Odisha HRD

INSPIRE fellowship letter to NISER

Thanks to Debu for this.

5 comments December 17th, 2008

What to do after B.Tech?

It is a good idea for some to consider pursuing M.Tech (via GATE) after B.Tech and then go for an academic job in engineering colleges. One may also consider doing a Ph.D and going after a faculty job in top institutions. Some of the reasons are:

• IT job market is getting tougher for fresh graduates.
• These days there are uncertainties in IT jobs for even people with experience.
• UGC salary has increased quite a bit. See also this latest PIB.
• There is a lot of demand for M.Techs for faculty positions in engineering colleges across India.
• See also the following piece in Samaja. (I don’t endorse the numbers, or the sentiment behind the trading, but it does give an idea regarding which jobs are stable. This may be useful to people looking for stability.)
• Eight new IITs, ten new NITs, 14 new National Universities and 16 central universities (13 of them new) are opening across India. A large number of faculty positions will be available in these places.

183 comments December 16th, 2008

Rs 80,000/year fellowships for science students under INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research)

Update2: The number 80,000 is inconsistent with the earlier announced number of Rs 100,000/year made in http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=36632.

Update: See also http://www.pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=45626 for the PM’s speech while launching the INSPIRE program.

Following is from a report in Telegraph.

India’s brightest students who choose to pursue science in college will get Rs 80,000 a year under a government scholarship to draw youngsters to careers in research.

The department of science and technology (DoT) today launched the nation’s largest-ever project to wean high-school students away from dreams of studying engineering or medicine towards BSc and MSc degrees.

Students who rank within 10,000 in the IIT Joint Entrance Examination and within 20,000 in the All India Engineering Entrance Examination but still choose BSc will be eligible for the scholarship, announced earlier this year but formally launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today. Students who clear the central medical entrance exam but opt for BSc will also be eligible.

All students who come within the top 1 per cent both in the 10th and 12th standard exams of central or state boards may also apply for the Scholarship for Higher Education. The department of science expects to offer 10,000 scholarships every year.

Students of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) and the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), national science talent scholars and Olympiad medallists will also be eligible.

The scholarship will be available from BSc second year till the students complete their master’s. Students of IISER Pune, Calcutta, Mohali, Bhopal and Thiruvananthapuram will receive it this year. So will those of NISER Bhubaneswar.

… The project will also award Rs 5,000 every year to 200,000 students from classes VI to X — picked with help from the schools’ science faculties — for work on a school-level science project. It will provide doctoral fellowships and an assured five-year research career to postgraduate students.

The government will spend Rs 2,100 crore on the scheme in the next three years.

India’s science policy makers have long worried about the migration of meritorious students towards, traditionally, engineering and medicine and, in recent years, management and information technology. “This initiative is important for India from a long-term perspective,” said T. Ramasamy, DoT secretary. “We expect to begin seeing gains from this in about a decade or so from now.”

128 comments December 14th, 2008

Higher education reforms planned at the prodding of NKC

Following are excerpts from a report in tathya.in.

Orissa has initiated moves to reform its higher education system, thanks to National Knowledge Commission (NKC) initiative.

The Higher Education department has moved to set up two committees in this regard.

Madhu Sudan Padhi, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Higher Education has moved for setting up the committees to take up reforms of the existing universities.

There are 7 universities under the administrative control of the Higher Education department.

As per guidelines of NKC, in order to bring reforms in the existing academic and examination system, Vice Chancellor of Utkal University will be assigned the job.

NKC has advised the State Governments to ask the universities to revise or restructure curricula at least once in 3 years.

Secondly it has said that annual examination, which tests memory rather than understanding, needs to be supplemented with continuous internal assessment.

NKC proposes a transition to a course credit system where degrees are granted on the basis of completing a requisite number of credits from different course, which provides students with choices.

Universities must become Hub of Research, which is totally absent, said a senior officer.

These are the few guidelines and including others on which the VC committee will prepare the “blueprint” for reforms, said he.

Another committee headed by the Secretary Higher Education will look into to structural reforms including governance, setting up small universities and restructuring the under graduate colleges.

Both the committees will present their report by 15 February, which will form the part of the Blue Print for the state, said he.

I think various state-funded colleges should be combined to form local universities. I will elaborate on this in another post.

December 13th, 2008

Curriculum change in Orissa schools likely

The Hindu reported the following.

Teaching in the State schools will no longer remain a one-way affair. The State government is all set to introduce new syllabus and innovative approach of schooling from the next academic session when students will take the lead in classrooms and teachers will play the role of facilitators.

As a first step towards making education interactive, new textbooks would be introduced in Class I, III, VI, and VIII from the next academic session. In the subsequent year students of Class II, IV, VII and IX would get new set of textbooks. In the third year, case of left out classes V and X would be taken up.

1 comment November 21st, 2008

Centrally funded non-NIT/IIT engineering colleges in various states; need a KBKIET in Kalahandi

Besides IITs and NITs some centrally funded engineering colleges are being established by the central govt. in various states. This includes the Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology in Punjab and Central Institute of Technology, Kokrajhar, Assam.

Following is a PIB report on a similar institute being established in Malda, West Bengal.

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for establishment of Ghani Khan Choudhary Institute of Engineering & Technology, as a Centrally funded institution in Malda, West Bengal on the modular pattern of teaching as adopted by Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology (SLIET), Longowal, Punjab. The Institution will offer courses in Engineering and Technology to cater to the various manpower requirements of the region, with special emphasis on courses relevant to the local population such as in food technology & sericulture.

Initially, the Institution would start with Certificate level courses leading to Diploma, Degree and Post-graduate levels later.

The total project outlay of the Institute will be around Rs. 97 crores.

Orissa should ask for a similar engineering college to cater to the backward KBK+ districts and located in Kalahandi.

Koraput will have the central university; Branch of IGNTU is being pursued in Kandhamala. So an engineering college like SLIET should be located in Kalahandi. The institute can be called KBK institute of Engineering and Technology (KBKIET).

November 20th, 2008

IITs may become real universities and have more non-technical programs

Following is an excerpt from a report in Times of India. (Thanks to Prof. Ratan Ghosh for the pointer.)

In the coming years, the IIT palette will have on offer a range of shades beyond the cut-and-dry coding courses. A bunch of doctors, historians, perhaps policy makers too, could boast of IIT degrees.

… the XIth five-year committee for higher education is working with these centres of excellence to expand their charts. The committee, headed by educationist Yash Pal, that is meeting IIT heads on Friday will discuss how the tech schools can change their character and, like American universities, enlarge their menu.

"Currently, the IITs are premier undergraduate engineering schools doing some postgraduation and research work. Now, we want to give them a bigger role," Yash Pal told TOI. The noted scientist said that he had discussed his suggestions with some IIT directors and that a clearer picture would emerge after this week’s meeting.

While the IITs will be given more oxygen in terms of starting courses of their choice, it’s difficult to predict whether the new subjects offered will compare in excellence with the engineering departments, or be relegated to the sidelines, like the IITs’ management schools. However, Yash Pal said, "All great universities around the world offer a range of undergraduate courses. Our IITs can’t be great unless they think in that direction."

The committee is looking at the Big Daddy of engineering colleges for inspiration. "If MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) or Caltech (California Institute of Technology) can offer a wider range of programmes that are well-known, why not the IITs? Our IITs have produced wonderful engineers for the country. It’s time they looked at offering more," he added.

Former Indian Institute of Science director Govardhan Mehta, who’s also on the committee, said that the country was currently at a stage where an institute running one programme was also being termed a university. "However, a university, as defined in the ninth century, is an institution with a confluence of many disciplines where research and teaching are carried out. While expansion of courses in the IITs is what our committee is thinking of, Friday’s meeting will give us a chance to know what’s in the IIT heads’ minds," he said.

 … IIT-Guwahati director Gautam Barua said, "There has been some suggestion that the IITs start programmes in areas other than science and technology. I do not have a problem with doing that if our focus is clearly defined."

… Educationist and former director of IIT-Chennai P V Indiresan, who has spent a large part of his life in the IIT system, said the institutes had been synonymous with excellence and they must not start any programmes unless they got very good faculty for the same.

How the IITs will rise to the challenge remains to be seen. What’s certain, however, is that the flow charts on their lush campuses are set to be redrawn.

November 20th, 2008

Naveen asks for a regional center of IGNTU in Kandhamal and more

Update: Pioneer reported on this; Expressbuzz.com reported on this; Zee news reported on this.

Following is an excerpt from a PTI report in Hindu:

Orissa government has asked the Centre to adopt a long term plan for Kandhamal, prone to ethno-communal violence instead of seeking any quick solution, official sources said on Tuesday.

Orissa’s suggestion came after the high-level central team headed by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, which visited Kandhamal today, sought to know what assistance was needed in mitigating the problems there.

"The Centre wants to support Orissa in building confidence among all sections of the people in Kandhamal," Pawar told reporters after the team arrived here yesterday.

Identifying backwardness in education, lack of connectivity and poor livelihood means as the cause behind the ethno-communal violence in Kandhamal, Orissa government asked the Centre to set up a campus of the National Tribal University, Amarkantak at Phulbani, the district headquarter town.

"As scheduled tribes constitute 52 per cent of Kandhamal’s population, it is proposed to have one Ekalavya model residential school (EMRS) in each block to cater to the needs of tribal children," …

This apart, the state government also asked for at least six schedule caste hostels to cater the children of SCs who comprise 17 per cent of the total population in the district . ..

Following is from a report in tathya.in.

Naveen Patnaik has demanded for a Regional Centre of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) in Kandhamal. 

Presenting the memorandum to the Central Ministerial Team headed by Sharad Pawar, the Chief Minister pleaded for the Centre of Higher Learning in the riot –hit tribal zone.

… He said it will go a long way to provide education to the tribal youth, who are in difficult situation.

Following is from Sambada. It mentions the demand for an ICAR lab.

November 18th, 2008

Two third of IGNTU students are tribals

Following is from a PTI report.

Tue-Sep 16, 2008

New Delhi / Press Trust of India

The first tribal university of the country, which aims at promoting higher education among the Scheduled Tribes, has started functioning from this session in Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh but sans teachers and a campus of its own.

Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU), the first of its kind dedicated for education and research on tribals, has given admission to 150 students this year. It will offer courses in humanities and commerce.

"We have given admission to about 150 students, including 100 belonging to tribal communities. We are offering Bachelor Degree programmes in anthropology, tourism, political science, geography, history and commerce," IGNTU Vice-Chancellor C D Singh told PTI.

The university, which is yet to have its own Academic Council, has adopted the syllabus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) for the courses.

HRD Minister Arjun Singh had laid the foundation of the university at Amarkantak on April 19 this year. However, the land is yet to be acquired for its campus.

"We have hired a building of an Ashram in Amarkantak where we will conduct classes. Hope we will get the land soon from the state government," the Vice-Chancellor said.

A major portion of the land earmarked for the campus comes under forest area. It has not been transferred to the university till date.

The university has started the process of recruiting its registrar and teaching faculty.

The courses on anthropology and tourism will touch upon the tribals’ tradition and culture, he said.

"We will start research on tribal art, culture, tradition, language, custom, medicinal system, forest-based economic activities including special studies in flora and fauna and advancement in technologies relating to natural resources of tribal areas. All these will start after we get the campus and adequate staff," the Vice-Chancellor said.

The university, set up under a Central law enacted last year, will have jurisdiction all over the country and will be funded by the University Grants Commission.

The education of the tribal people has been a matter of concern in view of low gross enrolment ratio (GER), the percentage of people of the relevant age group in the realm of higher education. While the national GER is 11.6 percent, the GER of the tribals is a meagre 6.6 percent.

The university, which will be broadly on the pattern of existing Central universities, will cater particularly to the tribal people in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat, he said.

Besides headquarters at Amarkantak, the university will have regional centres and campuses in other tribal concentrated areas, the Vice-Chancellor said.

Authorities of the university like executive council, academic council, college development council, boards of studies, academic boards, management boards and finance committees will have adequate number of members from among the Scheduled Tribes, he said.

Amarkantak has been selected as the site for the university because it is a central point in the tribal areas stretching between Madhya Pradesh, Chhattishgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

2 comments November 16th, 2008

Oxford bookstore opens in Bhubaneswar

Following is an excerpt from a report in Statesman.

Chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the 28th store of Oxford Bookstore here today. The store has a huge collection of books relating to the state, its history and culture from Indian and international publishing houses.

In addition to the popular sections of fiction, literature, travel, and cookery, there are sections dealing with health, yoga, tantra and reiki. The New Age section includes books on religion, children, art and architecture, business, Indians writing in English, reference, vernaculars and nature. A collection of Indian and International magazines is also available at the store.

It is in a 1500 sq ft area and  located in Pal Heights which is 500 mts north of the Jayadev Vihar – NH 5 crossing and 500 mts from many other hotels (Mayfair Lagoon, Swosti plaza and Ginger.)

3 comments November 15th, 2008

Manipur campus of IGNTU approved

Following is an excerpt from a report in e-pao.net.

New Delhi, November 11 2008:

STATE CHIEF Minister Okram Ibobi along with the Education Minister L Jayantakumar and the Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at the Prime Minister’s Office here this afternoon in connection with the reservation policy for recruitment of scheduled tribes in Manipur University and opening of a regional centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Manipur.

During the half an hour meeting, Chief Minister Ibobi told the Prime Minister that the Manipur University, which was a State University , became a Central University in the year 2005.The All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) and Manipur University Tribal Students’ Union (MUTSU) had been requesting the Central Government as well as the State Government seeking adoption of the State Government’s reservation policy in matters of recruitment in the Manipur University.

The Chief Minister further stated that based on the population composition of Manipur, the reservation policy of the State Government stipulated 31 pc reservation for Scheduled Tribes and 2 pc for the Scheduled Castes, as against 7.5 pc for Scheduled Tribes and 15 pc for Scheduled Castes in the Central Reservation Policy.

As such, the State Government had recommended to the Central Government the adoption of the State Reservation Policy by the Manipur University as a special dispensation keeping in view of the ethnic composition of Manipur.

O Ibobi also referred to the establishment of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University at Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh by a Central Act namely the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University Act 2007.This Act empowered the University to make special provisions for the employment or admission of women, persons with disabilities or of persons belonging to the weaker sections of the society and, in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and scheduled Tribes.

The Chief Minister further expressed that Manipur had nine districts; out of which five districts were predominantly inhabited by the tribal communities.

The facilities for imparting education in hill districts were inadequate.

It would help a great deal in promoting education among the tribal communities of the State, if a Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University had been established in one of the hill districts of Manipur.

He demanded for setting up a Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in one of the hill districts of Manipur.

After patient hearing, the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh expressed that the rectification of the Central Reservation Policy required an amendment of the policy and it would take time.

But the Centre would see the possible way to rectify it.

In regards to the opening of a Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in Manipur, the Prime Minister nodded enthusiastically at the proposal.

He advised the Union Secretary of Higher Education Shri Rameshwar Pal Agrawal who was also in the meeting asked to sit with the Ministers from Manipur tomorrow at 4 pm for working out the modality for opening of the Centre in Manipur.

Tomorrow, the Manipur Education minister Shri L.Jayantakumar Singh and the Tribal Development Minister Shri D.D.Thaisii will sit with the Union Secretary (Higher Education) Shri R.P.Agrawal at Shastri Bhavan here to chalk out the modality for opening of the Regional Centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University in one of the hill districts of Manipur.

Following is an excerpt from the report in e-pao.net on the follow-up meeting.

 

November 13 2008: STATE CHIEF Minister Okram Ibobi and the Education Minister L Jayantakumar on Wednesday met the Union Minister for Human Resources Development Arjun Singh at Shastri Bhawan here to relay the assurance of the Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh made on the previous day for opening of the Manipur campus of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University.

The meeting lasted for about 10 minutes.

In the afternoon at 4 pm on Wednesday at Shastri Bhawan here; the Manipur Education Minister L Jayantakumar, Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii and students leaders had an hour long discussion with the Union Secretary (Higher Education) RP Agrawal assisted by two Joint Secretaries for formulation of the proposed Manipur campus of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh.

The Union Secretary (Higher Education) informed the Manipur Ministers that the matter regarding the opening of a Regional Centre of the University in Manipur had been communicated to the Vice Chancellor of the University.

An expert group consisting of the representatives of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi had been formed for preparation of Detailed Project Reports of the proposed Centre in Manipur.

RP Agrawal also communicated to them for sending a high level team comprising of representatives from the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University to Manipur very soon to see the suitable location of the Centre.

The Secretary asked the Manipur representatives to find out a suitable location of the area of 500 to 700 acres.

He informed them that the appointment of faculty staff of the Centre would be done on the basis of the all-India norm and as for the admission of the students; it would be based on the ethnic composition of the State.

… The Manipur Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii said here today that the opening of the regional centre of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University would have a good opportunity not only for the tribal people of the region but also for the general people in learning different subjects in the University.

The Minister further stated that the proposed regional centre in Manipur would be the first campus of the University.

The Union Secretary told them that the Ministry received many proposals from different States for opening of the branches of the University in their respective States, he added.

Why is not Orissa proposing one such regional center in one of its tribal districts? At the current moment Kandhamala would be an easy sell.

4 comments November 14th, 2008

Scholarship for docotoral studies abroad

The following is from http://education.nic.in/scholarship/Schol-es.asp.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

 

Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Education administers only those scholarships/fellowships which are being offered by the foreign countries under Cultural Exchange Programmes and other Programmes. The subject fields are generally chosen for those subject fields, facilities for which are available in the donor country and also keeping in view the national needs.
2. On receipt of the offer of scholarships/fellowships from the donor country, the same is advertised on Department’s website www.education.nic.in and in some cases leading newspapers and through circulars to States/UTs, Universities etc. giving all the details regarding amount of scholarship, age limit, educational qualification, experience etc. Application format is also published in the advertisement. No application form is supplied by the Ministry. The advertisements are published at different times for different schemes according to the time notified by the donor countries. However, tentative months, during which advertisements were published on the basis of offers received form foreign countries on the previous occasions are indicated for convenience. Future dates will depend on offers when received. These advertisements are published by the D.A.V.P. and desiring candidates should submit their applications by the last date indicated in the advertisement. No application is considered which is received after the due date. Offers are open to both employed and unemployed candidates. Employed candidates are required to submit their applications through their Employers with ‘No Objection Certificate.’ However, advance applications are also considered provided the `NOCs’ are submitted to the Ministry in due course. Application can also be submitted online.

 

3. The scholarships/fellowships are awarded on merit on all India basis. The selection is made through a Selection Committee constituted of subject experts. Most of the scholarships are for doctoral and post-doctoral studies. Scholarships are also available at post-graduate level for language study, Fine Arts and some other subjects as being notified in each advertisement. All the details regarding scholarships would be available in the advertisement and the advertisement should be read carefully before submitting the application to this Ministry. Incomplete applications and applications for subjects other than what has been notified, are not considered. The decision of the Selection Committee on selection of candidates, is final. However, decision regarding award of scholarships rests finally with the donor countries. No scholarship is available to study at under-graduate level except language study.

 

4. Applications of candidates who are residing abroad, are not considered. Candidates who have been abroad for study/specialisation/training either on scholarship or on their own for a period exceeding six months are eligible to apply only if they have been in India for at least two years after their return from abroad on a specified date.

 

5. Candidates should have adequate knowledge about India and the country for which application for scholarship is being submitted.

 

6.  At present, following countries are offering Scholarships for India.
 

	CHINA
	KOREA
	ISRAEL
	JAPAN
	CZECH
	SLOVAK
	AGATHA HARISON
	NEW ZEALAND
	COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP- (UK)
	BELGIUM
	ITALY
	MEXICO
	NORWAY
	Turkey

1 comment November 9th, 2008

Setting up of 6,000 Model Schools at Block level gets union cabinet’s nod: PIB

Following is from http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=44613.

The 123 educationally backward blocks in Orissa are (See also http://education.nic.in/mdm/EEBs.pdf for a bigger list):

November 7th, 2008

Orissa government to give 10,000 higher education scholarships of Rs 10,000/year on MCM basis to Engineering, Medical and Dental students

As of now there is no information or application forms in the website they mentioned should be in: http://www.orissa.gov.in/highereducation/index.htm

66 comments November 3rd, 2008

Children Education Assistance and Reimbursement of tution fee

Following is based on recommendation of the 6th pay commission; see http://india.gov.in/govt/paycommission.php. Its effective 1st Sept 2008. As per a report in Dharitri the Orissa government is also planning to implementing it for its state employees.

The above numbers can serve as a benchmark for the state and the country to aim to provide for similar amount for every child’s K-12 education. They can start with kids with BPL parents, making it part of R & R, requiring every organization with more than 20(?) employees to provide to all their employees’ children, etc.

1 comment November 3rd, 2008

Some GRE resources in the web

• http://www.greguide.com/index.html
• http://mati.eas.asu.edu:8421/p1000/gre_data/
• http:/www.ets.org/gre
• http://www.syvum.com/gre/
• http://www.testprepreview.com/gre_practice.htm
• http://www.english-test.net/gre/
• http://www.800score.com/gre-index.html
  
• http://amby.com/GRE/
• https://www.msu.edu/~defores1/gre/gre.htm

1 comment October 28th, 2008