News and Views About the Education in India

Weekly news updates on trends and happenings in the Indian Education scene

There is some good news for those wondering which graduate course to pick – colleges are adding color and flavor to their plain vanilla offerings, by tweaking content and adding new courses, in a bid to improve employability of students.

- Chillibreeze Business Research Team

No free ride for foreign univs in India

It’s not likely to be a cakewalk for foreign universities of international repute such as Oxford, Harvard, Stanford, etc, when they try to set up their India operations.

Although the proposed law regulating foreign education institutions gives universities of international repute the freedom to not observe domestic norms such as reservations for socially and educationally backward sections and the requirement of adhering to admission and fee norms, their entry into India may not be without conditions.

The Regulation of Foreign University Entry and Operation (Maintenance of Quality and Prevention of Commercialisation) Bill, 2007, has put in some financial riders for these universities. The universities will have to invest at least 51% of the capital expenditure required to set up their establishment in India. They will also have to use surplus from the Indian operations exclusively for the growth and development of their education establishments in India.

The bill, slated to be introduced in the Budget session of Parliament, had to be put on hold because of opposition from the Left parties. If passed into law, all foreign institutes will have to be incorporated under Indian law, and will be given deemed to be university status. This would permit them to grant admission and award degrees, diplomas or certificates.

An expert committee comprising representatives of UGC and other statutory education councils like the AICTE and MCI will examine proposals from foreign education providers. This committee will have the power to decide which institutions will be exempted from fee control and national norms.

The bill proposes to allow only those foreign education institutions, which are accredited in their country of origin and meet the standards set by UGC, to operate in India. This will keep fly-by-night operators out, and only allow legitimate education providers to operate in India.

May 31, 2007
The Times of India

'Super 30' shine again

Economically and socially backward, they were called ‘Super 30’ ever since they were chosen to be coached to crack IIT-JEE. And they proved they are worth the name, with 28 of them making it to IITs while the remaining two – both Dalits – expected to sail through once the results of SC/ST aspirants are out.

It was five years ago that Anand Kumar, a local Maths wizard, along with a senior Bihar IPS officer Abhayanand floated the concept of ‘Super 30’. Thirty promising, albeit poor, IIT aspirants were selected and coached rigorously for eight months ahead of JEE in 2003. Eighteen of them cracked the test. In 2004, 22 of the 30 came out with flying colours. The number of successful candidates increased to 26 in 2005 and 28 in 2006.

“This year we hope to achieve 100 per cent results,” a jubilant Kumar, whose coaching institute in Patna sponsors the 30 aspirants. Ten of the ‘Super 30’ aspirants have secured ranks among the top 1,000 successful candidates.

May 31, 2007
The Times of India

Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai zones dominate show

Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi zones dominated the show as the country’s premier engineering colleges, IITs, unveiled results to their entrance exams on Wednesday.

Of the 2.51 lakh candidates who braved the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) this year (a marked decrease of nearly 50,000 from 2006), 7,200 made it through to the IITs, IT-BHU in Varanasi and ISM, Dhanbad. The results showed an overall improvement in performances compared to previous years owing to an easier two-paper format, said officials.

This year’s all-India first ranker Achin Bansal comes from a small town in Faridkot district of north Punjab. "There is no engineering college in my town (Kotkapura). So I decided to give a shot at JEE," said Bansal who plans to join IIT-Bombay.

The second ranker, Nitish Srivastana, is from Dehradun and Ambrose Birani, who stood third, hails from Indore. The JEE-2007 merit list was released without setting aside seats for other backward caste (OBC) students.

May 31, 2007
The Times of India

Special education as a career option

With rehabilitation of mentally challenged children gaining momentum, special education has emerged as a career option for many people. The Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, has been running several courses to train special educators through its Human Resources Development Centre.

The centre offers full-time courses including Diploma in Special Education (cerebral palsy) and Diploma in Basic Developmental Therapy. Annie Shyam, director of The Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, said several mentally challenged children could be mainstreamed into schools with proper training. The one-year courses recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India will enable candidates to do this. Anyone who has passed +2 is eligible to take up the courses, she said.

The role of mainstream schoolteachers is also significant in educating the mentally challenged children. The centre offered a two-year B.Ed. course in special education through the correspondence stream in affiliation with Bhoj University, Bhopal. The course would facilitate teachers to learn about different disabilities in children and how to train them in mainstream schools

May 29, 2007
The Hindu

Making graduates more employable

In an era of intense competition for the best in courses and employment opportunities, innovation is king. Several colleges are tweaking the traditional B.A. and B.Sc. courses to enhance their appeal in the job market.

In Chennai, commerce still is supreme: two out of every five applications sold are for this stream. Among other courses, employability factor is the determinant. “Colleges have woken up to the fact that a healthy blend of communication skills and innovative curriculum are what will the jobs. To this extent, the university has pioneered the concept of making a spoken English module a mandatory part of the academic curriculum,” says Madras University Vice Chancellor S. Ramachandran.

New courses include a B.A / B.Sc in Visual Communication, B.A in Office Management and Secretarial Practice, B.Sc in Electronic Media, B.Com in Bank Management, B.Sc in Information System and Management, B.A in Tourism Management, B.Com in Information Systems and B.Sc in Food Service and Management.

Postgraduate courses in actuarial sciences, molecular biosciences and library and information sciences, not to speak of library sciences which has a hundered per cent placement record, also seem to have done remarkably well in the popularity stakes.

There’s more. Social work courses too are finding takers among MNCs and non-governmental organisations. The vocational undergraduate programme in fashion technology and costume designing’ has been a huge draw as it hones entrepreneurial skills.

Colleges are working with industry to better their courses – with great results. The Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College has customised the regular courses and increased the practical component. The newly introduced PG course on event management, is finding many takers.

Distance learners are also offered a wider choice today. Options include MBAs in retail management, investment management, entrepreneurship management and information management. PG courses include criminology and police administration as well. Undergraduate courses include clinical science, communication engineering, Tally software, nautical sciences, police administration etc.

Arts and Science colleges have used the facility extended by the university to convert an existing course into a new course. Lady Doak College, for example, is offering a new course in B.Sc Physical Education.

"We expect the course to offer our girls a good chance of employment, especially in schools," says principal Nirmala Jeyaraj, as students will learn about sports psychology and health management. The college is also introducing two one year PG Diplomas in Remote Sensing Techniques/GIS and Entrepreneur Development.

May 28, 2007
The Hindu

New UK work permit scheme

Indian students in UK can now work for a year after completing their studies. The British Department for Education and Skills (Dfes) has launched a new scheme to allow undergraduate and postgraduate international students to stay on for a year and work, following completion of their course. The International Graduate Scheme (IGS), effective from May 1, 2007, is being perceived as a bid to sustain UK's status as a top study destination for international students. Unlike the preceding scheme, which was open to science and engineering graduates only, the IGS is open to all and also facilitates placements.

Says Aprajita Kalra, an official at the British Council, "International students will now have ample time to find a job and demonstrate their calibre. However, they are expected to return home before their one-year work permit expires. If the employer wishes to retain them or in case they join elsewhere, they will be required to file fresh applications under the skilled workers scheme."

This move will be mutually beneficial for both student and employer. Says Nishant Dayal, representative of the University of Whales Institute, Cardiff, "The advantage is mutual — international students will get a global work experience while their employers in UK will not have to pay for their work permits."

May 28, 2007
TOI