Odisha HRD

Research councils to be important parts of the innovation universities

Following is from a PTI report in zeenews.

The proposed innovation universities in the country would be supported by research councils, which would not only identify potential areas of research but also extend advisory services in other areas.

Every university for research and innovation will have such a council headed by a director. These varsities shall present its report annually highlighting its achievements on their website.

The proposed innovation universities, a Bill of which was introduced in Parliament last week, are to be set up during the 12th Plan Period.

The hallmark of the legislation is that each university would focus on one area or problem of significance to India and build an eco-system of research and training around different related disciplines.

In keeping with this objective, each of the council of the university concerned shall interface with research funding organisations, industry and civil society to identify potential areas for research in areas of enterprise.

Besides, the council will assist the teachers in obtaining funding from external sources for research projects prepared by them, according to the provisions of the Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012.

The Bill seeks to set up the universities both in the public as well as the private sectors.

As per the provisions, each of these universities would offer exposure to an international classroom environment, with a minimum of 50 per cent of the students from India.

Each of the research council will be headed by a director and members, the strength of which would be specified by the board of governors of the university concerned.

The council will also provide for incubation of applications emerging from research undertaken in such university.

Importantly, it shall make provisions for research and advisory service for which it would enter into agreement with other institutes, industry, civil society and other organisations and enable the results and benefits of research to be disseminated to the public.

According to the Bill, the research council shall present its annual output on its website three years after the establishment of the university and each year thereafter.

Each of the university would have autonomy in matters of academics, faculty, personnel and finances administration.

1 comment May 28th, 2012

Cabinet approves the innovation university bill; Update: Bill Introduced in the Lok Sabha

Update: Following is an excerpt from a PTI report in Zeenews.

A bill which seeks to provide for establishment of universities focussed on innovation and research was introduced in Parliament on Monday.

The Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012 was tabled in the Lok Sabha by HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.

The Bill seeks to set up the universities both in the public as well as the private sectors.

Each university on research and innovation would provide for the knowledge and economic needs of the country by creating professionals, specialists, scientists and researchers and generate new knowledge to support the national innovation system.

According to the provisions of the Bill, each of these universities would offer exposure to an international classroom environment, with a minimum of 50 per cent of the students being Indian.

The hallmark of the legislation is that each university would focus on one area or problem of significance to India and build an eco-system of research and training around different related disciplines.

These universities would have autonomy in matters of academics, faculty, personnel and finances administration.

The President would be the visitor of the publicly funded universities.

The Bill, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet early this month, does not specify the target of 14 such universities as was proposed earlier.

Following is from a report by Basant Kumar Mohanty in Telegraph.

The Union cabinet today cleared a proposed “omnibus law” under which central or private theme-based universities can be set up with Parliament’s approval without enacting a separate law for each institution as is the rule now.

The Universities for Research and Innovation Bill, 2012, does not apply to general universities but only to “innovation universities” — those where teaching and research will focus on specific areas such as environment, astrophysics, urban planning or the liberal arts.

Universities are now set up individually through legislation by Parliament or a state’s Assembly. Once Parliament passes the new bill, which could be introduced in the current budget session, innovation universities can be established through an executive order followed by parliamentary approval, which will make the process faster.

It will also allow the establishment of as many theme-based universities as the Centre wants as long as they fulfil the set requirements. They can be set up in the public, private or public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

The government plans to set up a few such universities on its own. The bill allows internationally acclaimed foreign universities with at least 50 years of standing in their countries to collaborate with Indian entities to set up innovation universities.

Private bodies such as registered societies, trusts or companies registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act and foreign institutions will be termed “promoters” and will have to sign a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the government to set up innovation universities, either through collaboration or independently.

The promoter will apply to the government and send a detailed project proposal carrying information such as the vision plan, areas of focus, and how the land and funds will be mobilised.

If the proposal is found acceptable, the government will sign an MoA with the promoter, notify it and place it before Parliament, which will have the right to reject or amend it. The promoter cannot take away the profits from education activities but must plough them back into the institution for its development.

These universities can appoint by invitation anyone with academic distinction and professional achievements as professor or assistant professor. They can also appoint by invitation, as assistant professor, any graduate student with academic distinction and exceptional talent for research.

1 comment May 11th, 2012

AIIMS Bhubaneswar director selected and faculty hired; classes to start in September 2012: Union health minister Mr. Azad

Following is from a report in Business Standard.

Despite the slow pace of construction work, the first academic session of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar is all set to begin from September this year while its hospital would be ready next year, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said today.

… The Director for the upcoming prestigious institute has already been selected and selection of faculties had also been completed, he said.

"Now all work and preparations (are) for starting the classes this year and the hospital by 2013 with full pace. People are working day and night to complete the work as per our plan," Azad said.

1 comment May 6th, 2012

The phase by phase development of the six AIIMS like institutes

The following is from the web pages of AIIMS like institute Bhopal. The other institutes are expected to have the same plan.

Departments in Medical College

Phase I-1st May 2012

Departments in Hospital

May 4th, 2012

Recruitment of faculty and administrators of the new AIIMS like institutes is in full swing; The ones at Bhopal and Patna have their websites up and running.

Earlier in https://www.orissalinks.com/archives/7218 we wrote about the advertisement on admission to the new AIIMS like institutes in Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur, and Rishikesh. The ad mentions that  the first batch of class in these institutes is tentatively supposed to start in Fall 2012. For the classes to start in Fall 2012 faculty and administrators need to be hired. There is indication that such hiring is in full swing. Following are some of those indicators.

1. The page http://mohfw.nic.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=0&linkid=37&lid=46 has links to several of the hirings that are going on.(Deadline for many of them is past.)
   • ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE POST OF (1.) DEPUTY DIRECTOR (ADMN.) (2.) FINANCIAL ADVISOR IN THE NEW ALL INDIA INSTITUTES OF MEDICAL SCIENCES (AIIMS) BEING ESTABLISHED (ONE POST IN EACH OF THE NEW AIIMS), UNDER PRADHAN MANTRI SWASTHYA SURAKSHA YOJANA. DEPUTY DIRECTOR (ADMINISTRATION) FOR BHOPAL, BHUBANESWAR, JODHPUR, PATNA AND RAIPUR AND FINANCIAL ADVISOR FOR BHOPAL, RAIPUR AND RISHIKESH (PDF, 132 KB)
   • Applications Received for the Post of Directors in the four New AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Raipur and Rishikesh in Response to Advertisement dated 27th Dec 2011 (DOCX, 38 KB)
   • Advertisement for the Medical superintendent Post in the Six New AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh (PDF, 143 KB)
   • ADVERTISEMENT FOR FACULTY POSITIONS IN THE SIX NEW ALL INDIA INSTITUTES OF MEDICAL SCIENCES (AIIMS) BEING ESTABLISHED AT RISHIKESH, BHOPAL, JODHPUR, PATNA, RAIPUR AND BHUBANESHWAR  (PDF, 31 KB)
   • Appointment of Directors in four AIIMS, Bhubaneshwar,Jodhpur,Raipur and Rishikesh (PDF, 47 KB)
   • Application received for the post of Director (AIIMS) like institutions under PMSSY Projects  (PDF, 75 KB)
2. The faculty job ad and links to the application form and FAQ is at http://aiimspatna.nic.in/. Note that faculty job ad lists 91 positions for each of the six AIIMS like institutions.
3. The initial deadline for the faculty job application is past. This economic times article mentions that 40 faculty have been hired for the AIIMS like institution in Bhopal. It is expected that similar number of faculty may have been hired for the other AIIMS like institutions.
4. AIIMS Bhopal and AIIMS Patna have their websites up and running. As of now, the AIIMS Patna website has very little information; but the AIIMS Bhopal website has a lot of information. Note that of the initial six directors that were selected only the ones for Bhopal and Patna accepted the job. (The other four did not and those positions had to be readvertised. Hopefully the directors of the other 4 institutions will be appointed soon.) Hence, they both have web pages.

47 comments May 4th, 2012

Odisha should pursue one of the sports and physical education university proposed by the 12th plan working group on Sports and Physical Education

The 12th plan working group report on Sports and Physical Education recommends the establishment of  four regional centres of LNUPE and 5 new sports and physical education universities or physical education colleges. Odisha must vigorously pursue the central government and the planning commission to get one of the proposed 5 sports and physical education universities.

In this regard, please send an email to the Odisha CM at cmo@ori.nic.in with content such as given below:

Dear Esteemed CM:

The 12th plan working group on Sports and Physical Education has recommended in their report at http://planningcommission.nic.in/aboutus/committee/wrkgrp12/hrd/wg_repsports.pdf that "for meeting the increasing demand of Physical Education Teachers and producing quality PETs, at least four regional centres of LNUPE and 5 new sports and physical education universities or physical education colleges should be opened during 12th
Plan. "

Kindly pursue with the central government regarding having one of these universities in Odisha.

Sincerely,

Following are some rationale behind pursuing a Sports and Physical Education University. Please have a look at it at your leisure. 

While promoting sports,  besides providing good facilities (hostels, stadiums, turfs), what is most important is that the athletes are provided with opportunities to pursue some recognized degree/diploma/certificate of study so that they have alternate avenues of employment. For example, consider the story in http://www.indiablooms.com/SportsVideoDetails/sportsVideoDetails180312f.php.

May 1st, 2012