Panel against replicating US model for proposed 200 community colleges

Committee of state education ministers has recommended that proposed 200 community colleges should be called by a different name. Though highly successful in the US, the committee has said, not all its features can be imported to India due to socio-economic and socio-cultural differences between the nations.

The committee — headed by Archana Chitnis, minister of school education, Madhya Pradesh — has said these colleges, with equal emphasis on enhancing vocational and educational ability of students be given a "suitable indigenous name, which meets the character of these colleges aptly and meets the contemporary needs of the society and nation".

The committee that also visited the US to study community colleges has said in India these colleges should offer courses that are a mix of knowledge and skill components. Three year honours degree course could be broken into modules/credits specifying the total number of credits required for acquiring a degree. The skill component of the curriculum should be separately drawn.

It has been recommended that these colleges should specify the credit requirements for awarding other qualifications like certificate, diploma, advanced diploma so that those who join after class XII and want to leave should have some qualification. These colleges have also been asked to offer short-term courses of various durations to the learners in areas where no formal qualification would be needed.

Committee has said a student of community college will have the option to exit after completing certain credit points of a course and rejoin the course at h/his convenience later with full protection of credit already earned. Since these colleges are meant to serve the need of the community, local students would be given suitable weightage in registration. Central and state governments have been asked to lend support. States would set up State Level Steering Committee under chief secretary and representation from all stakeholders and the Centre would form a National Level Monitoring Committee. Cost of establishing these colleges would be shared by the Centre and states.

Posts for SC and STs lie vacant in central universities

Even as the government is pushing for affirmative action for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the field of education, most of the posts reserved for teachers from these categories are lying vacant in 40 central universities across the country.

Figures from the ministry of human resource development (HRD) show that less than a third (29 per cent) of the total sanctioned posts for SCs have been filled in 40 central universities. Of the total of 2,521 sanctioned SC posts, only 742 have been filled. For STs, out of 1,265 sanctioned posts, only 331 (26 per cent) have been filled.

Take the case of Delhi University. It has 255 posts for SCs and 128 for STs, but appointments have been made for only 44 SC and 14 ST seats.

In Jawaharlal Nehru University, 109 posts have been sanctioned for SCs and 62 for STs. The university has, however, hired only 24 SC and 46 ST teachers for these posts.

In Jamia Millia Islamia, only 58 of the 124 sanctioned posts for SCs have been filled. For STs, the university has 62 sanctioned posts, of which only 17 have been filled.

The situation is worse in the Aligarh Muslim University. It has only one SC teacher, and not a single ST teacher - against the sanctioned number of 283 for SC and 142 for STs.

The Indira Gandhi National Open University has filled up only 28 of the 67 sanctioned posts for SCs and 13 of the 33 posts for STs.

The situation is however better in the central universities in Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, with the institutions filling up more than 90 percent of the vacancies for SCs and STs.

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes says the issue has been taken up several times, but nothing has happened so far.

"We have taken up this issue, but so far nothing has happened," T. Theethan, joint secretary of the commission, told IANS.

"The SCs and other such groups can be empowered only through education, but they are being discriminated against in this very field," he said.

Theethan added that a committee was being formed to fill up the vacant posts in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

"We have formed a committee. First we will look into the vacant posts in the BHU, and then we will look at other central as well as other universities," he said.

The HRD ministry however says sanctioning of new posts has added to the numbers.

"In view of the expansion in the 11th plan period and increase in the intake capacity of students, central universities have been sanctioned additional teaching posts," HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

A ministry official said it had written to the central universities to launch a special drive to fill the vacancies for SCs and STs.

"The HRD minister has written to the UGC (University Grants Commission) chairman to ensure filling up of the backlog vacancies," the official said.

The official said the UGC, while approving the budget for central universities for 2011-12, had directed the universities to fill up the vacant posts. This was followed by communications in January and March.

A Delhi University professor, not wanting to be named, told IANS that the posts were not getting filled because there were not enough qualified candidates.

"There are some basic qualification requirements, which we need to maintain for quality in the central universities," the professor said.

Asked if the seats could be converted to general, the HRD ministry official says "there have been such proposals, but there is a big question mark on the constitutionality of such a step. We have not taken any decision on it".

All India Council of Technical Education issues directives to curb ragging

Adopting stringent measures to curb ragging in engineering and technical institutes, the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has issued fresh directives including mandatory submission of affidavit by the students. The new guidelines will be applicable from the upcoming session.

According to the new directives issued by the apex body for technical institutes in the country, students and their parents will have to submit an affidavit mentioning that the students would not be involved in any form of ragging.

"It is a good step taken by AICTE. It will help in curbing the menace in a bigger way. The affidavit will keep students away from ragging incidents," spokesperson of Madhya Pradesh Association of Technical and Professional Institutes, B S Yadav said.

Students living in hostels will have to submit two affidavits. "Hostellers will have to submit the affidavit mentioning that they would abide by the rules on anti-ragging. They also have to submit an affidavit stating the same about the hostel. Students will have to mention categorically that they would not be involved in ragging in the hostel," Yadav said.

The technical institutions and engineering colleges have been also asked to display specifically the anti-ragging measures at the entry and exit gates of the institutes. "Institutes will have to clearly mention the names and numbers of members of the anti-ragging committee. This will help students approach the authorities concerned," Yadav said.

In the new guidelines, it has also been mentioned that students found guilty of instigating his fellow students would also be treated guilty. The AICTE launched the anti-ragging drive in 2009. The latest guidelines have been inculcated in the previous guidelines. The new guidelines states that in case engineering colleges and institutions fail to abide by the rule, they might have to face cancellation of their affiliation.

Genuine students are welcome

Sam Murray, Regional Communications Manager, UK Border Agency (UKBA), South Asia, on the recent changes in the post-study work visas for international students in the UK

You have probably heard that we have made changes to the rules for those wishing to study in the UK. The changes are designed to ensure that those coming as students do so primarily to study and not to work, are suitably qualified to do so, and protected from the activities of some fraudulent colleges.

We continue to welcome all Indian students who wish to study at UK education institutions and meet the new criteria. The new visa rules are in place to support them.

The reforms have been introduced gradually in 2011 and 2012. The last set of changes was introduced on April 6. This included a change to the arrangements under which many international students may remain in the UK and work after their studies.

We understand that for many Indian students being able to work in the UK after they graduate is central to their ability to finance their studies there. And we want talented Indians working in our country.

So, whilst we no longer have the Tier 1 poststudy work visa, we continue to have arrangements under Tier 2 of the points based system whereby students who graduate from a UK university will be able to take up graduate level jobs in the UK with registered companies paying a minimum of £20,000 a year, and work for three years, with the possibility to extend this for a further three years. These jobs do not form part of the annual limit on Tier 2 visas, nor are they subject to the usual resident labour market test. For further information about applying for a visa under Tier 2, please refer to the current published guidance on the UK Border Agency's website at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visasimmigration /working/tier2/general In addition, we have introduced a brand new visa for graduate entrepreneurs. This will allow students who have world class innovative ideas to stay in the UK and develop their business. There are up to 1,000 places this year. Further details are available at: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visasimmigration /working/tier1/graduate-entrepreneur Finally, as a degree level student at a university, your ability to work during your studies remains unchanged. You may work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time in the holidays. Please take time to read the Tier 4 guidance carefully so that you understand what is required when you come to make your student visa application. Do not rely on rumours. Please apply for your visa in good time, fill out the application forms fully and honestly - you now need to do this online at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk and submit the correct documents. If you do this, the visa process should be straightforward.

Relocated schools can't use old place for business in Goa

Schools that shift to integrated school complexes will not be able to utilize their old premises for commercial purposes.

The premises may be used for philanthropic activities "but in no case will be put to commercial use whereby the main object of traffic decongestion is lost," the integrated educational complex scheme, revised by directorate of education (DoE), states.

"As most of the institutions are running from rented premises and they get rent under the grant-in-aid scheme of government of Goa, this will automatically cease to operate and the property shall go back to the original owners," the scheme reads. In case of government owned premises, the building presently used by the school will be reverted to the government department to which it belongs. If the premises is owned by the institution, then it cannot be exploited for commercial purposes, states the scheme.

The state government plans to set up integrated educational complexes at Bambolim, Mapusa and Margao. The scheme has kicked off with setting up of the complex at Bambolim, where six Panaji-based schools will be shifted in an effort to decongest the city while also doing away with the space restrictions city schools face. Auditorium, playground and other facilities will be provided to the schools, which they cannot accommodate presently due to restricted land area available to it.

An area of 10,000 sq m has been allotted on lease to six schools at Cujira. The schools which have been allotted land are Mushtifund Saunstha, Dr K B Hedgewar High School, Rosary Education Society, Vasantrao Dempo Higher Secondary School of Arts & Science, Voicuntrao Dempo Higher Secondary School of Commerce and Anjuman Nurul Islam High School.

The land has been leased to the schools at Re one per sq m for a period of 33 years and would be renewed as per government guidelines for another 60 odd years.

The six schools that have already opted to shift to the complex also cannot carry out any parallel educational activities such as operating classes in the premises occupied by them at present after the school shifts to the integrated complex. Around 20% of the existing strength can function from the current premises of the school that too with DoE permission.

The order issued by the director of education Anil Powar states that the school managements have agreed to the terms.