Update: The comment below is correct. They have had the Ph.D program since January 2009. Perhaps the MHRD found out about it recently and put out a PIB release and as a result various news items came about.
Following is from http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1255708.
The newly-created Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, will offer Masters and PhD programme from the coming session.
It will offer Masters of Technology (M Tech) Degree in five subjects — Chemical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, the HRD Ministry said in a statement today.
Similarly, students can pursue PhD in nine subjects. These are Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering and Physics.
Meritorious candidates can avail scholarships. The institute will entertain only on-line applications. The last date for applying for the courses is May 20.
I have not heard about similar offering of post-graduate courses in the other new IITs.
May 13th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in Expressbuzz.com.
Bangalore Medical College and Research Institution (BMCRI) will soon house the Regional Institute of Para-medical Sciences (RIPS), which is aimed at ensuring a steady supply of qualified paramedical staff in the state and across the country.
The proposed RIPS is one of the six such regional training centres proposed by the Centre to augment shortage of men in the health sector.The work on the two National Institute of Para-medical Centres at Najafgarh, Delhi and Chengalpet in Tamil Nadu is going on at brisk pace.The BMRCI already runs six courses in the paramedical discipline. “Once the RIPS starts, about 10 new courses will be introduced.
The institute will have a capacity of 1,000 students and the admission will be through the CET.In the line of IITs, IIMs and AIIMS, these institutions will become a model training institutions for paramedical education in the country.” said,Dr G T Subhash, Dean and Director, BMCRI.“
… According to an official estimated, there is 4.3 million shortage of para-medical staff world-wide with acute shortage in South-East Asian region.According to WHO report India needs to invest at least US$2 billion per annum to for the next six years. India faces a crunch of about 60-70 percent paramedical staffs, as the paramedical education system seems to be unorganised and as such there is no paramedical council and accreditation system. …
Paramedicals are persons trained to assist medical professionals in thediagnosis and treatment of patients. These includes:
â— Medical laborotory technologists, blood bank technologists.
â— Nurses, skilled birth attendants, operation theatre assistants.
â— Radiographers, radiotherapy technologists, perfusion technologists, ECG, EEG and EMG technologists.
â— Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, audiology and speech therapists, orthotists/ prosthetists.
â— Optometrists, pharmacists, clinical psychologists, pre hospital trauma technicians, dental mechanics, dialysis technologists and medical records technologists.
Besides the above, a Regional institute of Paramedical and Nursing Sciences (RIPANS) is already established in Aizawl and one is being tried in Kozhikode, Kerala. Following is an excerpt about the later from a news item in oneindia.in.
Kerala Health Minister P K Sreemathy today said the government was expecting a formal approval from the Centre for the proposed Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences(RIPS) at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital within three months.
Talking to reporters here, she said the government had allotted 25 acres of land for the purpose and the expert team, which inspected the site, had expressed satisfaction.
The institute, to be set up at a cost of Rs 90 crore, would conduct 57 new courses, she said and added that the project would be implemented as part of the second anniversary of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government in the state.
Ms Sreemathy said the Health Department would start three nursing colleges in Malampuzha, Uduma and Pallurthy and the government was waiting a formal approval from the Medical Council.
Why is not Orissa pursuing one of these?
May 7th, 2009
Rohit Kumar, a student at IIT Khargpur died today because of lack of facilities at BC Roy Hospital (should not really be called an hospital). Having spent a night at that hospital after an insect flew inside my ear, I have first hand experience involving BC Roy as well as the lack of proper medical facilities at Kharagpur.
The bigger tragedy is that when the lack of healthcare facilities in BC Roy hospital was pointed out by the students three years ago in the student newspaper, the authorities decided to punish the student paper and shut it down for some time.
I hope this time the authorities will take it seriously and find a long term solution. The current director of IIT Kharagpur has in the past implemented many innovative and bold ideas and here is a bold idea (bold in the context of West Bengal and its unions) that may solve the problem.
IIT needs to close down BC Roy operations and contract its health care operations to a reputed private company such as Apollo. (The company Vedanta is doing something like that.) A student and employee committee can come up with a specification of what medical services should be available on campus and invite bids from reputed health care companies and then pick the best. I don’t think money would be a problem. This is the way to go as health care is not a core competency of IIT Kharagpur and someone very good in that field should be the one taking care of the health care facilities at IIT Kharagpur.
This should be the model used in other universities and institutes that are in places without good health care facilities; or perhaps in all universities and institutes. Note that a lot of the proposed new central universities are being located in small towns without proper health care facilities. This is the time to take this issue into account and plan properly.
March 23rd, 2009
Following is from a report in Hindu.
Southern Railway is to start a medical college with private participation by making use of the existing medical facilities available at its hospital in Perambur here.
The Chief Medical Director of Southern Railway on Friday called for expression of interest from resourceful medical institutions in the country for establishing and running the college at the cost of institutions as per the Medical Council of India regulations. The institutions should have at least 10 years’ experience in running a medical college and attached hospital as per the MCI norms. Foreign institutions can also participate in the bid, provided they comply with respective foreign medical regulatory authority norms.
Southern Railway is now running a 500-bed hospital on a 15-acre site in Perambur and the same is to be shifted soon to new premises. The existing hospital premises and the proposed new hospital complex will be available for establishing the medical college.
According to the Medical Director, the Perambur railway hospital has basic specialities in 15 disciplines and super-specialities in three disciplines.
The hospital has been recognised by the National Board of Examinations for recognition in postgraduate training. International institutions such as Royal College of Surgeons had also accredited the hospital for imparting training in PG courses.
ECOR has a central hospital in Mancheswar. It was inaugurated in Nov 27, 2007. Following is an excerpt from the press release.
Sri K. C. Jena, Chairman, Railway Board and Ex-officio Principal Secretary, Govt. of India inaugurated the Central Hospital of East Coast Railway at Mancheswar today. The hospital which started as a Health Unit in 1982 under Mancheswar Workshop was declared to be converted to 100 bedded Central Hospital for ECoR on 09.10.2005. In the first phase, construction has been completed with 60 beds, 4 bedded ICU and OT complex with a sanctioned cost of Rs. 1.88 crores.
The second phase expansion of the Central Hospital with 40 beds with maternity and pediatric wards and 8 Nos. of Special Cabins at a cost of Rs. 1.98 crores will be taken up shortly.
This hospital which has tied up with Kalinga Hospital Ltd., Bhubaneswar, Yoshada Hospital, Secunderabad and Seven Hills Hospital, Visakhapatnam is presently catering to the medical and health care needs of almost 36000 employees of Mancheswar Workshop, East Coast Railway Headquarters, Construction Organisation, Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), Railway Electrification (RE), Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT) and retired railway employees residing at Bhubaneswar and their family members.
We should watch out how this hospital grows and may be in 5 years, ECOR could be pushed to follow the path of Southern railway and have a medical college attached to this hospital.
March 21st, 2009
Following is excerpted from a report in Telegraph.
The Centre has approved a request by the Manipur government to set up a campus of the new Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in the state and asked the chief minister to allocate land for it.
The human resource development ministry has authorised the IGNTU, India’s first university dedicated to tribal studies, to open a campus in the hills of Manipur, The Telegraph has learnt.
… Manipur, sources said, was told of the approval just before the announcement of elections. But the formal sanction from the IGNTU governing body — critical for setting up a new campus — came only earlier this week.
The IGNTU was started last year at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh but its planned campus there is tangled in controversy with forest officials and some religious leaders opposed to chopping of trees to build the university.
Manipur is the first state whose request for an IGNTU campus has been accepted. Several other states with a significant tribal population had also asked for a campus.
The Congress rules both at the Centre and in Manipur.
With the Centre’s approval, the state may now actually develop the first fully operational campus of the IGNTU unless the dispute over Amarkantak is resolved, sources said. The headquarters of the IGNTU will however remain in MP, the sources said.
The government, through the IGNTU vice-chancellor, has written to chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh asking him to allocate 300 acres of land in the state for the campus, officials said. The state government is likely to offer land for the campus in Senapati, it is learnt.
…The tribal university is expected to offer, in the coming years, the country’s best academic opportunities in tribal literature, culture, language, music, arts and scriptures.
The idea behind the university is to provide students from a tribal background an education that they can identify with and which can train them in helping safeguard and develop their culture.
Classes in select subjects started last year from a temporary campus at Amarkantak.
March 20th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in the Telegraph.
The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in West Bengal is set to become the first such institute in the country to offer an integrated masters degree in earth science.
There are five IISERs in the country, set up on the lines of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.
The earth science course will be introduced in the next session and will cover subjects such as palaeontology, geo-chemistry, seismology, climatology and space science.
“Geo-chemistry will be a topical subject in Bengal. It will cover arsenic contamination, which is a major problem in the state. Space science, too, is neglected in Bengal,” said Dibyendu Nandi, an assistant professor at the IISER in Nadia.
… The institute will also offer an integrated PhD programme from August 2009 that will be open to graduates. The course duration will be five-seven years.
“The first two years will be for a masters course. A doctorate usually takes three to four years but may take longer in the field of science. Students will have up to five years to complete their PhD,” said Nandi.
In 2009, the PhD aspirants will be selected on the basis of their applications and interviews but from the next year there will be an all-India entrance test.
Both courses will be offered on the IISER’s new campus in Mohanpur in Nadia. “The 200-acre campus should be ready by the end of 2010,” said Nandi.
In keeping with its objective of making education and careers in basic sciences more attractive, the institute is also reaching out to students in schools and colleges.
… The institute is also planning to visit colleges across Bengal to spread awareness about science and research.
March 6th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in the Times of India.
A typographical error, it seems, has become a boon for the state. The Centre on Wednesday assured the state of an IIM, which was announced earlier, but termed as a “typographical mistake” made by the union HRD ministry.
“The HRD ministry has rectified the mistake. As announced, we will now take action to set up an IIM in Rajasthan also,” acting finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In the recent budget speech, Mukherjee had said that the new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) were to come up in Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu.
However, Mukherjee later said he was informed that there was a typographical mistake made by the HRD ministry and these institutions were to come up in Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu.
This, however, led to strong protests in Rajasthan and MPs from the state raised the issue in the ongoing session of Parliament.
Mukherjee’s latest announcement has now put to rest the controversy over the IIM as the main opposition BJP was in a mood to make it a poll issue in the state. In fact, after the recent victory in assembly polls, the Congress high command has been heavily banking on Rajasthan and the party didn’t want to antagonise the voters of the state on the eve of Lok Sabha polls.
February 26th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in Indian Express. (My guess is that this is just a warning.)
The indiscipline and frequent unrest on the campus have cost the Bengal Engineering and the Science University (BESU) the central status of Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST).
The ministry of Human Resource and Development has sent a regret letter, saying the university cannot be upgraded.
The letter, sent to the university chancellor, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, conveyed that the status is being denied on two grounds: The university administration is in shambles, it said, and unless things improve, the Centre will not consider upgradation.
The second reason is that the expenditure finance report of the university was not satisfactory.
The university was asked to submit the report on how it would spend the money allocated in the 11th plan period.
For the past two years, the institute has been rocked by violence and frequent protests by teachers and non-teaching staff. The students were asked twice to vacate the campus, which was closed for an indefinite period.
… The Anadakrishnan Committee had recommended six institutes along with BESU for the IIEST status. According to university sources, it was in the top slot.
On December 31, 2007, a letter was sent to the state’s chief secretary from the Centre, which said BESU will be upgraded.
Teachers are taken aback by the developments.
…The decision also begs why the ministry did not inform the state government before taking the decision. Students are in shock as well.
“Instances of campus unrest are not good for the image of a campus. But that it would cost us the much-awaited central status is a shock,” said a student.
The institute will miss
* Rs 519 crore in the plan period and recurring Central grants
* Status at par with the IITs
* Developments in campus infrastructure
* BTech and MTech programmes
February 22nd, 2009
Following is from PIB http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=47087.
The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of a new institute “National Institute ofAbiotic Stress Management” costing Rs. 73.50 crores in the 11th Plan.
Abiotic stresses like drought, temperature extremes, flood, salinity, mineral toxicity and nutritive deficiency are threatening agriculture production globally. India being a tropical country faces such abiotic stresses to a significant degree which has implications for maintaining national food security.
The National Institute of Abiotic Stress Management shall have a comprehensive mandate of characterization of the occurrence of various abiotic stresses in the country impacting agriculture on a continuous basis and carry out basic and strategic research that will lead to development of technologies for mitigation and adoptation of crops, livestock, horticulture, fisheries and micro organisms to such stresses. The important research programs would be in a matrix mode. Organizationally it is proposed that the institute shall conduct its research programmes through four schools viz; schools of drought stress management, atmospheric stress management, edaphic stress management and policy support research.
The institute, which will be located at Malegaon ( Baramati) in Maharashtra will have a deemed to be university status.
February 1st, 2009
Its web page is http://www.indianarmy.gov.in/aad/indexmain.html. Following are some excerpts from that page.
History:
The Army Air Defence College has an illustrious history dating back to pre independence era, when the School of Artillery was located at Quetta and the Anti Aircraft Wing was located at Karachi. When India gained Independence 1947, the School of Artillery and the Anti Aircraft Wing moved to Deolali. The Anti Aircraft Wing was renamed as the Air Defence Wing and was placed under School of Artillery.
In 1955 a case was taken up to relocate Air Defence Wing from Deolali, due to lack of adequate ranges for gun and missile firing. In 1963, the Government of Orissa offered 3000 acres of land at Gopalpur -On –Sea, along with seaward firing range, which was accepted in 1968. In 1979, Government of India sanctioned the establishment of Air Defence and Guided Missile School and Centre at Gopalpur – On – Sea. Gopalpur Cantonment was inaugurated on 30 October 1984 by late Shrimati Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister of India.
January 9th, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in Indopia.
Domestic steel producer Jindal Steel and Power has invested about Rs 300 crore to set a law school as part of its O P Jindal Global University project and will also approach corporate houses like Tatas and Ambanis to pump in more funds in the form of endowments.
The college, envisioned by JSPL Executive Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Navin Jindal, has been at the university campus in Sonepat, Haryana. The first session of the college, is expected to start in September this year.
" Jindal Global Law School will be the first phase of our endevour to promote excellence in higher education by setting up O P Jindal Global University. We have infused up to Rs 300 crore at the moment and expect more investment in form of endowments and donations," O P Jindal Global University Professor and CEO C Raj Kumar told media.
…The law college would function in collaboration with the top institutes worldwide like Harvard Law School among others and would offer a three-year post-graduate LLB programme. The institute is also planning to commence a five-year undergraduate programme in law.
Kumar said school would have competitive fee structure of Rs six lakh per annum and would offer scholarship and easy loan schemes to them.
The Orissa government should push JSPL for setting up similar higher education institutions in Orissa where they have existing operations (such as an iron ore mine in Tensa, Keonjhar) and where they are expanding some operations. In particular:
January 9th, 2009
Following is from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=46293.
DEPTT. OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Department of Science & Technology initiated several easy to access programmes for people. Following are some of the highlights:
Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspire Research (INSPIRE)
INSPIRE is a programme by the Department of Science & Technology for attraction of talent to study science and careers with research. The Scheme includes three sub-components namely a) Scheme for Early Attraction of Talents for Science (SEATS), b) Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) and c) Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC).
Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS) aims to attract talented youth to study science through INSPIRE award of Rs 5000 to each awardee. About one million young learners of the age group 10-15 years will be selected fro INSPIRE Award from the toppers who constitute approximately one percent in the Class X Board examinations in the country. Summer camps for about 50,000 youth will be organised in which students will interact with global science leaders..
Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) aims to enhance rates of attachment of talented youth to higher education in science intensive programmes. The scheme offers 10,000 scholarship and mentorship every year @ Rs 0.80 lakh per year for undertaking Bachelor and Masters level education in natural sciences. A main feature of the scheme is in mentorship support for every scholar through INSPIRE scholarship.
Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC) aims to attract, attach, retain and nourish talented young scientific Human Resource for strengthening the R&D foundation and base by offering doctoral INSPIRE fellowship in the age group of 22-27 in the both basic and applied sciences including engineering and medicine and assured opportunity for post doctoral researchers in the age group of 27-32 years through contractual and tenure track positions for 5 years in both basic and applied sciences areas through an INSPIRE faculty scheme.
Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB)
SERB is an autonomous empowered Board to be established through an Act of Parliament. It will promote excellence in research through established groups pursuing advanced research and gaining global competitiveness for Indian Science and strive to de-bureaucratize the funding support system. The Parliament has passed the bill on the formation of SERB.
Nano Mission
India has mounted a national nano mission in 2007 with an objective of promoting basic and applied research in nano science with an outlay of Rs 1000 crores over 5 years. Under this mission, a new Institute of nano science and technology at Mohali and centers of Banglore and Kolkata are being established. Projects and centres of excellence in basic and applied research have been supported with an outlay of over Rs 150 crores during 2007-08. More than 500 students are currently carrying out doctoral research in nano science in the country.
Initiative for Technologies for Safe Drinking Water
The department has mounted a national initiative to assess technologies and products available for providing safe drinking water for decentralized use and create a data base of technologies after the evaluation of field performance of products and technologies.
Recent Success Stories of the incubated companies promoted by NSTEDB, DSTsupported Technology Business Incubator (TBI).
Torque 360 Degree Solutions is an incubated company of Technopark, Trivandrum which specializes in providing wireless messaging solutions enabling direct communication with targeted audiences and service them through various messaging products and tools. One of its spin off, MobME , Mobile Media and Entertainment Start-up is valued at US $ 7 Million and is listed on top 100 IT Innovators 2007 by NASSCOM.
Laurus Laboratories nurtured in ICICI Knowledge Park, Hyderabad, life science Incubator functions in the area of pharmaceutical process development which provides integrated services, technologies and manufacturing capabilities spanning the entire drug development life cycle, have had an iconic growth with over USD 100 million valuation and a strategic partnership with Aptuit Inc. in less than two years and created 425 scientist level jobs and around 100 support level jobs.
SooryaKiran Bioinformatics (P) Ltd is a university incubated, new generation bioinformatics company functioning from Technopark, Trivandrum provides reliable, cost effective, world-class customized solutions that bridge the gap between information analysis and knowledge management. The company is poised to establish itself as a world renowned organization, striving to set benchmarks in Computational Biology and Bioinformatic.
National Mission on Bamboo Applications
National Mission on Bamboo Applications focused attention on value addition of bamboo materials through applications of technology and product development in area of structural materials and energy generation. Several housing and structural applications related technologies have been commercialized.
DRUGS AND PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM
The programme has established a number of Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in drug development. Total of 85 collaborative R&D projects with leading industries, 31 national facilities and 37 Pharma Industry loan projects have been supported.
The programme has resulted in filing 15 product patents and 13 process patents. Industrial leads on Psoriasis, Migraine, Malaria, Anti-Glaucoma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Diabetes, aging, Pancreatic Cancer, Osteoporosis are under different phases (Phase I, II, III) clinical trials.
Science Express – an innovative science exhibition on-wheels
Science Express’, an innovative Indo-German Pathway to Discovery, is a unique science exhibition-on-wheels. It was flagged off by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh and Federal Chancellor of Germany Dr. Angela Merkel from Delhi Safdarjung on 30 October 2007. It is a joint venture between the Max Planck Society Germany (MPS), a Noble laureate powerhouse and Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, with the support of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German corporate giant BASF and its Indian arm, among others. The exhibition comprising of over 350 interactive displays, large format modules, video clips and voice-overs strived to provide insights into some most pressing questions about evolution besides state-of-the-art of several scientific pursuits. It also hosted world famous Kids’ Lab of BASF and over 15,000 students performed interesting experiments in Chemistry.
During its incredible tour of India to 57 locations in 217 days covering over 15,000 kms during, this first-of-its kind exhibition received overwhelming response at each halt as it attracted over 22.5 lakhs visitors. Buoyed by its success, a modified version called ‘sciencexpress’ having more indigenous content has been launched on 30 November 2008 to another 50 destinations not covered earlier.
International S&T Cooperation
The Department of Science and Technology on behalf of the Government of India has enlarged the Scope and strength of S&T cooperation with many countries during the year 2008-09. Stepped cooperation with European Union, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Australia, Canada, Israel, Russia, SAARC, brazil, South Africa formed special focus during 2008-09. Indian beam line in Japan, Science express with Germany, Industrial R&D fund support with Israel and Canada, science bridges with UK, Joint Biomedical center with Russia, coordinated call for research on computational material science with EU are some indications of stepped up S&T cooperation registered during 2008-09.
PRA/SKK
January 2nd, 2009
Following is an excerpt from a report in Telegraph.
… The human resource development ministry has decided to open nine new NITs instead of 10, replacing the tenth with an institute to be named after A.B.A. Ghani Khan Choudhury.
The Union cabinet approved the Ghani Khan Choudhary Institute of Engineering and Technology on November 20, allocating Rs 97 crore for the project.
The institute will be based in Malda, the late Congress leader’s bastion.
… a cash-strapped government has quietly decided to scrap one NIT to accommodate the institute named after Choudhury without spending more.
… Unlike the NITs, which have a national character and admit students from across the country, the Ghani Khan Choudhary Institute will primarily cater to local students, sources said.
“It will not be an NIT and will not even be run like one. The idea, pushed by the late Congress leader’s family, was not to have a national institution but a memorial to Choudhury. And that’s what this institute will be,” a source close to HRD minister Arjun Singh said.
… The Ghani Khan Choudhary Institute will not be run by a central law.
Choudhury’s family members, it is learnt, have met Arjun at least twice to urge him to start the institute. A source in the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that it, too, had been petitioned by the family.
…But the HRD ministry, the sources said, decided instead to propose the Ghani Khan Choudhary Institute in place of one NIT.
In 2009 if there is a friendly government in the Center Orissa should try for Biju Patnaik Instutute of Engineering and Technology along the above lines.
December 17th, 2008