Odisha HRD

Every panchayat will have one fully aided high school: Dharitri

September 7th, 2007

Telegraph reports on the status of an AIIMS clone in Bhubaneswar

Following are some excerpts from that report. (Thanks to Deba Nayak for the pointer.)

The Union government would soon start construction of the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) near Bhubaneswar from December 2007.

The proposed regional centre of the AIIMS has been postponed for the past four years. Last year, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) put the Bhubaneswar-AIIMS on fast track by making budgetary allocations under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). Official sources said a sum of Rs 330 crore has been so far sanctioned.

Replying to a query put by BJD MP Prasanna Patsani today, the Union health minister, Anbumani Ramadoss, said the construction would begin from December. “He assured me that work on the AIIMS college would begin in April 2008,” Patsani told The Telegraph. …  According to an initial estimate, a sum of Rs 280 crore would be spent on the establishment of the Bhubaneswar AIIMS. In the first phase, three departments — cardiology and cardio-thoracic, nephrology and urology and cancer centre — would be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 133 crore.

A two-storied modular building was proposed on the 100-acre site to house four operation theatres, out patient departments, diagnostic block and in patient wards. The diagnostic unit was to be equipped with sophisticated equipment such as CT scan, MRI, X-ray machines, electro-encephalogram and electro-cardiogram.

September 7th, 2007

NISER Bhubaneswar gets cabinet approval

From http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=31005.

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for establishment of National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) at Bhubaneswar at an estimated cost of Rs. 823.19 crore and also creation of 761 posts in academic, scientific, technical, administrative and auxiliary categories.

NISER will start functioning initially from the campus of Institute of Physics (IOP) and its academic programme will start from September, 2007.

The said institute will conduct the following programmes in science education for bright and meritorious students selected on all-India basis :

a) An integrtated 5 year M.Sc. programme in the core and emerging branches of Basic Sciences to students after their 10+2 Higher Secondary schooling. This in turn will be integrated with Ph.D. programme on the one hand and employment in various R&D organizations and industry in the country on the other.

b) Integrated m.Sc. + Ph.D after B.Sc from other Universities.

c) Ph. D. programme after M.Sc. from other universities.

(The PIB for the cabinet approval of IISER Kolkata and Pune is here.)

September 7th, 2007

Templecity institute’s advertisement in Samaja

(Disclosure: The management of this institute has been in contact with me to be one of their academic advisors, a non-paid position)

September 6th, 2007

Important Information for Admission to Orissa Engineering Colleges through the NRI quota (Orissa JEE)

From http:/./www.jeeorissa.com/newsfiles/news_26.html.

 REGISTRATION FOR COUNSELLING-CUM-ADMISSION FOR VACANT NRI SEATS

As per directives of the Government Orissa the Counselling-cum-Admission for vacant seats of JEE/NRI and 15% AIEEE/AIPMEE/AIPDEE seats will be held from September 05, 2007. All eligible candidates are advised to follow the instructions as given below.

Registration for NRI Candidates (GOTO http://www.jeeorissa.com/  to find where to register, most likely here, but make sure, in case that changes)

* Starting Date: September 04. 2007 & Last date: 5.0PM on Sept. 6, 2007

* Candidates are required to register on-line in our website (www.jeeorissa.com) for vacant NRI seats

* Fee will be charged 4 times of the normal fee

* Date ,time and venue given in the schedule.

General Instructions

(a) Venue and schedule of counselling will be notified after completion of the Registration process.

(b) Only registered and JEE-extended merit list candidates will be eligible to participate in the counselling-cum-admission process. Online registration does not guarantee to call for counseling-cum-admission process and admission shall be subject to availability of seats.

(c) Rank card will neither be sent to the JEE-extended merit list candidates nor AIEEE/AIPMEE/AIPDEE registered candidates for counseling-cum-admission process.

(d) Candidates, interested to participate in the counselling-cum-admission process, shall come prepared as per instruction given (details about documents and drafts of Rs.16,000/- and Rs.200/- etc.) in the Counselling-cum-Admission Information Brochure available in our website: www.jeeorissa.com. Sd/- Chairman, JEE-2007, Orissa

4 comments September 6th, 2007

What does $1 billion buy? Is Vedanta University’s proposed budget enough?

Following up on our earlier rejoinder of an article that said $1-$3 billion is not enough for making a research university in India, following are some excerpts from an Indian Express article which talks about how much $1 billion buys in terms of Indian HRD.

How much is this Rs 4443.60 crore in the context of current spending on education? Consider these:

44 times the annual allocation for an IIT at the rate of Rs 100 crore average.

68% of the total allocation in 2007-08 for higher and technical education, which is Rs 6,483 crore, inclusive of allocation for expansion to accommodate OBC quotas

• Almost twice this year’s allocation for the entire UGC (Rs 2124.77 crore) which includes all Central universities and its quota expansion

137% of the current year allocation for technical education: Rs.3240 crore of which Rs.2122 crore is IITs, NITs, IIMs expansion.

50% of the entire Tenth Plan allocation for higher and technical education, Rs 8876 crore

• Cost of 2 new IITs

• Upgrading 15 premium IITs

• Setting of 15 Central universities

September 6th, 2007

Wipro and KIIT will join hands to offer short-term post graduate courses

Following is an excerpt from a Statesman report.

Under the partnership programme, short-term postgraduate courses spanning six months to one year in Technology Infrastructure Service (TIS) will also be offered.

These courses will cater to the growing demand of skilled manpower in the IT infrastructure management service (IMS).

It is becoming a real challenge for all the IT companies in India to get manpower with the right skill for IMS.

These courses will be conducted as per as the customised course curriculum prepared by Wipro.
Trainers will be arranged by Wipro to train the teachers of KIIT for successfully conducting these courses with the aim to prepare the IT industry ready for IMS practice.

The KIIT University has also signed another MoU with Wipro, under which diploma students of KIIT will be trained in the English language communication skills with a customised course curriculum to make them industry ready in IMS practice.

Apart from this initiative, Wipro will also conduct a recruitment drive for the diploma students of the university every year

September 6th, 2007

Plan for vocational training of 20,000 – Samaja

September 5th, 2007

Orissa government’s loan stipend fund

Orissa government has a loan stipend fund available for higher studies. This loan is available from its higher education department. There is a recent report in New Indian Express regarding it. Following are some excerpts:

The Higher Education Department has proposed to provide study loans to more number of poor and meritorious students pursuing higher studies in Government institutions from the current academic session. A meeting chaired by Higher Education Minister Samir Dey on Tuesday decided to increase the study loan ceiling from Rs 1.20 crore to Rs 2.20 crore. 

… The Government had extended loan stipend to 963 students in 2006-07 and 460 students could be extended loan this year. Applications of more students could be considered only if the loan ceiling is increased to Rs 2.20 crore.

The study loan provided to the poor and meritorious students is interest-free and the loanee students should repay the loan within one year of completion of study or within one month of getting employment. However, 10 percent interest is charged for default in repayment, Dey said. The State Government has been extending study loans since 1954 and the number of beneficiaries is 23,445. While the outstanding loan stood at Rs 7.20 crore, the Government has so far realised Rs 63.86 lakh.

A majority of the loanees has simply forgotten that they had taken study loan from the Government, the Minister said adding, certificate cases have been instituted against 5,092 persons

17 comments September 5th, 2007

Urgent important information and instruction from NISER, Bhubaneswar

The following is from http://www.iopb.res.in/niser/important.html.

All the students selected for admission to NISER are requested to reach Bhubaneswar positively on 9th September 2007. They will be provided temporary accommodaion within Institute of Physics campus. Accompanying parents/ guardians will also be provided accommodation within the campus.

Please note that there will be general strike on 10th September 2007. However, work within the IOP campus, both for NISER admission and inauguration of NISER Academic Programme will be held on 10th September 2007 as announced earlier.

The Orientation classes will be held on 11th Sept. 2007 followed by medical examination by Institute Doctor.

Regular classes will start on 12.09.2007 at 08:00 Hrs.

Break-up of charges to be paid at the time of admission to NISER

List of materials to be carried by the student for staying in the hostel

Students will be provided a cot with mattress and pillow, one study table with chair and one medium sized almirah for storage. They should bring their own linen, pillow cover, towel, mosquito-net, curtain, bucket, glass etc. for their own use.

1 comment September 4th, 2007

AIIMS like institutions facing problem in attracting contractors

Following are excerpts from a Business Standard report. (Thanks to Anand Shah for the pointer.)

Even as engineering and construction firms are actively partnering private players in setting up medi-cities and super-speciality hospitals, a key initiative aimed at setting up six AIIMS-like hospitals and upgrading 13 facilities is finding few takers.

The initiative is part of the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), announced in 2005. The projects, with a total outlay of over Rs 3,500 crore, are scheduled to be completed by 2010.

Few developers have responded to the tenders for setting up six hospitals modelled on AIIMS and upgrading 13 medical colleges.

Health ministry officials said the poor response from the private sector for these projects, each worth Rs 50-100 crore, was unfortunate and needed to be seriously analysed.

"The construction boom has thrown open more projects that one can handle. We will have to market our projects well for a good response," said a ministry official.

… The tender inviting private firms to develop housing facilities for the six AIIMS-like institutions has received very few responses, forcing the government to think of floating a second tender. The tender for preparing a detailed project report (DPR), expected to close on September 24, is expected to get a similar response.

Project consultants in the healthcare segment say the government should relax the tender norms. "The archaic norms that keep most well-established players out of the tender process should be kept aside," said a consultant.

…  The apathy of turnkey consultancy and construction firms is known to be a direct result of ?hassle-free? business opportunities in the nationwide real estate boom.

The lack of response has been plaguing the project from the very beginning. It took two tenders and more than a year for the ministry to finalise the consultants for the project. The stringent quality parameters, which kept out most potential bidders, are known to be one of the reasons for the poor response.

The project, which envisages AIIMS-like institutes in Bhopal, Bhubhaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh, received the Planning Commission’s nod in the 10th Plan. The work was to begin in the 10th Plan period itself. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs cleared the project in March 2006.

… Any delay in the execution of the project will raise serious doubts about the government?s capability to add healthcare beds on time.

September 3rd, 2007

New Engineering Colleges in Orissa that have received AICTE approval since the last counseling may admit students

There are at least two engineering colleges that have received AICTE approval to start classes this year. The next round of counseling may include some seats for those colleges.  It may not allow admission to all its seats as that would be unfair to students who participated in the last counseling and did not have the choice. So to be fair only the NRI quota part (and possibly the AIEEE part) of the seats of these college may be filled during the next round of counseling. This is unconfirmed news, so watch for any formal announcement. The two colleges in the Bhubaneswar area that I know to have received AICTE approval recently are:

• Templecity Institute of Technology
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering
  • Electronics and Communication Engineering
• Indus College of Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Information Technology
  • Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering
  • Electronics and Electrical Engineering

(Disclaimer: I was invited today to join the advisory board of Templecity Institute of Technology. I am seriously considering it, as i know and like couple of the promoters. Currently I am in a similar capacity at Silicon and JITM. None of them pay me though; nor have they done  any favor to any of my relatives, family members, acquaintances, friends etc. I do not expect any favor in the future either. I just give them advice and sometimes they use it.)

6 comments September 3rd, 2007

IIIT Bhubaneswar plans to start class in November; hopes to get final AICTE approval by then

Earlier, based on a tathya.in report, we mentioned IIIT Bhubaneswar getting AICTE approval to start M.Tech classes. As per a New Indian Express report today, IIIT is hoping to start classes in November after getting the final AICTE approval. The FAQ section in the  IIIT Bhubaneswar website also supports that.

2 comments September 3rd, 2007

Progress on the AIIMS-like institutes, including the one proposed for Bhubaneswar

Following are excerpts from the current content at http://www.mohfw.nic.in/EoI_FOR_PC.htm.

…
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW),Government of India, intends to set up AIIMS like Apex Healthcare Institutes one each at Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh. The institutes are being set up in approximately 100 acre land already made available by State Government.

These apex institutes have been envisaged as Centers of Excellence with 500 bedded hospital, 300 additional Super-specialty and ICU beds, an independent 100 beds for Trauma Care, 30 beds each for PMR and  AYUSH  Facilities. These Institutes will provide undergraduate and post graduate medical education and medical services in 39 specialty /super-specialty disciplines. The activities of the institutes will focus on providing the highest quality of patient care services, medical education and engage in biomedical research.

HLL has been appointed ‘In-house Consultant’ by MoH&FW for implementing the project. The Project is being envisaged as Hospital and College Complex and Hostel and Residential Complex. Land at Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Jodhpur and Rishikesh are contiguous for the entire project while at Patna and Raipur Residential Complex are being located separately. Site Survey, Sub-Soil Investigation and Zoning plan have been completed for all the sites. Area has also been earmarked and boundary wall have been constructed.

Hospital and College Complex. The RFP Document for Design and Detailed Project Report (DDPR) has been issued to short listed firms. The DDPR Consultant is likely to be selected for each site by Nov, 2007.

Residential and Hostel Complex.  The Complex is being developed by EPC Developer on turnkey basis and Contractor for each site is likely to be selected by Sep 2007.

Hospital Furniture and Medical Equipment. The client has already constituted a committee to finalize the requirement of Hospital furniture and medical equipments. The project consultant will be required to be associated in supervision, installation and commissioning of equipment and furniture as per delivery schedule till final handing over to the hospital authorities.

The approximate cost of works per institute  for hospital and college complex is Rs 125.00 Crore.
…

The proposal named PRADHAN MANTRI SWASTHYA SURAKSHA YOJNA (PMSSY) has been launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India to offer Speciality and Super-speciality medical care and to improve the quality of medical education by creating six AIIMS like apex healthcare Institutes at Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur & Rishikesh in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand respectively.

• The proposed Institutes shall have state-of-the-art multi-specialty /super-specialty facilities with captive hospital, medical college with annual intake of 100 undergraduates and P.G/Doctoral courses in various Specialty/Super-specialty disciplines based on Medical Council of India (MCI) norms, requisite infrastructures, nursing college, hostels and housing complexes.  The AIIMS like Institutes would be centre of excellence and completely autonomous on the line of IITs/IIMs. These Institutes would be run and managed by Government of India.
•  These Institutes will participate in providing national leadership in the education of physicians and medical scientists, biomedical research and in the application of sophisticated medical technology to patient care. The activities of the Institutes will focus on providing the highest quality patient care services, medical education and in advancing biomedical research.
• Hospital facilities in India attract very large crowds .The facilities being created are to be used by the poorest population of the country. It is envisaged that these facilities would be holistic in nature, economical to build, respond to the local environment and climatic conditions and create an environment which is user friendly.
• The objectives of project development are Modular Pattern of development, ability to expand to meet future needs, be energy efficient in use of Water, Power and other scarce resources. Air-conditioned areas would be limited to essential services of the hospital functioning.
• Service needs of these facilities plays an important part in the development of the facility. Thus building services, mechanical systems, materials of Construction and movement systems for waste management etc form a major component of these facilities.
• The Institutes have been envisaged as centres of excellence for undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, nursing education and medical services and are to be trendsetter in health research and advancement of medical sciences in India. The Institutes will provide educational facilities of very high quality comparable to the very best in the world for necessary medical manpower development.
• The Institutes will train medical graduates, post-graduates with international levels of quality and efficiency in health care delivery.  The Institutes will implement new approaches for medical education. They will provide best facilities for postgraduate studies and research.
• The Institutes, with state-of-the-art high-tech medical equipment, will offer diagnostic and therapeutic care in clearly identified specialty and super-specialty services. The Institutes will also conduct health research, both basic and applied.
• The Institutes shall consists of :-
  •       500 Beds hospital providing Medical treatment in 18 Specialty disciplines
  •       300 beds in 15 Super-Specialty discipline.
  •       50 beds in ICU and critical care
  •       50 beds Trauma ICU expandable to 100 beds and 50 bedded Recovery cum Rehabilitation Unit to be constructed at a later date.
  •       30 beds for PMR (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
  •       30 beds  for AYUSH Facilities
  •       6 Basic Science Department
  •       Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation Centre.
  •        State of the  art Diagnostic Centre to be constructed later
  •       Medical College with 100 intake capacity per year and PG/Doctoral courses in various discipline with admission based on MCI norms.
  •       Nursing College with annual intake of 60 students.

•    Residential Facilities shall come up as under
  • Housing for 167 Staff from Type I to V  and Director’s Bungalow
  • Hostel for UG for 375 Occupants
  • Hostel for PG and Interns 216 Occupants
  • Hostel for Residents 190 Occupants
  • Hostel for Nurses 200 Occupants

Bed Distributions:

SPECIALTIES	Beds
Surgical & Allied Specialties	220
General Surgery	120
Orthopaedics	60
Ophthalmology	20
Oto-rhinolaryngology	20
Medicine & Allied Specialties	220
General Medicine	120
Paediatrics	60
TB & Respiratory Diseases	20
Dermatology & STD	10
Psychiatry	10
Obstetrics & Gynaecology	60
Obstetrics	35
Post-partum	5
Gynaecology	20
TOTAL	500

 

The Institute shall also have the following super-specialty departments with the bed distribution as indicated below:

 

SUPERSPECIALTIES	Beds
Cardiology	20
Cardio-thoracic Vascular Surgery	20
Gastro-enter logy	20
Surgical Gastro-enter logy	20
Nephrology	20
Urology	20
Neurology	20
Neurosurgery	20
Medical Oncology	20
Surgical Oncology	20
Endocrinology/Metabolism	20
Clinical Haematology	20
Paediatric Surgery	20
Burns & Plastic Surgery	20
Pulmonary Medicine	20
TOTAL	300
Intensive Care Unit and Critical Care	50

 Two additional divisions are also to be integrated to the Institute

AYUSH Facilities	30
PMR DEPARTMENT	30

1 comment September 3rd, 2007

NISER Bhubaneswar list of successful candidates and admission information

The following is from the NISER web pages, particularly from this page.

General information regarding admission

Admission and registration to NISER is scheduled on 10th Sept. 2007 at 10 a.m. The inauguration of the academic programme of NISER will be held at 5 p.m. on 10Sept. 2007. Students have been allotted the stream of their first choice provisionally. The final allotment of streams will be done at the end of the first year based on their overall academic performance in semester I and semester II. Students will receive scholarship at the rate of Rs. 3,000/-per month.
All the students will have to register for all the courses which are to be credited by all the entrants to NISER’s 5-year integrated M.Sc. programme. The details of course descriptions are being posted in the webpage of NISER.

All the students are required to bring with them at the time of admission the originals of the following documents:

                    (a) Class X and Class XII Mark Sheets,

                    (b) Class X certificate,

                    (c) Caste / Tribe certificate (in case of SC/ST candidates).

In addition they should also bring four passport size photographs and two stamp size photographs and a Demand Draft for Rs. 13,000/= (Rs. 7,000/-for SC/ST students) towards payment of tuition fee, caution money and mess advance. The DD should be drawn in favour of NISER, payable at Bhubaneswar.

The selected students are required to deposit tuition fee and other charges latest by September 14, 2007 failing which they will forfeit their seat in NISER.
Hostel accommodation
All the students will be provided hostel accommodation. They are expected to register for the hostel accommodation at the time of admission. Details about the availability of hostel accommodation for boys and girls will be posted on the web soon.

5 comments September 3rd, 2007

Dresss code for teachers and other plans regarding K-12 BSE schools – report from Samaja

September 2nd, 2007