Facebook hires MNIT student for annual pack of Rs 1.34 crore

Facebook has hired an engineering student for an annual package for Rs 1.34 crore, making it as one of the biggest offers given to any alumnus of technical institution of the country.

The lucky man is a B.Tech student from Allahabad-based Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT). Hiring for a high amount, in 2010, a student from IIT Madras was appointed for an annual sum of Rs 1.7 crore.

Feeling proud on his students, P Chakravarti, Director, MNIT said that, many students have bagged lucrative jobs and around 30 alumni have been hired for more than Rs 10 lakh package from companies namely Microsoft, Amzon, Adobe and others.

Facebook has been recruiting students from technology institutions in India, especially IITs. This is the first time it has recruited someone from NIT. Chakrabarti refused to divulge details of the student citing privacy reasons. The student, said the director, would join Facebook in June after his final examination.

IITs want say in new test format

The Indian Institutes of Technology want a say in the new entrance examination that the Centre has proposed to replace the IIT-Joint Entrance Examination in 2013.

While members of the senate of IIT-Kanpur and IIT-Delhi have written to the HRD ministry asking that their suggestions be taken into consideration, the IIT-Madras Faculty Association has sent its views to other IITs to express solidarity on the issue. Some of these academics say they understand the intentions for the change, but charge the ministry with rushing through with the change without considering the views of stakeholders.

"We were never consulted on the proposed change. We are for the inclusion of higher secondary marks in the admission process and feel that the marking formula proposed by the Indian Statistical Institute is fair. But why is the ministry in such a hurry to start the new test in 2013 without looking into the pros and cons?" asked S K Das, president of the IIT-Madras Faculty Association. "We agree the system must be modified and want to provide suggestions on how best to make the change. The ISEET proposal is sketchy and nothing has been documented. Whatever we know is through a presentation and from media," said chairman of the board of governors of IIT Kanpur M Anandakrishnan.

Eligibility test must for new CBSE teachers

The CBSE has now mandated that any new teacher recruited for standard I-VIII must have cleared the government-approved teachers' eligibility test. The central board has amended its affiliation by-law number 53 with immediate effect to implement the new guidelines across all schools in the country.

As per the decision, teachers who want to join any CBSE -affiliated school (for std I-VIII) must have passed the Central Teachers Eligibility Test (CTET) or the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) which is conducted by the state government.

The newly introduced CTET is already proving to be a 'killer exam' going by the results of the two tests held so far. In the first edition of CTET held in 2011, about 87% teachers failed while 93% failed in the test held earlier this year.

Even though the new recruitment rules give an option to new teachers to clear either CTET or the much easier TET, in reality there is no choice. Since CTET is conducted by the CBSE itself, every affiliated-school management would prefer recruiting candidates who meet the central board's criteria. This has now become a big challenge for schools that have already started the recruitment process.Teachers react strongly against CBSE decision.

No-fail policy may change to lift standards

When the Right to Education (RTE) Act became reality, there was a sense of jubilation all around. Students and parents welcomed, in particular, the 'no-fail' clause: no child could be held back in any class or expelled from school till the completion of elementary education (till class VIII). But teachers are complaining that some students take advantage of this clause and do not study at all. The state government has heard the complaints and is looking at ways to make changes to the rule. 

According to sources, the government has issued a circular to education officials, seeking ideas on the matter. "The new system may be that a student who does not fair well in a class will take a written test in April, failing which, he or she will take the test again in June. But it is the teacher who might have to make sure that the student passes. Thus, responsibility for the student's performance will shift to teachers," said an official. 

"Even though CCE ( continuous comprehensive evaluation) ensures that students are evaluated throughout the year rather than through just written exams, students have started taking the written exams very lightly," said a teacher from a school in Andheri. "We try to ensure that this doesn't happen in our school, but keep coming across students who are least bothered about studies." 

Though schools had welcomed most RTE clauses, many were opposed to the no-fail policy. With CCE in place, students are evaluated under two heads: formative (class work/presentations) and summative (written exams). The combined score is taken into consideration at the end of the academic year. "Students and teachers are easily getting adapted to CCE. Students also know that even if they don't score well in the summative part, they will score very well in the formative tests and pass with good marks," said Najma Kazi, principal, Anjuman-I-Islam Saif Tyabji Girls' High School, Byculla. She said she started remedial classes for students who were not fairing well in the summative tests. "Teachers in my school have been asked to hold these classes to ensure that students understand the topics well." 

While most government officials refused to comment on the issue, a senior official told TOI that instead of simply promoting children to the next grade, extra attention needed to be paid to teacher training. "Blindly promoting students does not help to make the quality of education better. Teachers need to be accountable to students and ensure their progress," said the official. "Teacher training programmes need to be more interesting and must incorporate skill-improvement plans." 

Road Ahead - Indian Automobile Industry

The Indian automobile industry has opened up to a whole new domain the off-road vehicles. They are the ones that do not need a registration and can be used in extreme conditions and on tough terrains. These vehicles are characterised by large tyres with deep, open treads and flexible shock absorbers. Off-road vehicles can range from snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles (ATV), off-road ambulances, motorcycles, youth powersports vehicles and off-road defence, to off-road fire tending vehicles. Geographically, India has a wide variety of terrains that make the off-road segment an area with a potential for exponential growth.

INDUSTRY STATUS
Globally, off-road vehicles have been used in the developed world for decades. In India, however, the industry is at a nascent stage. People are just beginning to focus their attention at the segment of off-road vehicles. This sector is likely to witness increasing demand for powerful vehicles to work on different and difficult terrains.

GROWTH AREAS
While the industry may be at a nascent stage, there is a new trend of enthusiasts joining the off-roading culture. Steadily, people are becoming aware of the product range in this segment and its diverse usage. Off-roading is not just about recreation but has a variety of applications in defence, paramilitary, forest patrolling, mining, agriculture, construction and more. Adventure sports enthusiasts can also use such vehicles to commute on rough terrain. There is an awareness amongst people for product categories like the ATVs and Side x Side.

SKILL-SETS
An undying passion for automobiles, off-roaders, adventure and driving are the foremost requirements to excel in this area. Academically, a mechanical/automobile engineer and/or management graduate can be a part of this industry. Qualifications can vary depending on the requirements of the particular position.

REMUNERATION
Freshers entering this industry can expect a starting salary of about Rs three lakh per annum. With time and the right skills, they can expect to get better pay packages.

Soon, Indian BTech degrees may be recognized abroad

Engineers with undergraduate degrees will find it easier to seek jobs and opportunities for higher studies abroad from 2013, if India's bid to join the elite Washington Accord for international accreditation is accepted.

If it comes through, undergraduate engineering degrees from India will be brought on a par with those of the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and six other nations, easing mobility for Indian undergraduate engineers.

The National Board of Accreditation, under the aegis of All India Council for Technical Education, plans to bid to become a permanent member of the Washington Accord in June 2013.

Said G Prabhakar, an NBA member and president, Andhra Pradesh chapter of Institution of Engineers (India), "In 2013, NBA will be a full member of the Washington Accord. The accord recommends that the graduates of programs accredited by any of the signatory bodies be recognized by other members as having met academic requirements for entry to engineering." India was granted the status of a provisional member in 2007.

India is yet to invite the Washington Accord to audit its accreditation system, a crucial process for becoming a full member, despite the country being granted a provisional status in 2007.

Hu Hanrahan, the chair of the Washington Accord, who is in India for the first World Summit on Accreditation 2012, refused to commit to a timeline for India becoming a permanent member, saying the process was under way.

Even if India is granted membership of the accord, only about 20% of the 4,000-odd engineering institutes in the country are likely to make the cut.

India's mentor for the accreditation, past president of Singapore's Institution of Engineers Lock Kai Sang, said, "India's bid to receive permanent membership in 2013 will be very challenging. There is still a lot of implementation work that needs to be carried out based on outcome assessment and accreditation."

Around 140 institutes have applied for accreditation under the new framework.

National Board of Accreditation (NBA) officials said that India could be looking at a two-tier system of accreditation - creating international benchmarks for some institutes and settling for lower standards in other colleges.

The HRD ministry has already proposed a legislation to make every higher educational institution mandatorily accredited in the country. "I hope in this session of Parliament we will carry through (the bill)," HRD minister Kapil Sibal said.

The National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill has provisions under which assessment of such accreditation has to be made before the institution starts the process of admission to the programs, while the existing educational institutions will have to get their accreditation within three years.

The bill also seeks establishment of National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Education, which shall register and monitor accreditation agencies.

India to roll out common entrance medical exam from 2013

It's now official - the common National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to Under Graduate (UG) will be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) while it will be the National Board of Examination that will conduct the Post Graduate (PG) exams.

India is all set to roll out NEET from 2013-14.

Putting ghosts to rest, the Union health ministry has informed state governments that their existing reservation policies would not be disturbed under the proposed scheme and state wise eligibility merit lists will be prepared for the respective state authorities to admit students for admission in accordance with their admission criteria in the institutions located in the respective states.

The Medical Council of India has also revised the syllabus for NEET-UG.

The qualifying criterion has been changed from percentage of absolute marks to percentile to ensure that no seat remains unfilled. Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Monday "A few state governments had expressed concerns about the proposed NEET particularly with regard to the syllabus for the NEET for UG, reservation of seats, medium of examination, as well as their own preparedness to introduce the scheme from the academic year 2012-13 and whether once introduced some of their seats would go unfilled because of high merit. The government has addressed all the concerns."

The ministry has also set up a coordination Committee "with all relevant stakeholders as members, which will address any issue relating to the admission process, including regional language as medium for conduct of NEET."

NEET would mean a single entrance examination will be held for MBBS and MD courses offered by all 271 medical colleges, 138 run by governments and 133 under private management. These colleges offer over 31,000 seats for MBBS courses and another 11,000 seats for PG degrees.

Experts say NEET would reduce hassles for students appearing for multiple medical exams.

"Once implemented, the NEET would be applicable to all medical colleges which come under the ambit of MCI, including private medical colleges," Azad said.

Among the states that was against the introduction of NEET in 2012 included West Bengal Maharashtra, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa had showed readiness to join NEET from 2013-14 but AP sought exemption for two years, saying it would join from 2014-15.

"At present, about 17 entrance tests are held to fill 32,000 UG seats in medical colleges across the country," a ministry official said.

Come out and play

At an age, when technology is slowly taking over every aspect of our lives, physical activities for children have taken a backseat and there is a need to bring children out of home to play.

"Children, today, refrain from sweating it out in the playgrounds and instead prefer playing online games from their home. Such children miss out on healthy social interactions and natural stimulation. Kids as young as 10 years old today suffer from lifestyle problems, which in future lead to several chronic diseases," says Shrikant Hazare, chief marketing officer, Kids Out Of Home (KOOH). Lifestyle plays a critical role in determining the health factor.

Traditionally Indian schools have neglected paying attention to sports curricula in schools and as a result the only physical activity that children get while they are in school is limited to the games period. "There are several basic requirements for a school to make sure the children are well exposed to sports education. A trained coach who is well versed with the sport they are instructing, having the appropriate infrastructure and facilities to help facilitate the right environment for children in school and the most important, a structured curriculum in place to assess the physical development in kids. The whole idea of giving focus on theory in sports has emerged from sports not being considered a viable career when a child grows," says Hazare.

FLIP SIDE
And yet, with technology and exposure, a lot of awareness has also grown towards the need to participate in sports activities with the opening up of sports clubs, physical training centres etc in and around one's neighbourhood.

Says 'Mahabali' Satpal, former wrestler and Padma Shri recepient, president, School Games, Federation of India, "After Sushil Kumar and Abhinav Bindra got medals for the country, a lot of students in the government schools have taken to sports. At the National School Games, Delhi stood first with the most number of gold medals (254) followed by Maharashtra (187 gold medals). About 80% of students who enrol for coaching are from government schools. We also have students from government aided schools and few students from public schools. About 60% of the girls enrolled are girl students. The attitude of parents towards sports is changing."

Earlier children didn't have many options when it came to sports but now they do. "There are so many options available to students now, that were not there earlier. 20 years ago, I could have never imagined going on an ice- expedition. Now, students should make use of the different opportunities and be one with themselves and nature," says Aman Malik, a student of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, who went on an expedition to the Antarctic.

Virtual classrooms for 400 more schools

The BMC has proposed a substantial increase in the budgetary provision for education for 2012-13; it has lined up Rs 367.01 crore compared with Rs 169.27 crore last year. The BMC claims that it had introduced the system of learning via a virtual classroom project in 80 secondary schools this year, by beaming lectures through satellite transmission last year. 

There is a proposal to extend it to an additional 400 schools; Rs 8 crore provision has been made for secondary schools and Rs 20 crore for primary. So far, libraries have been set up in 75 primary schools. The BMC has proposed to start libraries from its own fund in the remaining 278 school buildings and made a provision of Rs 4.93 crore. It has also made a provision of Rs 300 crore for repairs of 77 school buildings in 2012-13.

University messes up exams

Over two thousand students appearing for the final year commerce examination that started on Wednesday at 11 am have been allotted new examination centres.Almost all of them could be unaware of this drastic development a day before the examination as the University of Mumbai has not informed them individually,but uploaded a circular on its website.

The university asked three city colleges to divert 2,051 students to other institutes after realizing that it had assigned more students to the colleges than their seating capacity.Among those affected are 500 regular students and 1,650 distance education candidates.


For one,Narsee Monjee College of Commerce in Vile Parle has a capacity of 850 students,but the university assigned 1,700 candidates to it for taking the TYBcom exam.

Haryana Boards exams: Lab attendant is examiner, instructor is centre head

With staffers on examination duty at one centre each in Yamunanagar as well as Ambala districts being allegedly ineligible, the role of education department, especially those responsible for conducting examinations, during Haryana Board of School Education (HBSE) has come under the scanner.

Jai Narain, a lab attendant with the a government senior secondary school of Mandola village in Yamunanagar district, has been found perforiming the duty of examiner in an examination centre being set up in a private school of Mustafabad town of the district.

At the same time, Balwinder Singh, an instructor of government school, who holds the status of a class III employee, was found performing the duty of centre suprintendent, which according to rule book, has to be performed by a senior lecturer of the school or the principal or headmaster/headmistress of schools.

Until some of the examiners doing duty at Mustafabad and government senior secondary school at Shehzadpur sub-division of Ambala, where Balwinder was found acting as centre superintendent, the district education officers (DEOs) have shifted out the two officials, after ordering a probe to ascertain the lapse.

Confirming the development, officials in education department, said that both Jai Narain and Balwinder Singh have been told to appear before the concerned DEOs for further course of action.

The board exam commenced on March 15 and the violation in duty decorum came to the department's notice on March 17 when some teachers informed it about the same.

"Such duty by non-eligible staff is a clear-cut violation of rules as only teachers should be assigned exam duty. Another objectionable point is that the employee, Jai Narain, was deputed in a government school for exam duty and was found on duty at the centre of a private school of the same town. An inquiry has been ordered to find out why did he help the private school," said DEO, Yamunanagar, Jagjit Kaur,

"The employee has been relieved from duties. An eligible candidate will be appointed in his place", she added.

On the other hand, Jai Narain cited notings of education department, under which he, being a senior lab assistant, can work in exam centres.

In Ambala, Balwinder Singh, who is class III level instructor of vocational courses with government schools, was working as centre superintendent at government senior seconday school, Sahazadpur, while a senior school cadre lecturer or school principal is eligible for it. District elementary education officer, Savitri Sihag said, "No doubt a non-eligible candidate was deputed at the centre. This happened due to a mistake while feeding data in the computer, regarding duty allotment. We have marked a detailed inquiry into the incident."

UP board exams: Hindi-medium students get papers in English

Ill-preparedness of the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shikshak Parishad is giving tough time to the students. 

Most of the examinees of Hindi medium were given question papers printed in English and vice versa due to lack of availability of the same at various centres. 

In various incidents, the Board examinees had a tough time in writing their particular papers as the language was not properly understood by them. 

It was learnt that over 50 students of Har Gopal Inter College of Hindi medium got question paper in English, while several students of Hindi medium DMK Inter College were also given question paper in English for their math exam. They were just 10 minutes' extra time to compensate for the inconvenience. 

Similarly more than 30 students of Fair Committee School, who were from English medium, were given the question papers in Hindi language. 

"The students were at the receiving end of the most irresponsible behaviour of the UP Board authorities. Though they somehow solved the whole question paper, it was a difficult task for them to understand a language they were not well-versed in. Hence, we are apprehensive of their result," said the principal of a reputed school on condition of anonymity. 

Meanwhile, DIOS SS Singh, when asked about the whole issue, held the school authorities responsible for the matter. "The papers were given by the Board according to the medium filled by the school authorities in the examination form. In no way are we responsible for the inconvenience to the students," he claimed. 

"This problem of the medium of question papers has become a routine affair now as no one among the Board authorities or the school authorities are ready to take the responsibility," the DIOS pointed out. 

Sixty new British scholarships for Master's programmes

Sixty new scholarships for Master's programmes in the UK are to be awarded to Indian students this year 

British Prime Minister David Cameron has recently announced 60 new'Jubilee Scholarships' to be awarded to Indian students this year. The scholars will receive full funding for a one-year Master's course in the UK, starting September 2012. 

Funded by the British Council and the UK Government, the scholarships have been launched as part of the celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The aim is to enable talent from across India to come and study Master's courses in business, administration, manufacturing, science or technology. 

The awards will be open to applicants from all over India, and the scheme aims to include students from every Indian state among the awardees. 

Rob Lynes, the British Council's director in India, says, "A scholarship is a fitting way to mark the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee, as it is the creation of new opportunity - not just for the student, but for the host institution to benefit from Indian perspectives and ideas, for new friendships to be made and new links to be created and fostered between our two countries." 

Part-time MBA from DU's Faculty of Management Studies may cost more

The two part-time, three-year management courses at the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi University, are set to be costlier from the next academic session. Not only that: the names of the courses will change and their duration will be reduced to two years. The proposals are likely to be approved by the academic and executive councils on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. 

It's been proposed to hike the fees of MBA (part time) and MBA (healthcare administration) to Rs 50,000 per annum from Rs 11,000. And henceforth, these courses will be known as MBA (executive) and MBA (executive) healthcare administration. And the intake of students in one course will also go down. 

At present, the B-school admits 232 students for the MBA (part time) course; after the new structure is implemented, only 172 will be absorbed. In the healthcare administration course, the B-school will admit 42 students instead of 37. 

A senior FMS official said the faculty approved the proposed changes as there has been a gradual decline in the number of takers for the two courses. "World over, the executive programmes are of maximum two years duration; so, it makes no sense to keep the duration at three years," the official added. 

Stating that there will be no dilution of the curriculum because of shortening of the duration, a senior faculty member of the FMS said that the programme will be more intensive. Now, the students of part-time programmes must have 75% attendance and will have to clear the courses within a period of four years. 

The duration of the courses would be two years now and it has been proposed to raise the fees to Rs 50k.

Educating Young Minds

The superior general of Society of Jesus, Father Adolfo Nicolas S J delivered a thought-provoking lecture entitled 'Education for Transformation' at Tata Auditorium, XLRI, Jamshedpur on February 23. Corporate executives in the steel city, XLRI faculty, students and alumni, together with students of various Jesuit educational institutions attended the talk. 

Spanish Jesuit Father Nicolas spoke with deep insight about the spirituality of the East and West, the economic development, challenges and issues of wealthy and impoverished societies, and the concern over the relationship of the North and the South. He offered new insights and ways of thinking and acting to help shape a globalising world. 

At the outset of the lecture, Father Nicolas observed that the Jamshedpur Jesuit Society is inseparably bonded with the city, a bonding that made possible its service in development and education. He thanked the companies of Tata Sons and other industrial houses for their constant support and sought their continued co-operation in their future ventures. 

He recalled that it was at the invitation of TISCO that Father Quinn Enright established the Xavier Labour Relations Institute-the XLRI of today and made use of it to contribute to India a vast number of trained and qualified young business leaders. 

While discussing areas of common concern that unite humanity, he singled out important areas such as displacement of people, growing disparity between the haves and have-nots, erosion of fundamental values such as personal probity and culture excellence that define our people living here and decline in corporate governance. "At present we are involved in formal and informal networks of schools that serve almost four million students in 70 countries of the world," he said.

"We believe that true education happens in freedom through interaction by being open to all cultures and learning from history," he added. 

Speaking on the Right to Education, Fr Nicolas said: "I was very happy when I learnt that the Indian parliament had enacted a law declaring that education is a birth right of all citizens. We could say that the real birthright is 'Good Education'. From the very beginning, the institutions of the Society of Jesus were open to all who came to them for education. They did indeed have a pronounced preference for students from economically poor background." 

Management fundamentals

In order to cultivate the talent of emerging business leaders who wish to lead organisations in an increasingly transnational world, University of Toronto (U of T) Mississauga is introducing a sixweek certificate programme in Global Management Fundamentals , which will begin from June 2012. 


This programme will cater to students from emerging economies like India, China and the Middle East by giving them an exposure to North American business fundamentals. It will help students to develop an overview of how businesses are conducted in North America, to develop business communication skills and other soft skills. According to Vandana Mahajan, director, international academic liaisons, University of Toronto Mississauga, the level of competition has increased multi-fold and the pressure on students to compete with the MNCs has also increased. 


Undergraduate students in their second or third year of BBA, BCom or business related courses are eligible for this programme , which will be conducted once a year during summers so that students can pursue it during their breaks. So how does it work? "Interested students will come to U of T for this programme in between their course after completing one or two years when they have a basic understanding of business management. After this, they will go back to their institutions and complete their degrees. This will give them best of both worlds. They will get a degree from their institution and a North American credential as well. This course will also be effective for those students who wish to come back for their postgraduation studies here," says Mahajan. It will be open only for students from those academic institutes (government and private) that U of T has tie-ups with. 


"We have identified six academic modules. These include international business, economics of business strategy, global accounting, cross-cultural organisational behaviour, global marketing and international finance," says Mahajan. 


Pointing out the strengths of this course, Mahajan says, "Alongside a rigorous academic curriculum that we have created for students , they will also be getting to know the soft skills from a North American perspective. The curriculum will enhance their communication skills, familiarise them with effective networking and interviewing techniques, and create other opportunities for professional development." 


Upon completion of the programme, participants will be awarded a certificate from the University of Toronto. 

Applied Hindi to be optional for HSC pupils

Mumbai: The state government has cleared a proposal to introduce Applied Hindi as an optional subject for HSC students from the academic year 2013-14 so that language too becomes a scoring subject.School education minister Rajendra Darda has cleared the file that sought administrative approval for introduction of Applied Hindi as an optional subject for Class XII (HSC) students, a senior education department official said.

The Marathi or Hindi subject syllabus primarily focuses on literature.Finding it difficult to score high in language subjects,most students prefer giving more attention on other subjects to build up the aggregate percentage.Introduction of Applied Marathi and Hindi will change students traditional approach towards the language.Also,the introduction of applied subject will help students acquire job-oriented skills, said Prakash Parab,head of the department,Marathi department,Vaze Kelkar College,Mumbai.

Deepak Pawar,president of Marathi Abhyas Kendra,said,Ideally,Marathi should be first and English should be the second language for the board syllabus.But if the government is insisting on English to be the first language then the state should make Marathi as the second language. However,a senior DF minister said,Religion,caste,community and such issues should not be the parameters while making education-related policies.  

How To Improve My Kid's Vocabulary?

If you ask an average parent what bothers them the most about their children, at least 7 out of 10 will say 'my kid's vocabulary'. With all the jargon that the kids of this generation are exposed to, it is a miracle that they are able to speak at all! What they are speaking is a mixed pidgin. The worst part is that their spoken English eventually creeps it's way into their written language too.

Teaching a language, even if it is through learning games for kids is one of the most difficult tasks that awaits a parent. But do not despair, these parenting tips will guide you. 

Tips To Improve Kid's Vocabulary:

1. The One Language Game: This is an interesting learning game for kids and you can play it along with them. The only rule is that they have to speak in a single language for ten minutes. They cannot use words from any other language during this time. Sounds too easy, does it? Try it, even you will be put in a tough spot.

2. Learn One Language At A Time: In a cosmopolitan environment where a dozen different languages are being spoken at once, the worst affected is your kid's vocabulary. While it is good for the child to know as many languages as he or she possibly can, you have to analyse how much of the language they are learning. Are they really proficient in all? It doesn't pay to be a jack of all trades and a master of none. Teaching one language at a time will help them pick up much better.

3. Queen's English: It sounds a bit post-colonial but to maintain the purity of your language (especially English because it is the language of knowledge) is very important. If you stay down South in India, you kids will pick up an accent where they call 'right' as 'righta' and 'left' as 'lefta'. Many variations of the same will be repeated in different parts of the country. As far as accents are concerned your child is under a lot peer pressure to pick it up. However, you have to insist on the neutral accent that is called Queen's English as it has maximum acceptability.

4. How Much Slang Is Acceptable: Teenagers these days think it is cool punctuate their sentences with abusive words. If this trend has been picked up by your kid then you will have to take a call on how much slang you will allow in your house. The connotation of words change from one generation to the next. 'Crap' in your time might have been a slang but that word for kids these days is just casual. Whether it is through learning games for kids or a mutual compromise you have come to a consensus on what is and isn't acceptable.  

Legislative delay holds up degrees of 1,800 students

With their future in limbo, about 1,800 students of Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University have written to HRD minister Kapil Sibal urging the government to pass the legislation giving their institute legal sanctity. The 'Institutes of Technology (Amendment) bill 2011' has been pending before the Rajya Sabha for almost a year. 

The students of 2010 and 2011 batches have been waiting for their degrees for a year now thanks to the legislative delay. "As the bill is getting delayed in the Rajya Sabha, it is creating serious problems for our future careers. The uncertainty over the conversion of IT-BHU to IIT-BHU is also creating an unhealthy academic atmosphere in the campus,'' the letter said. The communication has been signed by all the students. 

The move to upgrade the institute to an IIT was done after several rounds of consultations and discussions with HRD ministry officials and was passed by Lok Sabha in March 2011. 

The bill seeks to amend the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961, which declares certain institutes of technology to be institutions of national importance and add eight new IITs in Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Indore, Jodhpur, Mandi, Patna and Ropar. It also seeks to integrate the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University within the ambit of the Act and is likely to increase its functional autonomy. 

Speaking in Lok Sabha, Sibal had assured agitated BJP members that Banaras Hindu University would not be bifurcated in the process of giving IIT status to its Institute of Technology. The legislation is also expected to address issues of shortage of staff and quality faculty.  

Teen slaps Principle

A class IX student of St Elias High School in Khar (west) verbally abused and then slapped his principal on Monday after she scolded him for disturbing other students during a school examination. The incident occurred at 9:15am, when the 15-year-old schoolboy, who resides at Khar Danda, was asked to leave the class during the algebra exam.

"The school was conducting the final exams. The three-hour exam started at 7am. This student had finished answering the questions at 9.15am and started disturbing other students. I then asked him to leave the class. He called me some bad words and slapped me,'' the principal said. TOI has decided to withhold their identities.

Earlier in February, a class IX student in Chennai allegedly killed his teacher of St Mary's Anglo-Indian School after the school sent adverse reports to his parents.

The St Elias High School principal lodged a complaint with the Khar police station but said she did not wish to pursue it. "For my safety, I made a police complaint in Khar but I have told not to take action against the child.

He is under the influence of alcohol and drugs. We will have to counsel him. He hit me but I brought him back to school. But he did not appear for the exam on Wednesday," the principal said. She said the school was keen on reforming the boy.

"We do not want him to become a boisterous person later. He should be useful to society," the principal said. The student has a past record of being a wayward, problem child, but the school did not expel the boy as it wanted to provide him with a chance to reform . "I have been counselling him for about a year. He is short-tempered and did not regret his action," she said.

African students seek education in India

Dulce Vania from Mozambique is studying for a management degree in India and is also a budding entrepreneur - she exports human hair to her homeland.

"I have stated a small-scale human hair export business. Back home, it is used for making various accessories," Vania told IANS.

Studying for a management course in finance from the Punjab College of Technical Education(PCTE) at Baddowal, close to the industrial hub of Ludhiana, Vania says that African students studying in India are trying to pick up entrepreneurial skills.

"Things back in our country have started to get better, but it still needs a lot of improvement. Some students here have started to work on small-scale," she said.

Ugandan Ilahi Marian is a pharmacy student at the PCTE. She hopes to open a well-equipped drug store back home to help enhance the health facilities there.

"There are only 10 multi-specialty hospitals in the whole of Uganda as far as I know. There is an urgent need to enhance the health sector as for every 1,000 people, there is just one doctor," Marian told IANS.

African students find it cheaper to study in India - and that too in a system that is better than in their own countries.

"In India, people make things simple for us to understand. In our country, we are taught in a very complicated manner. Also, Indian teachers are very affectionate and devote a lot of time to us," said Adam Semlambo of Tanzania, studying for a masters in computer applications course.

His countryman, Ummi Marealle, a student of management in international business at PCTE, concurs.

"The quality of education in India is much better than in other places. Staying in Ludhiana, thanks to industries like Vardhman, Oswal, Hero group and others, we get a lot of industrial exposure," Marealle added.

According to J.S. Juneja, a former president of the All India Management Association (AIMA), India is a role model for African students.

"Nearly 15,000 students from Africa are studying in India. India and African countries have a similar history. India has a well developed educational system. We also have a well-developed small-scale industries sector. Africa needs both and thus, Africans look at our country as their role model," Juneja said.

Kapil Sibal assures Nitin Gadkari of tackling bogus varsity, college racket

Responding to BJP president Nitin Gadkari's letter expressing concern over bogus universities and colleges running with impunity, HRD minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday said that the ministry was seized of the problem and had even drafted a legislation to bring in stringent punishment. He asked for the Opposition's support in passing the proposed law Prohibition of unfair practices in technical education institutions, medical educational institutions and universities bill 2010. 

In his letter, Sibal said that while opening of the education sector had increased access it had also widened the scope of unscrupulous elements to exploit people. ``The present laws are insufficient to deal with the menace,'' he wrote. 

The bill is expected to hike penalty on a bogus university from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50 lakh and imprisonment for a term of three years in cases where criminal intent is noticed by a court of law. 

A New Breed of Global Leaders

The executive MBA in international business at IIM-Shillong, in a tie-up with a Chinese university, is a one-year programme that aims at producing global leaders 

The Indian Institute of Management, Shillong(IIM-S), has launched a one-year executive postgraduate programme (PGPEx) in international business, which aims to develop leadership skills with an emphasis on working with multicultural global teams. 

This is the first Sino-Indian MBA programme in which students will spend the latter six months of their internship in China. The institute has collaborated with the Ocean University of China for the same. The programme will include understanding Chinese business and growth. 

Neighbours as partners 

Why China? "China has emerged as one of the biggest trading partners with the country, yet no one has ventured into an academic partnership. IIM-S has always believed in innovating and setting trends, which is what we intend to do with this programme," says, Ashok K Dutta, director, IIM-S. 

The focus of this MBA programme is on emerging economies like Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). 

Eligibility 

While the maximum intake into the course is limited to 45, aspirants must have three years of work experience in an executive position with a Bachelor's degree. Admissions will take place through interviews (preliminary and main). All participants should submit the application form electronically and provide the acknowledgement slip at the time of the interview. 

Accommodation 

Participants will be housed in an apartment complex near the campus of IIM-S, in India, and the International students' guest house at Ocean university of China, Qingdao, during the six months of the course. 

Programme Fee 

The fee will be about Rs 12 lakh including tuition fee and accommodation only in India and China. The candidate has to bear the cost of food, visa and entry fees and air/surface travel connected with this programme. The cost of such heads of expenditure is expected to be between rupees two and five lakh. 

The programme is open to candidates from all over the globe. The session will begin from April 6.  

'We need to introduce the youth to the world of ideas'

Shyam Sunder, professor of accounting, economics and finance at the Yale School of Management speaks to Shashank Venkat on his current research on the state of higher educationin India 

Q- Your current research is based on the state of higher education in India. What are the challenges for higher education in India? 
There is not enough talent going into higher education i.e into teaching and research. Top ranking students do not want to get into teaching and research. Education institutes in India are not centres of innovation; new ideas, theories, inventions. We are not at the frontier when it comes to invention. Our best brains get into selling soap. The second major issue is financing. No university in the world delivers quality education at a profit. To be a good university, you need to have quality people working for you and preparing PhD students to teach the next generation. On an average, 40-50 per cent of the expenses for American universities come from tuition fees. In India, 150-200 per cent of the expenses come from tuition fees. We are a country of 1.2 billion people. A lakh or two among them are bright. India has to worry about the other 25 lakh. 

Q- Which areas in higher education are in need for reform? 
Apart from the issue of talent and financing, there is also the question of the system of governance at universities. Research is about ideas. The usual measures of performance do not apply in the world of ideas. Rigid rules and regulations hinder performance. Politicians and civil servants have a stranglehold on education. They do not want you to have any room for judgment. There is also the issue of lack of good teachers. Additionally, there is a history of businesses supporting education in India. But businessmen, today, think that education is a great way to make money. We have to find solutions to these problems. We need to introduce the youth to the world of ideas. 

Q- Tell us about your current research in the field of accounting. 
My research is based on the value of finance to the society. The financial industry has made a lot of money all over the world. Has the industry really made money by adding wealth to the society or is it just transfer of wealth from some people to the finance industry? I want to separate these two things. 

Q- Could you elaborate on the Yale-India Higher Education Leadership forum? 
This programme was initiated last September where Yale and the HRD ministry got into an agreement to work with the leadership of the higher education in India. We get the vice-chancellors, registrars of the Indian universities to come down to the US for two weeks. They spend a week at Yale learning how it is works and discuss various aspects like fund raising, curriculum, admissions, teaching, faculty, faculty development, sports, administration, etc.  

Engg students clueless even after Mumbai University lifts 8-yr pass policy

Several hundreds of engineering students,who were affected by the University of Mumbai's mandate to clear their course within eight years,are still in the dark.Despite universitys management council lifting the mandate two months ago,students have still not been informed about their examination schedule.In a recent circular issued by the university,the norm which makes it mandatory for students to clear it within eight years of enrolment has been lifted.

A student from a Navi Mumbai college,who was not allowed to appear for his exam in November last year due to the sudden implementation of the rule,said,We have been approaching the college authorities regularly.But they have not received any communication from the university.We have already missed an attempt in November.If they do not declare the exam dates now,we will miss a whole year. Students claim colleges are not even aware of the circular,which was uploaded on the varsity website on February 29.Another student said,Exam dates for regular students have already been announced for the May-June schedule.When does the university plan to conduct the examinations for us. 

An official from the examination board said the universitys registrar office is yet to decide on the exam schedule for students who were affected by the policy last year.However,S K Ukrande,dean of technology,said colleges have already been informed about the decision.Students will be allowed to appear for the exam in the May-June session.Exam dates will be announced soon, said Ukrande. 

Budget and Education

What should be the priority areas in education in budget 2012-13 ? We find out from a crosssection of academics.

Parvin Sinclair, Director, NCERT

Primary and secondary education needs fund allocation, with the focus on the last child getting an opportunity to study at least till Class X. Every sector needs more funds. We, at NCERT, wish to do much more in school education and require funds for these activities too. Education is on the concurrent list, which means that the school sector not only requires central government funding, but each state government has to agree to policies and fund them too.

AS Narang, Professor, School of Social Sciences, Ignou

Amajor portion of present grants to universities goes in for salaries and maintenance. Infrastructure remains a low priority. The need is not only to provide adequate allocations, but of clear earmarking of funds for infrastructure, research facilities and R&D . Since states are not contributing to higher education, the Centre should introduce schemes of grants to states, to improve the quality of universities and also to encourage states to contribute likewise. Funds also need to be earmarked for filling a large number of vacant positions. Quality research in social sciences is another area that needs attention. Also, budgetary allocation for improvement of overall infrastructure and facilities for research must be given priority.

Dinesh Singh, VC, Delhi University (DU)

The scope for innovations in technology, research facilities, experiments and new breakthroughs in science will make higher education substantial and productive. This should be a focus area for funding. More innovations, introduction of new degree programmes and activities for students in undergraduate disciplines must be the priority areas. The budget should focus on allocating more funds for improving soft-skills and also invest in the vocational education sector.

M Anandakrishnan, Chairman, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur

For the last five budgets, higher education has been given prominence. It has received special attention in order to sustain and provide sufficient support for economic growth. This trend is likely to continue. At present, technical education has two components - large support base like the universities of national importance (IITs, etc), and state-level institutions. While the central universities get sufficient attention, statelevel universities suffer from low budget allocation and improper recognition, which should be focussed on.

SS Handa, Professor, department of computer science, faculty of engineering and technology, Manav Rachna International University

The core allocation of funds for this year's budget must cover academic research areas like biodiversity, pollution control and sustainable development.

Around 37% of our GDP comes from MSMEs. Hence, the government should extend funding support in research activities in these units.

Major fund allocation should be made for development in IT systems to make progress in manufacturing, business development and service sectors from micro to large-scale .

To develop green technology, the government should allocate funds for setting up small R&D centres, which will transfer knowledge to various sectors.

Students can get Photocopy of answer sheets after results

Following a Supreme Court order in August 2011, CBSE students can now on apply to get a photocopy of their answer scripts, once the board results (classes X and XII) are out. According to the order, students appearing in an examination have a right to view their answer sheets if they want to.

According to Vineet Joshi, chairman, CBSE, students will receive photocopies of their answer sheets as per the request within 15 days of submitting their application forms. However, students can continue to avail of the marks verification facility.

In order to get a photocopy of the answer scripts, students will have to pay Rs 500 per subject. They can avail of their answer scripts by applying online and making an online payment. Students who don't want to make an online payment can send a draft at the regional office of CBSE along with the online photocopy of the application form. However, for verification, students can continue to pay Rs 100 per answer script.

Joshi further adds, "Students wanting to avail of this facility will have to apply to the board within 21 days, once the results are out."

Apart from CBSE boards, students appearing for All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) and All India Pre-Medical /Pre-Dental Test (AIPMT) can also avail of this facility.

Govt mulling framing guidelines for 'mushrooming' media schools

Taking serious note of mushrooming media schools in the country, government is mulling framing guidelines to protect the interest of students who have to eke out exorbitant fees for these unrecognised courses. 

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said she had written to HRD Minister Kapil Sibal about the need to create a framework for these institutes whose numbers were going up due to media industry witnessing a high growth rate. 

"This growth rate, this interest in the print media has led to a lot of so called training schools. Media shops as sometimes people are calling them," Soni said at a function organised to award the prestigious Seema Nazreth Award for Journalistic Excellence. Soni gave away the award to Indulekha Arvind of Business Standard. 

She said there were complaints about high fees charged by media institutes for courses which were often not recognised. 

"High prices, one lakh-two lakh rupees for a six month course, for a diploma and then people do come and complain that we paid two lakhs for a diploma after six weeks, but that diploma is not recognised," Soni said. 

"Initially you might have landed a job as a TV journalist or with some newspaper or some other print media publication. But if you happen to leave that and look for something else that diploma may not be recognised," she said. 

Soni said she had written to the HRD minister regarding the need to creating a framework for these institutes. 

"I wrote to the HRD minister that we must do something about these mushrooming media institutes. There must be some ground rules that all of them must follow. So that the talent which admits itself in such institutes sometimes should not be disillusioned at the end of the day," Soni said. 

Soni also deprecated the trend of paid news, saying that it weakened the argument for complete freedom for media. 

93% aspirants fail teacher’s eligibility test

With a staggering 93% of aspiring school teachers failing to clear the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) 2012, the quality of teacher training in the country has come under the scanner.

The results of the competency test conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education, declared on Tuesday, show that just around 7% of the 7.85 lakh managing to clear the exam.

Of the 8,61,231 aspirants registered of which 76,004 could not appear in the test due to the assembly elections in five states. Of the 7,85,227 aspirants who appeared only 55,422 managed to clear either paper I or paper II or both.

What's even more worrying that this year's performance is worse than the CTET in 2011, which recorded around 9% pass percentage. Meanwhile, after the dismal show last year, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has already asked the CBSE to analyse the results institution wise and has decided to provide feedbacks to teacher education institutions so that they can improve on their teaching and training.

The CTET was introduced in 2011 by the ministry to improve the quality of teaching in schools after the enactment of the Right to Education Act.

The CTET certification has been made mandatory to become a teacher for classes I to VIII in any central government school, while the CBSE affiliated schools can either recruit teachers based on the CTET or the respective test conducted by the states.

In fact, the Delhi government too decided to adopt the CTET for recruitment of teachers for government run and aided schools.

The CTET comprised two papers, paper I for teachers for classes I to V and paper II for classes VI to VIII. Aspirants who wish to get certified for classes I to VIII need to clear both the papers.

The objective is to test their knowledge on the syllabi - English, mathematics and environmental science.

Get involved in child’s life to connect more

A little surprise, an evening in the park or a walk together can go a long way. You don't need expensive gifts to compensate for the time you haven't been able to spend with your child. All your ward needs from the day he/she is born is quality time with you. You may keep busy but make it a point to not miss their school programmes. Parents and psychologists feel, at a time when adolescence sets in early and children grow up faster and in the process also get distant from their parents, it is important for them to get involved in the little details of their child's life.

"There are multiple problems that a child is exposed to these days. The increasing trend of nuclear and double-income families makes them lonely and they start looking for companionship on social networking sites and outside the family. This leads to behavioural problems in the child," says city-based psychiatrist Tushar Jagawat.

Expensive gifts to hide one's guilt of not giving time to their child, is a way many well-off parents opt for making up to their children, but Jagawat strongly discourages the practice. Rakhi Rathore, manager
at Eye Bank Society of Rajasthan and a mother to two girls says, "My daughters don't want gifts from me, they just want my time. Even when I am busy at work, I call my elder daughter when she is back from
school." Rakhi, who also travels a lot in the course of her work, believes in getting involved with her children and also involving them in her life. "If they ask me to come home early on a particular day, I ensure
I do that.

Communication is a must, and I keep talking to them about what I did during the day and ask them the same. In the evenings, we often go to parks and spend time together," Rakhi adds. Communication gap is one big reason children drift away from parents, says child counsellor Meghna Bhagwati who practices at Durgapura. "Systems should be planned in such a way that you and your child spend some part of your day together. For example, you should make having one meal together in a day a must, and talk about your lives over the meal. Besides that, take your children out on weekends and also plan trips with them. A lot of bonding and catching up on the time lost is possible on trips," she suggests.

Savita Jagawat, who counsels parents and children at a well-known city hospital, says, "A child's personality is developed from day one. So, parents should connect with him/her from that time itself." A teenage girl once told Savita, in the course of her counselling session, that when she needed her parents the most, they weren't there. Now she doesn't need them anymore. Savita, who also conducts regular workshops at schools, says that owing to increasing exposure, adolescence now sets in from the age of 10 years, and if children won't get time from parents from the beginning, they will look for company outside home which isn't
advisable at an early age.

Working parents shouldn't feel guilty, say counsellors, as despite commitments, one can still be connected with their child's life. Banker Himanshu Pant, a resident of Sri Gopal Nagar, ensures he bonds with his son over what he learns in school everyday. "I ask him what he learnt at school and then show him related stuff
and images on the internet. This way, he gets an additional perspective and shares everything with me," he says. Himanshu and his son fly kites on weekends in winters and play football together. Counsellors say it is important for parents to give time to their children on a daily basis. Time management is the key word and it is important to plan your child's day in a way that when he/she needs you the most, you are there.

Jaishri Sidha, principal of Jaipur Public School says, "I try to find innovative and creative ways of getting involved with my sons. I am there when they wake up and try and adjust my time-table according to
their routine. I ensure my children have adequate interaction with their maternal and paternal grandparents so that they learn the right values from them." The joint family system is a great help, feel many parents, and the
city's cultural ethos still holds family values in the highest esteem. However, even in nuclear families, right efforts at the right time will keep your relationship intact.

Sangeeta Ranka, associated with a training institute, says, "Everyone in the family has a different schedule, but it is important to find a common time to spend together. We ask parents to ensure their child wakes up on time in the morning so that everyone starts their day together. Also, taking them for activities that interest them like dance classes is a great way to bond."

Sangeeta maintains that dialogue is important to nurture a parent-child relationship. "Tell them stories about your own childhood. Not only will they love listening to them but will relate to you even more. When you take them out to amusement parks or any other outings, switch off your phone. Give them your undivided
attention," she suggests.

Planning their children's weekends, making birthdays and festivals special for them adds value to a parent-child relationship. In this manner, the child will get enough space to bond with the parent and also feel more wanted.