Odisha HRD

NIPM (National Institute of Intellectual Property Management) in Nagpur

The PIB mentions minister Kamal Nath laying its foundation. The details of the PIB is as follows:

Continue Reading 3 comments August 17th, 2007

India produces 40 PhDs in Computer Science/yr to US’s 1400/yr and China’s 3000/yr

Dr. R. K. Ghosh pointed us to a Forbes article by the Editor in Chief of JACM. Following is an excerpt from it.

The U.S. produces about 1,400 Ph.D.s in computer science annually and China about 3,000. By stark comparison, India’s annual computer science Ph.D. production languishes at roughly 40. That number is about the same as that for Israel, a nation with roughly 5% of India’s population size.

While India needs all the new IITs, IIITs and Central Universities that the PM announced during his Aug 15 speech, one wonders where from these institutions will get Ph.Ds for their faculty. The government and the IT industry must brainstorm together and come up with a strategy to tackle this. Following are some initial un-coordinated half-baked thoughts.

• Start motivating good students from an early age about the value of research. This can be done through science magnet schools.
• In IITs and IISc and may be a few other selected institutions have a track similar to MD/PH.D tracks in US medical schools. Students in this track would pursue a B.Tech-P.hD program (no need for MS) and would be given a generous stipends.
• To allow more time for IIT/IISc faculty to pursue research and guide Ph.D students these institutions (especially their CS depts.) should take in more M.Tech students and let them do most of the teaching.
• Government should open special graduate centers in IT/Computer Science (may be as branches of exisiting IITs) that only focus on research. For example, the IIT Kharagpur center in Bhubaneswar may house a faculty of 5-10 CS  professors and offer *only* a Ph.D program in computer science. Such centers may have affiliated faculty (who have Ph.Ds) from nearby engineering colleges. Such centers should be slowly opened in every metropolitan area with 15+ engineering colleges.  (The IIITs could have served this purpose but it seems most IIITs are focusing on undergraduate education. Exceptions are IIIT Hyderabad, which has a good research program; IIIT Bangalore which only offers M.Tech and Ph.D and the nascent IIIT Bhubaneswar which will also only have M.Tech and Ph.D program, at least in the beginning. )
• Government needs to offer better salary and perks to professors so that more students are attracted to a career in academia.

82 comments August 17th, 2007

Tathya.in has more information on the next round of Orissa JEE and AIEEE counseling

Tathya.in has more information on next round Orissa JEE and AIEEE counseling. We will have the details when they become available.

13 comments August 17th, 2007

IMA’s Masters program in Computational Finance

1 comment August 16th, 2007

Analyzing the educational aspect of the PM’s independence day speech and its implication to Orissa

The PM’s independence day speech will be remembered for a long time for its groundbreaking educational steps. Here, we analyze them vis-a-vis Orissa.

• K-12
  • "We will support 6,000 new high quality schools — one in every block of the country"   [Orissa has 314 blocks. Currently the central govt has three kinds of schools: Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and Ekalabya Vidyalayas. My guess is these will be Navodaya Vidyalayas. Until now, Navodaya Vidyalayas were being made one per district. Extending it to one per block will do wonders.]
• Higher education
  • "We will also ensure that adequate numbers of colleges are set up across the country, especially in districts where enrollment levels are low. We will help States set up colleges in 370 such districts."  [Orissa has 30 districts. As per the NSSO study of 2004-2005, Table 3.14.1 shows that in the 15-19 age group 29% people in Orissa are attending school/college and in the 20-24 age group this number for Orissa is 6.1%. (Both numbers are lowest among all but the small states/UTs of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep.) For the Scheduled Tribe population these numbers are 17.1% for the 15-19 age group and 4.1% for the 20-24 age group.]
  • "We will set up thirty new Central Universities. Every state that does not have a central university will now have one." [Orissa does not have one so it should get one. But considering that there are 23 other existing central universities, making it a total of 53 central universities, Orissa should get two.]
  • "we are setting up five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research" [The five IISERs are at Pune, Kolkata, Mohali, Bhopal, and Trivendrum. A NISER is being set up in Bhubaneswar.]
  • "eight new Indian Institutes of Technology" [Three of these IITs are announced to be in Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Orissa should get one of the other five IITs.]
  • "seven new Indian Institutes of Management" [Announcements have been made with respect to Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Shillong. If Orissa gets a new IIT then its chance of getting a new IIM this round is much less. Orissa should try though.]
  • "twenty new Indian Institutes of Information Technology." [There will be one in each main states, including Orissa, which does not have one. Existing ones are at Allahabad, Amethi, Jabalpur, and Gwalior and a new one is being established at Kanchipuram. ]
• Vocational Education
  • "We will soon launch a Mission on Vocational Education and Skill Development, through which we will open 1600 new industrial training institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics, 10,000 new vocational schools and 50,000 new Skill Development Centres."
  • "We will ensure that annually, over 100 lakh students get vocational training – which is a four-fold increase from today’s level."
• More scholarships
  • "We should seek not just functional literacy, but good quality education – education that is affordable, accessible, equitable – and available to every boy and girl who seeks to study. For the needy we will provide more scholarships."

5 comments August 16th, 2007

Sambada school of media and culture: entrance exam on the 18th

August 16th, 2007

PM’s Independence day speech: 30 new central universities, 8 new IITs, 7 new IIMs

Following are the relevant excerpts from the Prime Minister’s independence day speech(TOI) (Hindu)(PIB)

Towards this end, our Government has decided to invest in setting up good quality schools across the country. We will support 6,000 new high quality schools — one in every block of the country. Each such school will set standards of excellence for other schools in the area.

As our primary education programmes achieve a degree of success, there is growing demand for secondary schools and colleges. We are committed to universalizing secondary education. An extensive programme for this is being finalized.

We will also ensure that adequate numbers of colleges are set up across the country, especially in districts where enrolment levels are low. We will help States set up colleges in 370 such districts.

The University system, which has been relatively neglected in recent years, is now the focus of our reform and development agenda. We will set up thirty new Central Universities. Every state that does not have a central university will now have one.

In order to promote science and professional education, we are setting up five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, eight new Indian Institutes of Technology, seven new Indian Institutes of Management, and twenty new Indian Institutes of Information Technology. These will generate new educational opportunities for our youth. I am sure that, working together, we can ensure that at least a fifth of our children go to college as compared to one-tenth now.

The vast majority of our youth seek skilled employment after schooling. Last year I spoke the need for a Vocational Education Mission. Such a Mission is ready to be launched. We will soon launch a Mission on Vocational Education and Skill Development, through which we will open 1600 new industrial training institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics, 10,000 new vocational schools and 50,000 new Skill Development Centres.

We will ensure that annually, over 100 lakh students get vocational training – which is a four-fold increase from today’s level. We will seek the active help of the private sector in this initiative so that they not only assist in the training but also lend a hand in providing employment opportunities.

We should seek not just functional literacy, but good quality education – education that is affordable, accessible, equitable – and available to every boy and girl who seeks to study. For the needy we will provide more scholarships.

I wish to see a revolution in the field of modern education in the next few years. It is my fervent desire that India becomes a fully educated, modern, progressive nation. From this historic Red Fort, I would like this message to go to every corner of India – we will make India a nation of educated people, of skilled people, of creative people.

This is the first time eight new IITs have been formally and officially mentioned. Three of these were previously announced to be in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. So it would be a shame if Orissa does not get one of the remaining five.

1 comment August 15th, 2007

ASBM to start course on Banking, Insurance and Financial Servive Management

Following are some excerpts from a Business standrad report on this.

Asian School of Business Management (ASBM), one of the premier business schools of Orissa today a Post-graduate Programme in Banking, Insurance and Financial Services Management (PGPBIFSM).

The programmed is tailored to meet manpower requirement in these sectors.  …

The director of ASBM Biswajit Patnaik said the PGPBIFSM course aims to bring appropriate balancing of banking, insurance and financial services. It is the only B-school focussing on the sectoral programmes, he claimed.

The school had launched the retail programme management earlier.

The new course contents 90 hours of elective study and 150 hours of soft skill development along with the foundation courses, specialisation and super specialisation programmes.

August 15th, 2007

UGC Scholarships for rank holders at the Bachelors level

Following is from a UGC page.

Post-Graduate Merit Scholarship Scheme for University Rank Holders at Undergraduate Level for the academic session 2006-07.

The University Grants Commission, on the basis of a initiative of MHRD, had introduced Post-Graduate Merit Scholarship Scheme for University rank holders (in General and Honours Courses at Undergraduate levels) with the objective of attracting talents for pursuing post-graduate studies in basic subjects. The scheme is for non-professional courses only. The selection will be purely on merit basis. The awardees under this scheme can pursue their Post-Graduate programme in any area of specialization as also in any institution of higher learning in the country recognized by UGC under Section 2(f) and 12(B) of UGC Act.

Subjects identified at undergraduate level for the award of Scholarships

Eligibility

While in General Courses the First & Second Rank holders at under-graduate level in the above mentioned courses only admitted in any Post-Graduate courses would be awarded the scholarship

In Honours Courses scholarship will be awarded only to the First Rank Holder.

These awardees will have to submit the proofs of their merit position at undergraduate level as well as their admission in first year of Post-Graduate courses during 2006-07.

The scholarship would however, be subject to securing a minimum of sixty percent marks at undergraduate level.

Duration of Scholarships:       2 Years

Number of Scholarships per year:

Rate of Scholarship:      Rs. 2000/- p.m.(10 months in a year)

Other Conditions:

A student who is awarded the Post-Graduate Scholarship will not be debarred from accepting any other Scholarship. But candidate is entitled for only one scholarship either PG Merit Scholarship for University rank holding or Indira Gandhi PG Scholarship for Single Girl Child.

Students desirous of leaving the studies mid-way without completing the PG degree will have to take prior approval from the UGC by submitting an application along with justification through the concerned university.

The University/College institution will have to submit a certificate of completion of the PG Course in respect of each student availing this scholarship.

Documents to be submitted at the time of application:

Proof of admission to Master�s degree course in a recognized Indian University.

Matriculation Certificate.

Verification certificate from the institution where the candidate has taken admission (Annexture-II)

University Rank Certificate at U.G. level (Annexure-III)

Procedure for application:

Eligible students who are pursuing postgraduate 1st year course in any of the above mentioned subjects in the current year, i.e. 2005-2006 may submit their application for the above scholarship (Annexure I) giving full details like name, father�s name, date of birth, permanent and postal address, name of the undergraduate course, percentage of marks obtained along with merit certificate, postgraduate, course being pursued etc. (with all relevant attested copies of documents).

The application may be submitted to Joint Secretary (NIC), University Grants Commission, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110002 within 15 days from the date of publication of this advertisement.

Application received after the due date will not be considered. Those who have applied earlier need to apply fresh in response to this advertisement.

Candidates are advised before submitting application should read guidelines for the scheme which is available on UGC website www.ugc.ac.in.

Envelops containing application should be marked as APPLICATION FOR PG MERIT SCHOLARSHIP FOR UNIVERSITY RANK HOLDER.

27 comments August 14th, 2007

Educational Loans from Banks

The following is copied from the UGC page on educational loans.

Government of India in consultation with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banker’s Association (IBA) has framed a Comprehensive Educational Loan Scheme to ensure that no deserving student in the Country is deprived of higher education for want of finances. The new scheme covers all type of courses including professional courses in schools and colleges in India and abroad.

The Salient features of the scheme are as under:

• The scheme envisages loans up to Rs.7.5 lakh for studies in India and up to Rs. 15 lakh for studies abroad.

• For loans up to Rs. 4 lakh no collateral or margin is required and the interest rate is not to exceed the Prime Lending Rates (PLR). For loans above Rs. 4 lakh the interest rate will not exceed PLR plus 1 percent.

• The loans are to be repaid over a period of 5 to 7 years with provision of grace period of one year after completion of studies

Tax Benefit

Repayment of an education loan is deductible under section 80E of the Income Tax Act. The yearly limit for deduction is Rs. 40,000 (for both the principal and the interest). Only loans taken for higher education – fulltime studies in any graduate or post-graduate, professional, and pure and applied science courses – may claim deduction. The deduction will be available for a maximum of eight years starting from the day you start repaying.

Equitable Access to quality higher education has been a concern of the University Grants Commission. To this purpose the Commission, besides encouraging colleges and universities to provide for liberal financial support to the meritorious but needy students, has also been instrumental in educational loan scheme. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued guidelines in this regard to all commercial banks. A large number of banks have already launched educational loan schemes. Provided below are links to the respective website of individual banks offering such facilities.

• Allahabad Bank
  Educational Loan Scheme Application form

• Andhra Bank
  Educational Loan Scheme Application Form

• Bank of Baroda
  BOB Scholar Application form

• Bank of India
  Vidya Vardhini Application Form

• Bank of Maharashtra
  Educational Loan Scheme Application Form

• Canara Bank
  Vidyasagar Loan Application Form

• Central Bank of India
  Centvidhyarath Application Form

• Corporation Bank
  Educational Loan Scheme Application Form

• Dena Bank
  Dena Vidya Laxmi Application Form

• Indian Bank
  Educational Loan Scheme Application Form

• Indian Overseas Bank
  Vidya Jothi Application form

• Oriental bank of Commerce
  Educational Loan Scheme Application Form

• Panjab and Sindh Bank
  Educational Loan Scheme Application From

• Panjab National Bank
  Vidyalaksyapurti Application Form

• State Bank of India
  Educational Loan Scheme Application Form

• State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur
  Educational Loan Scheme Application Form

• State Bank of Hyderabad
  Educational Loan Scheme Application form

• State Bank of Indore

• State Bank of Mysore

• State Bank of Saurashatra

• State Bank of Travancore
  Gyan Jyothi Application Form

• Syndicate Bank
  SyndVidya Application Form

• Uco Bank
  Educational loan Scheme Application form

• Union Bank of India

• United Bank of India
  Educational loan Scheme Application Form

• Vijaya Bank
  Education Loan Scheme Application Form

Disclaimer: Since the rules, regulations, eligibility conditions, repayments and interests rates etc are revised by the banks from time to time in keeping pace with the changing capital market conditions, students and parents are advised to thoroughly check the terms and conditions of educational loan scheme on offer at the time of application.

9 comments August 14th, 2007

NIT (National Institues of Technology) act becomes effective Aug 15 2007.

Update: The NIT statutes based on this act was pubslished in the Gazette in April 2009. A copy of it is at https://www.orissalinks.com/bigfiles/NIT%20statutes.pdf. Thanks to the  reader who commented on this.

The NIT (National Institutes of Technology) act becomes effective Aug 15 2007. There is a similar act for the IITs; but the NITs did not have one earlier. By virtue of this act NITs now become "Institutes of National Importance (INI)." Thus the proposed IIESTs, which will also be accorded INI status will not necessarily have a higher status than NITs.

76 comments August 14th, 2007

Next round of JEE counselling soon; AIEEE counseling dates not fixed yet

Tathya.in has a detailed report on this. There are lots of "ifs" and "may" in the report. So excerpts will confuse readers. Please read the full article.

17 comments August 14th, 2007

JITM Students obtain scholarships from LBW trust of Australia

Following are excerpts from a report in Pioneer on this.

Thirteen students belonging to B Tech, +2 Science and ITI of JITM, Paralkhemundi, have been chosen by the LBW Trust, which is based in Sydney, Australia, having the website http://www.lbwtrust.com.au.

The scholarships will cover the respective tuition fees in different programmes. The support is initially for a year and would be continued based on the academic performance of the students.

The awardees also include three female students. It is expected that this support will assist the selected students greatly, who are from weak financial background though being meritorious. It is also expected to encourage other students to perform well academically in order to avail similar opportunities in the future.
…
The LBW Trust was established last year with the purpose of providing education and training to impoverished and underprivileged people overseas and within Australia.

Candidates for assistance by the trust would be chosen from cricket playing nations among developing countries as well as from Australia.

The trust hopes that these young men and women, who are sponsored by it, would in their turn play their part in the upliftment of their countries.

Interested students should go to the Contact Us pages of the trust and send a mail to them to find out more about this scholarship and how to apply for it. 

1 comment August 14th, 2007

Several PIB releases on new central universities

First PIB on the Central University in KBK is titled: CENTRAL TRIBAL UNIVERSITY IN KBK REGION.

A proposal for setting up of 16 Central Universities – one each in such States as have no Central University – is in the process of being finalized. Orissa being one of such States, its request for establishment of a Central University in the tribal dominated KBK region shall receive due consideration. Further, a Bill for setting up a Central Tribal University is in the process of being introduced in the current session of the Parliament. The proposed University shall have power to establish its Regional Centres in the areas inhabited by tribal population, which could include KBK region of Orissa.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Smt. D. Purandeswari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

The second PIB titled: NEW CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES IN THE COUNTRY

It is proposed to establish 30 Central Universities during the XIth Plan and the first two years of the XIIth Plan period, subject to the Plan being finalized.

While a common entrance test would be desirable, in keeping with the NCMP commitment of the autonomy, any such decision would be taken by the concerned Universities after they come into existence.

An estimated 20% of the budgeted expenditure on higher education is met currently by the Central Government.

Action for establishment, in the first phase, of one Central University in each of the 16 States which do not have a Central University so far has already been initiated. The financial requirement of these Universities is estimated at Rs.4,800 crore during the 11th Plan period at an average of Rs.300 crore per University. This was stated by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Smt. D. Purandeswari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

The third PIB titled: CENTRAL UNIVERSITIES IN STATES

It is proposed to establish during the XIth Plan, one Central University in each State with no such University and provide assistance for establishing one college in each district with low Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education.

As at present, 23 Central Universities in 14 States/Union Territories have been functioning under the purview of Ministry of Human Resource Development. Action for establishment of a Central University in each of the remaining 16 States, namely Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand, has already been initiated.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Smt. D. Purandeswari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

The fourth PIB titled: UNIVERSITIES OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

Subject to availability of resources, it is proposed to establish new Central Universities and to develop existing Universities to world standards. The XIth Plan is yet to be finalized.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development Smt. D. Purandeswari in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

One of the above PIB mentions that there are 23 existing central universities. From our list it seems the 23 are in the following 14 states: Andhra Pradesh (2),  Arunachal Pradesh (1),  Assam (2), Delhi (4), Maharastra (1), Manipur (2), Meghalaya (1), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Pondicherry (1), Sikkim (1), Tripura (1),  Uttar Pradesh (4), and West Bengal (1).

August 13th, 2007

Rajya Sabha answer on central university in KBK

Newspost India reports on it. Following are some excerpts:

Thousands of tribals in Orissa’s poverty ridden Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput (KBK) districts may soon have access to better higher education with a central university being planned there.

The human resource development (HRD) ministry Monday said it was weighing a state government proposal to set up such a university in the region.

‘Orissa being one of such states (without a central university), its request for establishment of a central university in the tribal-dominated KBK region shall receive due consideration,’ Minister of State for HRD D. Purandeswari said.

‘Further, a bill for setting up a central tribal university is in the process of being introduced in the current session of parliament,’ Purandeswari informed the Rajya Sabha.

The proposed university shall have power to establish its regional centres in areas inhabited by tribals.

The HRD ministry had earlier said there was a proposal for setting up 16 central universities in states where there was no such university.

August 13th, 2007

Samaja: Additional JEE list for leftover seats in Engineering, MBA, etc.

Samaja reports that BPUT will soon come up with an additional list and do additional round of counseling for that list to fill-up the left-over seats in Engineering, MBA etc.  It says that out of a total 14,600 seats in engineering, of the 10,642 seats earmarked for JEE, 251 seats are left. Similarly, for MBA, out of 2500 seats, 1406 are earmarked for JEE and out of that 517 seats are left. In MBBS among the 300 seats in the private medical colleges, 210 are earmarked for JEE, and 143 seats are left. In architecture out of 119 seats 90 are left over. In BDS (dental) out of 350 seats 325 are left.

On AIEEE it mentions that the government will soon come up with the schedule. For AIEEE there are 2250 engineering seats, 325 MBA seats, 154 pharmacy seats, 325 MCA seats, 18 architect seats, 18 hotel management seats, 45 MBBS seats and 45 BDS seats.

In addition 15% seats are reserved for NRIs and they will be charged 4 times the amount charged for regular seats.

1 comment August 13th, 2007