Government to connect higher education institutes

At least 15 million college students pursuing higher education will be able to share information, lab experiments and classroom content as the Union cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to connect 572 universities, 25,000 colleges and 2,000 polytechnics as part of its mission to promote technology usage in higher education.

This approval will merge the National Knowledge Network, promoted by the erstwhile National Knowledge Commission, and the National Mission on Education through Information Communication and Technology (NMEICT). With this, all colleges and universities can hope for seamless connectivity that will enable e-learning, and enhance e-content repository and sharing of best practices.

“The ultimate target is to provide last-mile connectivity and provide high-quality e-content to be used with the connectivity being provided to the universities and colleges across the country,” Ambika Soni​, Union minister for Information and Broadcasting, said after a cabinet meeting. In colleges and universities with Internet access, the technology will be upgraded to optical fibre cables from copper wire-based connectivity, the cabinet note says. Every institute will have a “provisioning of 400 nodes of LAN (local area network) on an average.”

Initially, the government had approved connecting 18,000 colleges and 419 universities. The addition of polytechnics is a part of the government’s push to promote vocational and skill education to bridge the demand-supply gap for efficient human resources in the country. The government has not specified the amount to be spent on the initiative.

Since 2009, only 11,600 colleges have got Internet connectivity—a success rate of 47%, according to data from the human resource development ministry. States that have benefited include Haryana, Punjab, Kerala and Karnataka. Once seamless connectivity is established, students will have complete access to the e-content being generated under NMEICT.

Several hundred hours of lectures of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) professors will be available for free. In addition, the ministry is promoting a virtual lab and an interactive online audio tutorial. In October, the government launched a low-cost computer for students. But both government and private experts have said such devices will not drive a change in learning unless college have access to the Internet. With the latest decision to improve connectivity, the $35 computer can be used better despite its several configuration limitations. Human resource development minister Kapil Sibal​ had said the device ‘Aakash’ will help eliminate digital illiteracy, but the country needs high-quality study content to be made accessible to students online.

Private universities say the move is a good step, but Internet connectivity and e-content need to be integrated for students to benefit. Aman Mittal, deputy director at Punjab’s Lovely Professional University, said the facility is unlikely to be free. “This is a good step as students and professors can now access a lot of information available outside their own campus. But what is required is to boost the e-content repository and clear framework on how to use it better,” he said. “But anyway, availing IIT lectures will be of help to students.”

Colleges and universities that have already adopted technology will benefit more, he said. “But I believe there should be some agreed framework on the usage. If a lecture series is happening at any IIT or a leading varsity, we can benefit if there is some broad agreement on content sharing.” India has some 130 private universities, according to official statistics.

Source: Mint, November 2, 2011

BlackBerry ties up with EdServ for mobile education

Eyeing leadership status in the mobile education space, Chennai-based education support services company EdServ has tied-up with BlackBerry to provide online education content on smartphones. EdServ’s wide range of educational content on its flagship education portal, http://www.Lampsglow.Com, will now be available in an application, ‘HumThum App’, in the BlackBerry Apps Store of BlackBerry smartphones worldwide, said EdServ Chairman and CEO S. Giridharan.

“Through this tie-up with BlackBerry, we will provide the entire online education content that includes tuition, academics, skill development and test prep services on the BlackBerry smartphone,” he told PTI here. EdServ is targeting a customer base of one crore and revenues of Rs. 200 crore (Rs. 2 billion) from mobile learning services within the next three years and is eyeing leadership status in the mobile education space, he said.

EdServ’s ‘HumThum app’ has a PDF converter that will change the BlackBerry smartphone into a mobile scanner or a photocopier. HumThum app also has a ‘Talking Dictionary’ that will provide pronunciation and the meaning of any English word.

On the overall growth proje ctions for EdServ, he said the company expects to register a 50 per cent growth in revenues this year and is targeting to end the year with revenues of Rs. 180 crore (Rs. 1.8 billion), compared to Rs. 122 crore (Rs. 1.22 billion) last year. It expects to maintain profitability at 30 per cent of the topline and is targeting a profit after tax of Rs. 55 crore (Rs. 550 million) this year. EdServ expects 100 per cent growth in customer traffic on its portal, http://www.Lampsglow.Com, this year, he said. The customer base was also expected to more than double this year from the existing customer base of 150,000, he said.

Answering a query about investment plans, Giridharan said the company was finalising plans to raise capital for ongoing expansion and infrastructure development and the funds could be raised through Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds and GDRs to be rolled out by the middle of August this year.

Source: http://www.smartinvestor.in

Soon, virtual varsity for tech education

Here is good news for the students wishing to take up distance learning but apprehensive of the lesser value attached to the technical degrees obtained from these courses as compared to those from regular streams. The Centre is planning to establish a virtual university that will impart training on diverse technical areas to the undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as the newly recruited teachers through flexible, credit-based correspondence courses.

The proposed Virtual Technical University (VTU) will offer programmes in the fields of science, technology, management, architecture, pharmacy and other areas of applied knowledge. It would come up as part of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT), an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

“There is no question on the feasibility of the virtual university because the world is moving in that direction. We only need to implement it and though the idea has not come before the board as yet, we expect the varsity to be there in the current Plan period (2007-12),” said M. Anandakrishnan, Chairman, Board of Governors, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur.

The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) has a virtual university that enables off-campus students to avail of the facilities offered to a normal on-campus student registered under the same programme and get a degree from BITS. “The piecemeal approach to distance learning is leading to its misuse and a quality check is needed. The education system is large enough to accept another type of distance learning model besides IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University),” added Anandakrishnan.

The university will use video courses, web-based learning material and live lectures using satellite and internet-based technologies. The VTU will have a repository of video courses created by experts in the field, a website that will host learning material while live lectures will be delivered using satellite and Internet technologies. The virtual university may also have five different schools — one each on developing teaching methodology, engineering sciences, natural sciences, management sciences and human sciences.

The school of education will look at developing inner and outer strength of the individuals and their emotional intelligence while that of engineering would focus on different disciplines of engineering. The school of management sciences will look at industrial and management engineering. Human sciences like economics and humanities would be catered to by the school of human sciences. A high-powered panel set up by the ministry for faculty development in technical institutes had recommended that each school float a suitable number of courses in order to cater to the need of various disciplines associated with the school.

It was envisaged that VTU shall have at least 300 courses for the school of engineering sciences and engage a large pool of talented faculty from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and other institutions and retired faculty.

Source: The Financial Express, May 16, 2011

>IIM-Ranchi to start parallel MBA courses

>Indian Institute of Management-Ranchi (IIM-R) will begin parallel MBA courses, with a focus on specialisation in data analytics, human resource management and banking and finance management from June, 2012. IIM-R is eighth in the now 50-year old history of Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs).

The courses, according to IIM-R Director M.J. Xavier would serve two basic aims. First, these would aid in bringing diversity to the campus, where at present, an overwhelming majority of the students are male engineers. Secondly, it would help IIM-R establish a niche for itself as a management institute and carve out an identity within the larger IIM system.

“I have stated earlier as well, that I am not going to try and force diversity in the campus. If the majority of the students who make the cut are male engineers, so be it. The parallel courses will deal with issues of diversity within the campus, while helping in the creation of courses that are relevant given the changing context,” Xavier said.

The much coveted IIMs across the country currently offer a standard post graduate diploma in business management (PGDBM). The institutes had recently come under attack from critics who argue the system is exclusionary in nature and is largely skewed in favour of candidates with an engineering background.

Xavier, however, feels the need at present is for the IIM system to remodel itself in keeping with the demands of the times, and offer various courses which would be more inclusive of diversity, rather than trying to force diversity within the present PGDBM programme. “In keeping with the demands for management students across the world, it is important that IIMs remodel and adapt. These courses will be a stepping stone in that direction,” he explained. Also, this would mean that at IIM-R, which is being mentored by IIM-Calcutta in its first year of operation, would not increase the student strength in the PGDBM programme beyond 60 students.

IIM-R would also implement the concept of smart classrooms, a scheme under which, at a cost of Rs. 6 million, the institute will connect IIM-Tiruchirapalli, Raipur and Rohtak. Technologically, heightened classrooms would connect students across the four institutes giving students across IIMs the advantage of interacting with high-profile visiting faculty.

Source: Business Standard, April 17, 2011

>Online tests gain traction in India

>The first time that the Common Admission Test (CAT) went online, almost everything that could go wrong did. Those seeking admission to India’s top management schools had computers crashing on them, leaving them unable to complete the test and forcing the organisers to offer examinees another go at answering the paper.

But that inauspicious beginning in 2009 marked a watershed of sorts. From being a pencil-and-paper affair, testing in India is giving way to the computerized, online variety. By the time CAT 2010 rolled around, the experience was virtually glitch-free, proving it was an idea whose time had come as the gateway to the Indian tertiary education sector. At least 100,000 students will give computer-based exams to seek a berth in leading engineering colleges in the coming academic session. That’s in addition to the more than 200,000 who apply for the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) through CAT.

Others with online tests include Mumbai’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies and a common one for law schools. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to take the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) online for about 100,000 aspirants, or a tenth of the total, with the rest giving their test offline. The exam, key to securing a berth in leading architecture and engineering schools such as the National Institutes of Technology (NITs), will eventually be fully computerized.

Geetam University of Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat Technology University also have online admission tests. The Management Aptitude Test (MAT) conducted by the All Indian Management Association for entry into nearly 500 private business schools is available in both traditional and online versions.

Online tests offer a window during which they can be written — for instance, 20 days for CAT 2010 and three months for NMAT, the Narsee Monjee exam. This makes them less daunting for examinees. “The computer adaptive exams are reducing stress and becoming a matter of convenience for applicants. Paper-pencil tests are generally one-day affairs. They don’t have the flexibility of you choosing the day, whereas online exams give you that advantage,” said Mohit Kataria, a young engineer in Pune, who wants to study management at one of the leading B-schools.

“The online exams are generally spread over (several) weeks and give you the freedom of choosing a convenient date during that window,” said Kataria, who has appeared for both CAT formats. “This helps in showing your true potential on your best day. Instead of aspirants reaching out to exams, it’s like exams are reaching out to aspirants.” He also cites the convenience of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) as the exam can be given more than once in a year.

Computerization has also made the application process easier, said Sambit Mahapatra, a second-year student at International Management Institute (IMI), a private business school based in Greater Noida, near New Delhi. “You can just download the form, fill it up and upload it rather than moving around from one place to another and standing in long queues,” he said. “I have read in newspapers that the IIMs are planning to allow students (to appear for CAT) more than once a year. If that happens it would be a great advantage,” said the student who got admission based on his CAT score in 2009.

The traditional testing method is on its way out, said Anand Sudershan, CEO of Manipal Education Group, which selects students for the university it runs through computer-based exams. G. Raghurama, Director at BITS Pilani, agrees. “Eventually, the paper-pencil test will be redundant as the computer-based test is more transparent, hassle-free and scalable,” he said.

The increased penetration of computers and Internet access will speed up the acceptance of online testing, said Smarajit Dey, President, Strategic Initiatives, NIIT, which provided ground support for CAT 2009, conducted by Prometric Inc.— a US-headquartered firm that conducts tests.

While computer penetration in India is less than 10%, a study published by Intel Corp. and IMRB International in August 2010 said PC penetration in urban India has doubled in the last three years from 19% to 38%. According to official statistics, there are nearly 80 million Internet users.

Before the IIMs took CAT online, two leading institutes tried their hand at computer-based entrance exams — XLRI Jamshedpur and BITS Pilani — in 2002. BITS first made the switch for some of their masters courses and a few years later, all admissions became computer- based. “As a technology institute we wanted to do something different and went for computer-based entrance from 2005,” said Raghurama. “There were 57,000 applicants and we conducted the exam in partnership with Eduquity Career Technologies Pvt. Ltd., an Indian test-assessment company headquartered in Bangalore. There were some apprehensions but we managed it well across 14 cities.” Last year, more than 130,000 applied for BITS campuses in Rajasthan, Goa and Andhra Pradesh. “In 2011, we expect to get more applicants, hence we’re taking it to 27 cities, six more than last year… over a 30-day window,” Raghurama added.

XLRI, a leading management institute, decided to take its entrance exam online across 20 cities to begin with, but the experience was not trouble-free. “We suspended it midway as we faced some problems in a few centres,” said M.
Shukla, the professor in charge of external relations at XLRI. “Since then we are back to our pen-paper test.” The process involved sending CDs to each centre in order to synchronize the machines there with the central server. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack in the US, “some of our CDs containing exam materials were stuck in airports due to security issues and we decided to scrap it,” Shukla said. “The pen-paper test is going well with us but if you ask me whether we will shift to the new format, the answer will be yes. Computer-based testing is the need of the hour and we will switch back to it,” he said. “Due to the convenience and the scalable model, it will outperform the tra- ditional method.” There were some genuine infrastructure issues at the start but “we have overcome this”, said R. Dhirendra, CEO of Eduquity Careers.

The online method has to contend with three key challenges in India — paper leakage, impersonation and logistics, according to Sanjiv Kataria, an education consultant in Delhi. Once these are overcome, teaching staff can focus on their primary duties. “Instead of professors taking leave from teaching for administrative work, now they can hand over these tasks and non-teaching hassles to someone else,” Kataria said.

Two of the world’s biggest testing companies, Pearson Plc. and Prometric, are active in India with dedicated local branches. Pearson conducts NMAT and CLAT, the common law entrance exam. Local firms include NIIT’s online test division, Merit Track, Everonne, Eduquity and AtTest, a unit of Aptech Ltd.

Dey of NIIT estimates the business to be worth not less than Rs. 800 crore (Rs. 8 billion) and expected to double in the next three years. Madan Padaki, co-founder and chief executive officer of Merit Track, said the company started operations in 2000 to capture the information technology (IT) boom in India. “A report in 2000 said that the IT industry will employ one million people by 2010 and we thought there will be need for professional test conductors for at least 10 million applicants,” he said. Having established themselves in the IT recruitment process market, it entered the higher education space in 2007. “Currently, 35% of our tests are online tests and we believe in three years it will be around 70%,” said Padaki. Merit Track, which has tested one crore (10 million) people both in the online and offline formats, was also a partner of Prometric in CAT 2010. The company also conducts Gujarat Technological University’s common entrance test.

Aptech Ltd. is carrying out half a million online tests every year for a number of distance education universities, said Ninad Karpe, chief executive officer. “The higher education sector has understood that to scale up an exam without causing hassles either to students or to the faculties, they need to switch over to computer-based exams,” he said.

The IIMs, meanwhile, are thinking about setting up a company to conduct the online CAT as reported by Mint on 26 November. “We have formed a committee on this direction. This will take CAT to the international standard,” said Devi Singh, Director IIM-Lucknow, who supervised CAT 2010 for the IIMs.

There are, however, infrastructure issues that need to be resolved. “To make online exams pervasive, we need to have high-speed Internet connections and larger computer penetration in smaller cities. Power backup is another area that needs to be taken care of,” said R. Dhirendra of Eduquity Career Technologies.

A survey carried out in March 2010 by Merit Track in association with some con- sultants said at least 75% of vice-chancel- lors believe that online exams are the fu- ture in tertiary education. “At least 50% of the universities surveyed felt that they will shift to a computer-based selection pro- cess within 12-36 months,“ said the re- port, which surveyed 75 varsities and in- stitutes in the country.

Source: Mint, January 19, 2011

>India’s education market unique: Pearson India Chairman

>Education and learning company Pearson is looking at ways to expand its wings in the Indian market. It has formed a joint venture with Educomp to provide vocational education services and has now acquired TutorVista, a Bangalore-based education company that offers online tutoring, test prep and other services. John Makinson, Chairman of Pearson India says that the education sector is very exciting in India and gives the company a lot of opportunities to explore. Excerpts from an interview with ET’s Mahima Puri & Sruthijith KK:

How will the latest acquisition of TutorVista help Pearson in the Indian market?
This acquisition can be seen as the company’s commitment to education and skills development in India. The investment in TutorVista gives us control of the world’s largest online tutoring business and, crucially, a platform on which to build a leading presence in the Indian private schools sector. It has given us the scale and the growth opportunity that we were looking for.It will also bring us close to consumers in India.

What makes you so bullish on the education business in India?
There isn’t any other market for education like India in the world, not even China. Education sector is very exciting in India and as the world’s largest education company, this gives us a lot of opportunities to explore.

Which are the other emerging markets that Pearson is looking at aggressively?
Brazil and China would be two such markets that are relevant from education perspective.

How does organic expansion stack with acquisitions as a strategy for growth in India?
There are a lot of organic growth opportunities, like increasing digital content development, creating educational products, providing online platforms for colleges, testing and assessment services and vocational training.

What is it that you find lacking in India’s education market?
If we look at the formal education in India, there isn’t an awful lot lacking. But there is lack of investment in technology in education in India, even in the private universities.

As a business, what is the single largest challenge for you in India?
I think the challenge is to come to grits with the scale and economics of the market. It is about providing quality education at affordable prices to a large number of people. We are willing to serve not only those at the bottom of the pyramid, but also consumers in metros, Tier-I and Tier-II cities. Also, it would be helpful to tear apart the principle of whether education space is an activity legitimate for commercial organisations to make a profit. That is one change that India can probably bring in.

Source: The Economic Times, January 19, 2011

iProf: A device which resolves e-learning problems

If you ever dreamt of a magic lamp which could fold your entire classroom, lecture notes, tuition classes and the examination centre into a small carry-pack, your genie would be named iProf. For Rs. 15,000 (about US $ 315), this e-learning device provides subject-specific video lectures from top faculty, brain-teasers, customised practice tests, et al on a seven-inch touch screen. Play, pause or rewind your lectures and exams, till you master the subject, without as much as stepping out of your easy chair.

“iProf addresses three major problems that plague e-learning,” says Sanjay Purohit, founder and CEO, iProf Learning Solutions. “These problems are: Low computer penetration, content piracy and broadband connectivity. Besides, there is always shortage of good quality professors. We have created an infrastructure solution which is easily scalable, enabling access to high quality education that solves all the issues,” he says, emphasising that there is a huge scope in growth for e-learning, especially in Tier II and Tier III cities in India.

A dream venture of Sanjay Purohit and Nitin Kaushik, iProf project was started with a capital investment of Rs. 20 crore (Rs. 200 million) in March this year. What differentiate this tablet from Amazon kindle or Indian infibeam is its target audience. “Students who cannot access some of the best professors and teachers can view and review the lectures and tutorials on this device,” says Purohit. “Also, modules can be downloaded without Internet and thus a student can save up to 60-70% as compared to attending a classroom lectures.”

Purohit says at Rs. 14,990, the device is positioned as a supplementary learning module which aids in giving the students a platform to revise what they’ve learnt at training. According to Kaushik, Chief Operating Officer at iProf, Brilliant Tutorials, Pune-based Future Vista and Mumbai-based Sinhal Classes have been developing content for iProf. “E-learning has not caught pace in India due to limited Internet connectivity. Through our tablets, students can access lectures any time, any place.”

While the tablet manufacturing and technology process is outsourced, iProf sells devices to students through its own distribution channel that comprises company-owned stores called iStudy zones. An aspirant can buy iProf tablet and download the IIT-JEE content within these zone at a high speed. With wi-fi capabilities, iStudy zones also hold doubt-clearing sessions through video conferencing.

With fresh course material on CAT, medical and CA lined up, iProf looks at expanding to 100 iStudy zones by the year end from its current tally of 30 to make self study simple for aspirants. The targets are impressive: $20 million within the first year of operation and $100 million in the third year. Thus, while franchisee module tops the priority of iProf dons, reaching out to aspiring students from various studying centres is close on the wish-list. Professionals beneficiaries like Ankit Barua have all the support for these targets. “iProf proved to be a blessing for me when I didn’t have time to attend classes due to my job. Now, I can refer to any subject, any time and keep pace with the course material.”

Source: The Economic Times, September 26, 2010

iProf: A device which resolves e-learning problems

If you ever dreamt of a magic lamp which could fold your entire classroom, lecture notes, tuition classes and the examination centre into a small carry-pack, your genie would be named iProf. For Rs. 15,000 (about US $ 315), this e-learning device provides subject-specific video lectures from top faculty, brain-teasers, customised practice tests, et al on a seven-inch touch screen. Play, pause or rewind your lectures and exams, till you master the subject, without as much as stepping out of your easy chair.

“iProf addresses three major problems that plague e-learning,” says Sanjay Purohit, founder and CEO, iProf Learning Solutions. “These problems are: Low computer penetration, content piracy and broadband connectivity. Besides, there is always shortage of good quality professors. We have created an infrastructure solution which is easily scalable, enabling access to high quality education that solves all the issues,” he says, emphasising that there is a huge scope in growth for e-learning, especially in Tier II and Tier III cities in India.

A dream venture of Sanjay Purohit and Nitin Kaushik, iProf project was started with a capital investment of Rs. 20 crore (Rs. 200 million) in March this year. What differentiate this tablet from Amazon kindle or Indian infibeam is its target audience. “Students who cannot access some of the best professors and teachers can view and review the lectures and tutorials on this device,” says Purohit. “Also, modules can be downloaded without Internet and thus a student can save up to 60-70% as compared to attending a classroom lectures.”

Purohit says at Rs. 14,990, the device is positioned as a supplementary learning module which aids in giving the students a platform to revise what they’ve learnt at training. According to Kaushik, Chief Operating Officer at iProf, Brilliant Tutorials, Pune-based Future Vista and Mumbai-based Sinhal Classes have been developing content for iProf. “E-learning has not caught pace in India due to limited Internet connectivity. Through our tablets, students can access lectures any time, any place.”

While the tablet manufacturing and technology process is outsourced, iProf sells devices to students through its own distribution channel that comprises company-owned stores called iStudy zones. An aspirant can buy iProf tablet and download the IIT-JEE content within these zone at a high speed. With wi-fi capabilities, iStudy zones also hold doubt-clearing sessions through video conferencing.

With fresh course material on CAT, medical and CA lined up, iProf looks at expanding to 100 iStudy zones by the year end from its current tally of 30 to make self study simple for aspirants. The targets are impressive: $20 million within the first year of operation and $100 million in the third year. Thus, while franchisee module tops the priority of iProf dons, reaching out to aspiring students from various studying centres is close on the wish-list. Professionals beneficiaries like Ankit Barua have all the support for these targets. “iProf proved to be a blessing for me when I didn’t have time to attend classes due to my job. Now, I can refer to any subject, any time and keep pace with the course material.”

Source: The Economic Times, September 26, 2010

IGNOU begins tele-education in Africa

The life of Francis Mbangwa, a Kenyan farmer in his late 20s, revolved around crops and fertilizer. He would eagerly wait for the harvest season, sometimes face a severe financial crunch because of a bad crop. Today Francis is a marketing manager in a leading corporate firm in Kenya. The turnaround happened when Francis decided to pursue his bachelor’s degree from New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), said to be the world’s largest university. “I always wanted an opportunity to expand my frontiers of knowledge. IGNOU came at the right time in Africa. It was through IGNOU that I got a glimpse of the Indian education system. The courses are well structured, affordable, with a focussed approach and a market value,” said Mbangwa in a documentary screened here.

In 2008, IGNOU signed an agreement with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) to begin its tele-education programme. Now, it has been able to reach students in Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Somalia, Rwanda, Senegal, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Benin and Botswana. The project is funded by the Indian government with a budgeted cost of Rs.5.43 billion (US$ 117 million). “It’s a collaborative move. We have set up connectivity terminals with Ethiopian authorities for wireless communication,” TCIL’s Director of technical division Vimal Wakhlu told IANS.

Apart from tele-education, the joint initiative covers 53 member states in African Union, supporting tele-medicine, e-commerce, e-governance, infotainment, resource-mapping and meteorological services. IGNOU has over 2.8 million students and offers 138 courses, most of them long distance. It runs nearly 3,000 study centres and also has 60 overseas centres.

According to officials, the tele-education network is highly popular among students for its academic and vocational courses. “Virtual remote classrooms have enabled a two-way interaction between the teachers and students through mobile telephony and various other tools,” an official added. What gave the tele-education network a boost was the state-of-the-art infrastructure in distance education that IGNOU has attained over the years. “Academics, logistics and other operational dimensions of the tele-education system have been the key concerns of its pan-African network,” the official added.

For Joyce, another Kenyan, IGNOU came just at the right time in her life. The mother of two kids was disappointed when all the universities she approached asked her to be a full-time student. “It was not possible as I was working in a bank,” she said. “I came across IGNOU’s distance education programme in Kenya. Trust me, this course has worked wonders for me,” she said, adding it was instrumental in her getting a promotion.

Silima Nanda, Director in the International Division at IGNOU, said: “We want to cater to all sections of civilians who want to get back to their studies. These people aspire to be self-employed and we at IGNOU want to give them a platform.” The programmes under this network are vocational as well as academic, including masters in business administration, human resources, marketing, tourism management and environment studies and various other professional degrees. Over 600 students have enrolled for these courses, while so far 26 students have already got their MBA degrees, which is the most popular under the tele-education network.

However, Mbangwa feels the programmes offered should be revised with the changing demands of the market. “The Kenyan education system is very competitive; so these courses need to be customised from time to time which will suit the students and meet the highly demanding professions,” he added.

Joe Mwangi Mbuthia, Director of the Centre for Open and Distance Education in Kenya, also praised IGNOU’s project. “The partnership is excellent. IGNOU has been the best choice for our students because of the high quality study material. It has attained a status higher than any other public university in Kenya,” he said. “We plan to introduce more courses. It has removed all barriers of topography for our students,” added Mbuthia.

Source: The Times of India, September 10, 2010

HCL Technologies to help MHRD’s $35 computer project

Computer services firm HCL Technologies Ltd. will help manufacture 100,000 low-cost computers under a government project to boost the role of technology in educa-tion. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Rajasthan will test them out.

At a meeting of the national mission on education through information and communication technology, or NMEICT, the human resource development (HRD) ministry said IIT-Rajasthan will carry out “in-tensive laboratory and field tests across the country” using the devices. The meeting allocated Rs. 30 crore for the project, and decided to procure the $35 computers before 10 January. The computers, unveiled on 23 July, will be made available to university-level students from the second half of next year. The Wednesday meeting was attended by HRD minister Kapil Sibal, HCL’s chief executive Ajai Chowdhary, the telecom secretary, the scientific secretary to the government’s principal scientific adviser and the directors of several IITs.

“Yes, HCL is our partner”, IIT-Rajasthan’s Director Prem Kalra said. “We as an institute will not directly manufacture the computer. HCL will help us”. HCL could not be immediately reached for comment. Ministry officials said IIT-Rajasthan will conduct field trials in different parts of the country, at different times and under different weather conditions, to gauge the efficiency of the computers. If the comput-ers pass the field tests, the government will procure 1 million units in the first phase, making them available to undergraduate and postgraduate students across the country. There are 12.4 million higher education students in India.

The low-cost computer has been developed by students and scientists from the IITs in Kanpur, Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Chennai, Mumbai and Kharagpur, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, in collaboration with NMEICT. The 8.9×7-inch touch screen device, weighing 1.5kg, is not as advanced as a modern-day personal computer, but it will offer support for video, web conferencing, PDF reader, unzip tool, computing programmes such as Open Office, an input-output interface option for allowing IPTV, digital TV and media players, among other things.

The ministry wants to up- grade these computers as well. The process “would begin as soon as possible, not later than 10 January 2011”, a ministry official said, requesting anonymity. “There will be simultaneous field trials across many locations of the country. A report will be prepared for the ministry, which will be the base of the scaling up of production of such low-cost computing device in future”, the official said.

This is the first tangible success for the government’s efforts to provide cheap computers to students. Five years ago, US-based One Laptop Per Child Association Inc. offered computers at $100 in India, as part of a mission to provide affordable educational computers across the developing world. But the HRD ministry declined the offer as the cost was still over its budget. In 2006, the ministry promised to produce computers that could be sold for as low as $10.

Source: Mint, September 2, 2010