‘Education policy out of step with times’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

New Delhi: Painting a bleak picture of the higher education scenario in India, an industry report pointed out that its gross enrolment ratio (GER) of 16% was much below the world average of 27%. 90% of colleges were average or below average in 2010, on the basis of their NAAC accreditation, the report says. 
    The higher education sector is plagued with various challenges such as low GER and lack of quality research and education, said the report ‘Higher Education in India: Twelfth Five Year Plan and Beyond’’ by Planning Commission-FICCI-Ernst & Young. This situation is compounded by 11% increase in student enrolment in higher education and a 9% growth in institutions during the last decade, it added. 
    Speaking on the issue, minister of state (MoS) for HRD Shashi Tharoor said that the university system was not producing “well-educated” graduates to meet needs of Indian companies, giving an opportunity to firms to enter the sector in the “guise” of training. 
    He also said that the national education policy in the past has been out of step with the times. “The major problem remains that our national education policy in the past has remained out of step with the time. Whereas countries in the Middle-East and China are going out of their way to woo foreign universities to set up campuses in their countries, India turned away many academic suitors who have come calling in recent years,” he said. 
    Speaking at a two-day higher education summit, Tharoor said, “Companies are entering the higher education space in the guise of training. Our university system simply is not producing well educated graduates to meet the needs of Indian companies today.” 
    The minister said there will be no need for many Indian students to go abroad to study if good higher education institutes were set up in the country. “We will also work towards putting our reform agenda back on track.” 
    He addedthat there is a proposal to establish 50 centres for research in frontier areas of science, design innovation centres, innovation centres in different universities and also research parts of the IITs and other technical institutions. “If finally established, it would transform the research environment in our country,” he said.


Source::::: The Times of India, 06-11-2012, p.11. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW

State to rank colleges on attitude to women

Rankings To Encourage Higher Edu For Women

Yogita Rao TNN 

Mumbai: How a college treats the women on its campus will play a crucial role in determining its ranking among other colleges in the state. The state government plans to rank the best colleges at district, university and state level after assessing them on several parameters, the most important criteria being its sensitivity to women.
    The parameters include measures taken by colleges to curb eve-teasing/ragging, maintaining a balanced male female ratio, convincing girls and their families to pursue higher education, and steps taken by colleges to make girl students economically independent. The idea is to promote equality between girls and boys and increase the enrollment of women in colleges. 
    The state’s higher and technical education department issued a resolution on October 23 to all universities announcing a competition in the state for ‘public awakening’. Different committees have been set up to pick two best colleges each at the district and state university levels and in the final stage, three best colleges in the state. The government has even set aside a budget of Rs150croreto award cash prizes to the winning colleges. Colleges will be assessed for a total of 100 marks, of which 50 marks are allotted for efforts made by institutes to make female students comfortable in the college environment. Another 50 marks is for innovative schemes by students. 
    The idea is to remove inequality between boys and girls and encourage girls to take up higher education. Rajesh Tope, minister for higher and technical education, said, “The idea is to improve girls’ enrollment in higher education and also to make them fearless. I have been approached by many groups complaining of regular eve teasing incidents. Women’s safety is the topmost priority in higher education. We will try to make it an annual exercise.” 
    Ujjwal Uke, principal secretary, women and child development department, said, “The campaign will definitely help bring about awareness among today’s youth. I appreciate the education department’s move in initiating the‘public awakening’ movement.” 
    A department official said, “The colleges have to write to us with filled form. The prizes will be announced on International Women’s Day.”

Source:::: The Times of India, 01-11-2012, p.04. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW

Student claims univ’s law course is outdated

Yogita Rao TNN 

Mumbai: University of Mumbai’s inability to respond to an RTI query has put a question mark on the course content being taught in city colleges. 
    An RTI filed by Hussain Ali Chandrani, a law student from a city college, was directed to colleges by the university. Chandrani asked the university to give him information on whether the 2008 Bar Council of India (BCI) guidelines on the course structure, faculty and student strength, curriculum and upgradation of syllabus were being followed. Later, Chandrani appealed to the authorities over non-submission of required information. 
    “Issues of adopting the guidelines for revised course prescribed by the BCI are within the purview of the Board of Studies and the Faculty of Law of the university and not the colleges.” On further appeal, he was told that a threemember committee was set up by the university to discuss the issues arising out of the BCI guidelines. 
    “This shows the university’s inability to update their syllabus for several years. The BCI has prescribed a more practical syllabus and has also structured the course well so that students get maximum benefit,” he said. 
    However, a BoS member claimed that adopting BCI norms is not possible. “Aided law colleges are already running into losses. They do not have enough teachers for existing programmes. Law colleges are also dependent on the visiting faculty, who are not available after 10.30am as they practice in court,” the member said. 
    “Colleges are worried about the unaided subjects for which they will need additional faculty,” she added.


Source:::: The Times of India, 28-09-2012, p.10.  http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW

MCI approves 3-and-a-half-yr medical course

Kounteya Sinha TNN 

New Delhi: The Medical Council of India (MCI) has finally cleared the introduction of the three-and-a-half-yearlong medical course. To be called BSc in community health, it will be open to anybody after Class 12. 
    Speaking to TOI, MCI board chairman Dr K K Talwar said this special cadre of health workers will be trained mainly in district hospitals, be placed in sub-centres or primary health centres and will be taught “some module of clinical work”. This means this cadre can diagnose and treat basic medical cases, get involved in immunization programmes and administer extended first aid. 
    “We intend to introduce the course from April next year. This cadre will also refer patients according to their condition to other centres. We have also prepared the syllabus of the course. The ministry will now take the final call,” Dr Talwar said. Health secretary P K Pradhan has called a high level meeting on Tuesday to finalize the proposal. 
    The Planning Commission’s high level expert group has strongly backed the new health cadre and said that as a career progression incentive, they should be promoted to the level of public health officers after 10 years of service. 
    The committee envisages that by 2022, India should have colleges teaching BSc community health in all districts with populations of over five lakh. The health ministry has been strongly pushing for the introduction of this cadre to tackle the menace of doctors unwilling to serve in rural areas. 
    Only 26% of doctors in India reside in rural areas, serving 72% of India’s population. Urban density of doctors is nearly four times that of rural areas, and that of nurses is three times higher. 
    Experts said the selection of students would be based on merit in the Class 12 examination with physics, chemistry and biology as subjects. 
    Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had earlier said that he wanted an MCI stamp on the degree so that it was universally recognized. 
    “The syllabus of the course is also ready and is need-based. If MCI endorses it, students will get the confidence that the degree has a standing,” he had said.

The syllabus of the course is also ready and is need-based. If MCI endorses it, students will get the confidence that the degree has a standing Ghulam Nabi Azad HEALTH MINISTER

 

Source::: The Times of India, 24-09-2012, p.8. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW

States to fix lecturers’ retirement age

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared a proposal giving a free hand to state governments to fix the retirement age of teachers in institutes for higher education run by them. This decision has also paved the way for the release of arrears for teachers of state government-funded colleges and universities following implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission. 

    The move will come as a relief to around four lakh lecturers across the country. Earlier, the Centre was insistent on states enhancing the lecturers’ retirement to 65 years to enable them to get 80% of the arrears burden of state governments. The arrears had risen to around Rs 9,000 crore after the Centre had asked states in 2008 to follow the Sixth Pay Commission scales, which centrally-funded institutes introduced the same year, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2006.

SOurce::: The Times of India, 20-07-2012, p.11. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW

Varsity plans question paper bank

Yogita Rao TNN

Mumbai: The University of Mumbai plans to create a bank of over 150 question papers in every subject of every branch in engineering. Every college will have to submit three question papers of every subject in all branches they offer. A workshop has been organized by the university on July 21 to discuss the format of the question paper and the use of technology in conducting the examination and assessment of papers. 

    Following the leak of three papers during the engineering examination in May, the university has decided to form a question bank of papers. Also under consideration is to have question papers generated technologically. “All 61 engineering colleges have been told to set three question papers each of every subject in every branch of engineering that the college offers. Once the question papers are submitted by colleges, the university plans to use technology to pick questions randomly and have different sets of question papers for the exam,” said the principal of an engineering college. 

    The workshop for teachers will discuss issues like the format of the paper and pattern. Suresh Ukrande, the dean of technology, said, “We will discuss how the bank can be created using technology. We will also decide on weightage to be given to each topic and marks distribution.” When engineering papers leaked this year, a committee set up by the university concluded that most of the times, especially in the engineering faculty, only one question paper is set and the paper-setter is known. The university, however, later claimed that three or more question papers were set for all leaked papers this year. 

    On the 156th Foundation Day on Wednesday, the university announced that along with engineering, workshops will be conducted for BEd training colleges. From next year, the university will felicitate the best researcher and best department to encourage research. 

 

Autonomy For More Colleges I n two years, the university plans to have more than 15 autonomous colleges under its jurisdiction. With five colleges already enjoying autonomy status--three Somaiya colleges were given autonomy this year--the university plans to encourage more to go in for that soon. Even university departments will be encouraged to apply for academic autonomy, said vice-chancellor Rajan Welukar at the university’s 156th Foundation Day. TNN 

Source:::: The Times of India, 19-07-2012, p.05. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW

‘Only govt can increase MBBS seats’

Dhananjay Mahapatra TNN 

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that MBBS students admitted by medical colleges by increasing their intake without prior sanction from the Centre would not be permitted to practise medicine as their degrees would not be recognized. 

    “Where any medical college increases its admission capacity, except with the previous permission of the central government in accordance with the provisions of

    Accepting arguments on behalf of Medical Council of India (MCI) which protested the Allahabad high court’s decision to increase intake of three medical colleges from 100 to 150, an SC bench set 

    The three institutes were School of Medical Science & Research, Sharda Education Trust; Rama Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Kanpur, and Tirthankar Institute of Management and Technology, Moradabad the increase. It said, “In other words, without permission of the Centre on the recommendation of the MCI, any degree granted would not be recognized as a medical degree which would entitle such degree holder to function as a medical practitioner.”  aside Section 10A, no medical qualification granted to any student of such medical college on the basis of the increase in its admission capacity shall be a recognized medical qualification for the purposes of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956,” the court ruled. SOURCE:::: The Times of India, 05-07-2012, p.10, http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW

In-principle nod to 3 new law schools

Mumbai: The state government has given its in-principle approval to three national law schools (NLS) to be set up across the state. These will come up at Uttan in Thane, Aurangabad and Nagpur with an initial expenditure of around Rs 65 crore. Higher and technical education minister Rajesh Tope, who said the demand for law graduates was on the rise and NLSs were the need of the hour, made a presentation before the chief minister on Tuesday in this regard. 

    According to officials, the demand to set up an NLS in Aurangabad was mooted when Vilasrao Deshmukh was the chief minister. Later, a PIL demanded that an NLS be opened in Nagpur as well. TNN 

Source::: The Times of India, 04-07-2012, p.03. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&AW=1341391621786 

Teacher's Training on Mega Scale

The Indian Express, 26-06-2012, p.07 ::


Please visit the following link for more information.http://epaper.indianexpress.com/44243/Indian-Express-Mumbai/26-June-2012#page/7/2 

No fees refund for youth who switched colleges

Shibu Thomas TNN

Mumbai: Engineering student Amit Vaidya, who jumped ship when the college of his choice offered him a seat, later found out that it was a costly gamble. The Bombay high court recently dismissed his plea to order K C College (Thane), where he had initially taken admission, to refund Rs 92,000 as fees. 

 
    “The rules seek to balance the refund of tuition fees to students who obtain more preferential allotments with the rights of managements,” said a division bench of Justices Dhananjay Chandrachud and R D Dhanuka.
    Under the rules framed by the Directorate of Technical Education, refund of tuition is provided in certain eventualities. “The rules stipulate that no refund of fees, except for the security deposit, can be granted where a request for cancellation of admission is received before or after the start of the academic session and the seat cannot be filled by the institute,” added the judges. 

    Advocate Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, counsel for the college, said Vaidya cancelled his admission on the final cut-off date, due to which they could not admit another student for the vacant seat. “In the present case, as a result of the withdrawal by (Vaidya) from the seat allotted, the seat would remain vacant for a period of four years,” said the court, while refusing to order a refund. 

    Vaidya had sought admission in K C College and was allotted a seat in the third round of admissions on September 2, 2010. He paid tuition fees of Rs 85,800 and Rs 6,200 as stationery charges. On September 15, he sought cancellation of his admission as he had got into a college of his choice. 

 
    The college, which had no time to admit another student, refused to refund the fees. 

    Subsequently, during a hearing before the All-India Council for Technical Education, the college offered to refund 25% of the sum on humanitarian grounds. Vaidya, however, rejected the offer and moved the high court seeking afull refund. 

Source::::  The Times of India, 22-06-2012, p.07. 
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&AW=1340341899039

Govt raises income ceiling for poor in higher education 

    In a decision that will benefit 8.21 lakh students, the state cabinet has increased the income ceiling for economically backward class (EBC) students applying for reimbursement and fee waiver for higher education. The limit has been increased from Rs 15,000 to Rs 1 lakh per annum. Since 1960, in a bid to encourage higher studies among people belonging to low-income sections, the state government has followed the practice of reimbursing or waiving admission, tuition, library and similar fees. The ceiling was last revised in 1997, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said. The decision to increase the ceiling will cost the state exchequer Rs 8.93 crore.


SOURCE::: The Times of India, 17-05-2012, p.02. http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&AW=1337232548171

Govt clears for 3 key bills on education

Govt clears for 3 key bills on education

TNN May 11, 2012, 04.28AM IST

Tags:

• Union Cabinet|
• NARAHEI Bill|
• education Bills

NEW DELHI: The cabinet on Thursday cleared three crucial legislations in the education sector, allowing for mandatory accreditation of higher educational institutions, setting up innovation universities as hubs of excellence in research and innovation, and the copyright bill.

The National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2012 will improve the quality of higher education in the country as it will make accreditation of higher educational institutions mandatory and provide for an institutional structure for registering, monitoring and auditing accredit-ing agencies.

Govt clears for 3 key bills on education