Could Institutes of Eminence fix India’s crisis?
Indian
India Is Producing Masters in Learning Deficits
Researchers have relied upon school children for evidence of learning deficits in but teachers could be vectors themselves.
T20 is Modi’s New Mantra for Making Indian Education Global
Initiative set to target 20 countries for Indian institutes to collaborate with.
What Do The Latest Rankings Mean For India
Source: University World News
The latest subject rankings from QS highlight some challenges for Indian higher education.
Rot in Higher Education is Deep and Wide
Source: Mint
The morass we have let ourselves sink into in higher education calls for some tough love at all levels.
It’s Time We Look At Foreign Assistance for Indian Unis Differently
Source: The Wire
We are not accustomed to thinking of foreign assistance in terms of brain gain but it is just that in many ways.
What Ails Higher Education in India?
Source: Live Mint
While the desired levels of research and internationalization of Indian campuses remain weak points, Indian higher education also suffers from a lack of funds and little focus on specialization.
Modi Government Intends to Unshackle Universities
Source: Times of India
PM Modi recently claimed measures like the granting of central status were “a thing of the past”.
Engaging Canada: Emerging priorities for sustainable partnerships
CONFERENCE ON
ENGAGING CANADA:
EMERGING PRIORITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS
To be organized by Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute
at the India International Centre in New Delhi
June 1, 2013
The Institute
The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute is a bi-national organization that promotes understanding between India and Canada through academic activities and exchanges. Its broad-based initiatives support the creation of bi-national links between academia, government, the business community and civil society organizations by funding research, faculty and student exchange, conferences, workshops and seminars. With a membership of 93 leading Indian and Canadian universities and research institutions, the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute has facilitated greater collaboration between Indian and Canadian institutions in the humanities, social sciences, arts, science & technology, legal education, and management studies. The Institute, as part of its mandate, has also supported research on sustainable development and other United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
The Conference
The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute is organizing a Conference at the India International Centre, New Delhi on June 1, 2013, to present collaborative research that has been completed, or is currently being undertaken, by Indian and Canadian universities/research institutions in four focus areas.
- Energy & Environment
- Public Health
- Food Security & Sustainable Development
- Bi-lateral Trade and Investment
Objectives
Emerging opportunities and strategies to address challenges in these four areas that have been identified as priority sectors by both the Indian and Canadian governments will be the themes of this Conference. One of the objectives of this Conference is to gather experts and a new cadre of researchers to discuss their contributions to higher learning while weaving academic and institutional collaborations between Canada and India. It is expected that strategic recommendations will be derived from the Conference that will contribute to sustained academic and institutional partnerships.
Call for Papers
Papers are invited from faculty, post-doctoral researchers, and doctoral students from Shastri member institutions, as well as faculty/researchers from non-member institutions to present and share work that has been completed or is currently progressing in these four areas. The papers could be the outcome of research funded by the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute or by other agencies, universities or research institutions. We particularly encourage submissions that develop inter-disciplinary themes.
Abstract of Papers must be submitted by April 30, 2013, to Dr. Prachi Kaul, Programme Officer, Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute by email at [email protected]. Authors must indicate the focus area for which they would like their paper to be considered.
Important Dates
April 30, 2013: Deadline for Submission of Abstracts
May 15, 2013: Acceptance Notification
June 1, 2013: Conference
Travel and Accommodation
Economy class air-fare within India, and local accommodation in New Delhi, will be provided to out-station scholars whose papers have been selected for presentation at the Conference. Travel and accommodation arrangements/ reimbursements will be done according to the travel and accommodation policy of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute.
Conference Coordinators:
Dr. Biju Paul Abraham, IIM Calcutta, and Dr. Ravishankar Rao, Mangalore University
Executive Council
Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute
5 BhaiVir Singh Marg,
New Delhi – 110 001, India.
Telephone: 91-11-2374-6417/3114, Fax: 91-11-2374-6416.
Website: www.sici.org.in
Email: [email protected]
MP Shory: Canada does not consider India a poor country
Calgary, AB, April 2, 2013 – “Indians and Canadians of Indian descent should be proud of India’s strong economy, particularly that it is no longer considered a poor developing country,” said Devinder Shory, MP (Calgary Northeast) in response to concerns raised by some that Canada was removing India from the list of countries under the General Preferential Tariff (GPT).
As part of Economic Action Plan 2013 the Canadian Government removed India, along with several other BRIC countries, such as Brazil, China, and Russia from the special tariff deduction list. Countries were placed on this list back in 1974 based on criteria set by the World Bank, and had lower tariffs applied to their exports in a bid to give preferential access to the Canadian market for poor developing countries. The removal from the special tariff deduction list will be effective January 1, 2015.
“Removal from the special tariff deduction list is evidence of how far India has come during this period. Its economy is growing each and every year and this growth has lifted millions of people out of poverty and into long-term prosperity.”
“The good news, said MP Shory, is that Canada and India are currently negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Trade between our two countries could reach $15 billion by 2015, and the agreement, once signed, will help to increase trade between our countries.”
“The removal of India from the GPT will encourage both our governments to finish trade agreement negotiations by the end 2013, which is the target set by both our governments. The goal of the negotiations is not only to eliminate or reduce tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade, but also to increase and improve investment and expansion opportunities for businesses from both countries. Once the trade agreement is signed there will be no discernible impact from removing India from the GPT.”
Colleges should focus on health research
Source: The Times Of India
BANGALORE: Our mushrooming higher education institutions are of little help, unless they lay emphasis on quality education, and health institutions focus on community-oriented research, especially malnutrition.
Every year, the government focuses on setting up new professional colleges. Instead, it should give importance to quality education and research, which Karnataka lacks, when compared to other progressive states.
Health institutions should concentrate on public health and community-oriented research. Many children in North Karnataka suffer from malnutrition; research on its eradication will be helpful to society. The institutions could also study ways to bring down infant mortality rate, besides focusing on nutritional aspects for a healthy society.
Research should also be taken up on tropical and sub-tropical diseases, besides water-borne illnesses, dengue and malaria. While western countries have managed to eradicate malaria, it is still prevalent in India, and we are yet to find lasting solutions to such issues.
The government should improve the quality of BSc and MSc courses, and put them on par with international standards. Scientific temper is missing, though we have many facilities and centres like the Indian Institute of Science and NAAC headquarters in Bangalore.
At KLE University, we are giving importance to community-oriented research; even the health secretary of the USA visited our centre to know more about it. Public Health Foundation had approached KLE to undertake research on public health centres, for which Manitoba University from Canada has come forward to help.
The government has also failed to come up with long-term policy. If it focuses on health education, we can think of a bright future ahead.
The person:
Chandrakant Kokate was appointed first vice-chancellor of KLE University in March 2006. He has 40 years of experience in academics, research and administration. He was also vice-chancellor of Kakatiya University and Nagarjuna University. He was a visiting scientist in Germany.
He served as president of the Pharmacy Council of India from 1998 to 2003. He held positions in All India Council for Technical Education, National Assessment and Accreditation Council, University Grants Commissions Committee for Deemed Universities, Defence Research and Development Organisation and Drugs Technical Advisory Board. He has received many national awards and citations, including the Indira Priyadarishini National Award and Best Teacher Award.
Priority:
More emphasis on quality higher education. The quality of BSc and MSc courses should be on par with international standards. Research quality should be improved.
In North Karnataka, many children are suffering from malnutrition. Health research should focus on malnutrition, infant mortality and nutrition for a healthy society.
Quote:
The government should focus on quality higher education instead of quantity higher education. Apart from this, quality research and long-term government policies are needed. Health institutions should give more importance to community-oriented research and also take up malnutrition.
School enrolment rate up
Source: The Times of India
GURGAON: The dropout rate at primary and upper primary levels in government schools in Haryana is reportedly 1% and 2% respectively while the gross enrolment ratio has considerably improved.
The government has taken steps to ensure that basic facilities including uniform, text books and work books are available to children in the age group of 6-14 years. State education minister Geeta Bhukkal said social mobilization programmes have been started in Mewat district to encourage enrolment and ensure every child in the area goes to school. Programmes such as Jajba-e-Taleem and Dastak-e-Taleem have recently been started in the district, under which members of school management committees, NGOs and eminent citizens conducted door-to-door survey to ensure 100% enrolment of students in schools.
Another programme, ‘Pravesh Utsav’, has also been launched in all the government schools across the state for the enrolment, retention and transition of students for classes I, VI, IX and XI. The target is to bring all children in the age group of 6-18 years in the mainstream of education. The school management committees (SMCs) have been constituted in all the schools in Haryana and funds are being directly transferred to SMCs for decentralization of power and their strengthening.
Bhukkal said all private schools in the state must have certificate of registration as per RTE norms. All such schools have been asked to get themselves recognized and after the implementation of RTE Act, recognition is compulsory for all private schools.
The Haryana State Teachers Selection Board has been established for regular and timely recruitment of teachers. As many as 8,403 junior basic trained (JBT) teachers and 1,910 masters have recently been posted in schools across the state. Recruitment of 9,870 JBT teachers is under underway. Apart from this, rationalization of JBT teachers as per RTE norms has also been done for improving the quality of education as well as maintaining the right student-teacher ratio.
UK, U.S., Canada universities to invite Indian students
Source: India Blooms News Service via Indian Economic Business News
Over 35 leading universities from the UK, U.S. and Canada would come together to woo Indian students to their countries for higher education. IDP Education, the world’s leading student placement service provider and co-owner of IELTS examination, hosted the second edition of its multi-destination education fair in India from Feb 15. Spread over a period of two weeks, the fair will kick-start from Chandigarh and conclude in the southern city of Kochi on Feb 25. The fair will see over 40 universities, and colleges from the UK, U.S. and Canada hold dialogue with Indian students aspiring to pursue higher education in internationally acclaimed institutions. IDP’s Education Fair will offer students the opportunity to explore under one roof, various study options available across the three western nations. The fair will be held in the cities of Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Kochi. Close to 80,000 Indian students go abroad for higher studies every year to the five English speaking countries, namely Australia, UK, U.S, Canada and New Zealand.
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