Students – Page 8 – Canada India Education Council

LLM to be a one-year course

December 22, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Times of India via PwC – EdLive

The Masters in Law (LLM) programme will now be of one-year duration instead of two.

The UGC has given its nod for this. The aim behind the move is to stop the best legal minds from going abroad to pursue similar programme in less time and retain the best talents in the field. According to the prevailing system, a student has to spend at least seven to eight years after intermediate to gain a masters degree in law. The UGC had set up an expert committee under N R Madhava Menon, Founding Vice Chancellor, National Law School of India University, Bangalore to examine the proposal. The committee endorsed the move and recently submitted its report to the UGC. The committee was set up after the HRD Ministry had backed recommendations made by the roundtable on legal education in 2009. Only India, Bangladesh and Pakistan impart two-year LLM. The duration had led to students taking up master’s programme in universities abroad.

UGC launches dedicated academic job portal

December 21, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Indian Express via PwC – EdLive

In keeping with the demand of job aspirations of NET or PhD qualifiers, UGC has launched a dedicated academic job portal enabling candidates to register and create their profile online. The portal, www.ugc.ac.in/jobportal, will facilitate the employers to search and browse academic profile of available candidates and post job vacancies. The HRD Ministry had also strongly advocated for such a website taking in view of the aspirations of the prospective candidates and higher education institutes for an academic job site. “This portal is going to serve the two constituencies namely the job seekers and employers. While it will help students create their academic profile and bring them to the notice of the universities, colleges and other potential employers, it will also enable the employers to post their job vacancies for talent hunt,” said Ved Prakash, Acting Chairman, UGC.
The portal will also provide browsing, searching, filtering of academic profiles created by qualified candidates on a number of parameters. In addition, universities and other institutes as employer can also verify the NET qualified candidates through the same interface.

All India Survey on Higher Education report released

December 21, 2012December 21, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: www.pib.nic.in via PwC – EdLive

The Union Minister for HRD released the first provisional report of the ambitious All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE). The report contains countrywide estimates of GER on the basis of data collected till 31 July 2012, from higher education (HE) institutions of the country including universities, colleges, and stand-alone institutions. The overall GER of the country stands at 18.8% (based on estimated figures collected till 31 July 2012).

The key idea behind this survey and the resulting document is to prepare a sound database on the large and diverse system of HE in the country. The survey compiles and manages statistics directly online from respondent institutions. The Ministry has constituted a task force to carry out the survey. The task force comprises representatives from stakeholders including the Ministry, the UGC, the AICTE, various regulatory bodies, as well as departments of HE of the various states.

Cox and Kings to roll out education tours in India

December 21, 2012January 3, 2013Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Business Standard via PwC – EdLive

In a move that could transform Cox and Kings Ltd’s tour business in India and also the way subjects such as history and geography are taught in the country’s schools, the travel company is set to introduce education tours in India. The move, part of the company’s plans to integrate its European business model with the domestic market, comes over a year after Cox and Kings acquired the UK-based Holidaybreak Plc for about 2,300 crore INR. Peter Kerkar, Executive Director, Cox and Kings, confirmed the move but ruled out large-scale acquisitions for now.

“Education tours will be rolled out next year in India and the company is developing a site within the country for its education tours,” told Kerkar. This will include both residential and leisure facilities and will follow strict European standards on health and safety.

However, Kerkar refused to outline the investment plan, but said the company expected 25% return on capital invested in developing this new business segment in India. Student tours cater to children under the age of 12 and activities include guided tours to historical monuments or science parks. Within Europe, education tours are an integral part of the curriculum and students take these trips and write reports at the end of tours. In India, such tours are not part of the education policy.

India unveils Aakash 2 tablet at UN

December 21, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Times of India via PwC – EdLive

India recently launched its low-cost Aakash 2 tablet PC at the United Nations in the presence of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and other member nations. Datawind, the company which was assigned to design, develop and manufacture the device, also gave a presentation on it. Speaking at the launch, India’s Permanent Representative, Hardeep Singh Puri said, “With pricing determined through an open international tender, Aakash 2 is the world’s lowest cost tablet at end-user pricing. It harnesses top of the line technologies at costs which the neediest can embrace. The technologies and applications that have been put in it, are indeed the world’s best. It bridges the digital divide within our societies,” he said. In India, the National Mission on Education through Information Communication Technology will equip 220 million students across the country with low cost tablets and internet access. The government is subsidising 50% of the cost of this device. With state governments and local institutions along with other development partners chipping in, the devices will ultimately be, made available free to all students.

Mock tests for students taking IIT entrance examination

December 21, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Mint via PwC – EdLive

Students taking the first single exam for entering the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and other engineering colleges will get a chance to take part in mock tests as part of an effort by the government and the IITs to familiarise admission seekers with the new format. Students will also be allowed to make changes in their application form after the ongoing registration process for the exam ends in mid-December. “The mock test will be conducted for almost three months beginning in the second week of January 2013,” said Vineet Joshi, Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which is in charge of conducting the joint entrance exam main (JEE Main) for all centrally-funded technical schools. CBSE functions under the HRD ministry.

In May, the government decided to allow admission to all IITs and centrally-funded engineering institutes through a single test to reduce stress on students who sit for multiple entrance examinations. The so-called one nation, one test formula was adopted after a nationwide debate. For selection to the elite IITs, students who finish among the top 150,000 in the entrance test will sit for another exam. To qualify for admission, they will need to finish in the top 20 percentile of their respective school board exams. There will be more than one sample test available for aspirants. According to an official estimate, more than 1.2 million students are expected to appear for the test. The test will be conducted both in the pen-and-paper and online formats. There are nearly 25,000 seats available in all centrally-funded engineering schools, including 9,700 at the 15 IITs.

ISB, IIFT under AICTE lens

December 21, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: www.infoline.com via PwC – EdLive

The latest list of unapproved institutions put out by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) features some popular names second only to the IIMs or even considered on par with them. The Indian School of Business (ISB) in Hyderabad, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) in Delhi, and the Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM) in Chennai have made a name for themselves within and outside the country, but are also on the AICTE’s list of unapproved institutions. Others include the Indian Institute of Planning and Management, ICFAI, Amity Business School and ITM.

However, the institutions are not unduly worried by this. The official statement released by the ISB “stated that the institution’s one-year postgraduate programme does not fall under the ambit of AICTE’s current regulatory mechanism for business schools and therefore no approval was sought.” Sriram servicing, healthcare, construction technology and textiles. Students will be offered world-class training which is adapted to the Indian market and industry requirements. The CMC Academy currently offers job-enabling training in IT, accounting and finance and several skill areas through 250 plus training locations across the country. India’s accelerated economic growth and increasing demand for skilled manpower will require intensive efforts to achieve the target of up-skilling 500 million workers by 2022. Recent estimates show only 10% of the total workforce in the country is receiving some kind of skills training (2% with formal training and 8% with informal training). According to the NSSO survey, only 6% of the total workforce (459 million) is in the organised sector. The World Economic Forum indicates that only 25% of all Indian professionals are considered employable by the organised sector. The unorganised sector is not supported by any structured skill development and training system to acquire or upgrade skills.

Pearson launches tablet-based education solution for schoolchildren

December 21, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Business Standard via PwC – EdLive

Pearson recently announced the launch of a new tablet-based education solution for schools in India. The ‘MX Touch’ platform will give students access to more effective personalised and collaborative digital learning with rich digital content, 3D animations, quizzes, and videos. It is compliant with the school syllabus and comes bundled with tablets at a variety of prices to ensure it is affordable and accessible by the broadest possible cross-section of students. While supporting the core syllabus, the service will also help promote Information Communication Technology in the Indian school education by familiarising students with the latest learning technology. The product also allows parents to monitor the academic progress of their children more accurately than ever before with easy access to assignments, difficult lessons covered during school hours and archived assessments and tests.

Delhi School of Business (DSB) launches PGDM, AICTE accredited programme

December 21, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: www.moneylife.in via PwC – EdLive

To meet India’s growing professional skill demand, Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies (VIPS) launched
a two year full-time AICTE accredited management programme under the Delhi School of Business (DSB). The latter will offer a dynamic curriculum that will not only respond to market needs but also anticipate them.

Located in Pitampura, West Delhi, the DSB was launched by Dr. S C Vats, an eminent educationist, philanthropist, and former member of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. Registration for the first batch (June 2013-2015) of 120 students is open by submitting CAT, GMAT, CMAT or MAT scores. Applicants can also submit more than one test score.

Saab’s education initiative to increase employment opportunities

December 21, 2012December 21, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Hindu Business Line via PwC – EdLive

Saab India announced an employability enhancement and skill development programme for the Indian College Engineering students. Termed the ‘Diploma Employment Enhancement Program (DEEP)’, it is designed to bridge the gap between industry’s requirements and technical education. The first pilot classes in collaboration with the Indian Technical Institutes will start in December. Saab India, the Indian subsidiary of the Swedish-headquartered defence and security company, has initiated a skills training programme at institutes in Gudivada and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. The six-month programme is designed to help engineering students learn and hone the right mix of technical and soft skills while they are still in college.

UGC wants credit system in colleges

December 21, 2012December 21, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Time of India via PwC – EdLive

The UGC has reminded all colleges in the state to implement the choice-bad credit and semester system (CBCSS)
at the earliest, as it will be linked with accreditation as well as UGC funding. Incidentally, a committee appointed by the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) to study the implementation of CBCSS, had recommended a partial roll-back to the annual system. The letter, sent by the Joint Secretary of the UGC to all colleges stated that the UGC’s action plan for academic and administrative reforms during the XIth Plan should be implemented at the earliest. The action plan comprised aspects such as semester system, choice-based credit system, curriculum development, admission procedures and examination reforms. Also these reforms are necessary for the promotion of quality education. The KSHEC recommendations, based on the report of the Hridayakumari Committee, which was set up to study the working of the system and to suggest improvements, had given 11 recommendations based on its findings. It had also asked the government to modify the system.

Canadian Students on Green Mission in India

December 14, 2012March 11, 2015Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: Connect – Canada in India

What were three young Canadian students doing in crowded bustees on the outskirts of Chandigarh? Team Connect posed this question to Stacy Thoreson, Adam Rieu and Kathryn Shiratti from the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). The answer was not only inspiring but loaded with a promise of a greener and better future. The three Canadian students were in Chandigarh to work on an urban agriculture project, with financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Working in partnership with a local non-governmental organization, Developing Indigenous Resources (DIR), and Panjab University, the students helped residents of the congested Janata Colony and Adarsh Nagar grow vegetables on their rooftops. Check out Team Connect’s interview with the Canadian students.

Ontario Set to be Top Student Destination

December 5, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Read the full article.

Canada to Launch New CARE for Indians

December 5, 2012April 21, 2015Canada 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.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney Apologizes to India for Visa Refusals

December 5, 2012December 5, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Education to Build Bridges Between Canada, India

November 5, 2012December 11, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Read the full article.

HC asks AICTE to probe if colleges running unapproved courses

October 17, 2012November 26, 2012Canada India Education Council (CIEC)

Source: The Economic Times via PwC – EdLive

The AICTE has been asked by the Delhi High Court to probe into an allegation that various engineering colleges are conducting unapproved courses. Disposing of a plea for direction to colleges to stop unapproved courses, a bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw asked the AICTE, the regulatory body for technical education, to carry out a thorough probe and apprise it of its findings within four months. The court order came after the AICTE counsel told the bench that the statutory body would examine the allegations by conducting an in-depth enquiry into the matter.

COU announces new family medicine training opportunities

October 16, 2012November 26, 2012Canada 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.

Deloitte hires

October 16, 2012November 26, 2012Canada 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.”

IELTS tops the list

October 16, 2012November 26, 2012Canada 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).