India unveils $30 laptop designed for students

India today unveiled a Rs. 1,500 (around $30) laptop designed specifically for students. “If more companies decide to manufacture a similar device, prices will come down automatically”, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said after unveiling the low cost-access-cum computing device here. The device would be made available to students in 2011. When the ministry floated the concept of a low cost laptop some years ago, officials said it would cost Rs. 500 ($10). It will now cost about three times the initial projections. The ministry expects the prices to drop to Rs. 1,000 ($20) and reach Rs. 500 ($10) as innovations are introduced.

The device, no bigger than a conventional laptop, is a single unit system with a touch screen and a built in key board along with a 2 GB RAM memory, wi-fi connectivity, USB port and powered by a 2-watt system to suit poor power supply areas. “This is real and tangible and we will take it forward. Sun will rise for the Indian students in 2011”, he said.

The ministry also invited private players to produce similar low cost computers. “When we started the project, the response from the private sector was lukewarm. Now many are willing to join the innovation”, Sibal said. The ministry started its efforts by holding discussions on this concept with a group of experts at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras and IIT Bombay, a ministry official said.

The low cost laptops will be distributed in institutions by the HRD ministry. The final price will depend on the transportation cost. “We will give some subsidy on the device. As far as transport is concerned, if the transport cost in less, the government can bear that as well”, Sibal added.

Source: The Economic Times (Online Edition), July 22, 2010

India unveils $30 laptop designed for students

India today unveiled a Rs. 1,500 (around $30) laptop designed specifically for students. “If more companies decide to manufacture a similar device, prices will come down automatically”, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said after unveiling the low cost-access-cum computing device here. The device would be made available to students in 2011. When the ministry floated the concept of a low cost laptop some years ago, officials said it would cost Rs. 500 ($10). It will now cost about three times the initial projections. The ministry expects the prices to drop to Rs. 1,000 ($20) and reach Rs. 500 ($10) as innovations are introduced.

The device, no bigger than a conventional laptop, is a single unit system with a touch screen and a built in key board along with a 2 GB RAM memory, wi-fi connectivity, USB port and powered by a 2-watt system to suit poor power supply areas. “This is real and tangible and we will take it forward. Sun will rise for the Indian students in 2011”, he said.

The ministry also invited private players to produce similar low cost computers. “When we started the project, the response from the private sector was lukewarm. Now many are willing to join the innovation”, Sibal said. The ministry started its efforts by holding discussions on this concept with a group of experts at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras and IIT Bombay, a ministry official said.

The low cost laptops will be distributed in institutions by the HRD ministry. The final price will depend on the transportation cost. “We will give some subsidy on the device. As far as transport is concerned, if the transport cost in less, the government can bear that as well”, Sibal added.

Source: The Economic Times (Online Edition), July 22, 2010

Symbiosis B-school scouts for global tie-ups

The Pune-based Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) is in talks with around seven international institutes to be the content provider and course designer for their courses. The institute has a working tie-up with the Khimji Training Institute LLC, in Muscat and Steinbeis University, Berlin. “We are in talks with close to seven more such institutes in places like Frankfurt. There is a five-week study India programme for the Seidman School of Business and the Grand Valley State University, Michigan. Also, there is a 24-month executive MBA for IBM Germany in collaboration with Steinbeis University, Berlin. On the local front, we run the SIBM Pune weekend Diploma in Finance for executives. We also have a tie-up with the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management”, said Vivek Sane, Director, SIBM.

Ranked among the top five B-schools in the country, SIBM is looking to grow its brand further to gain international recognition. “We believe in one step at a time. Currently, we may not feature in Europe, USA and the like but in May 2010, SIBM received Asia’s best B-school award, presented by CMO Asia and titled the Business School with Best Industry Interface Award”, added Sane.

The institute is also running a lot of initiatives for the benefit of students. Last year, it spent close to Rs. 1 crore on student welfare activities. The institute also conducts a series of guest lectures and panel discussions called Alpaviram, wherein industry biggies come in and share their knowledge with students. “We have a collaboration with Yashaswi Abhiyaan wherein women entrepreneurs come over to share their experiences. Our latest initiative includes a training programme we run with the State Election Board to train elected candidates for leadership communication and the like in their own languages”, added Sane.

Last year, SIBM also started a value added lecture series involving lectures on latest industry trends in the subjects chosen by students. The institute also offers customised executive diplomas in business management for corporate for which it has tie ups with companies like Godrej, WNS, Avaya, Zensar, Wipro. “We deliver lectures on their grounds for the same. We have even innovated a diploma in business management for our engineering students”, said Sane. For this academic year, SIBM is laying emphasis on bringing the industry’s best practices to the classroom.

Source: Business Standard, July 19, 2010

Symbiosis B-school scouts for global tie-ups

The Pune-based Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) is in talks with around seven international institutes to be the content provider and course designer for their courses. The institute has a working tie-up with the Khimji Training Institute LLC, in Muscat and Steinbeis University, Berlin. “We are in talks with close to seven more such institutes in places like Frankfurt. There is a five-week study India programme for the Seidman School of Business and the Grand Valley State University, Michigan. Also, there is a 24-month executive MBA for IBM Germany in collaboration with Steinbeis University, Berlin. On the local front, we run the SIBM Pune weekend Diploma in Finance for executives. We also have a tie-up with the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management”, said Vivek Sane, Director, SIBM.

Ranked among the top five B-schools in the country, SIBM is looking to grow its brand further to gain international recognition. “We believe in one step at a time. Currently, we may not feature in Europe, USA and the like but in May 2010, SIBM received Asia’s best B-school award, presented by CMO Asia and titled the Business School with Best Industry Interface Award“, added Sane.

The institute is also running a lot of initiatives for the benefit of students. Last year, it spent close to Rs. 1 crore on student welfare activities. The institute also conducts a series of guest lectures and panel discussions called Alpaviram, wherein industry biggies come in and share their knowledge with students. “We have a collaboration with Yashaswi Abhiyaan wherein women entrepreneurs come over to share their experiences. Our latest initiative includes a training programme we run with the State Election Board to train elected candidates for leadership communication and the like in their own languages”, added Sane.

Last year, SIBM also started a value added lecture series involving lectures on latest industry trends in the subjects chosen by students. The institute also offers customised executive diplomas in business management for corporate for which it has tie ups with companies like Godrej, WNS, Avaya, Zensar, Wipro. “We deliver lectures on their grounds for the same. We have even innovated a diploma in business management for our engineering students”, said Sane. For this academic year, SIBM is laying emphasis on bringing the industry’s best practices to the classroom.

Source: Business Standard, July 19, 2010

CET for IITs and engg institutes by 2011

The decision to conduct a single test or a common admission test (CET) for admission to the IITs and engineering institutes across the country, is likely to be finalised by the end of this year. While speaking to mediapersons after addressing the 56th annual convocation of IIT-Kharagpur, the Union human resource development minister, Mr. Kapil Sibal, said the panel of IIT directors, headed by IIT-Kharagpur Director, Prof. Damodar Acharya, will submit their report on conducting a common examination system by July, following which the ministry will go through their suggestions. “There have been many proposals and after going through the panel’s report, the ministry will choose the best suitable system”, said Mr Sibal.

Mr. Sibal had appointed the panel to explore the possibility of replacing the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and other engineering exams held across the country with a single entrance test, with a focus on “general aptitude” and not knowledge of specific subjects. Mr. Sibal said there is a serious need to change the present examination system, where a student has to appear for 20 to 30 admission tests. Sitting for so many tests puts an enormous burden on the students and we cannot allow this to happen, he said.

Lashing out at the private coaching centres, Mr. Sibal said only rich families are able to send their wards to the coaching centres that prepare students for the IIT-JEE and this gives some students an additional advantage. But, students from poor families are not so privileged. Moreover, admitting students trained in coaching centres to the IITs is not the best way to get the best students, he added.

Mr. Sibal supported the views of Mr. B Muthuraman, Chairman of the Board of Governors over laying stress on research and postgraduate studies. During his convocation speech, Mr. Muthuraman had said that the old IITs like the IIT-Kharagpur should lay more stress on PG and research while the newly established IITs should focus on undergraduate studies.

Mr. Sibal laid the foundation stones of four buildings, Nalanda Academic Complex, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Hall of Residence, Chanakya Hall of Residence and Gurukul-I. During the convocation ceremony, Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) was awarded to Dr. Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission, Prof. K.L. Chopra, scientist, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, flute maestro, Prof. Goverdhan Mehta, scientist and Mr. Shiv Nadar, HCL’s founder chairman.

Source: The Statesman, July 18, 2010

CET for IITs and engg institutes by 2011

The decision to conduct a single test or a common admission test (CET) for admission to the IITs and engineering institutes across the country, is likely to be finalised by the end of this year. While speaking to mediapersons after addressing the 56th annual convocation of IIT-Kharagpur, the Union human resource development minister, Mr. Kapil Sibal, said the panel of IIT directors, headed by IIT-Kharagpur Director, Prof. Damodar Acharya, will submit their report on conducting a common examination system by July, following which the ministry will go through their suggestions. “There have been many proposals and after going through the panel’s report, the ministry will choose the best suitable system”, said Mr Sibal.

Mr. Sibal had appointed the panel to explore the possibility of replacing the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and other engineering exams held across the country with a single entrance test, with a focus on “general aptitude” and not knowledge of specific subjects. Mr. Sibal said there is a serious need to change the present examination system, where a student has to appear for 20 to 30 admission tests. Sitting for so many tests puts an enormous burden on the students and we cannot allow this to happen, he said.

Lashing out at the private coaching centres, Mr. Sibal said only rich families are able to send their wards to the coaching centres that prepare students for the IIT-JEE and this gives some students an additional advantage. But, students from poor families are not so privileged. Moreover, admitting students trained in coaching centres to the IITs is not the best way to get the best students, he added.

Mr. Sibal supported the views of Mr. B Muthuraman, Chairman of the Board of Governors over laying stress on research and postgraduate studies. During his convocation speech, Mr. Muthuraman had said that the old IITs like the IIT-Kharagpur should lay more stress on PG and research while the newly established IITs should focus on undergraduate studies.

Mr. Sibal laid the foundation stones of four buildings, Nalanda Academic Complex, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Hall of Residence, Chanakya Hall of Residence and Gurukul-I. During the convocation ceremony, Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) was awarded to Dr. Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission, Prof. K.L. Chopra, scientist, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, flute maestro, Prof. Goverdhan Mehta, scientist and Mr. Shiv Nadar, HCL’s founder chairman.

Source: The Statesman, July 18, 2010

Bharti’s Mittal putting more money aside for education

Having helped with the transformation of India through the power of communication, Sunil Mittal, the founder of the country’s largest mobile phone operator — Airtel, is channeling his wealth towards education for poor children that has the power to change their destiny. Right now, Mittal’s philanthropy through the Bharti Foundation has touched the lives of 30,000 underprivileged children and the telecom czar has pledged to put more money aside to expand this number to at least 100,000. In 2000, when the telecom sector was in the midst of a revolution, Mittal realised that connecting communities in small towns and villages through mobiles was not enough. They needed the power of education. And the Bharti Foundation was set up to make this possible.

In an interview with PTI, Mittal said: “The focus of the foundation is education for the poor in the villages. Nearly 30,000 students are already there in 236 schools. We are determined to take it to 1,00,000. This will be the single largest intervention by any corporate in the history of this country”. Mittal has already donated Rs. 200 crore (Rs. 2 billion) towards various educational initiatives.

The first generation entrepreneur, who has been ranked among the top philanthropists in the country, feels that money is not going to be a limiting factor for his initiative. “Whenever money is required, we will put in cash”, he said. Mittal, who started his business as a bicycle manufacturer and is now leading the over US$ 8 billion business conglomerate Bharti Enterprises, is also ready to part with his stake in the company for charity. “We will put in cash or (dilute) stake” whenever required, he added.

The company he founded is the largest mobile phone operator in terms of subscribers in a country where mobile phones are seen as a tool for economic empowerment. Everyone from fishermen to street vendors use mobile phones across the country, thus gaining access to information such as the market price they need for growing their business.
At Bharti Enterprises, there is absolute belief in education being the most important tool for social and economic development in India. This belief is what led to the launch of the Satya Bharti School Programme in 2006. Currently, 236 Satya Bharti Primary Schools are operational, reaching out to approximately 30,000 children across the states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Of these 236 schools, 49 schools are adopted government-run schools, reaching out to about 6,000 children across the Neemrana and Amer blocks of Rajasthan.

Mittal, a recipient of the country’s third highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan, believes that this initiative will help him give back to the society what the society gave to him.

Source: The Economic Times, July 18, 2010

Bharti’s Mittal putting more money aside for education

Having helped with the transformation of India through the power of communication, Sunil Mittal, the founder of the country’s largest mobile phone operator — Airtel, is channeling his wealth towards education for poor children that has the power to change their destiny. Right now, Mittal’s philanthropy through the Bharti Foundation has touched the lives of 30,000 underprivileged children and the telecom czar has pledged to put more money aside to expand this number to at least 100,000. In 2000, when the telecom sector was in the midst of a revolution, Mittal realised that connecting communities in small towns and villages through mobiles was not enough. They needed the power of education. And the Bharti Foundation was set up to make this possible.

In an interview with PTI, Mittal said: “The focus of the foundation is education for the poor in the villages. Nearly 30,000 students are already there in 236 schools. We are determined to take it to 1,00,000. This will be the single largest intervention by any corporate in the history of this country”. Mittal has already donated Rs. 200 crore (Rs. 2 billion) towards various educational initiatives.

The first generation entrepreneur, who has been ranked among the top philanthropists in the country, feels that money is not going to be a limiting factor for his initiative. “Whenever money is required, we will put in cash”, he said. Mittal, who started his business as a bicycle manufacturer and is now leading the over US$ 8 billion business conglomerate Bharti Enterprises, is also ready to part with his stake in the company for charity. “We will put in cash or (dilute) stake” whenever required, he added.

The company he founded is the largest mobile phone operator in terms of subscribers in a country where mobile phones are seen as a tool for economic empowerment. Everyone from fishermen to street vendors use mobile phones across the country, thus gaining access to information such as the market price they need for growing their business.
At Bharti Enterprises, there is absolute belief in education being the most important tool for social and economic development in India. This belief is what led to the launch of the Satya Bharti School Programme in 2006. Currently, 236 Satya Bharti Primary Schools are operational, reaching out to approximately 30,000 children across the states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Of these 236 schools, 49 schools are adopted government-run schools, reaching out to about 6,000 children across the Neemrana and Amer blocks of Rajasthan.

Mittal, a recipient of the country’s third highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan, believes that this initiative will help him give back to the society what the society gave to him.

Source: The Economic Times, July 18, 2010

CBSE to introduce full-time vocational courses this year

Students bored with the regular Science, Arts and Commerce subjects finally have a wider choice of courses to choose from. The CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) will this year introduce full-fledged vocational courses — equivalent to a Higher Secondary School Certificate —- in Media studies & Film Appreciation, Geo-spatial Practices and Hospitality and Management.To begin with, the Media Studies course will be started in 10 schools in Delhi, 6 in Mumbai and 4 in Pune while the Geo-Spatial course, that will focus mainly on cartograpgy and GIS-based mapping, will be available in 9 schools in Delhi, 3 in Kolkata and 1 in Mumbai.

CBSE has roped in Subhash Ghai’s Whistling Woods Institute and Rolta India Limited — agreements will be signed on July 19 — to help train teachers and devise curriculum for Mass Media Studies and Geospatial Practices courses respectively. A tie-up with the Union Tourism Ministry is also on cards for a course in Hospitality and Management, with focus on Food and Beverages.Students can opt for a vocational course and skip the regular Science, Arts and Commerce courses if they so wish. Otherwise, they can also take any of these as an add-on to three Science or Arts subjects.

But HRD Ministry does not want to limit the vocational courses to the 10,000 CBSE schools only. It is working on a Rs. 2,000 crore plan to set up 2,500 vocational schools across the country —- at least one Model Vocational School with at least six vocations on offer in every district. Existing schools can also start Vocational Studies Units. Headed by a Deputy Principal or Vice Principal, the unit, complete with a workshop and linkages with local industry, will offer full fledged vocational courses. HRD Ministry will facilitate their tie-ups with industry and institutes. The only glitch in the plan is that Planning Commission views it as rather expensive.

“We will begin with a smaller number of schools this year. Next year the courses will be introduced in more number of schools”, an HRD Ministry official said. “Schools are, in fact, showing a lot of interest in vocational courses”. CBSE had earlier introduced a vocational course in Financial Markets Management with the help of NSE. Success of the course prompted the board to introduce the new courses.

Source: Indian Express, July 18, 2010

CBSE to introduce full-time vocational courses this year

Students bored with the regular Science, Arts and Commerce subjects finally have a wider choice of courses to choose from. The CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) will this year introduce full-fledged vocational courses — equivalent to a Higher Secondary School Certificate —- in Media studies & Film Appreciation, Geo-spatial Practices and Hospitality and Management.To begin with, the Media Studies course will be started in 10 schools in Delhi, 6 in Mumbai and 4 in Pune while the Geo-Spatial course, that will focus mainly on cartograpgy and GIS-based mapping, will be available in 9 schools in Delhi, 3 in Kolkata and 1 in Mumbai.

CBSE has roped in Subhash Ghai’s Whistling Woods Institute and Rolta India Limited — agreements will be signed on July 19 — to help train teachers and devise curriculum for Mass Media Studies and Geospatial Practices courses respectively. A tie-up with the Union Tourism Ministry is also on cards for a course in Hospitality and Management, with focus on Food and Beverages.Students can opt for a vocational course and skip the regular Science, Arts and Commerce courses if they so wish. Otherwise, they can also take any of these as an add-on to three Science or Arts subjects.

But HRD Ministry does not want to limit the vocational courses to the 10,000 CBSE schools only. It is working on a Rs. 2,000 crore plan to set up 2,500 vocational schools across the country —- at least one Model Vocational School with at least six vocations on offer in every district. Existing schools can also start Vocational Studies Units. Headed by a Deputy Principal or Vice Principal, the unit, complete with a workshop and linkages with local industry, will offer full fledged vocational courses. HRD Ministry will facilitate their tie-ups with industry and institutes. The only glitch in the plan is that Planning Commission views it as rather expensive.

“We will begin with a smaller number of schools this year. Next year the courses will be introduced in more number of schools”, an HRD Ministry official said. “Schools are, in fact, showing a lot of interest in vocational courses”. CBSE had earlier introduced a vocational course in Financial Markets Management with the help of NSE. Success of the course prompted the board to introduce the new courses.

Source: Indian Express, July 18, 2010