ad-hoc charge of the ministry of culture in response to a question.
"It is proposed to set up five regional centres of the National School of Drama — at Bangalore, Kolkata, in Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra/Goa and in the North East," he said.
He said the Bangalore Centre of National School of Drama has already started functioning from February, 2009.
After NID this is the second fallout for Orissa. In July this year the Orissa Culture minister met the culture secretary in Delhi and requested him about NSD. At that time his response was encouraging.
December 19th, 2009
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