Big push for higher education

In a big push for higher education, the government on January 21 cleared a string of proposals to start 374 model colleges in educationally backward districts, double fellowships for researchers and interconnect 1,500 institutions through high-speed data communication network. At its meetings on Thursday, the Union cabinet and its committees also cleared a proposal to launch a pilot project to deliver urban facilities in rural areas. The ambitious scheme to Provide Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) will be implemented through a publicprivate partnership. The rural development ministry hopes to start the scheme after this month. The restructured PURA, a pet project of former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, got clearance for a plan outlay of Rs. 248 crore. “We hope we will be able to start this project after this month. We will do it as soon as possible,” Union Minister C.P.Joshi said.

The cabinet decided to double the number of Junior Research Fellowship through CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test, an official statement said. In the 11th Plan (2007-12), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research proposes to provide fellowships for about 12,000 students at a cost of Rs. 444.34 crore. The biggest beneficiaries of the programme will be universities and science institutes as they will be able to attract bright minds for research.

A model college set up under the scheme cleared on Thursday will cost the government about Rs. 8 crore and provide education to about 190,000 students per year. The scheme will cost a total of Rs. 2,992 crore, including central share of Rs. 1,079 crore. The government proposes to set up 200 colleges in the remaining period of the 11th Plan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced the setting up of model colleges in 2007 to help increase the gross enrolment ratio in educationally backward districts.

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure also accorded its in-principle nod to setting up of the national knowledge network to be implemented by the National Informatics Centre. The National Knowledge Commission had recommended linking all knowledge institutions through high-speed data communication network to encourage sharing of knowledge, specialised resources and collaborative research, Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy said.

Source: Hindustan Times, January 22, 2010

Big push for higher education

In a big push for higher education, the government on January 21 cleared a string of proposals to start 374 model colleges in educationally backward districts, double fellowships for researchers and interconnect 1,500 institutions through high-speed data communication network. At its meetings on Thursday, the Union cabinet and its committees also cleared a proposal to launch a pilot project to deliver urban facilities in rural areas. The ambitious scheme to Provide Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) will be implemented through a publicprivate partnership. The rural development ministry hopes to start the scheme after this month. The restructured PURA, a pet project of former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, got clearance for a plan outlay of Rs. 248 crore. “We hope we will be able to start this project after this month. We will do it as soon as possible,” Union Minister C.P.Joshi said.

The cabinet decided to double the number of Junior Research Fellowship through CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test, an official statement said. In the 11th Plan (2007-12), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research proposes to provide fellowships for about 12,000 students at a cost of Rs. 444.34 crore. The biggest beneficiaries of the programme will be universities and science institutes as they will be able to attract bright minds for research.

A model college set up under the scheme cleared on Thursday will cost the government about Rs. 8 crore and provide education to about 190,000 students per year. The scheme will cost a total of Rs. 2,992 crore, including central share of Rs. 1,079 crore. The government proposes to set up 200 colleges in the remaining period of the 11th Plan. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced the setting up of model colleges in 2007 to help increase the gross enrolment ratio in educationally backward districts.

The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure also accorded its in-principle nod to setting up of the national knowledge network to be implemented by the National Informatics Centre. The National Knowledge Commission had recommended linking all knowledge institutions through high-speed data communication network to encourage sharing of knowledge, specialised resources and collaborative research, Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy said.

Source: Hindustan Times, January 22, 2010

Australia to tighten immigration process

In the wake of continuing attacks on Indian students, Australia is planning to make immigration rules tougher so that only genuine Indian students go there for higher studies and not the ones who look for backdoor entry for employment. Canberra has also commissioned an external review to see how to tighten the process of weeding out private educational institutions that do not measure up to standards. We want criteria for registration to make it tougher. We have introduced legislation in Parliament to do that, Australian high commissioner Peter Varghese said. He was answering questions on what Australia was doing to cut down on students going from India for non-specialised courses and end up doing unskilled work.

Varghese said a very large number of students go to Australia to train in institutions not run by government which fall short of quality and they were being closed down. The external review would take care of this problem. He said there was a mismatch between the profile of many of the applicants and the courses they were opting for in Australia. Varghese said Australia has decided to implement visa rules rigorously to ensure that genuine students go there for study. He was answering questions on what Australia was doing to cut down on students going from India for non-specialised courses and end up doing unskilled work.

Australia to tighten immigration process

In the wake of continuing attacks on Indian students, Australia is planning to make immigration rules tougher so that only genuine Indian students go there for higher studies and not the ones who look for backdoor entry for employment. Canberra has also commissioned an external review to see how to tighten the process of weeding out private educational institutions that do not measure up to standards. We want criteria for registration to make it tougher. We have introduced legislation in Parliament to do that, Australian high commissioner Peter Varghese said. He was answering questions on what Australia was doing to cut down on students going from India for non-specialised courses and end up doing unskilled work.

Varghese said a very large number of students go to Australia to train in institutions not run by government which fall short of quality and they were being closed down. The external review would take care of this problem. He said there was a mismatch between the profile of many of the applicants and the courses they were opting for in Australia. Varghese said Australia has decided to implement visa rules rigorously to ensure that genuine students go there for study. He was answering questions on what Australia was doing to cut down on students going from India for non-specialised courses and end up doing unskilled work.

HRD frames rules for right to education rollout

In a significant step towards notification of the Right to Education Act, HRD ministry has finalised the model rules for states for implementation of the new law. The model rules finally define the concept of neighbourhood schools and make it clear that there will no discrimination against the 25% children from weaker and disadvantaged groups who will get reservation. Also, the minimum qualification for teachers can be relaxed only by the Centre and the period should not exceed three years. The relaxation has to take place within five years of the commencement of the Act.

Each state will have to set up a state commission for the protection of child rights and in the interim period they can have a Right to Education Protection Authority. A State Advisory Council will be the highest body to oversee RTEs implementation. There has been considerable confusion about what neighbourhood schools mean. As per the model rules finalised now, a neighbourhood school for class I to V means an institution that exists within one kilometre . For class VI to VIII, neighbourhood schools will be within three kilometres. The rules also ask the states to upgrade the existing class I-V schools to include classes VI-VIII . The model rules also make it clear that in case there is no school within the prescribed distance, the state government will make arrangement for free transportation and residential facilities. States have been asked to carry out a detailed school mapping for establishing neighbourhood schools.

Source: The Times of India, January 21, 2010

HRD frames rules for right to education rollout

In a significant step towards notification of the Right to Education Act, HRD ministry has finalised the model rules for states for implementation of the new law. The model rules finally define the concept of neighbourhood schools and make it clear that there will no discrimination against the 25% children from weaker and disadvantaged groups who will get reservation. Also, the minimum qualification for teachers can be relaxed only by the Centre and the period should not exceed three years. The relaxation has to take place within five years of the commencement of the Act.

Each state will have to set up a state commission for the protection of child rights and in the interim period they can have a Right to Education Protection Authority. A State Advisory Council will be the highest body to oversee RTEs implementation. There has been considerable confusion about what neighbourhood schools mean. As per the model rules finalised now, a neighbourhood school for class I to V means an institution that exists within one kilometre . For class VI to VIII, neighbourhood schools will be within three kilometres. The rules also ask the states to upgrade the existing class I-V schools to include classes VI-VIII . The model rules also make it clear that in case there is no school within the prescribed distance, the state government will make arrangement for free transportation and residential facilities. States have been asked to carry out a detailed school mapping for establishing neighbourhood schools.

Source: The Times of India, January 21, 2010

UGC funded undeserving universities

Many of the deemed universities including those now doomed to lose that prized status have been thriving on large sums of taxpayer money. Whether it was for ostensible construction of buildings or even for something as vague as promoting excellence UGC (University Grants commission) has over the years generously funded the dreams of many a deemed university. UGC data reveals that financial support from the government to the deemed varsities ballooned over time, despite the fact that these institutes never offered any subsidised education.

A vice-chancellor of a university in eastern India said, It was a nobrainer. The powerful politicos running the deemed universities slowly made their way into several UGC panels. They have been wielding immense power over the years. The UGC office refused to give the list of deemed universities which received grants over time. However, a member of the P N Tandon Committee noticed that some deemed universities that did not deserve grants were aided by the UGC.

Some patterns emerge. For instance, the money for deemed universities kept rising and more importantly, we can clearly see that the UGC had some favourites among the rotten eggs too, he added. Shockingly, some of names figure in the list of 44 institutes which will lose their deemed status for their deficiencies. For instance, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth received Rs. 181.96 lakh from UGC in 2007-09. Similarly, Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Hardwar, received Rs. 112.78 lakh in the last two years.

Source: The Tims of India, January 20, 2010

UGC funded undeserving universities

Many of the deemed universities including those now doomed to lose that prized status have been thriving on large sums of taxpayer money. Whether it was for ostensible construction of buildings or even for something as vague as promoting excellence UGC (University Grants commission) has over the years generously funded the dreams of many a deemed university. UGC data reveals that financial support from the government to the deemed varsities ballooned over time, despite the fact that these institutes never offered any subsidised education.

A vice-chancellor of a university in eastern India said, It was a nobrainer. The powerful politicos running the deemed universities slowly made their way into several UGC panels. They have been wielding immense power over the years. The UGC office refused to give the list of deemed universities which received grants over time. However, a member of the P N Tandon Committee noticed that some deemed universities that did not deserve grants were aided by the UGC.

Some patterns emerge. For instance, the money for deemed universities kept rising and more importantly, we can clearly see that the UGC had some favourites among the rotten eggs too, he added. Shockingly, some of names figure in the list of 44 institutes which will lose their deemed status for their deficiencies. For instance, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth received Rs. 181.96 lakh from UGC in 2007-09. Similarly, Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Hardwar, received Rs. 112.78 lakh in the last two years.

Source: The Tims of India, January 20, 2010

From deemed to doomed, students see dreams crash

Their expressions swing from hope to despair as their institutes face the threat of losing the coveted deemed university tag. A day after the Central government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court requesting derecognition of 44 deemed universities, students of four such varsities in the NCR were at crossroads, not finding comfort in the reassuring words of their faculty and management. Panic was palpable. A senior student of Santosh University at Pratap Vihar in Ghaziabad said: Its true that there are shortfalls. But we never expected derecognition even though the situation turned from bad to worse after the institute got deemed university status in 2007. Though we have really good teachers, there is hardly any system for recording attendance. Students come and go in their flashy cars. Some don’t even come for exams but still pass.

It was set up as a medical college in 1995 and affiliated to Chaudhry Charan Singh University, Meerut. Dr. Mahalingam was the chairperson of the trust that founded it. Thereafter, it became a deemed university in 2007 and Dr. Mahalingam became its chancellor. At present, two sets of students are enrolled in the institute those who joined before 2007 and are still under CCS University and those who came in later to pursue MBBS, BDS and MDS. The institute charges anything between Rs. 200,000 and Rs. 450,000 from medical students per year. But the high fees may not ensure best facilities, complained a first-year student, adding: We have labs and a proper curriculum but often the senior students drop in to teach if the teachers dont turn up.

However, vice-chancellor Professor V K Arora said: We try and give some teaching experience to PG students. We have nearly 200 teachers in the university. We have not received any information from the government. We will see if our infrastructure was found wanting by the government. But the MCI and the Dental Council of India had no complaints so far. However, the MCI said: We have no business to inspect the infrastructure of a deemed university. Its the role of UGC.

The students at Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT) in Noida, however, put up a brave face even though the authorities almost went into hiding. The students said that their institute had the best infrastructure and was on par with NITs. The security guards at JIIT told Times City that the no official was willing to talk. But the students while dispersing for the day said: There was some flutter at the hostel last night when we heard about the de-recognition . But the authorities showed us a UGC letter issued earlier that mentioned the extension of our deemed university status. Another student, Anant Nath Hira, from first-year, B.Tech., said: Its one of the best institutes in the area. Some of the top rankers from AIEEE join here. The infrastructure and teachers are also perfect. Students also said that the fees was nominal considering it was a private institute. We pay Rs. 160,000 per year including the hostel fees. And we have seen 100% placement in the last few years, a third-year student hoped.

Source: The Times of India, January 20, 2010.

From deemed to doomed, students see dreams crash

Their expressions swing from hope to despair as their institutes face the threat of losing the coveted deemed university tag. A day after the Central government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court requesting derecognition of 44 deemed universities, students of four such varsities in the NCR were at crossroads, not finding comfort in the reassuring words of their faculty and management. Panic was palpable. A senior student of Santosh University at Pratap Vihar in Ghaziabad said: Its true that there are shortfalls. But we never expected derecognition even though the situation turned from bad to worse after the institute got deemed university status in 2007. Though we have really good teachers, there is hardly any system for recording attendance. Students come and go in their flashy cars. Some don’t even come for exams but still pass.

It was set up as a medical college in 1995 and affiliated to Chaudhry Charan Singh University, Meerut. Dr. Mahalingam was the chairperson of the trust that founded it. Thereafter, it became a deemed university in 2007 and Dr. Mahalingam became its chancellor. At present, two sets of students are enrolled in the institute those who joined before 2007 and are still under CCS University and those who came in later to pursue MBBS, BDS and MDS. The institute charges anything between Rs. 200,000 and Rs. 450,000 from medical students per year. But the high fees may not ensure best facilities, complained a first-year student, adding: We have labs and a proper curriculum but often the senior students drop in to teach if the teachers dont turn up.

However, vice-chancellor Professor V K Arora said: We try and give some teaching experience to PG students. We have nearly 200 teachers in the university. We have not received any information from the government. We will see if our infrastructure was found wanting by the government. But the MCI and the Dental Council of India had no complaints so far. However, the MCI said: We have no business to inspect the infrastructure of a deemed university. Its the role of UGC.

The students at Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT) in Noida, however, put up a brave face even though the authorities almost went into hiding. The students said that their institute had the best infrastructure and was on par with NITs. The security guards at JIIT told Times City that the no official was willing to talk. But the students while dispersing for the day said: There was some flutter at the hostel last night when we heard about the de-recognition . But the authorities showed us a UGC letter issued earlier that mentioned the extension of our deemed university status. Another student, Anant Nath Hira, from first-year, B.Tech., said: Its one of the best institutes in the area. Some of the top rankers from AIEEE join here. The infrastructure and teachers are also perfect. Students also said that the fees was nominal considering it was a private institute. We pay Rs. 160,000 per year including the hostel fees. And we have seen 100% placement in the last few years, a third-year student hoped.

Source: The Times of India, January 20, 2010.