Archive for April, 2010
Update: Apparently a student’s version is at http://whackedoutbrain.blogspot.com/2010/04/neglected-by-college-raped-by-media.html.
We have no way of verifying if the poster is a Silicon student or not. His account seems believable and the comments there suggests that other students agree with the poster.
In recent years, especially after KIIT and ITER became deemed universities, Silicon Institute of Technology in Bhubaneswar has been the top choice of students among the private engineering colleges of Odisha.
On Thursday night 22nd of April a student of Silicon died. This incident resulted in a conflict between Silicon authorities and the media and there are multiple versions of the story.
The media versions of the story can be read in:
On the other hand the Orissa Private Engineering College Association has put the advertisement given below in various newspapers. I do not know who to believe. I hope some of the students who were present during the event can shed light on what really happened.
April 24th, 2010
For additional background and the list of 123 EBBs in Odisha see https://www.orissalinks.com/archives/1689. Following is from the PIB http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=60782.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today approved the setting up of 1000 additional model schools as a benchmark of excellence in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs) through State Governments, thereby taking the total number of model schools to be set up through the State Governments to 3500.
The financial requirement for setting up 2500 schools under State Governments, which were approved by CCEA in November 2008, was estimated as Rs.9322 crore during the 11th Five Year Plan, of which the central share is Rs.7457 crore. Requirement for additional 1000 schools (current proposal) has been estimated to be Rs.3304 crore with the Central share of Rs.2478 crore. Thus the estimated Central share for establishing 3500 schools in the Government sector is Rs.9935 crore during the 11th Five Year Plan.
Each school will have 560 students, the total beneficiary for 3500 schools therefore being 19.60 lakh students. The programme will be implemented through the societies set up by the State Governments for this purpose.
The present proposal is meant for 3500 EBBs in 27 States/UTs, although the model school scheme will cover 6000 blocks in all States/UTs.
The salient features of the Scheme are as follows:
(i) Every EBB will be eligible for one model school under State Governments.
(ii) These schools to have classes from VI to XII or from IX to XII.
(iii) These schools to have norms and standards equal to or better than Kendriya Vidyalayas
(iv) Medium of instruction and affiliating board will be decided by the State Governments.
(v) 75% of the recurring and non-recurring cost, subject to scheme norms, will be borne by the Central Government except for special category states, for which the sharing pattern is 90:10.
The major impact of the scheme will be to open up access to quality secondary education to talented rural students. The scheme is expected to provide a major fillip to availability of good quality schools in rural areas, thereby nurturing talent in such areas. These schools are expected to act as pace-setting institutions and to have a demonstration effect on neighbouring schools.
April 24th, 2010
Following is an excerpt from the PIB http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=60830.
List of the Colleges, Institutions, Research Centres
proposed to be established
ï‚· The Central Government has approved following 3 new Institutions for establishment:
1. All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi
2. North Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh
3. North Eastern Institute of Ayurved& Homoeopathy, Shillong, Meghalaya
ï‚· The Central Government has proposed to take over and upgrade following 9 State Government colleges:
1. Institute of Post Graduate Teaching & Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar (Gujarat).
2. Government Ayurvedic College, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).
3. Govt. R.A. Poddar Ayurvedic College, Worli, Mumbai.
4. Government Ayurvedic College, Patna (Bihar).
5. Rajiv Gandhi Govt. PG Ayurveda College, Paprola (Himachal Pradesh).
6. Government Ayurvedic College, Guwahati (Assam).
7. Govt. Ayurveda & Unani Tibbiya College, Karol Bagh, New Delhi.
8. Govt. Dr. AC Homoeopathy Medical College, Bhubaneshwar (Orrisa).
9. Govt. Nizamia Tibbi College, Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh).
ï‚· Establishment of 3 Central Research Institutes (Y&N) in Karnataka, Haryana and Manipur is in progress, after taking over free land from the State Governments
April 23rd, 2010
April 23rd, 2010
For the many engineering graduates lacking the skills to get a job, finishing schools promise to hone their skills and improve their chances in finding a job. One of the well-known finishing school in India is the Raman International Institute of Information Technology (RiiiT) in Karnataka. It claims to be the first finishing school of India. So far there is no finishing school of that kind in Bhubaneswar or Odisha. (Some of the existing engineering colleges do offer professional courses that make students more prepared to find a job.) The following ad from Samaja suggests that there will soon be a finishing school in Bhubaneswar. My guess is that this will be a beginning. Soon many others will join the fray; especially since for a finishing school one does not need approval from AICTE or a university and one can charge fees as per the market.
April 23rd, 2010
The Maharashtra numbers are from http://www.dte.org.in/degree/statistics/regionwisetotal.asp?inst_type=ENGINEERING. For Odisha I calculated the numbers using 2009 AICTE data. (Thanks to Bagdu for inspiring us to make this comparison.)
| |
Population |
Number of Seats
(BE level)
|
Number of Colleges |
| Maharashtra |
10.061 crores |
88300 |
|
| Pune |
52.73 lakhs |
32280 |
|
| Mumbai |
213.47 lakhs |
20332 |
|
| Nagpur |
25.70 lakhs |
17599 |
|
| Nashik |
17.42 lakhs |
13460 |
|
| Aurangabad |
11.95 lakhs |
8907 |
|
| Amravati |
6.74 lakhs |
6504 |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Odisha |
3.7762 crores |
30666 |
99 |
| Bhubaneswar |
16.66 lakhs |
19306 |
62 |
| Berhampur |
6 lakhs appx |
2550 |
9 |
| Sambalpur-Baragarh- Jharsuguda |
5 lakhs appx |
1716 |
6 |
| Rourkela |
7 lakhs appx |
1341 |
3 |
Couple of points to note from the above:
- The number of B.Engg seats in Bhubaneswar is not bad in comparison with the much larger cities of Mumbai and Pune.
- The other three metropolitan areas of Odisha mentioned above need to get to the level of at least 5000 seats (if not 10,000 seats) to make them attractive to IT companies.
- The increasing M.Tech seats will help improve the quality of faculty in the engineering colleges.
April 22nd, 2010
April 22nd, 2010
Following is an excerpt from a report in Times of India.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, minister of state for HRD D Purandeshwari said the ministry has decided to amend the IIT Act, the law that governs IITs, to include medical science. The health ministry had said that IITs should not be allowed to start conventional courses in medicine.
The amendment, Purandeshwari said, would help IITs to offer programmes bringing together the diverse disciplines of medicine and engineering. Referring to the health ministry’s objection, she said, "However, appreciating the fact that the modern trends in medical education and research in technology and medicine in all the developed and most of the developing countries are seen hand-in-hand, the government proposes to incorporate `medicine’ in the IIT Act."
Purandeswari said the programme would bring the two important disciplines of medicine and engineering together.
… IIT Kharagpur has come up with a concrete proposal in this regard and plans to start a medical college in collaboration with Indian Railways. At a meeting of experts in the health ministry in February this year, it was observed that IITs should start courses on health information technology, biomedical engineering and e-health rather than running a hospital or starting MBBS courses.
There are several lessons that Odisha can draw from this.
- As Purna Mishra suggested in a comment, VSSUT and the VSS Medical College in Burla should combine to form a single university.
- NIT Rourkela and IIT Bhubaneswar should consider adding a medical college as part of the institute; NIT could include the proposed ESI medical college and IIT could include the proposed Railways medical college.
April 22nd, 2010
Although last year several engineering colleges in Odisha could not fill their seats, there seems to be several new engineering colleges in the pipeline for this year. The list for the eastern region is here and here. From those lists my guess is that the following are engineering colleges that are being made in Odisha.
- Bhadrak Academy of Technology, Kantabada, Bhubaneswar (by the same people as Bhadrak Institute of Engineering and Technology)
- Bhubaneswar Institute of Industrial Technology
- Capital Engineering College
- Dadhichi College of Engineering
- Hirakud Institute of Engineering & Technology
- Ideal Institute of Engineering (?)
- International Institute of Engineering Technology, Bhubaneswar
- Radhakrishna Institute of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar
- Rayagada Institute of Technology & Management
- Satyananda Institute of Engineering & Technology
- Udaynath College of Science & Technology
There are many other names in the list; but I am not sure if they are in Odisha, West Bengal or Assam. I am pretty sure that the above (except the one marked with a ?) are in Odisha.
April 21st, 2010
Following is an excerpt from a report in Business Standard by Bishnu Das.
The state government, in its proposal, has proposed to convert the existing Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (IED) at Bhubaneswar, a nodal agency of the Orissa government, to a national level institute for MSMEs. The proposed national institute for MSME would be in line with National Institute of Enterprise and Business Development, Noida, National Institute of MSME, at Hyderabad and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship located at Guwahati. Since the Union government plans to set up three such new centres in the country, the state government intends to cash in on the opportunity. The state government has offered to provide the infrastructure including land belonging to IED for setting up this institute.
April 20th, 2010
Following is from the UGC report http://www.ugc.ac.in/more/commissiondecision/467.pdf (page 8, item 3.1). Thanks to Prof. Pujari for the pointer.
The Commission considered and approved the recommendations of the Expert Committee to the proposal of National Institute of Social Work and Social Sciences (NISWASS), Bhubaneswar (Orissa) for financial assistance for Infrastructural Development and approved one time financial grant of Rs.20.00 crores to the Institute.
The web page of NISWASS is at http://www.niswass.org/. It has the following departments:
Some of the programs it offers are:
- BA and MA in Social Work
- MA in Social Communication
- MA in Rural Management
- Master in Women Studies
- Master in Buddhist Studies
Admission forms are available every year around 15th May.
Some of the features and achievements of NISWASS are:
- It is affiliated to the University of Utkal, Sambalpur and Berhampur in the State of Odisha. The Vice Chancellors of all these Universities happen to be in the Board of Governors of NISWASS.
- It has also been recognized by each of them as an Advanced Research Centre.
The Institute has already been recognized by the University Grants Commission under Sections 2 (f) and 12 (B) of the UGC Act, 1956. Utkal University and the Government of Odisha separately have recommended the application of NISWASS filed with the University Grants Commission for conferring on NISWASS of a Deemed University.
- As an Institution catering to teaching and training in professional social work courses, NISWASS has been recognized and taken as a member of the Association of Schools of Social Work in India (ASSWI), New Delhi.
- NISWASS has been recognized as a Nodal Centre for the purpose of evaluation and inspections, Family Counseling Centres, etc. by the Central Social Welfare Advisory Board, Govt. of India, New Delhi.
- NISWASS publishes its research reports in the form of books, monographs and handbooks. It also publishes a journal, The Fourth World (bi-annually in English). Its Journal has been registered under the Press and Registration Act and has also obtained the ISSN number.
- Also, its development workers are active in more that ten thousand villages in Orissa and are engaged in carrying out various development works in addition to implementing education, health, skill improvement training, etc. focusing on women, children, disabled and other rural people and urban slums.
- NISWASS has been accepted by CAPART for training of trainers from various NGOs to conduct training of the Social Animators.
- NISWASS has been able to establish two prestigious Chairs for advanced research and training viz.
Dr. Ambedkar Chair on Social Work and Shri K.R. Narayanan (Late President of Indian) Chair on Social Communication.
- NISWASS had entered into international collaboration arrangements with the University of Missouri, Columbia (USA), the South Asian Institute (SAI, University of Heidleberg (Germany) and the Free University of Berlin (Germany) in matters of research, publications, faculty visits, and students’ exchange programmes. “Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)” have already been signed with the concerned University authorities. But relationship is active in the case of the Free University of Berlin.
There seems to be a lot of jobs available at NISWASS. See http://www.niswass.org/career_with_niswass.php.
NISWASS is located in Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar.
The only things that I could not find in their web pages are the names of the faculty and researchers working there. The only name I could find was the name of Dr. R. K. Nayak, mentioned as the Founder of NISWASS.
April 19th, 2010
(Thanks to kddf for the pointer.)
Following is from a PTI report in Hindu.
According to a note prepared by the Ministry for these projects, each Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) would be set up at an investment of Rs. 200 crore and the government would bear 85 per cent of the expenditure.
Of the 85 per cent spending, the Centre would provide for 50 per cent and the state government would bear 35 per cent of the expenditure. It means the Centre will provide Rs. 100 crore while the state government will give Rs. 70 crore and the industry will provide Rs. 30 crore for setting up of each IIIT.
“The ministry has prepared 50—35—15 funds sharing pattern between the Centre, state and industry. The Planning Commission has given in—principle approval for it. Now the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) will consider it,” a ministry official said.
… Now if the EFC approves the government’s proposal, it would be moved to Cabinet for final approval.
As per the plan, each IIIT would be a centre of excellence and specialise in specific area. These institutes would concentrate more on basic than applied research.
The ministry would bring in a bill in Parliament to confer them with the status of institutes of national importance. They can offer degree and Ph. D programmes once they become institutes of national importance.
In Odisha the state government has proposed that the PPP based IIIT be in Berhampur. Earlier it established a IIIT in Bhubaneswar and recently a IIIT type institute has been approved as part of Sambalpur University.
April 18th, 2010
Update: IIT Bhubaneswar web site is now updated and lists most of the new faculty that have joined.
A key hire that IIT Bhubaneswar recently made is of Prof. S C De Sarkar.
Prof. De Sarkar was the deputy Director at IIT Kharagpur and my teacher (in the Compiler course) when I was doing my B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering. He was the best teacher I encountered during my B.Tech degree. He has had many star Ph.D students including some who have won the Bhatnagar award.
He has joined IIT Bhubaneswar as the Dean of Faculty. In the words of IIT Bhubaneswar director Prof. Chakraborty: "He is now a great strength of IIT Bhubaneswar."
Some of the other highlights releted to recent hires (obtained from the IIT Bhubaneswar web page) are:
- Dr. C.N. Bhende, Asst. Prof. of Electrical Sciences received the best thesis award at Doctoral level from INAE.
- Dr. Sumanta Haldar Assistant Prof. of school of Infrastructure has been adjudged as the best Ph.D. thesis in India in the field of Geotechnical Engineering by the Indian Geotechnical Society.
April 18th, 2010
It involves land contribution from the state of Punjab and financial contributions from four industrialists for a total of 200 crores. Following are extracted from a Times of India report.
- The Punjab cabinet has finally given the green signal for the allotment of a fresh parcel of 70-acre land within the upcoming Knowledge City in Mohali for the second campus of the premier B-school.
- to be set up at an investment of Rs 200 crore and will be funded entirely by donations from four India Inc top guns:
- Max group founder and chairman Analjit Singh,
- Bharti group CMD Sunil Bharti Mittal,
- Atul Punj of Punj Lloyd and
- the Munjals of Hero group.
For its part the ISB administration have roped in top foreign universities to collaborate in the establishment of four schools. Following is excerpted from a report in Economic Times.
- The ISB has joined hands with the MIT Sloan School of Management, to develop two new institutes at the ISB’s upcoming campus at Mohali –
- The BML Munjal Institute for Manufacturing Excellence and Innovation and
- The Punj Lloyd Institute for Physical Infrastructure Management.
- In addition to the two institutes mentioned earlier, the school will also establish the
- Max India Institute of Health Care Management and
- Bharti Insititute of Public Policy.
- The ISB will continue to have the support of its founding associate schools such as the Wharton School and Kellogg School of Management. The ISB also has the support of the London Business School (LBS) as an associate school.
April 18th, 2010
Update: Indian express mentions that the clearance from the center comes with several conditions. Following is an excerpt.
In its letter to the Foundation dated April 16, the Ministry cleared the project while setting about 50 conditions. As per the condition, the Foundation has to get necessary permission and no-objection certificate from the Ministry as the project is situated less than 200 metres of Balukhanda reserve forest and wildlife sanctuary. Besides, the Foundation cannot draw ground water, restrict local fishermen from fishing and construct in CRZ area. The MoEF letter also makes it clear that the clearance order can be challenged before the National Environment Appellate Authority within a period of 30 days.
Following is from this IANS report at Indiatalkies:
… ‘The union ministry of environment and forests (MOEF) has granted the environment and CRZ clearances to the Vedanta University project,’ Sasanka Patnaik told IANS.
‘We received the letter from the ministry today (Saturday),’ he said.
The Anil Agarwal foundation is promoted by NRI billionaire and chairman of Britain’s Vedanta Resources Anil Agarwal.
It has proposed to set up a multi-disciplinary Vedanta University over 6,000 acres of land near the Konark-Puri marine drive, some 60 km from here.
This not-for-profit university, being built on a global scale, has been envisaged as one-of-its-kind institution for quality higher education and cutting-edge research facility in 95 academic disciplines for 100,000 students.
In March 2009 it had received conditional clearance from the state.
April 17th, 2010
It was established in 2008 with the first batch entering in 2008-09. It is the 5th IIHT of the country. (There are now 8 of them.) It now has a website at http://iihtbargarh.webs.com/. The following information is from that site.
Its current full time faculty and technical staff are:
1. MUKHTAR AHMAD, Director, B.Sc., B.Text.(t.c.) Kanpur university
2. Y.K.Suryavanshi, Senior Lecturer in textile design, B.Tech. ,Bangalore university, M.Tech. Chennai
3. Jitender Tak, Senior Lecturer in textile chemistry, B.Tech. from Bhilwara(raj.)
4. Siddharth Singh, Sr. Lecturer in text. designs, B.Tech. Kanpur & M.Tech.Delhi
5. Bishu Mondal, Art Designer, BFA
6. Sandeep Kumar, Instructor cum Demonstrator, Diploma in Handloom Technology from IIHT, Varanas
Its part time faculty for 2009-10 are:
- Mrs. Krishna Dutta – Engg. Physics
- Shri Suraj Prakash Bank – Engg. Chemistry & Pollution, Control in Textile Industry
- Shri C.R.Sahu – English I &II
- Shri R.C.Tosh – F.S.&C.A. I & II
- Shri Soumyajeet Mishra – Engg. Drawing & Material Sc. & Engineering
- Shri Rajender Sikandar – T.D.C. – II
- Shri Dileswar Karmi – Engg. Mathemetics & Computer Applications and I.T.
- Shri H.K.Biswal – Chemistry Practice
- Shri Bhaskar Bhue – Physical Education Instructor
The main course currently being offered there is a 3 yr Diploma in Handloom Technology. There are currently 30 seats in this program with 13 seats for students from Orissa. This is the main course that is offered in the various IIHTs. The IIHTs in Salem and Varanasi are the only ones that offer a post diploma in textile processing.
It is presently functioning in the campus of Panchayat College, Bargarh (a 50 yrs. old college in the district). It is about 4 Kms. from the Railway station, 3 kms. from private B.S. & 2 kms. from Govt. bus stand. The road called as ‘college road’ links the campus with other parts of the town.
Permanent campus of the institute is coming up 8 kms. away from the town on Bhatli road in a 33.02 acres land provided by the Orissa Govt.
The plan of the permanent campus is given below.
April 17th, 2010
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