"She would never have been born if her parents had not wanted a daughter." This copy went along with a small photograph of Indira Gandhi as a young girl. It was one of the prize-winning entries nearly two decades ago in the Ashok Jain Awards for Public Awareness Advertising. It was also a direct attack on the growing practice of female foeticide in India, driven by the then-new medical technology called amniocentesis. This added to the already rampant practice of female infanticide in some parts of the country and led to a sharp fall in the sex ratio biased against females.
The 2001 Census shows that the sex ratio is continuing to drop at an alarming rate all over the country though the degree might differ from one state to another. According to some estimates made by Population First, a non-government organisation that works on population and health issues in India, approximately five million female foetuses will be aborted every year over the next five years. Child sex ratio statistics in the 0-6 group has been showing a continuous decline over the last four decades, growing sharper since 1981.
The current all-India sex ratio in the 0-6 group is 927:1000, which is a dangerous sign of a demographic catastrophe on a nation-wide scale. This fall, from 976:1000 in 1961, is alarming because the country is registering an upward growth in many other areas. This underscores that economic prosperity and education have no bearing on the sex ratio, or, in other words, the traditional preference of sons over daughters. It also points to the fact that modern medical technology is being used for purposes that are at complete odds with the stated goals of healthcare.
New Delhi: "The Central Government will launch a new scheme called 'National Mission in Education through ICT' to provide connectivity to the learners so that they can link themselves to the knowledge world in cyberspace and to make these learners 'Netizens' in order to enhance their self learning skills and develop their capabilities for online problem solving."
Stating this while inaugurating India's largest ICT conference, 'e-India 2008' at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi today, Union Minister of State for HRD (Higher Education), Mrs. D. Purandeswari said that the 'National Mission in Education through ICT' would also work for creation of knowledge modules with right contents to address the personalized needs of learners.
Emphasizing the importance of Information and Communication Technology in attaining the goal of a knowledge-based society, she said that in order to deliver the benefits of ICT-enabled learning, the National Mission would focus attention on achieving technological breakthrough by developing a very low-cost and low-power consuming access device, making available free bandwidth for education propose to every Indian.
Purandeswari said that the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development would like to build knowledge network between institutions of higher education and also within these institutions.
Mrs. D. Purandeswari further said that India's educational scene today is at a tipping point where opportunities abound and yet the challenges are also unprecedented.
This scenario calls for dovetailing efforts at the Information and Communication Technology level into efforts of providing quality higher education.
She said that, "We Indians are fortunate that our demographic profile is dominated by the youth, thereby providing an ideal opportunity for maximizing the benefits of ICT. Investing in education, particularly higher education, through ICT, also makes business sense for the corporate sector as this will give immense benefit in the long-run."
Giving an example, Purandeswari added that develop countries like the US, the UK and Australia have not only invested significantly in higher education but have also made this sector as one of their largest export earners.
Even the Asian economies such as Singapore and UAE have experienced the competitive advantage provided by a world-class higher education infrastructure.
In this context, Purandeswari said that an amount of Rs.85,000 crores has been provided for the expansion of higher education facilities during the 11th Five Year Plan.
"In the coming years the thrust will be on the use of Information and Communication Technology to strengthen the system in the mode of open and distance learning as well", she added.
Purandeswari also inaugurated an exhibition on e-Governance and Digital Learning.
The 3-day conference organized by the Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS), is spread over a number of sessions to be addressed by leading professionals and senior bureaucrats entrusted with the spread and implementation of e-Governance and e-Learning.
The highlight of the conference is that it will focus the importance of Information and Communication Technology not only in the fields of Governance and Education, but also in the realms of health, environment, rural development and agriculture.
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Government has decided to open 1,600 new colleges all over the state this year to provide relief to thousands of students who have recently passed out of school but have not secured admission to junior colleges.
Education Minister Vasant Purke announced this while responding to a discussion on schools and higher technical education and the plight of students, initiated by the opposition parties in the state legislative assembly on Friday.
Assuring that "not a single student will remain without admissionthis year", Purke said that since the pass percentage of students in the state was higher this year than in 2007, more divisions and more colleges were needed.
He said that while the decision to start more divisions in existing colleges was already taken, the government will go ahead and start 1,600 new colleges from the current academic year. The government was committed to ensuring that each student who passed out of school this year gets a seat in a college of his or her choice.
The list of the new colleges with the number of seats, their locations and the courses offered would soon be announced and displayed on the state government website, he said.
MBA seems to be the most sought after post graduation option nowadays. So, if you are a doctor you must have contemplated this choice while thinking of MD or MS. There are many management specializations for medical students. If you are confused whether to change your profession as a doctor and become a manager then you should follow your aptitude. If you are very good as a doctor then you should pursue a MD or MS in the area of your interest. Or else, if you have good managerial skills then very well go for MBA where there is a lot of scope for you.
Doctors who go into management can find great jobs in hospital management and administration. There are big medical electronic companies like Philips or GE which would absorb MBA grads with a background of medicine. These companies develop products and services which can best be done by doctors. Besides, there is tremendous scope for clinical research. Doctors with management background can do a phenomenal job in terms of product development and management.
It is not necessary that you have to move away from your medical profession once you have a management degree. You can very well continue to practice. Infact, a doctor with managerial skills can provide the best treatment, which is cheapest for the patients. A MD/MBA integrated degree is very popular in the west. More and more students are showing interest in health-care management.
Considering the amount of money spent on becoming a doctor, it is necessary that you have the skills to earn as much (if not more) in as little time as possible; for which business knowledge is crucial. However good a doctor you may be, or however great your clinic is, you need patients to keep coming in and that requires planning and strategic overview of things. However, people in the medical community are not simply pursuing MBAs as a sort of one-stop shop for business education. There are also master's degrees in public health care and executive MBA programs for doctors.
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Maharashtra offers Master of Hospital Administration. The eligibility criteria are graduation in any discipline with minimum 50 per cent marks and age not more than 45 years. The admission is based on entrance test, group discussion and personal interview. For details, visit www.tiss.edu
Manipal University, Manipal Institute of Management, Manipal offers MBA in Hospital Administration and Health Care Management. The eligibility criterion is graduation in any discipline with minimum 50 per cent marks. The admission is based on performance at Management Aptitude Test, group discussion and personal interview. For details, visit www.manipal.edu
Although ragging is a punishable offense, we still see youngsters hanging themselves to the ceiling. A bully will always do what he is good at, but what is topping you from defending yourself? If not anything, you should atleast learn to defend yourself against any potential danger of any magnitude. The world will always suppress the weak, but you have the choice to be weak or well built.
One man with courage makes a majority. If you want to protect yourself you should first change the way you think. If you think you are too feeble you will always be dominated and bullied. You have to tell yourself that there is nothing more important then yourself respect. If you can’t defend yourself you lose all rights to be respectable. It is always better to jump in the battlefield and then die fighting rather then dieing without even trying.
It is true that no one makes you feel inferior without your consent. Nobody will rag you unless you allow them to. Don’t allow anybody to scare you, believe that you are mighty enough to scare them all. Once you let it happen to you, you will never have the courage to fight it. If you are unable to do it yourself you can always resort to help. If you are alone and nobody is in sight when you are being ragged raise an alarm and shout for help. You can be sure that you’ll be heard. A drowning man will clutch at a straw.
Most of the time, the ones ragging, are the ones who put up a strong face but are uncourageous, actually. Like we say, empty vessels make the most noise. Because ragging usually takes place when you are a fresher, being extra alert then can be of help. Learn a few basic self defense mechanisms. Keep things handy that can help you protect yourself like pepper spray or if needed, a Swiss knife.
Remember that facing your fears is the best way to fight them. Might is right!
The Aditya Birla Scholarships is an endeavour to encourage students who have the potential to emerge as tomorrow’s value-based leaders. By teaming up with select IITs, BITS (Pilani) and IIMs, The Aditya Birla Group strive to incubate extraordinary well-rounded leadership talent that also factors the ground realities of our nation.
Selection Procedure: The selection process entails inviting the top 20 students from each of these premier institutes. The applications of aspiring students’ are evaluated on parameters pegged not only on their academic excellence but also on their extracurricular activities, the demonstration of their leadership qualities and an articulation of their values, their social vision and their aspirational goals.
Mumbai: Even 90 percent did not seem enough for students aspiring for a junior college seat after the fifth cut-off list was declared here on Wednesday.
At some of Mumbai's well-known colleges, the difference between the first and fifth cut-off list was only one percentile.
Mumbai's most reputed college for Science stream, D.G. Ruparel College, lowered its cut-off by a mere one percentile in the fifth cut-off.
The cut-off for the first admission list at the college was 96.55 and for the fifth list it was 95.38 percentile, much to the disappointment of many aspirants.
St. Xavier's College too said the same story. The cut-off for Humanities stream dipped by just one percentile from 90 in the first list, to 89 in the second list.
The cut-off for the first merit list at H.R. College of Commerce and Economics was 91.59 percentile, which dipped to 89.8 in the fifth list.
The State Education Department has, however, said that it may consider a second round of admissions if seats remain vacant even after the first round.
Sheila Tiwari, Deputy Director of Education, Mumbai division said, "We have asked all colleges to prepare a list of vacant seats after admission procedures are completed on Thursday."
The 27 per cent quota for other backward castes (OBCs) will be implemented in central government-run medical institutes over a period of two years with 18 per cent seats reserved in the coming academic session. The decision was taken at a meeting of the heads of the institutes with Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss here. The institutes include AIIMS, New Delhi; PGI, Chandigarh; JIPMER, Puducherry, and Ram Manohar Lohia and Lady Hardinge Medical colleges in New Delhi, official sources say. Ramadoss directed the institutes to submit their requirements for expanding infrastructure to the Expenditure Finance Committee by April 25. The heads of the institutes said the entire 27 per cent quota could be implemented within the next two years.
About MCA : Computers have revolutionised our lives in such a fashion that pursuing a career in this field is the first option any young mind would consider. The burgeoning industry has already had enormous repercussions on sectors like Business, Education, Entertainment Services, Government, Healthcare, Industry and Transportation.Master in Computer Applications (MCA) is a course that an individual may pursue before foraying into the world of Information Technology. The course encompasses topics like Data Communication and Networks, Database Design and Management, Management Information Systems, Modelling and Simulation Techniques, Operating Systems, Structure of Programming Languages, etc.
Unlike examinations like IIT-JEE and CAT, there is no prescribed single entrance examination that many premier institutes follow. Institutes conduct exclusive entrance examinations to offer admission. Candidates can apply to many universities in the same year and eventually opt for the best among those offered. Eligibility Conditions
The candidate must possess a Bachelor's degree in any discipline with a minimum aggregate of 50% marks. Some institutions stipulate that the candidate should have studied Mathematics / Statistics as an optional subject during graduation. Some other institutions require from the candidates a minimum average of 60% at graduation (50% for SC/ST candidates) in subjects other than languages. Students appearing for the final semester or final-year Degree examination can also apply. Scheme of the Examination
Since there is no common entrance examination that is widely accepted, a specified syllabus cannot be followed. However, the general purpose is to assess students' depth of knowledge in Fundamentals of Computers, Mathematics and Physics. Candidates may also be asked questions on English Comprehension, General Awareness, Numerical Aptitude and Reasoning Ability (verbal and non-verbal).
The following is a list of topics from which questions may be asked: Algebra, Arithmetic, Basic Physics and Electronics, Binary Numbers, Binomial Distribution, Boolean Algebra, Computer Awareness, Convergencies of Sequence and Series, Coordinate Geometry, Data Representation, Determinants and Matrices, Differential and Integral Calculus, Differential Equations, Logical Deduction, Measures of Central Tendency and Measures of Dispersion, Normal Distribution, Poisson Distribution, Reasoning and Verbal Analogies, Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability, Summation of Series, Trigonometry, and Vector Algebra. Objective-type questions are asked in the examination. Candidates may find out admission criteria and examination syllabus from the Prospectus of each institute.
Udhagamandalam: A hotel management college here has teamed up with the internationally known Cesar Ritz Colleges of Switzerland to provide world class hotel management training in India.
From the 2007-08 academic year, the Good Shepherd College of Hotel Management in the resort town of Ooty, about 600 km south of Chennai, will be offering a Bachelor of International Business in Hotel and Tourism Management degree accredited by the Cesar Ritz Colleges.
The three-year programme will allow the students two years of study in India and one final year of study in Switzerland. The programme will provide students with employment opportunities in international hotels and restaurants.
The first two years of the residential programme will cost about Rs. 600,000 and the last year in Switzerland will cost about $32,000.
Martin Kisseleff, the owner of Cesar Ritz Colleges, said: "With the infrastructure growth that India is witnessing, it is necessary to provide world class training for the hotel industry in India."
The Cesar Ritz Colleges have academic collaborations with institutions in Peru, Columbia, Guatemala, Iceland, Spain, UAE, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Russia.
MCA 241: Management Information System MCA 242: Operating System MCA 243: Internet & Java Programming MCA 244: Elective -I MCA 245: Fundamentals of Electronics Commerce
Practicals MCA-P41: Computer Network & Java Programming Lab. MCA-P42: MIS Lab GP-400: General Proficiency
SEMESTER - 5
MCA-351: Web Technology MCA-352: Elective II MCA-353: Distributed System MCA-354: Software Engineering MCA-355: Elective-III
Practicals MCA-P51: Web Technology Lab MCA-P52:Client Server & Database Lab GP-500: General Proficiency
SEMESTER - 6
CS-IT-361: Industrial Trainning
LIST OF ELECTIVE-I (One of the Following )
LIST OF ELECTIVE-II (One of the Following )
LIST OF ELECTIVE-III (One of the Following )
Course Code:
Course Code:
Course Code:
MCA-244 (1) Compiler Design MCA-244 (2) Discrete Structures MCA-244 (3) Theory of Formal Languages & Automata MCA-244 (4) Client Server Computing
MCA-352 (1) Advanced Concept in Database System MCA-352 (2) Object Database MCA-352 (3) Advanced Computer Network MCA-352 (4) Parallel and Distributed Algorithms
MCA-355 (1) Advanced Concepts in Database System MCA-355 (2) Object Database MCA-355 (3) Intentional Business and Marketing MCA-355 (4) Real Time System
New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry's decision to fill vacant positions at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on a contract basis has been strongly opposed by doctors at the apex institute.
Doctors at the institute say that the move is likely to affect the quality of services and education at AIIMS which currently stands out as the country's most reputed medical college and hospital.
"How can we have doctors on contract basis? Their commitment level will never be the same as that of our permanent doctors", said Dr. Anoop Saraya, convener of AIIMS Front for Social Consciousness (AFSC).
"If such a move comes into force, people will start coming to AIIMS just to get the required experience and then move to the private sector or start their own practice", Saraya added.
Shailesh Kumar Yadav, Deputy Director Administration at AIIMS, said "The Government's decision to fill vacant positions in hospitals is an open offer. We have not advertised anything in this regard as yet. A final decision would be taken in a general body meeting after consulting everyone at the institute".
Shailesh Kumar Yadav, Deputy Director Administration at AIIMS, said "The Government's decision to fill vacant positions in hospitals is an open offer. We have not advertised anything in this regard as yet. A final decision would be taken in a general body meeting after consulting everyone at the institute".
Programmes like paramedical, pharmacy, physiotherapy, nursing and lab technicians will be added to the existing dental courses that are offered by the college, the university announced here.
"We are going to start health sciencecourses in the same campus. Our courses are recognised by the Malaysian Medical Council and the JPA (Public Services Department).
"We expect more Malaysian students to join our college to pursue health science programmes," said the university's chief executive officer, S. Sharavanan.
Currently, the college offers a twinning programme where the initial two years of study of pre-clinical or basic science is done at the university's Salem campus in Tamil Nadu.
The students then pursue the final three-year clinical programme at the PIDC campus.
"PIDC leverages on the potential of the excellent Indian education system in line with Malaysia's high quality infrastructure standards.
"We strive to provide the right ambience for the students to take up dental study and health courses," Sharavanan told Bernama news agency. Around 200 Malaysians are currently studying at the Salem campus.
Vinayaka Mission's University conducts courses in a dozen countries, including Singapore and Thailand, largely specialising in medical studies, The New Straits Times said. IANS
Pune: The Government of Maharashtra has decided to establish a Government College of Engineering at village Avasari Khurd in Ambegaon taluka close to Pune from the next academic session i.e. 2009-10.
Out of the total strength, 70 percent of the seats would be exclusively reserved for students from the University of Pune.
The college will be setup with an aim to fulfill the ever-growing requirements of technical workforce of the industry especially of the automobile plants which will be established in the Talegaon-Chakan belt in addition to the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) at Khed and Shirur.
New Delhi: New patterns are emerging in the higher education choices of Indian students seeking admission to universities abroad, even as the volume of student traffic from India to Europe, America and Australia races northward.
Foreign education counsellors say they are seeing a growing interest in transfer admissions and undergraduate studies abroad. There is also a gradual shift from traditional courses to technology-driven and career-oriented modules.
Seventeen-year-old Yash Sahai, who wants to pursue an engineering degree either in Massachusetts or in Cornell University in USA, is interested in transfer study programmes. He has been attending career choice counselling sessions at the American Centre, with at least 50 students know more about these. The teenager is a first-year engineering student.
A transfer study programme is an academic module that transfers credit from a four-year degree-granting academic institution not affiliated to a university in the US.
Shevanti Narayan, country manager of the Educational Advising Services arm of the United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI), said students now want to keep their options open so as to switch from one field to another.
"We are seeing an interest in transfer admissions and USAundergraduate studies," Narayan told IANS in an e-mail interview.
She said students were choosing more inter-disciplinary programmes and experimenting with diverse subjects, adding: "They are exploring new disciplines."
"Indian students apply to a range of schools and colleges in different states of the US. Their choice of school not only depends on the field and level of study that the institution offers but also several other factors.
"For the past several years, California, New York, Washington, Texas, Massachusetts and Florida are among the leading states that Indian students are opting for," the USEFI official said.
Earlier, students were dictated by tradition rather than needs, career possibilities and individual flair for particular subjects, overseas education counsellors said.
The choice of courses is showing a gradual shift from humanities and general studies to specialised modules like business management and engineering which top the fields of study. Other popular subjects are life sciences, computer science, economics and health sciences, say counsellors.
Over the past three years, the demand for career-oriented courses dealing with environment, media and communication, art and design and law has grown, counsellors from the US embassy said.
According to an estimate by USEFI that facilitates the Fulbright scholarship programme in India, 76,503 Indian students were enrolled in American universities in 2006 and 83,833 in 2007.
Admission to graduate courses was much higher at 73.70 percent in 2006 and 71 percent in 2007. In contrast, enrolments in undergraduate courses was only 16.60 percent in 2006 and 15 percent in 2007, USEFI said quoting data culled from Open Doors 2007, Institute of International Education.
The growing number of students from India to the US has also prompted the two countries to expand the scope of the Fulbright scholarship programme, one of the most popular overseas academic modules for students of both the nations.
The programme, initiated in 1963, was revised on July 4 this year and renamed the Fulbright-Jawaharlal Nehru scholarships and grants. It will now enable double the number of exchange scholars and students to visit the US for high education and vice versa. Under the old programme, only 100 students from India could go to the US for advanced studies.
According to Biju Paul Abraham, an associate professor of the Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta and an alumnus of King's College in London, post-globalisation the demand for business study courses abroad have shot up because multinational companies need skilled business managers in India.
"Most of the students from my institute go abroad for their doctoral programmes, after they get jobs," he said. But Abraham, who counsels students in his leisure hours, says students at the undergraduate level who cannot make it to the premier Indian Institutes of Management often opt for "good business schools" across the globe.
Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows that business and management is the most popular option for Indian students in Britain, followed by computer science, engineering and pharmaceutical sciences.
"An MBA degree in the UK costs around 15,000 pounds a year," Abraham told IANS.
The number of Indian students last year was 21,000, said officials at the British Council here.
"And we are growing at 10 percent annually," Amit Charturvedi of the British Council, told IANS in an e-mail.
France has also seen a substantial increase in the number of Indian students over the years, said Archana Chaudhary of the French embassy's education and culture wing here.
The total number of Indian students in France in 2007-08 was 1,700 and the French government issued 1,300 new student visas in the year.
French education counsellors in India say the USP of the country's education is "quality, variety and accredited degrees from the best institutes".
Cashing in on the rising aspiration of students in this country for foreign technical degrees, France this year has been hard-selling its engineering modules in India.
On July 3, French telecom major Orange announced engineeringscholarships for meritorious students who wanted to study for specialised master's degrees in France.
The students will be joining two French engineering institutes, the Institute Superieur d'Electronique de Paris and Institut Telecom-Paristech.
French Ambassador to India Jerome Bonnafont said the scholarships were a wonderful opportunity to "bring the best of French higher education institutes, the industry and Indian talent on a common platform".
Alten, a conglomerate of French engineering firms, chose 16 Indian engineering students to study in technical institutes across France in April.
French education officials attribute the growing interest in France as an educational destination to the ability of Indian students to look beyond the US and Britain. Students were willing to explore Europe due to larger economic interests, counsellors said. IANS
A report by the V.K. Shunglu Commission had said that IIM-Ahmedabad netted Rs.168.96 lakhs in the 2002-03 CAT against Rs.4.25 lakhs in 1991-92.
At IIM Bangalore, the collection was Rs.247.07 lakhs, while the expenditure was Rs.51.4 lakhs.
1.72 lakhs students appeared for CAT 2006 and the number increased to 2.07 lakhs last year.
The IIMs have also confirmed that the Common Admission Test (CAT) will not be conducted online this year, as was thought earlier.
Subrata Mitra, admission chairperson at IIM Calcutta said, "Though we are in talks with several agencies for conducting the test online, it will be a pencil-paper test this year."
People often choose to take up a job before completing graduation for various reasons like a desire for practical expertise or financial crises. The good news is that without the burden of lectures, you can easily get a degree in Arts. Today, graduation and post graduation are available in distance learning through which students can have a degree under their belt
COURSES AVAILABLE:
In an attempt to improve the level of literacy in the country, even the government is banking upondistance learning. Almost all universities in India today have a distant learning department that offers several courses in the various fields. In Arts, the most commonly chosen subjects are Economics,Political Science, Philosophy, History, Psychology, Sociology,Literature, etc.You can get a Bachelor of Arts (BA) as well as Master of Art(MA) degree in these subjects throughdistance learning. Apart from these commonly offered courses, certain universities like Indira Gandhi National Open University(IGNOU)offer specialisation in BA in Tourism Studies, etc. The duration for any Bachelor’s degree course is three years, and that for Master’s is two years,divided into Part I and Part II.
Application procedure:
Applying for distance learning courses is simple. The forms are usually made available from the first week of July to September, which you can pick up either from the university or any other prescribed centres. The forms cost around Rs 100 for MA courses (Part I and II), Rs 50 for BA (SYBA and TYBA) and Rs 70 (for FYBA) in cash.
“The forms are available anywhere and you do not have to run to the university for it,” says Abhishek Goradia, who is pursuing his MA (History) through distance learning. The centres are mostly colleges listed under the respective university. For example, application forms for the University of Mumbai are also available in Raigad District and Ratnagiri.
Just like applying for other full-time courses, you need to fill the application form and submit it at the university/select centres along with the relevant documents.
Fees
Compared to other postgraduate courses offered in other institutions courses in Arts are much cheaper, “I just paid around Rs 2,500 for my course,” says Neil Joshi, a reporter with The Free Press Journal, who has just finished his MA Political Science (Part I), “I had to pay only Rs 2,000 for History,” recalls Goradia. If you are opting for course material from the university then it will cost you at the most Rs 700-800 extra.
Course structure
While BA comprises six subjects, MA is divided into two parts with four (compulsory) subjects Optional lectures, called Personal Contact Programmes (PCP), are conducted for distance learning students. These are from December to April. “I did not attend any classes as there was no pressure and I had a job to handle,” says Joshi. These are held in selected colleges of the university.
Study material
There are no prescribed books; nevertheless, there are a lot of reference material suggested to students. “I got a list of books around March,” says Goradia.
Apart from the reference material suggested, one can now also find information on the Internet. Frequenting the library, and talking to ex-students and finding out the best texts are a good option. Some universities also provide their own study material.
So with a little bit of confidence to do it by yourself, a course of in Arts shouldn’t be a difficult task.
New Delhi: The maximum relaxation route for OBCs opted by Delhi University (DU) colleges in the fourth cut-off list, seems to have paid off.
Colleges across the university have said that the response by OBC students has been far better after a full relaxation of 10 percent was given in various courses.
"The Government has given its nod to several CBSE and ICSE schools for starting the X, XI and XII classes. These schools, however, do not do so. Class X students from such schools are left with no option but to join junior colleges offering HSC. If the schools start the XI and XII classes, it will greatly reduce the burden on the HSC Board", said Sanjay Kumar, State Education Secretary.
The State Government will also ask schools with adequate infrastructure and which have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to function upto class X, to start classes for XI and XII.
With more than 13.15 lakh students vying for the 9.75 lakh seats available in the first year junior colleges, the government is trying to create additional seats in junior colleges to meet the demand.
London: An Indian-origin woman is believed to have become Britain's youngster doctor, preparing to start work at the age of 22, a newspaper reported.
Heenal Raichura was accepted into university to study medicine in 2002 when she was 16, after an exceptional school record that saw her race several years ahead of her classmates.
She is to start work at the University College London Hospital where she hopes to become a surgeon, the Daily Telegraph reported.
Raichura said: "It's quite a surreal feeling to actually, finally, become a doctor after six years of a degree. To finally come out at the end and say, 'I'm a doctor', my childhood dream, is an indescribable feeling."
She took her GCSEs (class 11) examinations at the age of 14 and obtained the best results in her school that year.
On top of the normal five years of medical study, she also spent an extra year to get a degree in Anatomy and Developmental Biology from the University College of London. IANS
Shillong: The seventh Indian Institute of Management started imparting lessons here on Friday, becoming the first IIM in the northeast. Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy would do the formal inauguration in the evening.
The institute, which would connect the region with the world's growing marketing and management realities, is named Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM). It will functioning in the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) campus for the time being.
"This is a dream fulfilled for the people of the region and we hope this prestigious institute would contribute to the manpower of tomorrow, not only in the northeast, but also in the whole country and abroad," the chief minister said.
IIM Shillong is the seventh IIM in the country after Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore and Kozhikode.
Initially, 60 students, who cleared the the Common Admission Test (CAT), will attend the institute's flagship programme - Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM).
The intake of students will be subsequently increased to 120 in the third year and 180 in the sixth year. The permanent campus, currently under construction, is spread over a sprawling 120 acres provided by the Meghalaya government.
"The institute would provide a new impetus to the quality management education in the northeast with its mission of modernising and globalising the country through the promotion of higher education," Roy said.
The institute would later introduce courses like tourism and hospitality management, tele-services and telemedicine, information systems and technology, and subjects such as horticulture, besides hydel power. IANS
New Delhi: The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) have confirmed that the Common Admission Test (CAT) will not be conducted online this year, as was thought earlier.
Subrata Mitra, admission chairperson at IIM Calcutta said, "Though we are in talks with several agencies for conducting the test online, it will be a pencil-paper test this year."
The official CAT-IIM website says, "An article appeared in Business Standard dated February 4, 2008 which gives an impression that a decision has been taken that the IIMs will introduce online CAT from CAT 2009. This is totally incorrect. In view of increasing number of candidates, the IIMs are considering various alternatives for modifying the process of conducting CAT, if necessary. Online testing is one of those alternatives. The proposals are at a preliminary stage of discussion."
The decision of conducting the test online will impact thousands of students, who, each year appear for the highly competitive entrance exam at centers across the country, with the ambition of making it to the hallowed corridors of IIMs.
Earning a degree at ITT Technical Institute Online is similar to earning a degree in a traditional classroom setting. Students are expected to attend online discussion groups that will be monitored by the instructor. Assignments, readings, and other materials have specific due dates that will be given throughout the class. In many ways, ITT Tech online is not like traditional online learning colleges. There are more deadlines and group discussions than in other degree programs.
Students will have to work with other members in their class to complete online assignments. There are also message boards and private boards where students can talk with instructors. All instructors are trained to teach online classes and can offer real work insight where available. An online library is available for students to use at any time. The convenience of learning at one's own pace is still present. Students will have a week or more to complete assignments and they can participate in a group discussion at any time. Posting responses that other students will be able to read later on is considered participating. Class participation will help students develop a firm grasp on what is being taught. Being able to talk about it with other students will reinforce the lessons.
All book and other materials will be sent to the student's home once they have enrolled in a degree program. Other materials can be found on the class message board. Students will email assignments after they complete them. Online learning programs that are more structured help students who need more guidance than other students. Even though the program is based on individual study, students will still have to turn in weekly assignments when they are due. This will help students develop time management skills, and learn how to complete projects on time. These skills will be very valuable once a student enters the workforce.
Centralised Admission Process Activity (CAP) for Engineering/Technology Admission is on and complete procedure can be seen here. http://www.edunewslive.com/2008/06/cap-round-information-for-engineering.html
