Author: Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Accreditation to be made mandatory for all varsities and colleges

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Hindu via PwC – EdLive

To enhance the quality of higher education, the UGC has decided to make accreditation mandatory for all universities and colleges coming under its purview. All universities, institutions of higher learning and colleges in the country in future have to obtain accreditation certificates from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Bangalore, to get funds from the UGC for various academic and research programmes.

Speaking on the sidelines of the recently held NAAC accreditation award ceremony, UGC Chairman (acting) Ved Prakash said, “An order will be issued soon to make accreditation mandatory for all universities and colleges to come under the UGC. The rule to make accreditation mandatory will be soon vetted by the Human Resource Development Ministry. The accreditation helps an institution to identify its strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities. All educational institutions coming under UGC must obtain accreditation once in three years.”

225 B-schools, 52 engineering colleges close in two years

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Times of India via PwC – EdLive

In the early part of the last decade, hundreds of new institutes came up and thousands of aspirants queued up to join them. A decade later, the picture is one of stark contrast in technical professional colleges. Since 2011, 225 B-schools and over 50 engineering colleges across India have closed down. Many more colleges have trimmed programmes, branches of engineering or streams in the management course.

Similarly, the Master of Business Administration programme was once the most sought after. Now, for the first time, the overall growth of MBA education is negative in the books of the AICTE. In 2011-12, 146 new B-schools came up and 124 that were already running closed down. This year so far, 101 management colleges have closed down, while only 82 have started. Similar is the story with the Master of Computer Application (MCA) course—84 colleges stopped offering the programme this year; only 27 started MCA courses. As a result, the AICTE has decided to allow colleges to offer a five-year dual degree programme and also permit graduates of science, BSc (computer science) and BSc (information technology) to jump to the second year of the MCA course. Yet, the small positive growth in the sector is from the engineering colleges where new institutes are coming up faster than closures taking place, largely in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan.

S S Mantha, AICTE Chairman, said, “This is a turning phase for the professional education sector. Colleges in remote India and institutes of poor quality are not getting students. And for colleges, there is just one key to attracting students: institutes need to be top-of-the-line colleges. There is no pay-off in running a bad college.” “The problem is also linked to the slowdown,” said IIM-Ahmedabad Director Samir Barua and added, “The job market has been tight for a couple of years. Earlier, many would give up a job to get an MBA and then re-enter the job market after pumping up their CV. They are hesitant to take such a risk now. The pressure is being felt and applications for MBA are falling. But undergraduate programmes such as engineering will not feel the same tension as everyone wants their first college degree.”

AICTE instructs to accept CMAT scores or penalty

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: www.cmat.learnhub.com via PwC – EdLive

Many leading B-Schools have denied accepting the CMAT scores to enrol students even after receiving instructions from the All India Council of Education (AICTE). The latter has given strict instruction to all its affiliated colleges and institutes to accept CMAT scores or to face the consequences. From this year on the exam will be conducted twice a year to offer more flexibility and opportunity to submit the best score in B-Schools. An AICTE official said that they are not facing problems with Tier II and III B-schools, but with leading B-schools. Most of them prefer to accept CAT, XAT or MAT scores to enrol students rather than this newly initiated test.

In 2011, the Supreme Court after hearing a petition against the exploitation by management institutions had instructed government to come out with a solution as soon as possible, so that the aspirants will not get affected with the tussle between the AICTE and B-schools. The AICTE is planning to blacklist these institutions. It could also mean derecognising these institutions. This means that students graduating from these institutions will not be considered for jobs in government and public undertakings.”

Canada to Launch New CARE for Indians

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Charu Sudan Kasturi, Hindustan Times New Delhi, February 16, 2011

Thousands of Indian students applying to Canadian universities may no longer run the risk of a Tri-Valley University (TVU) repeat under a unique plan aimed at students concerned after recent instances of fraud abroad. The Canada India Education Council (CIEC), which coordinates educational ties between the two countries, plans to launch CARE, an agent certification process, this July ahead of the Fall 2011 academic session. Around 12,000 Indian students are currently studying in Canada.

Senior Canadian government officials have told HT that the Federal government is backing the initiative that it hopes will help Canada emerge an alternate destination for Indian students seeking to study abroad.

“Students in India are worried about studying abroad after the TVU scam and the recent instances of fraud and race attacks in Australia. We believe that if we pitch Canada appropriately, we can show Indian students that our country is a very attractive alternative,” a senior Canadian official said.

The CARE process will allow Indian students keen on studying in Canada to ensure that education agents are certified, CIEC Executive Director Husain F Neemuchwala said.

The CIEC-modeled on the lines of the United States India Education Foundation (USIEF)- is particularly critical for Indo-Canadian ties because Canada does not have a federal education department. Education is managed by each Province. The CIEC is an NGO, but is supported by the Canadian Government.

But Canada is keenly pushing its education as a major source of revenue- to be earned from foreign students. India at present falls behind China, the US, Mexico and a handful of other countries in the number of students it sends to Canada.

Edserv Softsystems acquires Alta Vista UAE

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: www.equitybulls.com via PwC – EdLive

Indian education services company Edserv Softsystems said it acquired its UAE-based peer Alta Vista UAE. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Acquisition is in line with Edserv’s strategy to expand its overseas online learning business. Alta Vista UAE provides various contents for K-12 and UG / Skill development in the Middle East. Edserv will offer the newly acquired contents through mobile platforms. Edserv is a 4th generation education company established in 2001. The company is listed on the listed in BSE and NSE. In 2011 the company posted a revenue of INR 1.1bn (USD 22.3mn) and a net profit of INR 416.9mn (USD 8.7mn).

AICTE allows firms with Rs 100 cr turnover to start their own colleges

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Indian Express via PwC – EdLive

Aiming to bridge the gap between technical educational institutes and the expectations of those who employ their graduates, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has decided to allow industries and businesses with Rs 100 crore turnover to set up technical institutions of their own. Such institutions will be allowed to admit double the number of students allowed at regular institutions, and would be able to start a single branch or theme institute of their choice, according to the AICTE’s notification inviting applications to start new institutes for the 2013-14 academic year. “We often hear that students graduating from technical institutes are not industry-ready or employable. Hence, we want to bring in the best practices of industry and want them to participate in the higher and technical education sector,” said AICTE chairman S S Mantha. “Accordingly, a private limited or public limited company or industry, with a turnover of Rs 100 crore in the last three years, will now be eligible to apply to start a new institute.”Such institutions can teach any technical discipline, including engineering, pharmacy, architecture and town planning, applied arts and crafts, and hotel management and catering technology. They can offer undergraduate or postgraduate or diploma courses.

Separately, AICTE has also eased norms to help students wanting to pursue a masters degree in computer applications (MCA). “Students who have completed their undergraduate education in any discipline can apply for MCA. But we have introduced a new rule in which students who have done their bachelors in any computer related subject like B.Sc IT/ BCA/computer science, will get lateral or direct entry to second year of MCA,” said Mantha. AICTE is also introducing a dual degree programme in MCA in which students will complete BCA and MCA in five years instead of six.

Centre not to bear cost of RTE fee reimbursement

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The New Indian Express via PwC – EdLive

The state governments will now have to bear the entire cost of fee reimbursement to schools under the Right to Education Act as the centre will not provide financial aid to any state this year. According to sources, the proposal of the Ministry of HRD to support states in a 65:35 cost sharing ratio is still pending before the union cabinet. “Not just Karnataka, no other state will receive finance from the centre. That is why the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has no provision for fee reimbursement in its budget this year,” said an SSA official. Karnataka’s Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, who has been stressing on the need for the centre to financially support the state to reimburse schools, maintained that the centre has to ‘prove its commitment’ by supporting the government. Meanwhile, the Department of Public Instruction has issued circular asking block education officers to make a final list of admissions made under the RTE quota and calculate the total amount of reimbursements to be made (separate calculations for class I and pre-primary). This information has to be submitted to the Director (primary education) before 15 September 2012.

Industries may soon get a role in higher education

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Mint via Pwc – EdLive

In an effort to boost research and employable workforce, India is preparing to involve industries in higher education. The Ministry for HRD expects this will solve issues related to land availability and finance. In return, the government will give industries independence and fast-track regulatory clearances for opening institutes that will focus on research specific to industry requirements.

Recently, the Ministry, in association with Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), invited 17 government departments and ministries and nearly 60 companies to a two-day conference in Delhi.“If we reach an agreement, then we don’t have to go to Parliament and it will be more of a ministry-level decision to engage industry in higher education,” said SS Mantha, Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the regulator in the higher education sector for technical institutes and a part of the HRD Ministry. Shalini Sharma, Head of the education wing, CII, said companies are open to the idea and want to know what the government is offering, “Through the conference we want to understand what the industry requires on the regulatory front. We will try to accommodate that.” Mantha added, “The government cannot do everything by its own. Once the industry participates, issues like land and finance will be taken care of easily.” He said that involving the industry will promote theme-based research and innovation during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17). This will ‘stimulate discussion between industry players and ministries’ on setting up institutes that will focus on specific research and enter into twinning and collaborative programmes with other universities and research organisations.

UGC draws flak for changing national eligibility test rules

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Times of India via PwC – EdLive

Academics and teacher aspirants have criticised the UGC for its decision to change the eligibility criteria for lectureship after the National Eligibility Test (NET) results were announced. The UGC had earlier mentioned a minimum qualifying percentage in three individual papers of the NET, but after the results were out a third criterion – aggregate of all three papers – was brought in. Candidates said that the UGC only prescribed minimum required marks in papers 1, 2 and 3 to qualify for lectureship when the notification for the test was announced. There was no mention of the requirement of an aggregate score in the NET. Candidates claimed that based on the answer key for NET published by the UGC earlier, at least 70% were able to secure the prescribed minimum marks in the individual paper. But the aggregate score requirement ensured that only 7.69% finally qualified for lectureship. Academics questioned the benefit of high academic standards when none could meet them. “There is a huge shortage of college teachers, but the eligibility criteria are being raised.”

Goa second best in higher education access

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Times of India via PwC – EdLive

The state has 24.59 institutes of higher education available per lakh for its youth in the age group of 18 to 23. As per a University Grants Commission (UGC) report higher education might not be up to the desired level in Goa, but is definitely one of the best available in the country in terms of access.

Goa is among 14 states that have better access to higher education than the national average of 12.14. The report also reveals that Goa ranks second in the country after Chandigarh in terms of gross enrolment ratio with over 13% of its young population enrolled in colleges. The state government has facilitated accessibility of higher education and the concentration is not just city-based. In terms of money too, accessibility is good. The fee structure has been kept at an affordable level and various scholarships, interest free loans and schemes to SC and ST are provided.

Agent certification launched in India: CIEC

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: thepienews.com

The Canada India Education Council (CIEC) has launched a certification programme that recognises quality and ethical practice among education agents involved in Canada-India exchange.

Indian Canadian Advisors Representing Excellence (CARE) is the only bespoke certification system of its kind and aims to establish rules on agent practice; increase accountability; and make it easier for Indian agents to find Canadian universities and colleges appropriate for their students through its membership database.

CEO of CIEC, Husain F. Neemuchwala, said: ”The time couldn’t be better with the tremendous activity back and forth in the Canada-India corridor over the past two or three years. While we have done a lot of good work promoting the corridor, much work still needs to be done to make sure we reach full potential.”

The certification process, aimed to certify agencies working with Canadian institutions, places high emphasis on transparency, requires agents to be upfront about hidden fees and consistent in how they represent themselves to students.

Agents are reported to have reacted positively to the system since launch, with 60 already hoping for certification once pilot tests are finished. However, Neemuchwala emphasises that CIEC is not aiming for rapid growth.

“Quality over quantity is the premise on which CARE was created. If not colleges and universities can Google [search] and look up agents themselves. The whole idea is to create a smaller number of validated and certified agents that we can stand behind,” he said.

CARE also promises institutions a streamlined recruitment process, greater exposure to the best of the Indian agency market, and information on student trends. Neemuchwala said, “As CARE gets more momentum, things will improve not just for specific colleges and university members but the industry in general. There are people who don’t like to use agents but this might change their minds.

“And for people who generally use agents but aren’t happy with their services, this might open doors to other options for them.”

The certification process takes between four to six months to complete and certification lasts two years. In that time agents can use the CARE promotional materials, will be listed on the CIEC website, and will gain greater access to CIEC member universities and colleges among other benefits.

Founded in 2010, CIEC is an event-driven, membership organisation. CARE is open to CIEC agent members at no cost and for a fee to non-members. The extent of non-member access to the comprehensive agent listings is yet to be determined.

Synergy 2012

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

imgSynergy

Post-Event Report

November 1 & 2, 2012
Hilton Garden Inn (Toronto Airport W.) • 1870 Matheson Blvd • Mississauga, ON • L4W 0B3

The 7th Annual Synergy Conference held on November 1 & 2 at the Hilton Garden Inn near Toronto which focused on Canada-India educational initiatives was yet another stunning success. With over 100 delegates in attendance including representatives from dozens of Colleges and Universities across Canada and some from India, this annual event has become a ‘must attend’ fixture for institutions and academics working the ‘Canada India education corridor’. For a full event recap, testimonials and excerpts from the CIEC social media live-stream click here.

Event participants:

  • Exchanged ideas via a focused networking event to further the interests of those already involved in or contemplating involvement in this dynamic education corridor
  • Explored opportunities in this burgeoning sector and worked to build an awareness & collaborative approach in sharing each other’s experiences and pitfalls to avoid. Highlight their programs to peers and received effective marketing tips, networked with stakeholders active in both markets and benefited from existing synergies
  • Received VISA information & links (CIC)

Agenda

November 1

9:30 - 10:00 AMREGISTRATION & NETWORKING (COFFEE/COOKIES)
10:00 AM - 10:10 AM Welcome address by Husain F. Neemuchwala, CEO & Executive Director (CIEC)
10:10 AM - 10:25 AMOpening remarks by Hon. Pierre S. Pettigrew, PC, Chair, CIEC
10:25 AM - 10:35 AMSynergy 2012 overview by Husain F. Neemuchwala, CEO & Executive Director, CIEC
10:35 AM - 11:15 AMInaugural Address: "Reflections on The Status and Directions Towards Maturing of Canada-India Educational Partnership" by Prof. Balbir Sahni, Professor Emeritus-Economics, Concordia University
11:15 AM - 11:30 AM NETWORKING BREAK I
11:30 AM - 12:45 PM SESSION II: 'Round table dialogue' with input from Canadian stakeholders, academic institutions & partners discussing academic relations between Canada & India. Co-chairs Dr. Ryan Touhey, Director, U of Waterloo’s Chanchlani India Policy Centre & Margaret Walton-Roberts, Director-International Migration Research Centre at Wilfrid Laurier University
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM WORKING ‘INDIAN BUFFET’ LUNCH. Remarks by Hon. Preeti Saran, Consul General of India-Toronto
1:45 PM - 2:00 PM SESSION III: Update on iCARE (Indian Canadian Academic Advisors Representing Excellence)-CIEC’s agent ‘membership’ category. Announcing CIEC's webinar series & proposed dates for India 'Mission 2013' & 'Partnership Dinner|Gala 2013'.
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM SESSION IV: Reflections on Canada's 'Internationalization' panel report, update on the education consortium and CBIE's go-forward activities by Janine Knight-Grofe, Research Manager, Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
2:45 PM - 3:30 PM SESSION V: Updates on Canada India Higher Education cooperation & promotion of Canada as a study destination by Miriam Rabkin, Policy Advisor, International Education & Youth Division, Foreign Affairs & Int’l Trade (DFAIT)
3:30 PM - 3:50 PM SPEED DATING: 1 minute self introductions of Institutions & organization & what they would like to achieve (recruiting, joint programming, partnerships...). Responses from the audience or those who simply would like to connect.
3:50 PM - 4:20 PMDESSERT & NETWORKING BREAK
4:20 PM - 5:00 PM SESSION VI: Update from Dr. Lalu Mansinha University of Western Ontario on the Ontario-Maharashtra-Goa (OMG) program & cross directional push for higher levels of collaboration in Research & Higher Education.
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM COCKTAILS and RECEPTION (1 drink included + cash bar)

November 2

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM NETWORKING: (COFFEE/COOKIES)
10:00 AM - 10:05 AM Welcome back remarks by Kam Rathee, Vice-Chair, CIEC
10:05 AM - 10:50 AMWord from the street. Carleton University President Prof. Roseann O'Reilly Runte discusses Carleton’s groundbreaking work on their India engagement plans, what worked and what was learnt.
10:50 AM - 11:30 AM SESSION VII: "Research insights to enhanced student recruitment from India & ISPS survey results" by Bruce Thompson & Rod Skinkle- - Academica Group
11:30 AM - 12:10 PM SESSION VIII: Update on the ‘Student Partners Program’ (SPP) in India by Rudy Sabas, International Partnerships-Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC)
12:10 PM - 1:00 PM SESSION IX: Update on India's 'Internationalization' strategy, Bill 57 & the way forward by Nikhil Bhatia, Sr Director, Price WaterHouse Coopers (PwC-India)
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM NETWORKING 'INDIAN BUFFET' LUNCH
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM SESSION X: How strategic partnerships between Canada & India are shaping up and Ottawa’s role by Goldy Hyder, Sr. Vice President, Hill & Knowlton Strategies-Canada
2:45 PM - 3:00 PMVOTE of THANKS by Hon. Pierre S. Pettigrew, PC, Chair, CIEC
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM CLOSING REMARKS by Hon. Deepak Obhrai M.P., P.C., Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Co-operation
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CIEC has negotiated a special rate for delegates staying at the Hilton Garden Inn hotel, which will also provide complimentary airport transfers. To take advantage of the discounted hotel rate, reserve your room by clicking here. For delegates arriving from India, CIEC is pleased to provide a 1 night FREE stay at the Hilton Garden Inn.

Please refer to the following information and useful links regarding entering Canada & obtaining a VISA – Courtesy of Citizenship and Immigration Canada:

Participants will need a valid passport or an appropriate travel document to enter Canada.

Citizens of the United States

US citizens should visit the Department of Homeland Security website for a list of acceptable documents to re-enter the US.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp

Information on visiting Canada:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/index.asp

Do you need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to visit Canada (see for list of countries):

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

Visiting Canada – Important information for visa exempt travellers (including US Citizens):

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visa-exempt.asp

Where to send your application for a (TRV):

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/apply-where.asp

Video Tutorial on completing the Temporary Resident Visa Application Form (IMM 5257)

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/multimedia/video/imm5257/imm5257.asp

Visa Offices outside of Canada:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/missions.asp

Visa application processing times:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/temp/visitors.asp

* In order to avoid disappointments, applicants should submit their application as soon as possible.

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Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

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The Hope Foundation

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

hopefoundationA registered charity in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), the Hope Foundation works to protect and help street kids and impoverished families from abuse, unethical labour practices, and other hazards of street life and poverty. The Foundation operates and funds more than 60 projects offering protection, healthcare, education, nutrition, rehabilitation, and education.

The Hope Foundation is a registered Irish charity and has established offices in India, Germany, the United Kingdom, and in the United States. Their personal mission is “the holistic care and development and protection of human rights of severely underprivileged children/persons in India and other developing countries.”

Get Involved

Events

Indian Angel Network acquires Aurus Network Infotech

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Emerging Market Securities via PwC – EdLive

Private equity investor Indian Angel Network has acquired a minority stake in an Indian virtual classroom solution provider Aurus Network Infotech, the Mint newspaper reported. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. With this investment, Aurus will develop a better R&D centre and ramp up its sales and marketing team. It will also expand its presence in global market, starting with Africa. Aurus Network was founded by Piyush Agarwal in 2010.
The company is specialist in providing distance and online education across the country. The platform can also be used as an automated solution for large scale, university wide lecture capture and publishing, with in-built features like web based lecture video editing, social networking, online testing, performance tracking, search and analytics. Indian Angel Network was founded in 2006. The venture, in addition to money also provides constant access to high quality mentoring, vast networks and inputs on strategy as well as execution. It invests in a wide range of industries including agriculture, food processing, banking and financial services biotech, pharma, and life sciences clean tech and water education healthcare, etc.

Take a call on setting up body to look into affairs of educational societies: HC

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Indian Express via Pwc -EdLive

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre, Punjab government and the UGC to take a decision on constituting a body to look into the affairs of educational trusts and societies, along with non-government institutions dealing with education. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain asked the three bodies to decide on the representations filed in this regard by NSUI Punjab unit’s former state coordinator Dinesh Chadha.

Government Amends Central Universities Act

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Indian Express via PwC – EdLive

A proposal to bring an amendment to the Central Universities Act for enabling the setting-up of two central varsities in Bihar was cleared by the government recently. The Union Cabinet approved amending the Act after the HRD ministry took a decision to set up a central university in Motihari in addition to the one already proposed in Gaya. This is only the second exception made by the union government for setting up two central universities in

a particular state, the first being Jammu and Kashmir. The Act had the provision for setting two central universities in Jammu and Kashmir as a special case. The government’s decision for setting up a central university in Motihari had put an end to a prolonged slugfest over the issue. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other political parties had been insisting that the central university should be established in Motihari to end regional disparities.

CII launches educational excellence forum

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Hindu via PwC – EdLive

The Confederation of Indian Industry, Tiruchi Zone, has launched its Education Excellence Forum (EEF) constituting eight member institutions in the region. R Nandini, Chairperson, CII Southern Region Education Sub-Committee, launched the forum as part of the CII’s Southern Region Education Initiative.

As a follow-up to the EEF’s maiden launch at MAM College of Engineering, the initiative will be extended to other zones, she said. The objective of EEF is to address core components of education: faculty, student and curriculum, through the prism of industry to improve the employability quotient. A year-long activity with a top-to-bottom approach will provide tailor-made solutions and recommendations for a synergised outcome. The approach will enable students to align their learning practices with industry requirements and equip themselves to meet dynamic changes in the economy directed at reviving the nation’s growth trajectory, a CII press release said.

AICTE to give 1 crore INR seed capital for research parks

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: DNA India via PwC – EdLive

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) will fund institutes with 1 crore INR to set up research parks, in order to encourage research among students. An industry partner will also be tasked with setting up the research park, along with providing funds to the tune of 1 crore INR. The research activities to be carried out in the park will also include studies needed for the industry.

“This will be a perfect give-and-take deal. While the industry will participate in financial assistance, the institutes will conduct research on the basis of industry needs. Researchers will also get hands-on experience with real-time industry research activities,” said SS Mantha, Chairman, AICTE. The research park will be set up on the institute premises itself, which should make available at least a 3,000-square-feet area for it.

“We aim to open such research parks in at least one state each. However, more such parks would be welcome to provide ample opportunities to research scholars in India,” added Mantha.

Besides this, the AICTE is also going to offer other schemes to encourage research work. The top 100 research students will be placed at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories. The scholars will be shortlisted through a competitive model of testing and the AICTE will give 15,000 INR per month to each student for three years.

Future Learning seeks international tie-up

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Hindu Business Line via PwC – EdLive

Future Learning, the education and skill development arm of the Future Group, is scouting for an international tie-up to run specific courses in visual management, sourcing, supply chain and even luxury retailing. The company, which was carved out as a separate entity four years ago, said it has identified 21 key sectors to impart skills in retail and services sector. Future Learning is affiliated to the Indira Gandhi National Open University and offers courses at four centres — Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.

On its accreditation, Future Learning is interested in international tie-up as more international retailers are entering India. In places such as the US, the UK and Australia, where retail is highly developed, institutes are accredited and we are in talks for similar accreditation. According to industry sources, Future Group is understood to have an investment of 25 crore INR in Future Learning.

COU announces new family medicine training opportunities

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Toronto, February 2011

The federal government would be funding $11.3 million over four years to support a project in Ontario that offers new family medicine positions and training opportunities across Canada from 2011. The funding would cover the entire costs for establishing residency positions. The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) is striving to improve access to healthcare for Ontarians in remote and rural communities. Approximately 60 additional third-year family medicine residency positions will be created at Ontario’s six Faculties of Medicine to enhance emergency medicine and enhanced skills, which includes McMaster University, University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, University of Toronto, University of Western Ontario, as well as the Northern Ontario School of Medicine at Laurentian University and Lakehead University.

According to Dr. Catharine Whiteside, co-chair person of COU Faculties of Medicine and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, “focusing on specializations such as anesthesia, obstetrics, care of the elderly, palliative care, rural skills, mental health and additions, will be a starting point to support comprehensive family practice in under-served communities.” Hence, with the continuing support from provincial government to improve health care facilities across Ontario, people living in rural communities will be having greater benefits.

Political Deadlock

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

NDTV News, Ahmedabad, March 2011

As of 2009, The Union Government had assigned 10 crore rupees for minority students in Gujarat. Students who have not previously completed Grade 10 and whose parents earn less than 1 lakh annually were eligible for scholarships worth Rs. 800 – 1500 a month. About 52,000 could qualify. However, due to politicking between BJP and Congress, thousands of students are robbed of life-changing opportunities. Let us hope that this issue gets solved in the favor of innocent minority people of Gujarat.

Deloitte hires

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: CyberMediaNews, Mumbai, March 2011

Indian IT Industry is on a hiring spree. IT Consulting firm Deloitte would be hiring an 2.25 lakh candidates in 2011. With this addition, the total number of employees working in the IT/ITeS sector in India would grow to 22.3 lakh in 2011. As per the predictions for 2011, IT outsourcing industry and business processes will reach US $ 71.7 Billion for 2011, which would account to 5.8% of the country’s GDP.

“This would be the starting point of active participation between telecom service providers and various industries including IT, Media, Banking, Healthcare and Education in reaching and offering services for the empowerment of rural India”, predicts Mr Jolyon Barker, Global Leader Deloitte’s TMT,2011.

Quoting a spokesperson from Deloitte, “The advantage for customers from MNP would be better quality of service, lesser call drops, better infrastructures and an increase in loyalty programs and customer retention marketing techniques. Operators offering 3G services would have an edge with the introduction of MNP as not all operators have won the auctioned 3G spectrum.”

Public-private partnership catalyzes educational excellence

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

www.indiaeducationdiary.in, Chennai, March 2011

As per the 11th educational budgetary plan, Government of India is working on improving the education sector by increasing the allocation by 19 percent of the gross budgetary support. A conference was held on “Education for Sustainable Development” organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Dr Purandeswari, Honorable Minister of State of the Human Resources Development, Government of India, addressed the audience at the conference. She stated that the education system should respond to the changing needs of the stakeholders and focus on quality of education and the faculty, in addition to infrastructure and curriculum. She urged the state governments to increase funding to the Universities and also enact the Right to Education Act to ensure a holistic development in the education sector.

The Minister mentioned that it is crucial for the private sector to join hands with the Government to provide on-the-job experience for students to develop their vocational skills and employability.

Mr Arun Maira, Member of Planning Commission, Government of India emphasized on three key elements to make education relevant to current scenario which include “innovation in delivery, new methods of learning and job-oriented education.” He stated that it is critical for the education system to align with the emerging economic trends and employment potential.

Mr S Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of CII Southern Region and Managing Director of Infosys Technologies Ltd, stated that “education should be an enabler of sustainable development and aim at developing people with right attitudes, skills and knowledge.” He also mentioned that technology delivery systems should be used in education systems, which would pave a way to open learning platforms reaching a large section of people.

Mr C R Swaminathan, Conference Chairman & Chief Executive of PSG Industrial Institute stated that realigning education to promote awareness, attitudes and skills, changes in the work systems and the use of technology will lead to sustainable development.

In her welcome address, Ms Nandini Rangaswamy, Chairperson of CII Tamil Nadu & Managing Director of Chandra Group emphasized the need to strengthen skills training capabilities to meet the ever growing demand for skilled labor. Furthermore, she added that this could only be achieved through partnerships involving academia, industry and government.

The vote of thanks was proposed by Mr N K Ranganath, Vice Chairman of CII Tamil Nadu & Managing Director of Grundfos Pumps India Pvt Ltd.

IELTS tops the list

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

PRNewswire, Cairo, March 2011

The International English Language Testing System, commonly known as IELTS, made its way to the top in the list of World’s most popular high stakes English Language tests. A record breaking 1.5 million tests were taken around the world in 2010 with the increase in the number of tests taken year-after-year since 1995. North America experienced the largest growth over the year followed by Philippines and Hong Kong. China, Australia and India continue to retain their positions as the largest markets for IELTS.

IELTS provides a reliable measure of a candidate’s ability across the four skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking. Candidates mainly take IELTS in pursuit of entry into an academic institution or immigration processes, mainly to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. IELTS is jointly owned by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia, and the University of Cambridge (Examinations ESOL).

Bharti group exits education business

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Economic Times via PwC – EdLive

The Bharti group has exited the education business, selling group company Centum Learning to Everonn Education. The Bharti Family Office, which manages investments made by the promoters of the group in their personal capacity, will receive a combination of cash and equity shares in Everonn. The Bharti group declined to reveal the deal size or their stake in the combined entity. The deal is part of the Bharti group’s plans to exit non-core businesses. “This transaction is in line with our stated objective of focusing our energies on our core businesses,” Centum Chairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal said. Everonn Education provides end-to-end training programmes and skill development solutions. “With this acquisition, Everonn will expand its reach in the Indian training space by adding corporate training, the flagship product of Centum, as a new vertical,” Everonn Education Director and CEO of GEMS Education India Rakesh Sharma said. “Other business segments of Centum (skill development, employment generation, professional education and training) will seamlessly integrate with the existing verticals of Everonn,”he added.

Canada and India build closer educational ties

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

UniversityWorldNews, Issue 128, 2010

India is focusing on giving their students a global experience, and a new bill being passed by the Indian Parliament would bring vast progress and easier access for international universities.

Mr. Pawan Agarwal, author of Indian Higher Education: Envisioning the future and a West Bengal Government member of staff addressed a conference in Ottawa held by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada to promote India-Canada ties in higher education. He stated that with the right foundation, appropriate student recruitment, joint research project ventures and Government support, closer ties can be achieved.

The main reason towards this collaboration is to lessen the unfamiliarity of Canadian Universities and their reputation in India. Raising awareness is critical in overseas development work. Mr Agarwal mentioned that there were about 28,000 Indian students studying in Australia in comparison to a meager 2800 in Canada. Development of offshore campuses, collaborating with Indian institutes and extensive marketing are the ways to go for establishing strong presence in India. In the lines of Virginia tech and Georgia University, US opening off shore campuses in

Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Schulich School of business, York University, Canada has already taken a step forward to offer collaborative programs with SP Jain School of Management, Mumbai, India.

According to Mr Shashishekhar Gavai, Indian High Commissioner to Canada, research collaboration was another option of consideration. He mentioned that McGill and Carleton universities are interested in setting up Canada-India centres to address the Indian immigrants in Canada.

On India’s part, India has 26,200 educational institutions with over 15 million students which is expected to grow twice as much in the next few years due to the increased growth of middle and upper classes. Mr Agarwal would like to increase the number of mature students enrolling for post graduate programs, something that Canada has been successful at. He is expecting Canada to diversify growth in areas in addition to Management and Engineering.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper hosted a roundtable discussion with 15 presidents from Indian universities. With premiers of Canadian provinces Ontario and Quebec visiting India and expressing interest in pursuing closer ties with the Indian higher education system, 15 Canadian university presidents met in India in November to make progress. India has become a global giant that without considering Indian market there is no real global experience. These programs will also provide tremendous opportunities for Indian students looking to acquire world-class management training and prepare them for global careers in India and around the world.

This Indo-Canadian collaboration will provide students a diverse international perspective and an opportunity to synthesize Western efficiency and Eastern ethos.

It’s raining IT Jobs in Tamil Nadu

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Hindu, Monday, December 20 2010

IT companies are on a hiring spree as the demand for young, fresh and bright minds keeps increasing. Although the past few years were sluggish, software giants including TCS, Wipro, CTS and HCL have been on a hiring spree this year. From Oct’09 to Sept’10, there has been large addition of about 27,500 employees at Cognizant Technologies alone and they are soon expected to reach 100,000 headcount mark. Pondicherry University in Tamil Nadu has reached 100% placement in IT field. Even science graduates recruitment in Wipro increases every year by 5‐ 8%, and is expected to spike to 15‐20% in coming years. These fresh graduates are given special training in BITS Pilani through a PG program administered by Wipro Academy of Software Excellence.

Universities referred in this article: SASTRA University, Thanjavur; SRM University, Chennai; VIT University, Vellore; Anna University of Technology‐ Trichy (AUT‐T); Bharathidasan University. Trichy.

Envisioning Equity in Global Development Agenda

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Ms. Sheena Joseph in conversation with Prof. P R Ramanujam

The Pan Commonwealth Forum (PCF) brings together more than 70 countries and about 1000 participants to address the key issues relating to access and equity in education through application of open and distance learning.

This article addresses the key facts of the 6th PCF event (PCF6) and its significance for IGNOU.

Vision:
“PFC6 envisioned an immediate possibility of combining the experiences of the developed and the developing worlds in providing equal opportunities with the global agenda of development implying equitable distribution of benefits through innovative open distance learning methods and programs.”

Mission:
“To give an opportunity for practitioners, researchers, planners and policy makers in the field of open education and development to share their experiences in shaping the future policies of open learning with a view to achieving Millennium Development Goals by 2015 as committed by the UN.”

Significance of the four themes in current global scenario:
According to Prof. Ramanujam, Social justice should only answer the highly complex and contradictory picture of tremendous prosperity vs. extreme poverty. Democratizing education and skill set development would empower people leading to community development.

Empowerment, Equality, Liberty and Fraternity are the four themes which go hand in hand with mutual respect, dignity and social justice for every person.

Key Functions of PCF Committees:
Prof. Ramanujam believes that expertise and guidance provided by several international committee members on strategic planning and implementation of the events are keys to success of PCF ever year. The diversified local committees play a significant role in integrating, evaluating, selecting abstracts & papers and reviewing the conference progress. Moreover, they provided expert advice to the PCF6 secretariat on performing complex tasks on a daily basis. Their combined effort helped carry forward the simultaneous pre conference events and the grand finale in Cochin.

Significance of PCF6 for IGNOU:
IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) and COL (Common Wealth of Learning, Canada) jointly organized PCF6. This event coincided with the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of IGNOU that concludes on November 19, 2010. Several pre‐conference workshops were conducted by Commonwealth of Learning, IGNOU and many other institutions which commenced on November 18, 2010.

According to Prof. P R Ramanujam:

India as an emerging power should significantly focus of education. PCF6 will gain more importance in the wake of three major bills to be passed by the Indian Parliament on The National Council for Education and Research, Educational Tribunal Bill, and the Foreign Universities Bill.

In today’s world, PCF6 can offer considerable insights on reforming the educational agenda at all levels after passing the Right to Education Act.

West Bengal is the place for IT investment

Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: egov weekly, Delhi, Monday, 15 November 2010

West Bengal’s IT Minister Mr. Debesh Shah stated that the government expects huge investments and creation of 25,000 more jobs in the IT sector by 2010‐11. IT is the fastest growing sector with over 150,000 jobs created in 2009, only second to food processing in WB. Although issues related to land acquisitions had a minor impact, it did not stall the growth of IT in the state. Furthermore, Mr. Das added that recent considerable investments by Tata has burst the myth that Tata group of companies wouldn’t make any long term investments after their pullout from Singur.