Archive for November, 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

Indian student numbers in the USA

(Thanks to Bijoyraj for the pointer in an orkut message board.)

Following is an excerpt from a report in the Economic Times.

For the seventh year running, India is the leading source of foreign enrolments on US campuses, sending a record 94,563 students 

during the academic year 2007-2008.

Indian students now constitute 15 per cent of the total US university foreign enrolment which stood at 623,000 in this academic year, a 7 per cent increase over the 583,000 foreign students who came here in 2006-2007, according Open Doors, the authoritative annual report on the subject released on Monday.

The Indian increase of 13 per cent (up from 83,833 in 2006-2007) is only marginally overshadowed by the resurgence of interest in the US from Chinese students, whose numbers jumped up from 67,723 in 2006-2007 to 81,127 this past year, a 20 per cent increase. But since 2001/02, when it took over from China, India has remained the leading place of origin for students coming to the United States.

South Korea (69,124), Japan (33,974), and Canada (29,051) round off the top five countries sending students to the US, together accounting for 49 per cent of all international students.

Among the many noteworthy facts in the 2008 Open Doors reports was the surge in students from Nepal coming to the US. There was a 15% increase in enrolments from Nepal this past year, putting it at number 11 with 8,936 students, following a 28% increase the previous year.

1 comment November 18th, 2008

Ravenshaw University in two years under the leadership of VC Devdas Chhotray

Following is excerpted from a report in tathya.in.

  • With a heritage of 150 years, it has a vision to grow as a Knowledge Center for the South East Asia, with 25000 residents in campus, by 2025 AD.
  • Mr. Chhotray, who joined as the first Vice Chancellor of the Ravenshaw University on 15 November, two years ago obtained UGC approval in a record time of 6 months.
  • Ravenshaw has also been restructured into eight Schools of Studies and several Centers on the model of JNU.
  • … the new administration has introduced semester system of course work, with flexibility in choice of subjects.
  • The university has ensured uninterrupted academic sessions, timely results and excellence in performance.
  • Ravenshaw has now opened up 153 new faculty positions for which 6500 applications have been received on line.
  • Ravenshaw has started its flagship MBA program from the current year in collaboration with XIMB, Bhubaneshwar.
  • In collaboration with ICICI Bank, Ravenshaw has launched a PG Diploma Course in Banking and Insurance Management.
  • Activities have been intensified for establishment of School of Aviation Management, jointly with the University of Kremb, Vienna, School of Foreign Languages and Master’s Course in Development Management.
  • Initiative for establishment of the Center for Contemporary Music, with a large scale of Music Library and Department of Sound, Center for Understanding Orissa and Spoken English Portfolio is yielding results.
  • Government of India has funded Ravenshaw for making the first barrier free University in the State and introducing disability studies.
  • Ministry of Tourism has consented to set up a School of Hospitality & Hotel Management.
  • Ministry of Communication & IT are considering a project for Language Technology Center, and Ministry of Culture will support a Conservation and Documentation Cell in the Ravenshaw Library.
  • The Ministry of External Affairs has set up a Regional Centre for ICCR inside the Ravenshaw Campus and the Ministry of I & B have licensed Ravenshaw to run a FM Channel, as ‘Ravenshaw Radio’.
  • In the meantime the State Government has cleared the project for a second campus, ‘Ravenshaw II’, by granting 150 acres of prime land in Cuttack free of cost.
  • On the co-curricular front, Ravenshaw has floated 30 forums for students including the Ravenshaw Film Society, and has taken measures to set up Art Centre, Heritage Museum, and Ravenshaw Choir, said sources.
  • Writing of the History of Ravenshaw College (1868-2006), has been commissioned.
  • Under the Project ‘Ravenshaw -200’, two hundred eminent and elderly Ravenshavians are being captured in camera while reminiscencing their college days, to create a base of oral history.
  • Ravenshaw has reinstituted many prestigious events like ‘Borasambar Debate’ after decades of discontinuance.
  • Ravenshaw has proposed to set up a publication enterprise, the Ravenshaw University Press (RUP), for serious academic works, as well as peer reviewed research journals.
  • It is also negotiating with the Ginger Group of Hotels for a 100 room unit as a public private partnership and utilize a part of the facility as a University Guest House for visiting faculties.

7 comments November 17th, 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

Indian money spent in Australia for higher education

Thanks to Abi for the tip. 

As shown below, about $2 Billion Australian Dollar is being spent by about 60,000 Indians for their higher education in Australia. If 1/3rd of it is picked up by Vedanta University then they will be in great shape.

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

AICTE to allow doubling of seats in colleges with a more than 4 year record

Following is an except from a report in expressbuzz.com.

As per AICTE’s decision, all degree and diploma technical institutes, which have completed four years, can double their students intake without having to augment the existing infrastructure.

In plain words, they can run a second shift because they have facility which are otherwise underutilised.

Going by the current scenario in Orissa, there are approximately 57 private engineering colleges with an approved intake of 22,000 seats in engineering disciplines, 3,000 in MCA classes and another 3,000 for MBA programmes. Then there are diploma institutes.

Of the 57 colleges, about 30 have completed four years and more which means they will be entitled to run the second shift. A conservative estimate would put the number of seats in second shift at 15,000.

The decision has come as a pleasant surprise for the engineering colleges which stand to gain the most.

For the students, it could be mean more opportunities to get an engineering degree.

‘More seats will mean more students can enrol in engineering courses and it is a good news for all those willing to pursue technical education,’ Orissa Private Engineering Colleges Association chairman Binod Dash said.

The existing facilities remain idle in many technical institutes in the State and the second shift would be able to utilise the same.

Addition of 15,000 students would not be a burden for the colleges, Dash said. Moreover, the teaching faculty would stand to gain, he added.

However, addition of 15,000 seats would also mean more work for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Committee which holds the test.

The million dollar question is will the addition benefit technical education? ‘Such a decision has taken me by surprise. It only makes business sense to me,’ said a member of the JEE Committee.

Given the AICTE assumption that existing facilities can be used for second shift means teaching faculty members would have to put in double the work if private institutes choose not to augment their number.

‘If facilities are remaining idle in the technical institutes, we had suggested in the past that the same can be used to train ITI and polytechnic students,’ said the official.

Besides, one of the most important issues will be employability of students who pass out every year.

‘Not many parent would send their wards to general colleges anymore but it remains to be seen how many would get jobs at the end,’ head of an institute said.

The AICTE decision will affect new colleges since more seats will now be available in old and established institutes which may prompt the former to cut down on their fees, another insider said.

3 comments November 13th, 2008

IIT JEE 2009: Students passing qualifying exam before Oct 1 2007 are not eleigible

The eligibility criteria has been made to discourage multi-year preparation for IIT JEE. To be eligible for IIT JEE 2009 students must NOT have passed their qualifying exam before Oct 1, 2007 and must not have taken admission to an IIT/IT-BHU/ISMU in the past by paying full fees. They must also have secured at least 60% in their qualifying exam. See details at the IIT JEE 2009 sites such as at IIT Guwahati.

3 comments November 10th, 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.
 

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CHINA

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KOREA

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ISRAEL

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JAPAN

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CZECH

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SLOVAK

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AGATHA HARISON

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NEW ZEALAND

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COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP- (UK)

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BELGIUM

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ITALY

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MEXICO

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NORWAY

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Turkey

1 comment November 9th, 2008

Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri to have 25 universities

The Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri area will have 25 universities. Following is a slide on it from my presentation at the Invest India Symposium.

The color coding in the above slides is as follows:

  • Red – Central govt funded universities/institutes
  • Navy Blue: State govt. funded universities
  • Light blue: PPP
  • Green: Privately created universities and deemed universities
  • Orange: Mention about colleges that are part of various universities

To compare this with the universities in the major metropolitan areas of the US and the state of California, please see: 

  • Boston: 18 four year colleges and universities in the city and  24 in the surrounding areas, some listed twice as they have campuses in the city as well as in the surrounding areas.
  • New York:83 colleges and universities in New York City, not counting the 22 individual colleges of CUNY.
  • Los Angeles:
  • Chicago: 43 colleges and universities
  • California

The reason we use California as a reference point is that the population of California (34,600,463 in 2001) is close to the population of Orissa (2001: 36,804,660).

 

November 8th, 2008

Vedanta University hires Paulien and Associates

The client list at http://www.paulien.com/client_list.htm lists Vedanta University. The following from their "Services" page explains what they do:

Comprehensive Planning

Paulien & Associates can provide detailed master planning for campuses, defining capital improvements needs through the analysis of enrollment goals, academic program mix, and detailed space needs projections.

With the involvement of your staff, we organize and develop strategic plans, helping assure the feasibility and achievement of long-range goals and objectives. We achieve this through environment scanning, community needs analysis and peer institution comparisons.

We can also help you determine, justify and plan for future enrollment demands, working through the master planning process to give you realistic methods for forecasting and adjusting enrollment and program projections.

Facilities and Space Analysis

Paulien & Associates can conduct academic space needs assessments through sophisticated research, analysis and forecasting techniques. From data gathered on course enrollment, students, staff and facilities, we develop guidelines for critical space and facility decisions. This can be used for reallocations of space among campus departments, remodeling to change the uses of certain space, and justification (or challenge) of significant amounts of proposed space. Guideline systems are equally effective for growing or shrinking enrollment conditions.

We can provide in-depth facilities program plans, including detailed pre-architectural planning data and an analysis of desirable space adjacencies and project costs. These plans could detail the specific facilities needs for a department or area targeted for development or renovation. They could also provide the cost documentation often required prior to design and construction.

We can prepare detailed facility utilization studies, including numerical and graphical representations of classroom and laboratory use by building, time of day and size of room, as well as classroom and laboratory use by department. Our analysis can help pinpoint the size and type of rooms most often used and those rooms where additional use is feasible.

This suggests that Vedanta University is getting closer to implementation. There is also news from Vedanta sources that they have also hired the following two agencies to help in establishing Vedanta University medical college and hospital.

November 8th, 2008

My perspective on Vedanta University

I have been watching and collecting various reports on Vedanta University since an MOU was signed about it with the Orissa government. (See my collection here and here and also Vedanta University’s web page.)

After reading about the forced stoppage of the initiation of the building of Vedanta University, I thought I would write about my perspective on Vedanta University.

May I request you to bear with me on my thoughts on Vedanta University and read till the end of this document, even if you partly or fully disagree with me.

I think Vedanta University is a unique opportunity for Orissa and if we mess it up we will regret for ever and our future generation will not forgive us for this.

 
Why do I say that?

First I would urge you to watch the following two short videos and an audio interview available in the web:

 
 I know many of you have a lot of concerns and red flags about this endeavor and some of these concerns have been expressed in various Orissa newspapers. Let me try to address some of them based on my knowledge.

 Q 1: If many top universities are built on much less land, such as Harvard University, which is built only on 380 acres, why does Vedanta University need so much land. (It has now come down from 8000 acres to 6270 acres, but that is still quite large. 6270 acres is 25.374 sq km)

 Answer 1: Let us look at the layout below.

 The whole thing is 8000 acres. With the airport part gone it is 6270 acres. The ellipse like main university  (see picture below) part looks to be about 2000 acres and comparable to the size of IIT Kharagpur which is of 2100 acres but has only 6625 students . Note that IIT Bhubaneswar is being given 890 acres. So Vedanta University’s 2000 acres for 100,000 students is a very good use of land. Please watch the youtube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3B7L1S_MAY&fmt8 to get an idea how the buildings are proposed to be quite close to each other with very creative landscaping.

 Note that Harvard University with 380 acres supports 19,955 students. So Vedanta University proposing 5 times Harvard’s land for 5 times Harvard’s acreage is not unreasonable.

 Q 2: So if the main part of the Vedanta university is only about 2000 acres, what happens to the remaining 6270-2000= 4270 acres.

Answer 2: As is evident from the picture in the previous page there are 8 townships planned for those.

Q 3: If only 2000 acres goes to the university and 4270 acres goes to the townships, why not just focus on the university and ignore the township?

Answer 3: The townships are very important for making Vedanta University a top university at the level of Stanford and Harvard. Following is the reasoning behind it.

From Harvard University book at http://www.provost.harvard.edu/institutional_research/factbook.php ,

its income and expenses are as follows:

Income (2006-07): 3.21 Billion USD

Expenses (2006-07): 3.17 Billion USD

Total Endowment (June 30, 2007): 34.912 Billion USD

From Stanford University annual report at

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/businessaffairs/cgi-bin/downloadpdf_v3.php?file=AnnualReport_2007.pdf

its income and expenses for 2006-07 are as follows.

Income (2006-07): 3.2 Billion

Expenses (2006-07): 2.9 Billion USD

Total endowment (Aug 31, 2007): 17.2 Billion USD

In India the operating expenses for IISc Bangalore, the maximum among the IITs and IISc, in the last budget (item 41 of the Higher education budget) is 130 (plan) + 91 (non-plan) = Rs 221 crores. Rs 70 crore of that is for enhancing the number of students to account for the OBC quota.

For operating Vedanta University at the world class level a lot of money will be required. My guess would be that it will be somewhere in between the expenses at Harvard-Stanford ($2.9-$3.17 Billion = about Rs 15,000 crores) and at IISc Bangalore (221 crores). A good guess is that it will be around Rs 1000-1500 crores.

Mr. Agarwal has only pledged 1 Billion USD and most of it will go into just construction. The student tuition fees will not be enough to cover the Rs 1000-1500 crores needed to run the university.

In case of Harvard only 20% comes from student tuition and the student tuition mostly ranges from 30,000 USD/year to 40,000 USD/year. (This is Rs. 15 lakh/year – Rs. 20 lakh/year)

Vedanta University will not be able to charge that outside of medical students.

So there has to be other sources of money beyond the student tuition.

Since Vedanta University does not have an endowment, where will the additional money come from?

My guess is that it will come from the townships in the remaining 4270 acres.

Thus, I consider the townships to be crucial in achieving the dream of making Vedanta University a top world class university. (However we need to make sure that the money earned from the townships is put into an endowment for Vedanta University.) 

If there was no township, I would be very suspicious of Vedanta University’s claim that it will be a top world class university, as then it is not clear where the money would come from. (In this regard one must note that the best private institute in India, BITS Pilani, is nowhere in the world rankings. For that matter the IITs are quite low in the world rankings. What Vedanta University is aspiring is way above any existing institute in India and the existing financial model in private institutes such as BITS Pilani will not achieve what Vedanta University is aiming for.)

Q 4: So you are saying township is a crucial aspect of Vedanta University and 4270 acres goes towards that and only 2000 acres goes towards Vedanta University. Why do not then the Vedanta University officials make the township part clear?
 
Answer 4: They have.

If one goes to their web page they clearly say: "The campus will be developed in a phased manner to nurture a vibrant university township with a population of more than 500,000."

Q 5: Is there a top university which is similar to Vedanta University + associated townships in terms of land requirements.

Answer 5: Yes. Stanford University is made of 8180 acres (33.1 sq km) and does host a research park and other developments (including a mall), but not all of the land is currently built up though.

Other universities with large acreage include University of Michigan (20,965 acres), Texas A & M University (5,200 acres), and Ohio State University (15,893 acres).

Q 6: Is Vedanta University’s goal of 100,000 students reasonable.

Answer 6: Following are some large universities in the USA and their student size in Autumn 2007 as obtained from http://www.osu.edu/osutoday/stuinfo.php#enroll_large .

 
 
Student size
Times rank
SJT Rank
The Ohio State University

52,568                

121
62
Arizona State University, Main Campus
51,481
260
93
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
50,833
87
28
University of Florida
50,576
165
58
University of Texas, Austin
50,201
70
39
Texas A&M University, College Station
46,542
137
88
Michigan State University
46,045
203
83
Penn State University
43,232
105
42
University of Wisconsin, Madison
42,041
55
17
University of Illinois, Urbana
41,135
71
26
 

They are all pretty good universities, all of them ranked in the top 100 in the SJT ranking.

Q 7: How do we know that the University is not a ruse and Mr. Agarwal just wants the land?

Answer 7: Mr. Agarwal’s net worth in early 2008 was $6 Billion.(see http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_Anil-Agarwal_WDNS.html )

 

His net worth in 2006 was $2.8 Billion. (see http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/WDNS.html )

Now what is the most important asset of a rich man? His reputation in the eye of the world.

Mr. Agarwal has told the whole world about his university.

Articles praising his pledge to donate $1 Billion towards Vedanta University have appeared in major national and international venues such as:

Time, USA –  http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100powergivers/article/0,28804,1616375_1615711_1615671,00.html

Economist – http://www.economist.com/people/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9539815

Independent, UK – http://news.independent.co.uk/education/higher/article3045374.ece

Forbes, USA – http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_Anil-Agarwal_WDNS.html

Forbes Asia – http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/56/biz_philanthropy08_Anil- Agarwal_WDNS.html

PBS TV USA – http://www.charlierose.com/guests/anil-agarwal

He has met the Prime Minister of India and told him about his pledge to donate $1 Billion for the university.

I do not believe that after so much publicity Mr. Agarwal will back out, as he will lose face and that is the most important thing for a person of his net worth. (It should be noted that many billionaires, especially in the US, do make huge donations. Bill Gates donation of tens of billions USD and Warren Buffet’s donation of about $30 Billion are exemplars. In higher education, Leland Stanford established Stanford University and Andrew Carnegie established Carnegie Mellon University; both top universities now. )

However, if the current opposition continues, it is very much possible that at some point Mr. Agarwal may get fed up with the hurdles created by some people of Orissa and will move Vedanta University to a state (such as Gujarat, Andhra or Karnataka) where he will be welcomed.

Q 8: How come Gujarat, Andhra and Karnataka did not woo him earlier.

Answer 8: I do not know why. May be at that time they did not take him seriously and Orissa did. But now after the design of the university and lot of other groundwork has been done, they will woo him like anything.

In my opinion, Orissa lucked out that it signed the MOU in 2006. It also helped that Mr. Agarwal has other business in Orissa. But then many other companies, private and public have business in Orissa. How much have they given to Orissa in comparison? A good example is 12 crores by Tata Steel for the Inst. of Math and application, and few other smaller donations. Compare that to $1 Billion which is now Rs 5000 crores.

Going back to Gujarat, Andhra and Karnataka, we know what Gujarat did with respect to Nano. If given a small opening they will do the same with respect to Vedanta University.

Andhra Pradesh is in the process of developing Odyssey Science city with an area of 65,000 acres. The first phase is of 10,000 acres. Few months back Andhra CM signed a deal whereby APIC will acquire the land.(See http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/09/stories/2008010958760800.htm )  Given a chance Andhra Pradesh will pick up Vedanta University in a heartbeat. I am told that they already contacted Vedanta officials regarding that.

In Karnataka, the SAC-PM Chairperson Prof. C N R Rao is jealous of Vedanta University and is exhorting the Bangalore based IT companies to make similar contributions. In an Outlook article (see http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20071217&fname=Cover+Story+%28F%29&sid=2 ) he was quoted saying:

 

IT people have a responsibility that they are yet to fulfil. If they’re making so much money, why shouldn’t they create an outstanding private university equivalent to Stanford or Harvard? Had they done something like that they would have compensated for the other problems they have created. If IT people are making money, what do I get out of it, unless I am employed in Infosys with Narayana Murthy? The trouble is, we have given them a lot, but have got nothing in return.

 

Q 9: How does Vedanta University help Orissa and India?

Answer 9: Let consider the world ranking of universities. 

In the Times ranking at http://www.topuniversities.com/ the top ranked universities in the world and the top ranked universities in India and China are as follows:

 
1. Harvard, USA
2. Yale, USA
3. Cambridge, UK
4. Oxford, UK
 

154. IIT Delhi

174. IIT Bombay

242. IIT Kanpur

274. Delhi University

303. IIT Madras

50. Peking University, China
56. Tsinghua University, China
113. Fudan University, China
141. Univ of Sc. & Tech, China
143. Nanjing University, China
144. Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, China

In the SJT ranking at http://www.arwu.org/rank2008/Top500_EN(by%20rank).pdf  the top ranked universities and the top ranked universities in India and China are as follows:

 
1. Harvard
2. Stanford
3. Berkeley
4. Cambridge
5. MIT

303-401 IISc Bangalore, IIT Kharagpur

201-302 Nanjing University, Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, Tsinghua University, Univ of Sc. & Tech, Zhejiang University

As the above shows, Indian Universities including IITs and IISc are way behind the top universities of the world. They are even much behind the top universities in China.

So what Vedanta is aspiring is to be a university ranked in the top 50 of these lists, if not in the top 25. If that is achieved it will have a huge impact on India, and not just Orissa.

There will be also a lot of impact on Orissa.

 

a. It will pull up the institutions near Vedanta University such as IIT Bhubaneswar, NISER

Bhubaneswar, the proposed world class central university (WCCU) in Bhubaneswar, IIIT Bhubaneswar, and even Utkal, Ravenshaw, OUAT, etc. The reason it will pull up the other universities is that many otherwise great professors, who will miss out getting a job at Vedanta, would like to be nearby Vedanta and thus would take a position in one of the above universities in the area. The reason they would like to be near Vedanta is that being nearby will allow them to collaborate with the faculty at Vedanta. For the same reason, many of the Ph.Ds coming out of Vedanta Universities would prefer to stay in the area universities.

Note that without Vedanta, IIT Bhubaneswar may end up among the bottom IITs, NISER Bhubaneswar may end up among the bottom IISER/NISERs and the WCCU Bhubaneswar may end up among the bottom WCCUs. This is evident from the admission numbers of IIT Bhubaneswar this year. In terms of student preferences it was only better than IIT Patna. See https://www.orissalinks.com/archives/1303 . This will not improve easily.

Moreover the existing IITs and central universities have been there for years and are established in terms of their infrastructure and they also get a lot of support (including cash donations) from their alumni. The new institutions in Bhubaneswar (IIT, NISER, WCCU) will normally take multiple decades to get to that level.

But with Vedanta University nearby, the situation would change; IIT Bhubaneswar could become among the top IITs; Same about NISER Bhubaneswar and WCCU Bhubaneswar. In other words, the establishment of Vedanta University has the possibility of turning the Puri-Bhuaneswar-Cuttack area a bigger knowledge hub than Pune and Bangalore.

b. With a top IIT, NISER and WCCU near Vedanta, the whole area from Cuttack-Puri will become a huge knowledge hub. Orissa will be able to go much beyond attracting WIPRO, TCS, Infosys, Satyam to attracting companies like Google, IBM, Microsoft etc. Currently such companies come mostly to Bangalore.

c. Recently Mr. Agarwal said that (see https://www.orissalinks.com/archives/1105 ) they will work towards giving 25% seats to the students from Orissa who will be taken on merit basis. This means besides Vedanta University, they will invest in schools so that the above happens. They already have started in that direction by enrolling children of the area in DAV schools and funding their educational cost.

d. Vedanta University is starting off with a hospital and medical college. This will definitely benefit the locals.

e. Another way to look at Vedanta University’s impact is as follows.

It has been said that 3 Billion USD will be spent in making Vedanta University out of which one Billion USD will given by Mr. Agarwal. One Billion USD is Rs. 5000 crores. Recently the central government has announced IITs, IISERs, world class central universities, etc. and    the budget for making each of them has been announced. See   http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=37684 . The budget of a new IIT is 760 crores, new IISER is 500 crores, AIIMS is 332 crores, IIM is 210 crores, and world class central university is 720 crores. They add up to 2522 crores. In other words, with 5000 crores one can almost make 2 new IITs, 2 new IISERs, 2 new AIIMS, 2 new IIMs and 2 new world class central universities. And that is  what Orissa will lose out if it throws out Vedanta University.

 

Q 10. I am opposed to Vedanta’s mining activities. How can I support Vedanta University?

Answer 10: Even if one is opposed to Vedanta’s mining activities, he/she should not oppose having Vedanta University in Orissa as opposing Vedanta University for not liking its mining operation is like "cutting of the nose to spite the face."

 

Q 11. The MOU was signed in 2006. What has happened since then to indicate that Vedanta University is serious?

Answer 11: I do not know all that has happened, but let me elaborate on the design and architectural front. (In addition they have made progress in land acquisition, hired people in implementing R & R, hired architects and engineers etc.)

They have hired a top architecture company in the USA who has a track record of participating and shaping almost all major universities in the USA. The company is Ayers Saint Gross. Its web site is http://www.asg-architects.com/ . Following are some links to their web pages which refers to Vedanta University.

The design of the master plan of Vedanta University has been featured in many US architecture venues and it has also won some awards. Following are some links on that.

Some pictures of the designs are at http://chronicle.com/media/flash/v53/i45/vedanta/ and videos are at :

 

Besides the above architecture company, the other companies that Vedanta has hired include:

Most recently, they were ready to start construction but were turned away by about 500 people.

So that is part of their current status.

In summary, Vedanta University has the potential to turn the area from Cuttack-Puri into a bigger knowledge center than Bangalore and Pune and perhaps into the biggest knowledge center (with associate knowledge companies such as Google research, Microsoft Research, IBM research etc.) in India. As a result, it can completely change Orissa. (Imagine the impact if Bangalore was in Orissa.)

We should not play politics with it; otherwise like Tata Motors moving from Singur to Gujarat, Vedanta University will move to another state and for centuries our descendants will blame us for missing an opportunity that may come once in many centuries.

 

 

14 comments November 8th, 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.

IN THE FIRST PHASE 2,500 MODEL SCHOOLS TO BE SET UP IN EDUCATIONALLY BACKWARD BLOCKS


16:35 IST

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval to the setting up of  6,000 Model Schools at the Block level  in the country. Initially, in the First Phase of the implementation of this Centrally Sponsored Scheme, 2,500 Model Schools will be set up in the Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs). These schools will be set up through State Governments.

            A model school will have infrastructure and facilities, at least of the standard as in a Kendriya Vidyalaya and with stipulations on pupil-teacher ratio, ICT usage, holistic educational environment, appropriate curriculum and emphasis on output and outcome.

Objective:   The main objectives of the scheme are,

¨       To have at least one good quality secondary school in every block.

¨       To have a pace setting role for these schools.

¨       To try out innovative curriculum and pedagogy

¨       To be a model in infrastructure, curriculum, evaluation and school governance 

The salient features of Scheme are as under:

  • Location: 2500 Model schools will be set up in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs).
  • Land:   Land for these schools will be identified and provided by the State Governments free of cost.
  • Medium of instructions: The medium of instructions will be decided by the State Governments. However, special emphasis will be given on teaching of English & spoken English.
  • Classes: The schools will have classes from VI to XII, or IX to XII.   
  • Management:  These schools will be run by State Government societies similar to Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan.

There will a continuous evaluation of the working of the schools by State Government agencies through a regular and well structured system of field visits. Besides, an independent agency may be assigned the task of monitoring of the scheme, including progress of construction for each State.

Financial requirement for setting up 2,500 schools during the 11th Five Year Plan has been estimated as Rs.9,321 crore, of which estimated  central share  is Rs.7,457 crore.  Planning Commission has allocated Rs. 12,750 crore for this scheme under the 11th Five Year Plan. Rs. 650 crore has been provided in the budget for 2008-09.

Sharing pattern will be at the ratio of 75:25 between centre and the states during the 11th Five Year Plan and 50:50 during the 12th Five Year Plan, while for special category states, the sharing pattern would be in the ratio of 90:10. The scheme will be implemented from the current financial year.

      The Scheme is, however, not to be implemented in the 6 states where assembly elections are being held, till the poll process is over.

————–

KKP/sa

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

Sl.No. Name of State/District Sl.No. Name EEB Blocks   
XI. ORISSA      
1 Sambalpur
    1 Dhankauda  
    2 Rengali  
    3 Lakhanpur  
    4 Kolabira  
    5 Laikera  
    6 Kirimira  
    7 Rajborasambar  
    8 Paikmal  
    9 Jharbandha  
    10 Gaisilet  
    11    
    12 Kochinda  
    13 Jamankira  
    14 Reamal  
    15 Barkot  
    16 Tileibani  
    17 Naktideul  
2 Sundargarh
    1 Bisra  
    2 Lathikata  
    3 Koida  
    4 Gurundia  
3 Kendujhar
    1 Kendujhargarh  
    2 Harichadanpur  
    3 Patana  
    4 Ghatgaon  
    5 Saharapada  
    6 Telkoi  
    7 Champua  
    8 Jhumpura  
    9 Joda  
4 Mayurbhanj
    1 Koliana  
    2 Sulia Pada  
    3 Muruda  
    4 Saras Kana  
    5 Rairang Pur  
    6 Bija Tola  
    7 Bisoi  
    8 Jamda  
    9 Bahalda  
    10 Tiringi  
    11 Kusumi  
    12 Gopa Bandhu Nagar  
    13 Karanjia   
    14 Jashi Pur  
    15 Aukruli  
    16 Raruan  
5 Dhenkanal
    1 Kankada had  
    2 Anugul  
    3 Chhendipada  
    4 Athmallik  
    5 Palalahada  
    6 Forest Area  
6 Phulabani
    1 Phulabani  
    2 Phiringia  
    3 Khajuripada  
    4 Baudh Sadar  
    5 Harbhanga  
    6 Kantamal  
    7 Baliguda  
    8 Chakpad  
    9 Daringbadi  
    10 G. Udayagiri  
    11 Nuagaon  
    12 Raikia  
    13 Tikabali  
7 Balangir
    1 Patnagarh  
    2 Belpara  
    3 Khaprakhol  
    4 Titlagarh  
    5 Muribahal  
    6 Saintala  
    7 Bangomunda  
    8 Turekela  
    9 Balangir  
    10 Loisinga  
    11 Puintala  
    12 Agalpur  
    13 Deogaon  
    14 Tentulikhunti  
    15 Tarbha  
    16 Sonepur  
    17 Dunguripali  
    18 Binika  
    19 Biramaharajpur  
    20 Ulunda  
8 Kalahandi
    1 Bhawanipatna  
    2 Kesinga  
    3 Narala  
    4 Madanpur Rampur  
    5 Karlamunda  
    6 Dharamagarh  
    7 Junagarh  
    8 Jayapatna  
    9 Kokasara  
    10 Kalampur  
    11 Golamunda  
    12 Komana  
    13 Khariar  
    14 Sinapali  
    15 Boden  
9 Koraput
    1 Padmapur  
    2 Chandahandi  
10 Ganjam
    1 Chhatrapur  
    2 Ganjam  
    3 Khalikote  
    4 Kodala  
    5 Purusottampur  
    6 Hinjilicut  
    7 Polasara  
    8 Kavisurjanagar  
    9 Rangilunda  
    10 Kukudakhandi  
    11 Digapahandi  
    12 Sanakhemundi  
    13 Chikiti  
    14 Patrapur  
    15 Bhanjanagar  
    16 Jaganathprasad  
    17 Buguda  
    18 Sargad  
    19 Dharakote  
    20 Surada  
    21 R. Udaygiri  
11 Puri
    1 Dasapalla

November 7th, 2008

Vedanta University clips in youtube

November 7th, 2008

Prof. Arun Pujari is joining as the new vice chancellor of Sambalpur University

Following is from a report in Kalinga Times.

Odisha Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare on Tuesday appointed Arun Kumar Pujari as the new Vice-Chancellor of Sambalpur University. The post was lying vacant since the resignation of U.C. Biswal.

Pujari, who has wide experience as an academician and academic administration, is at present serving in L.N. Mittal IIT, Jaipur as Professor of Computer Science.

Born in 1954, Pujari completed his post-graduation in Mathematics in 1974 from Sambalpur University and got his PhD from IIT, Kanpur in 1980.

He had written two books such as `Data Mining Techniques’ and `Database Management System’. At least 20 scholars have already or their PhDs under his guidance.

2 comments November 5th, 2008

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