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b r a n di ng k e r a l a g l oba l ly
higher education
dreams &goals Kerala’s Higher Education sector demands a paradigm shift to catch up with the changing global scenario
Who will KISS the Cup
ISSN 2249244-5
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SOUNDS OF SUCCESS | 55
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BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
A
The conventional methods should give way to a new system which enables students to choose and excel in courses that suit their interests and skills.
thorough assessment of the growth of the Higher Education sector in the State would be a real shocker for educationalists given the fact that Kerala, the State which boasts of an enviable literacy standard, finds its place at the bottom of the growth chart with majority of the colleges offering various courses performing pathetically in quality assessment. What has led to such a precarious situation? And where did we go wrong? The primary answer to this pertinent question dates back to the revolutionary decision of the then A K Antony Government to open up the education sector to private players resulting in the sprouting of medical as well as engineering colleges in every nook and corner of the State. This actually triggered a dangerous boom in the educational circuits of the State with profit hunting entrepreneurs under the garb of educationalists holding the sector to ransom and transforming it to a major source for making easy money. The immediate causality was the drastic fall in the quality of teaching and a shocking rise in the number of jobless technical graduates, a precarious situation we witness in the State today. Educationalists , who expressed strong reservations against these colleges were actually `exiled’ from the State by the concerted efforts of this `education mafia’. Now with few takers for these colleges, most of them are on the verge of closure. While debating on the influence of private
players in the State’s education scenario, we should throw some light into the contributions of the Christian missionary groups, NSS, SNDP and other community managements who played a proactive and positive role in shaping up the sector rather than turning a greedy eye towards it. Another area which demands a paradigm shift is the prevailing methods of teacher assessment. The existing pattern of assessing the quality of a teacher by evaluating only the academic credentials should be altered and a new system which could evaluate his/her skills in teaching should be put in place. The conventional methods should give way to a new system which enables the student to choose and excel in courses that suit his/her interests and skills. In the fast changing Global space, where technology is getting smarter day by day, new courses with technology assisted learning tools that could equip our students compete with their international counterparts should be introduced on a war footing. It is time to bury the hatchets and evolve a consensual and result-oriented action plan with the help of educational experts, technocrats and the teaching community to resurrect the State form the present state of turmoil and save our younger generation from becoming a deprived lot. J S Indukumar
Editor in chief
brand kerala June 2018 Vol 8 Issue 6
Editorial Managing Editor Editor in Chief Executive Editor associate Editor Director, Marketing chief operating officer Business head
Ravisankar K V J S Indukumar Balachandran B Rajani A Mujeeb Shamsudeen Shyam Kumar P V Uday Kumar
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Design Editor
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Editorial team Office in charge
Aparna Sreevalsan Priyanka Prakash Nishad H
Marketing Thiruvananthapuram
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20 Innovative approach cover story
need of the hour
Standard of higher education is set by the dominant economy namely capitalism, the latest version of which has become popular as knowledge economy, writes Prof Rajan Gurukkal.
circulation Thiruvananthapuram
K Sreekumaran +91 99474 81177
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Also read analytical articles by, Dr Kuncheria P Isaac, Prof Achuthsankar S Nair, Dr A Radhakrishnan Nair, Dr Nirmala A and Dr Lakshmi Priya N.
Editorial & Corporate office Brand Kerala Media House Associates SRL A 32, Sankar Road, Sasthamangalam P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695010 Kerala, India Tele : +91 471 231 1377/231 2377 Internet edition www.brandkerala.biz Digital edition www.issuu.com/brandkerala www.facebook.com/brandkerala RNI No. KERENG 2010/36920 ISSN 2249244-5 No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher of BRAND KERALA All rights reserved. Copyright @2018 Owned, Edited, Printed and Published by Ravisankar K.V., Brand Kerala Media House Pvt. Ltd., SRL A - 32, Sankar Road, Sasthamangalam P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695010 Kerala, India at Orange Printers PVT LTD., Thiruvananthapuram for Arsha Offset Graphix, Janvilla Lane, Vellayamabalam, Thiruvananthapuram – 695010 Editor: Ravisankar K V
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who will kiss the cup World champions Germany have gone missing in the warm up games and we have to wait to find out whether that was actually another ploy of theirs while France’s biggest challenge will be to perform as a well-oiled machine.
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BRAND KERALA June 2018 | VOL. 8 | ISSUE. 6 | RS 60/-
B R A N DI NG K E R A L A G L OBA L LY
HIGHER EDUCATION
DREAMS &GOALS
42
column ECONOMICS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
44
food A TEMPTING TALE OF UNNIAPPAM
KERALA’S HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR DEMANDS A PARADIGM SHIFT TO CATCH UP WITH THE CHANGING GLOBAL SCENARIO
WHO WILL KISS THE CUP
ISSN 2249244-5
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SOUNDS OF SUCCESS | 55
SEA is an institution that builds employability skill in its students. Every employer looks for the employability skill in each candidate.
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h e a lt h How vision changes as you age
58
a r t & c u lt u r e OF PAINTED SCRIPTS & SCRIPTED PAINTINGS
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auto biz the game changer
leisure
55
EMBRACE THE MIRACLES OF NATURE Languish in the grandeur of Mother Nature and heal yourself at Mango Meadows, the unique agriculture park at Ayamkudi, Kottayam
techno biz Security vulnerability on optical fiber networks
Yaris treats us with the familiar family grille, it’s like a toned down version of Altis, much toned down.
trends Hi Neymar! Congratulations to you and your team to win the World Cup 2018! God bless you!! Baskaran Velayutham
mohammed haris @hariszeenath
The football craziness level is beyond ur imagination. During WC each street will be filled with flex board of their fav team n players. Especially Malappuram district in Kerala...
biz news tech
Alexa and Google Assistant on ‘Xbox One’
U
pcoming ‘Xbox One’ will soon include support for both Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant and the Google Assistant. The new gaming console is expected to come with a new ‘Digital Assistants’ menu for users to choose from Alexa and Google Assistant. The expansion to Alexa and Google Assistant support could mean Xbox users will be able to control their console through both of the digital assistants.
fashion
Czarina’s NRI Fest is back T rivandrum’s leading boutique, Czarina is showcasing a stunning collection of exquisite designs and weaves from all over India, specially chosen to suit the taste of NRIs. Customers will get to choose from hundreds of designer sarees crafted in vibrant hues, mesmerizing patterns and exotic materials. The collection boasts of Tussars, Georgettes, Supernets, Crepes, Chiffons, Maheshwaris, Chanderis, Kotas, Kancheepurams and rare varieties of silks. Thanks to the popularity of previous editions of NRI Fest, Czarina has now become the one stop shop for saree lovers flying in from abroad. The boutique has sarees for any occasion, whether it is a
a p p o i n tm e n t
Subhash Vasu is Spices Board Chairman
A
ppoinments Committee of Cabinet has appointed Subhash Vasu as the Chairman, Spices Board for a period of three years, w.e.f. the date of assumption of charge of the post or on co-terminus basis with the tenure of the Board, or until further orders. He is replacing A. Jayathilak. Subhash Vasu is the National Secretary of Bharath Dharam Jana Seva (BDJS), a political party in Kerala.
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brand kerala
June 2018
young woman searching for the ultimate bridal trousseau or a customer looking for an exquisite party wear that will take her glamour quotient a notch higher. A tailor-made blouse makes a saree look perfect and all the more gorgeous. Which is why, along with sarees, the NRI Fest also features blouse materials in a variety of fabrics and colours. Readymade blouses, kurtis, leggings, trendy salwar kameez materials and readymade sets will be on display. Czarina is located at Catholic Centre on Statue-General Hospital Road. To know more about the NRI Fest, visit Czarina’s Facebook page http://www. facebook.com/CzarinaDesignerSarees or call 9387721322.
mou
Cleartrip ties up with KTDC
I
ndia’s leading travel and leisure platform and clutter-free website Cleartrip has tied up with the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) as its exclusive online booking partner for local tours and activities. KTDC will sell all of its exclusive set of activities through the Cleartrip platform, including both
existing and new inventory of conducted tours and boat trips. The partnership is also Cleartrip’s first with a government tourism board, marking a major milestone for the online travel agency. The KTDC conducts and regulates various tourism activities in Kerala, along with promoting it as a leading tourist destination.
The most popular activity offered by KTDC is the boating in Periyar Lake at Thekkady. KTDC operates four boats with a seating capacity of 210 each and completes five trips in a day, with a total daily inventory of 1,050 seats. 700 more seats are expected to be added to these boating tours by September 2018.
launch
i n v e stm e n t
Nissan India launches NissanConnect
PLiNG raises funds for expansion
N
P
issan India launches more advanced and intelligent communication platform NissanConnect with 18 new features providing safe and convenient driving experience. NissanConnect is available for all ranges of Nissan like Terrano, Micra, Sunny etc. with three year free subscription and one year warranty. One of the features, ‘Way to My Car’ of NissanConnect makes you to find your car in the parking lot more easily. Authorities claim that NissanConnect gives the very minute details of the car to the customers. NissanConnect is available in the App stores of both Android and iOS; also the application can be customized through www.nissanconnect. in.
LiNG Foods selling PLiNG brand of banana and cassava crisps has raised 1.3 crores as funds for its national expansion in equity funding. The Kochi based FMCG company, PLiNG Foods and Beverages commenced by serial entrepreneur Andrine Mendez, is currently backed by Bangalore based Brand Capital Treaties and angel investor Raveendranath Kamath, who has invested in Sastra Robotics and Goodmethods. PLiNG is the first FMCG startup in Kerala to receive angel funding. PLiNG is on its way to become a national brand. They currently retail at 10,000 plus outlets in GT & MT category across Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh & Dubai.
s e mi n a r
Uday Samudra holds Ocean Conference
I
ncorporating with the World Oceans Day (June 8), Kovalam Uday Samudra conducted a seminar campaign against ocean pollution and pollutants by joining hands with coastal side hotel authorities, anti-pollution organisations and the local people. The event which took place at Uday Samudra auditorium, was inaugurated by State Fishery & Ports Principal Secretary K.R Jyothilal. The conference was attended by representatives of travel and tourism sectors, entrepreneurs, Govevrnment Organizations, NGO’s, College & School Students, Defense forces & media personals. The speakers did a presentation regarding the global Marine pollution and threats being faced marine species. June 2018
brand kerala
9
launch
Nasi and Mee opens its first branch in Kochi
T
o discover the vibrant flavours of Asia, Nasi and Mee, a venture by Singapore Entrepreneur-restaurateur Ravi Nahappan in partnership with Singapore-based Lion city Foods has opened its first branch in Kerala, in Kochi near MG Road Fashion Street. The brand has been a recipient of Conde Nast Traveller Best New Restaurant 2015, Eazy Diner Best Pan Asian 2017, WOAP Best Asian Restaurant 2017 and Times of India Best Asian 2018. Having evolved over the years the variety of cultural influences, the cuisine includes the Chinese, Malay, Indian–South East Asian
and Straits foods making the customer spoilt for choice. Nasi and Mee, means ‘rice and noodles’ in Bahasa, with ‘mee’ coming from the Cantonese word for noodles ‘mein’. The specials of Nasi and Mee are distinctive sambal-spiced dishes, creamy coconut milk stews, flavorful soup steamed into a soup dumpling, Indonesian dishes, Rendang, blue Peranakan Laksa and Singapore Chicken Rice. Other than in Kochi, the restaurant has its branches in Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad.
takeover
corporate
Truecaller acquires Chillr
Nikon India to contribute 5% of Global Sales
S
weden headquartered caller identification app Truecaller has acquired multi-bank payments app Chillr to strengthen its payments business. With this acquisition, Truecaller is looking to roll out Truecaller 2.0, wherein it will offer credit and other financial services to Indian users in the coming months. Chillr is owned by Mumbai-based Backwater Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Chillr was launched in December 2014 by Sony Joy. The app allows users to transfer money to any contact in their phone book. Backwater Technologies is a subsidiary of MobME Wireless Solutions Ltd, founded by Joy, which also backs Kochi-based incubator Startup Village. Sony Joy and the co-founders of Chillr, Anoop Sankar, Mohamed Galib and Lishoy Bhaskaran and the rest of the organization will be joining Truecaller, and Sony Joy will be the Vice President of Truecaller.
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ikon India, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Japanese imaging product major Nikon, is expected to contribute 5% of its global sale on the next two financial years. Nikon India announced its top management changes by appointing Sajjan Kumar as its new Managing director. The company is targeting a turnover of 1,200 crores in the current fiscal. Currently the company contributes 3% to the parent company (sales) globally. Sajjan Kumar is the first Indian to lead Nikon’s operations here. He takes over from Kazuo Ninomiya, who is moving back to Japan after completing his three years tenure. Nikon India reported a turnover of 1,150 crores for the financial year 2017-18 posting a growth of 5%.
tech
a v i a ti o n
Newgen OmniScan 4.1 relased
Celebi presence in Bangalore Airport
N
C
ewgen Software, a provider of Business Process Management, Enterprise Content Management, and Customer Communication Management platforms, announced the release of OmniScan 4.1. Organizations can now scan, digitize and deliver critical business information to accelerate key business processes and enhance customer experience with this version.
June 2018
elebi Airport Sevices (Turkish aviation firm) bagged the contract to carry out groundhandling activities at Prem Wasta’s Fair Faxowned-Bangalore International Airport (BIAL). Celebi currently provides the activities at Delhi, Ahmedabad Mumbai and Kochi airports. The firm plans to invest $7-9 million to enhance the services at Southern India’s largest aerodrome.
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The stage is set for the music buffs to join for a rhythmic evening packed with mind-blowing music. State Ministers, Business leaders, technocrats, CEOs, celebrities and the cross section of city’s top brass indulge in the mesmerizing rhythms of life and unify for a social cause. stay tuned...
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soccer fever Fifa World Cup 2018 Groups Thirty-two teams in eight groups will vie for the FIFA World Cup.
World champions Germany have gone missing in the warm up games and we have to wait to find out whether that was actually another ploy of theirs while France’s biggest challenge will be to perform as a well-oiled machine. Bindya Pookkat
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June 2018
Who will
kiss Cup?
the
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group d
Russia Uruguay Egypt Saudi Arabia
Spain Portugal Iran Morocco
France Denmark Australia Peru
Croatia Nigeria Iceland Argentina
Group E
Group f
Group g
Group h
Brazil Switzerland Serbia Costa Rica
Mexico Germany Sweden South Korea
Belgium England Panama Tunisia
Japan Senegal Poland Colombia
B
razil have shown signs of going back to their best after their soul crushing defeat at the hands of World Champions Germany four years back, Lionel Messi’s Argentina are prisoners of their own demons, Spain can thrill but are also capable of spectacular spills while France are as hopeful as anybody —the World Cup might throw up as stunning a story line as you can imagine. World champions Germany have gone missing in the warm up games and we have to wait to find out whether that was actually another ploy of theirs while France’s biggest challenge will be to perform as a welloiled machine. Didier Deschamps, who captained Les Bleus to the 1998 World Cup triumph on home soil, is blessed with one of the strongest squads, which makes them one of the favourites, yet scepticism lingers over the manager’s ability to get the best out of his stars. Five-time winners Brazil
look to have returned to their best under Tite and were the first team to qualify for Russia2018 after finishing top in qualifying phase. They have continued that rampant form in their warm-up games and forwards Willian, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus and Philippe Coutinho all looked in good shape while Neymar
Neymar and Co are intent upon making up for the humiliating defeat against germany in 2014
is back from the injury suffered while playing for PSG. Brazil were left humiliated by Germany who inflicted a 7-1 defeat in the semifinals in 2014 and Neymar and Co are intent upon making up for that no show. “The 7-1 is no longer in our heads, we have the level to be world champions again and re-write our history,” said defender Thiago Silva. “We have greater confidence,”
added midfielder Paulinho. “Brazil are better prepared in a number of ways. That is just part of football. In four years you learn a lot of things.” Arch rivals and champions in 1978 and 1986, Argentina are also a part of football’s elite and have in their ranks Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player of all time. But they struggled in qualification and booked the tickets to Russia thanks to a win in their final qualifier against Ecuador. They managed only 19 goals in 18 games, the lowest by any South American qualifier since the single-group format was adopted in the mid-1990s. Messi also have deal with the huge weight of expectations something which he has failed to deal with in Argentina colours. Spain are unbeaten in 20 games and were looking in ominous touch until they fired coach Julen Lopetegui and replaced him with Fernando Hierro, whose only previous senior coaching experience was at second-tier Spanish club Oviedo. Lopetegui, who only last month extended his contract as Spain coach, agreed on to take over at Real Madrid next season and found himself kicked out unceremoniously within 24 hours by
June 2018
brand kerala
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info facts to find Free Europe/Radio Liberty has reported that between $107-$142 is being paid for each dog corpse. The same was done ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics. VAR will be used at the World Cup for the first time after the IFAB (International Football Association Board) approved the use of the technology on a permanent basis. In preparation for the tournament, the Russian government has spent millions on eliminating the public health threat of stray animals by killing stray dogs in all 11 of the Russia cities set to host games. Radio
There will be over 17,000 volunteers (around 2,000 more than in Brazil) at the World Cup in Russia – from over 176,000 applications. Interestingly enough, 64 percent of the volunteers are
the Spanish federation (RFEF). Whether Spain actually poured cold water on their own chances by that bit of bold action, we will find out in next 30 days. Germany are supposedly among the most well prepared teams but their recent warm up games suggest otherwise. But Germany being Germany, no body will bet against them going all the way again. England and Belgium are capable of being the black horses, the latter more so as it is their golden generation led by supremely talented Eden Hazard. For Hazard, who at 27 coach Roberto Martinez is comparing to Lionel Messi at his peak, the four years that have
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female. Volunteers include the captain of an oil tanker, a world champion dragon-boat racer and a man from New Zealand who will have to travel over 16,000 kilometers for the honor.
Ticket prices range from €85 ($105) to €892 for the final. Russian residents will be able to obtain cheaper tickets with prices starting at €19. This is higher than four years ago – with the cheapest group stage
€892
is the cost of a ticket for the final match.
England and Belgium are capable of being the black horses
passed since a 1-0 quarter-final exit to Argentina at the last World Cup have seen the Belgians mature: “We have more experience than four years ago,” Hazard said. “We’ve only one goal: get to the final.” For the likes of Vincent Kompany, now 32, “it’s now or never” if Belgium are
matches in Brazil costing €69 and the most expensive final tickets costing €730.
Iceland are the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup (just 334,000 inhabitants) India qualified for the 1950 World Cup but withdrew after FIFA said they couldn’t play barefoot. Having never qualified since, they are the only country to qualify but never play a game.
to go one better than their neighbourly rivals, twice-finalists the Dutch, and become by far the smallest nation since Uruguay in 1950 to lift the World Cup. Luka Modric’s Croatia, Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, Serbia, Sweden, Mexico all have the ability to make telling impacts on the final outcome of the tournament while the so called minnows such as Saudi Arabia, Panama and Costa Rica want to take that tag away from them. And for hosts Russia, they need to make sure they don’t embarrass themselves.
soccer fever
ACROSS SEAS,
ITS FOOTBALL EVERYWHERE The scene is not any different in India, especially in the southern-most state of Kerala, where the fever has already gripped the majority of the population.
Bindya Pookkat
O
nly thirty-two teams are even eligible to fight for the ultimate football glory and a glowing trophy at the World Cup in Russia, but the quadrennial extravaganza has caught the imagination of the entire world, with fans from the US to China to New Zealand eagerly waiting to root for the teams of their choice even if their country is nowhere in the picture. The scene is not any different in India, especially in the southern-most state of Kerala, where the fever has already gripped the majority of the population —from 11-year-old Naveen to his septuagenarian grandmother Narayani Amma, who often playfully calls her grandson ‘Ronaldo’ after the Portuguese superstar. Narayani Amma, who hails from Vadakara in the northern part of Kerala, has never really been a football fan but this time even she plans to join the younger generation in front of the TV. But what she and a whole lot of other fans including her son Mohanan — a diehard Argentinian supporter — don’t
care to know is the economics of the sport and the World Cup in particular. That football is not just a sport, but a big industry, and the World Cup is not just a tournament but a realm in itself where billions of dollars change hands. On top of that hierarchy is naturally FIFA, the governing body of world football. Even though Russia has spent close to $12 billion in their efforts to deliver a spectacular tournament, the control of the organisation is undoubtedly in FIFA’s hands. And most tellingly, they are expected to walk away with a cool non-taxable $5 billion, mainly through television rights and corporate sponsorships. That too despite a host of companies, including Japanese electronics giants Sony, German automotive manufacturers Continental, American pharmaceuticals and health-products company Johnson & Johnson and UAE owned airlines Emirates walking out of FIFA sponsorships in 2014 in the wake of a large-scale corruption at the world body. June 2018
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Akhil
And not many global players were interested to take the place of these giants. Only Qatar Airways, whose owners are the next hosts, some multinationals from China, who has major plans for World Cup in the near future, and some Russian companies came forward for new deals since FIFA’s damaging corruption scandal. FIFA now has seven partners — Adidas, Coca-Cola, Wanda, Gazprom, Hyundai/ Kia Motors, Qatar Airways, and Visa, five World Cup sponsors — Budweiser, Hisense, McDonald’s, Mengniu and Vivo, and six regional supporters — Alfa Bank, Alrosa, Luci, Rostelecom, Russian Railways and Yadea. But regardless of the apparent lack of excitement among sponsors, the world body is
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Corporates are eyeing India with special interest because of the power it possesses as a huge market.
sure to get its due. Even though Adidas are one of the FIFA partners and have been the constant supplier of the football — they came up with the classy and stylish Telstar 18 for this edition of the tournament — American giants Nike have seemingly scored over them in jersey sponsorship. At least they have taken the top three biggest deals. France lead the chart with a $54m deal followed by England on $46m and Brazil $32m. Adidas’ biggest catch is world champions Germany who also got a $32m agreement. Lionel Messi’s Argentina are in sixth position after penning an $18m
deal, also with the German giants. Surprisingly, Nike’s deal with Portugal, whose captain Cristiano Ronaldo is a sponsor’s dream theme, is only worth $7m and lie in the 10th position. Not so surprisingly, France, comprising superstars such as Paul Pogba, stillteenager Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele are also the most expensive squad in the World Cup with the total worth of players amounting to $1.26 billion, followed by Spain ($1.21 billion) and Brazil ($1.11 billion). Panama have the least expensive side with a comparatively meagre 9.66 million. But World Cups over the years have seen reputation taking some knock out blows and the debutants would be hoping for something of that sort despite their short stature. When it comes to the World Cup it’s the glory and not the prize money that matters, but Russia 2018 carries a total purse of $791m, the biggest
ever, with the winners slated to take home $38m while the first-round losers pocketing $8m. FIFA will also give each participating association $1.5m as team preparation money while $209m will be divided among clubs who released players to the participating teams. Besides, a total amount of $134m is allocated for Club Protection Programme — by which the clubs are compensated for the losses incurred due to players being injured while on international duty. While there is plenty to write home about for competing nations, nonparticipating countries such as India, especially states such as Kerala, Bengal and Goa, join in the fun with equal fervour. Corporates are eyeing India with special interest because of the power it possesses as a huge market. The economics of the sport might not be of much interest to a common fan but Mohanan, a government servant, has monetary plans of his own about the tournament — to place bets among his office colleagues for all 64 matches. “We always do that for the World Cup,” said Mohanan. “I don’t always watch club football because of the late timings. But I am a big fan of Messi and Barcelona. I started watching World Cup from 1986 and has been a fan of Diego Maradona and Argentina ever since. Now we have Messi and I want him to win it for them,” said the 45-year old. Mohanan might not paint his face in blue and white colours as the Argentinian fans shown on TV or erect a larger than life cut-outs of Messi and Co as some of his younger neighbours, but he makes sure he enjoys it as much as he can. We all deal with the World Cup in our own way. Russia spends billions, FIFA gain billions, players dream of winning the trophy while some are equally happy placing bets of minimal amounts and watching the action on TV.
2018 FIFA WORLD CUp SCHEDULE
group stage June 14 | Thursday
June 20 | Wednesday
June 25 | Monday
June 15 | Friday
Portugal vs Morocco, 5.30pm Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia, 8.30pm Iran vs Spain, 11.30pm
Saudi Arabia vs Egypt, 7.30pm Uruguay vs Russia, 7.30pm Iran vs Portugal, 11.30pm Spain vs Morocco, 11.30pm
Russia vs Saudi Arabia, 8.30pm Egypt vs Uruguay, 5.30pm Morocco vs Iran, 8.30pm Portugal vs Spain, 11.30pm
June 21 | Thursday
June 26 | Tuesday
Denmark vs Australia, 5.30pm France vs Peru, 8.30pm Argentina vs Croatia, 8.30pm
June 16 | Saturday France vs Australia, 3.30pm Argentina vs Iceland, 6.30pm Peru vs Denmark, 9.30pm Croatia vs Nigeria, 12.30night
Australia vs Peru, 7.30pm Denmark vs France, 7.30pm Nigeria vs Argentina, 11.30pm Iceland vs Croatia, 11.30pm
June 22 | Friday Brazil vs Costa Rica, 5.30pm Nigeria vs Iceland, 8.30pm Serbia vs Switzerland, 11.30pm
June 17 | Sunday Costa Rica vs Serbia, 5.30pm Germany vs Mexico, 8.30pm
June 27 | Wednesday South Korea vs Germany, 7.30pm Mexico vs Sweden, 7.30pm Switzerland vs Costa Rica, 11.30pm Serbia vs Brazil, 11.30pm
June 23 | Saturday Belgium vs Tunisia, 5.30pm South Korea vs Mexico, 8.30pm Germany vs Sweden, 11.30pm
Brazil vs Switzerland, 11.30pm
June 18 | Monday
June 28 | Thursday Japan vs Poland, 7.30pm Senegal vs Colombia, 7.30pm Panama vs Tunisia, 11.30pm England vs Belgium, 11.30pm
June 24 | Sunday
Sweden vs South Korea, 5.30pm Belgium vs Panama, 8.30pm Tunisia vs England, 11.30pm
England vs Panama, 5.30pm Japan vs Senegal, 8.30pm Poland vs Colombia, 11.30pm
June 19 | Tuesday Colombia vs Japan, 5.30pm Poland vs Senegal, 8.30pm Russia vs Egypt, 11.30pm
group stage winners Group b
Group C
A1
B1
C1
D1
A2
B2
C2
D2
Group f
Group g
Group A
Group e
Group D
Group h
e1
f1
g1
h1
e2
f2
g2
h2
knockout stage June 30 | Saturday
July 1 | Sunday
July 2 | Monday
July 3 | Tuesday
C1 vs D2, 7.30pm A1 vs B2, 11.30pm
B1 vs A2, 7.30pm D1 vs C2, 11.30pm
E1 vs F2, 7.30pm G1 vs H2, 11.30pm
F1 vs E2, 7.30pm H1 vs G2, 11.30pm
Qarter-finals July 6 | Friday QF1 vs QF2, 7.30pm
July 7 | Saturday
QF3 vs QF4, 11.30pm
QF5 vs QF6, 5.30pm
QF7 vs QF8, 11.30pm
Semi-finals July 10 | Tuesday
July 11 | Wednesday
SF1 vs SF2, 11.30pm
SF3 vs SF4, 11.30pm
Final July 15 | Sunday F1 vs F2, 8.30pm
June 2018
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igher education
Innovative approach need of the hour Standard of higher education is set by the dominant economy namely capitalism, the latest version of which has become popular as knowledge economy.
I
ndian higher education’s poor quality is a belief so entrenched today that we hesitate to question the accusation. It is important to ask who decides what quality education means. Across unevenly developed countries, there cannot be one and the same set of quality criteria for the education sector, because their needs are not the same. Nevertheless, there is a global standard of education, which has established hegemony over the world and all countries are forced to accept it as the reference point.
Corporates and quality criteria Standard of higher education is set by the dominant economy namely
Prof. Rajan Gurukkal
40%
of the population are in the age-group of 18-23.
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capitalism, the latest version of which has become popular as knowledge economy. Specialists in critical political economy call it Techno-capitalism. Organized as corporates, Techno-capitalist industries have all over the world huge experimentalist establishments heavily dependent on science-tech hybrid fields of innovative research leading to the production of new knowledge that is both commodity and capital.
Transacting intellectual property rights and patents, corporates accumulate huge profit that comes to four-fifths of the global turn over. Quality in higher education today means what corporate knowledge economy defines. Universities and colleges in the country are being forced to acquire the standard that corporates have globally postulated. This is enormously expensive and too much for a developing country that goes increasingly fettered by development projects intended to be subsidising corporate enterprises. In the process, education is being increasingly commercialized and privatised with the inevitable consequence of reduction of teaching to mere remembering of facts. It hardly facilitates conceptual and procedural understanding for metacognitive learning enabling students to apply, analyse, evaluate and create. Institutions claim that they educate to make students employable,
ILO anticipates in India the availability of 116 m youth in the age group of 20-24 by 2020.
but hardly any student emerges fit to be so, for teaching deskills students in traditional arts/crafts, without nurturing any modern skills.
Demographic Situation India is distinguished as a rare nation of great demographic advantage, for out of the country’s total population of about 1.30 billion, almost 40% are in the agegroup of 18-23. It is extremely important for the nation to judiciously design effective strategies for equipping the youth
to be at their best with competencies of the 21st century in order to reap the benefits of this demographic distinction. The International Labour Organization (ILO) anticipates in India the availability of 116 million youth in the age group of 20-24 by 2020, a strength that exceeds the Chinese youth population by 22 million. With more than 60% of the aggregate population of the country in the age group of 15-59 and the average national age becoming 29 years by then as distinguished from those of developed countries like America (40 years), Japan (46 years), and Europe (47 years), the national dependency ratio shall be remarkably beneficial. About 140 million youth in India would be in the age group
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requiring to access higher education and one out of five graduates is expected to be from the country. The demographic situation demands that the national policy of resource allocation for higher education should be unprecedentedly judicious and insightful to harmonise the theoretically incompatible categories viz., the state, markets, access, equity and quality. It is strange that the distinctly advantageous demographic conditions excite no seriousness in the minds of national planners about the urgency of treating higher education as a very crucial sector of investment, which they have been foolishly disregarding as a field of heavy expenditure.
Several of them after higher education in prestigeous institutions within the country or abroad have started joining colleges and universities as teaching faculty. But many of the teachers who dominate as academic decision makers in Boards of Studies and Academic Councils are obsolete. This is disconnect between bright students and outmoded teachers, as well as, between teachers themselves of no exposure have to be addressed. There is the shortage of teaching posts. About 58% of the teaching posts in colleges and universities of the state remain vacant upsetting the teacher–student ratio, the most crucial factor of quality assurance.
Disconnects There has been a steady increase in the number of brilliant students of national as well as international competetiveness.
It is inevitable to turn higher education into a serious enterprise of learning rather than mere remembering.
Actually the teacher–student ratio in higher education institutions should be legislatively mandated as integral to strategic plans and goals of development for guaranteeing budgetary provision. National allocation policy, foolishly dismissive of higher education as a sector of heavy expenditure, rather than recognizing it as a very vital sector of investment, has been inevitably reflecting in the state budget too. Lopsided fiscal distributions of MHRD through RUSA, largely tantamount to squander by way of funding for building construction, divests the state government of the freedom to spend its own share for meeting other priorities of the sector. Poor teacher – student ratio disqualifies the state from contesting for better allocations. This is a crucial disconnect to be urgently addressed through sufficient resource allocation.
KSHEC Initiatives Higher Education Council (KSHEC), mandated to render advice to the Government, Universities and other institutions of higher education in the State, in matters of quality assurance, addresses the question against the background of the aforesaid predicament. It is inevitable to turn higher education into a serious enterprise of learning rather than mere remembering. How to reduce the alienation is the crucial task. In this we have to follow the nationally prescribed and globally practised ways and means such as choice, credit, semester, and outcome based system of education. KSHEC has set in the following remedial initiatives:
1. Outcome based Education Although universities and colleges in the state have already introduced the choice, credit and semester system, they are yet to follow Outcome Based Education (OBE). Hence they are being encouraged to follow the practice of declaring targeted educational outcomes by way of
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Course Outcomes (COs) and Academic Programmes (APOs). OBE has to be implemented by universities as a mandatory package for integrating curriculum design, ways of teaching, and means of evaluation. Now these three are mutually exclusive facets. Teaching and evaluation are independent enterprises at the instance of the course content, but what knowledge level it addresses, how and why. It is with this explicit disconnect our universities discuss them, sometimes focusing only on examination or curriculum. Higher Education Council seeks to cure this disconnect through OBE. Outcomes are presented as items, which should inevitably be attained by every student at the end of his or her educational experience. OBE insists upon determination of learning outcomes as the first step in course designing. Outcomes should evolve out of the contents, instructional strategies, learning experiences, methods of evaluation and the assessment. At different levels of higher education, each course should have its own expected outcomes, explained logically through a linked process, which can be defended as to its ability to produce graduates with predetermined outcomes. Precisely drawn specific outcomes provide clarity of purpose in teaching/learning. They act as a running thread of quality control across the planning of curriculum, selection of instructional strategies, choice of learning experience, and preparation of tests. Informing learners about the outcome well in advance, OBE enables ongoing concurrent self-assessment of learners for making sure of their progress towards attaining the outcome. It provides them with chances to demand new learning experiences that ensure outcome. Since the outcomes are stated, the teachers also get to know the progress and they enjoy the legitimate right to test whether the learners have attained the goal. Each university has declared its Graduate
info Top 25 colleges in India 1
Miranda House, Delhi University
2
St Stephens, Delhi University
3 Bishop Heber College, Tiruchirapalli 4 Hindu College, Delhi University 5 Presidency College, Bangalore University 6 Loyola College in Pondicherry University 7
Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University
8 Lady Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University 9 Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Calcutta University 10 Madras Christian College, Madras University 11 PSG College of Arts and Science, affiliated to Bharathiar University 12 Lady Irwin College, Delhi University 13 Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, Delhi University 14 Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College, Delhi University 15
Gargi College, Delhi University
16 PSGR Krishnammal College for Women affiliated to Bharathiar University 17 Xavier`s College, Calcutta University 18 University College, Kerala University 19 Fergusson College, Pune University 20 Kirori Mal College, Delhi University 21 Hansraj College, Delhi University 22 Women`s Christian College, Madras University 23 Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, Delhi University 24 Sri Venkateswara College, Delhi University 25 Dyal Singh College, Delhi University
Attributes (GA) reflecting the essence of these outcomes.
Graduate Attributes Graduate attributes are what a university promises for its graduates. Declaration of GA has been a mandatory practice of quality assurance in universities almost everywhere in the world except India. Certain universal elements apart, items of GA vary from university to university. It is these variables that make each university’s GA unique. GA as a defined package mirrors the net outcomes of the academic and extra academic accomplishments of a university, which make the graduate its distinct products.
It is the professional requirements of the world which determine what should constitute the fundamental elements of the GA of any university. At the outset they ensure the graduates’ employability. Till recent times these elements were more or less decidable, for professions and their requirements hardly underwent radical changes. Attainment of high cognitive ability, sharp analytical faculty, good language power, and innovativeness to apply knowledge in the discipline concerned was enough for graduates to command jobs in the professional as well as general sectors. Therefore, these have been the basic elements that every university yearned to ensure through June 2018
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its academic programmes. Conventions and practices were so entrenched as to be ensuring them as accomplishments. Universities, the world over, are now debating and revising the basic elements in their GA against the world in flux. Universities in the country do not have the practice stating their GAs. Kerala will have all her universities’ GAs declared soon. Competency to handle sophisticated IT tools, ability to work in interdisciplinary environment, competency in developing research networks, familiarity with corporate research culture, entrepreneurial skill, and ability to assess development impact on the environment are examples of GA. Competency in doing theoretical research based on computer automation and high power computing, mathematical computational skill, acquisition of science-tech knowledge base, experimental innovativeness in micro-engineering research, acquisition of holistic perspective of disciplines, critical insights into them, and nurturing innovativeness are other examples. Interdisciplinary learning through convergence of multiple sciences and attainment of criticality and creativity can be yet another.
Smart Campus University’s constitutionally mandated function, production and transmission of new knowledge, is long forgotten and the institution has assumed the structure and function of the secretariat. An assortment of Departments in isolation, functioning under bureaucratic rigidity, has deprived the University of its historical environment of academic power and freedom, indispensable for generating innovative ways of knowing, ways of seeing, ways of thinking, and ways of doing. Dhaishanic Paryavaran (Learner Ecosystem) and Prabuddhata (taking knowledge to everyday social life) are two schemes of KSHEC to make the
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university campus at once creative and people centred. Learner Ecosystem seeks to resuscitate inter-Departmental relationships into a symbiosis and enable the campus to be a platform for crossdisciplinary literacy. In the existing learning environment, the structure and function of natural space are not consciously designed to be in harmony with the process of learning.Therefore, the task is to design the natural space of the University campus as imbued with elements integral to learning, so that learning happens naturally, informally and effectively. Learner Ecosystem project seeks to spread learning activity into designed ecological niches in the campus and
Technology supplements the learner ecosystem by virtually drawing far off places right into the campus.
slowly turns the campus into a universitywide ecosystem of learning promoting criticality and creativity. It attempts at carefully carving out ecological niches as natural learning enclaves in harmony with the campus’ landscape ecosystem. This is to identify and design convenient points into ecological niches for learners to congregate in small groups, engage fruitfully in their learning through collective exercises of knowing, seeing, thinking, deliberating, doing/ experimenting, discovering, innovating, and growing intellectually. It seeks to provide for constituting personalized study spots within the built structures attached to the library and reading rooms etc. These efforts have to be supplemented
by technology that provides multiple devices enabling auditory, visual and tactile learning experiences. Technology supplements the learner ecosystem by virtually drawing far off places right into the campus. A Learner Ecosystem Campus is a natural space, technologically enabled for enjoying a network of experts, resources, devices, lesson packages, lectures, debates and colloquia as if they are right inside the University. All this makes the campus smart.
Socialization of Higher Knowledge Higher education institutions are generally removed from the everyday life of the local people. They forget the fact that it is part of their responsibility to socialize the relevant higher knowledge and people hardly know that they have a claim on higher education institutions. Institutions are always urged to build ties with industries, but the least to build relations with the local society. In fact, social sustainability of educational institutions is as important as economic sustainability that they expect through ties with industries. KSHEC has undertaken socialization of higher knowledge as a project that simultaneously helps improve the quality of higher education and people’s everyday life. This project seeks to reorient higher education institutions to put people first in teaching and research. Similarly it empowers people through awareness campaigns focusing on their right to demand benefits of higher knowledge for improving the quality of their life.
Going Interdisciplinary Nurturing cross-disciplinary literacy through multi-disciplinary engagements and promotion of interdisciplinary learning through convergence research in the higher education sector is a top priority of KSHEC. Within the rut of disciplinary practices we continue the mistaken presumption that multi-
vs
disciplinary and interdisciplinary are the same. As Roland Barthes (French Literary Theorist) defined, interdisciplinary is not about confronting already constituted disciplines or bringing them together. Interdisciplinary means creating a new knowledge field that belongs to none of the entrenched disciplines. Interdisciplinary research and teaching is inherently inclined to extension of knowledge for social development. Knowledge generated beyond disciplines and across their interfaces is strikingly fresh, regenerative and converging. Convergence cuts across not only disciplinary barriers but also faculty differentiation between the natural and social sciences as exemplified by environmental sciences or women studies. Many academics are producing eminently non-conventional knowledge in the interface of conventional disciplines, which is seldom promoted in departments of disciplinary identity for obvious reasons.
Brain Gain Move Several Universities abroad have special
programmes that offer outstanding graduates and young researchers, opportunities to interact with Nobel Laureates and other distinguished scholars, who pioneer the frontiers of knowledge. Kerala State Higher Education Council’s ‘ERUDITE Scholarin-Residence’ is the only such programme in India for the University students and teachers to meet with Nobel Laureates and other scholars of worldwide recognition. Most teachers and students do not get a chance even to see Nobel Laureates, let alone the opportunity to interact with them. One can imagine what if there is a Programme for inviting Nobel Laureates for teachers and students to meet them and share knowledge from their field. It tremendously influences our young researchers hearing the knowledge and experience of the Nobel Laureates, not only intellectually but also psychosocially by enhancing self-esteem and self-confidence. Laureates deliver lectures on topics of their choice, share scientific advancements in their areas of research, provide academic career guidance to
young researchers, suggest new research questions to them and co-opt teachers of genuine research talent in collaborative projects. Providing a good exposure to fresh areas of research for them to explore, brief and limited though, instills optimism in their minds and helps think practically about the direction in which they should steer their research enterprise. Additionally, the Council seeks to give another dimension to the programme by attaching a new component called ‘Brain Gain’ to combat ‘Brain Drain’as a mission to gain the ‘drained brains’ back for the country. This is to persuade eminent nonresident Indian professors, particularly those from Kerala, who matter in their areas, to come as Scholars-in-Residence to teach a course under the Programme. It would engender a scholarly environment of unique learning experience and provide better opportunities for the talented young students and covetable research collaboration for teachers. Writer is Vice Chairman, Kerala State Higher Education Council June 2018
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igher education
IT’S TIME TO THINK
DIFFERENTLY Institutions in India are not figuring in the top 100 of the world rankings.
Dr Kuncheria P Isaac
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he headline in the print media in the second week of June 2018 is that “QS World University Rankings 2019: IIT Bombay Best in India, MIT tops for the Seventh Consecutive year.� In that, IIT Bombay has moved from 179th rank last year to 162nd rank this year in Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University ranking. The discussion in the academic circles and even among educated parents of children aspiring for admissions in Universities and colleges is about ranking and accreditation. Our institutions in India are not figuring in the top 100 of the world rankings. Over the last few years, there have been consistent inclusions and improvements of our higher and technical institutions in the renowned world rankings like Quacquarelli Symonds, Times Higher Education, World University Rankings, and Academic Ranking of World Universities. The major reason for exclusion of our institutions is because of three important factors; internationalization, research and industry interface. Internationalization requires presence of students and faculty of other countries in our campuses. This is not happening mainly because of policy paralysis towards internationalization. The present Union Government could not bring out the National Educational Policy so far even after a lapse of four years of its rule. Committees after committees are formed, but no sign of light at the end of the tunnel. Our State funded institutions are still not able to attract foreign faculty due to the absence of State of the art facilities. We have several institutions, central and state funded, scientific and industrial houses, but quality of research continues to be the bottleneck. As the name of the institutions in India do not figure in the rankings in the global agencies, the present union government after assuming charge decided to implement a national ranking for institutions to grade the institutions in
the country NIRF (National Institutions Ranking Framework). Over the last three years, since its introduction, it has emerged as a method to rank the institution, may not be with 100% accuracy, but with reasonable level of acceptance by the academics. The criteria for ranking are as follows which is almost similar to QS ranking but the marks for each criteria varies. A cursory examination of rankings 2018 reveals that in the overall rankings; Tamil Nadu tops with twenty two institutions and Kerala has only four (University of Kerala, MG University, CUSAT and IISER) in the first 100 list.
State funded institutions are still not able to attract foreign faculty due to the absence of proper facilities.
Accreditation: The State of accreditation of an institution by National Assessment and Accreditation Council and the accreditation of the course by National Board of Accreditation is the next important assessment parameter by the academics to judge the teaching, learning and overall acceptance of academies by other universities in the world. Based on the NAAC score, UGC has recently categorized universities and institutions into category I and category II and has granted more autonomy in terms of starting new courses. This is a welcome step by which Universities will enjoy more freedom and autonomy to design new courses and decide on the assessment of students. None of the institutions in Kerala comes under category I or category II. So there is a long way for Kerala to go to achieve this. Access: The higher and technical education saw a mammoth expansion over the last ten years. The GER now is around twenty five. This expansion, devoid of quality, is a serious concern to all and when the targeted GER is thirty
The criteria for ranking
0.1
0.3
Perception
Teaching, learning and resources
0.1
Outreach and Inclusivity
0.3
0.2
Research and Professional practice
Graduation outcome June 2018
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the major concern of the industries is that we are churning out youths with a poor grasp of the subject matter and skills.
by the year 2019. The case of Kerala who has been forerunner in education is that it could not expand the sector as done by neighboring states. Kerala still has twenty five as its GER whereas Tamil Nadu has a GER of forty eight. The point to be noted here is that in spite of low level of expansion and with a strong foundation could not achieve glory in ranking and accreditation. The reasons for this have to be assessed by the academicians and the political bosses. The major reasons that can be attributed are: Policy Paralysis: There in a need of developing a policy framework in line with National Education Policy and the policies of other global leaders. For e.g. Finland has the best school education system in the world. Opposing autonomy, changes in affiliation system, change management is the real crab against achieving quality. Affiliation System: The universities in Kerala with large number of colleges affiliated to them are unable to enforce a good teaching-learning system, conduct examinations and publish results on time. The cluster system proposed by former Minister for Education Shri. M.A Baby and adopted by APJ Abdul Kalam
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Technological University for post graduate courses is one step towards autonomy in a limited way to the colleges. Full autonomy to colleges as practiced by many States and may be in the pipeline in the new education policy is the only solution. Creativity: The challenge is whether we are able to produce creative–challenged youth. Today the major concern of the industries is that we are churning out youths with a poor grasp of the subject matter and skills. Paradigm shift in the teaching-learning is not happening in the institutions from the chalk and duster system to a project based learning. The involvement of industry in grooming the student is not finding much importance in spite of the fact that the industries are the beneficiaries of such a system. The technical, medical and vocational education system has to necessarily have a compulsory internship in the industry. But this is practically impossible with the institutions being established in places away from industries. Research and Consultancy: Research and consultancy has never been integrated as part of the educational institutions in India except a few national institutes. Good infrastructure and funding are the essential ingredients and either funding
from government or from industries is a must and unfortunately this is at very low ebb. The other alternative is to apportion a part of fee for research activities. This means enhancement of fee, which may not be appreciated by most of managements fearing less admissions. One of the problems faced by institutions in Kerala is the lack of funding. Government has taken up the burden of paying salary to teachers in aided colleges and the fee revenue is almost nil, the colleges have never concentrated on research or even thought of changes which was externally influenced by the over politicised teacher associations. Academic Administration: It is proved beyond doubt that the governance of academic institution with a governing body consisting of mainly by academicians (faculty), industry personnel and alumni could achieve the vision, whereas in Kerala it is over politicised with the apex body filled with politically aligned academicians and elected representatives. I am at a loss to understand why an elected representative that is MLA be in the board of management of the universities in Kerala. How can a student leader decide on the assessment criteria for awarding degrees? There is an urgent need to follow the best practice of management in IIMs, IITs, and NITs in the state universities in Kerala. Nobel Laureate Dr. Amarthya Sen has pointed out India’s education policy has been framed by the aspiration of middle class. Now it is time to think differently and out of box to churn out creative thinkers by focusing on a) Creating competence, capabilities and character b) Integrating education with values c) Quality and relevance of education and research with necessary policy initiatives and de-politicisation. Writer is Vice Chancellor, Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science
igher education
tune into innovation and internationalisation Most Governments and political leaders have a half-century old vision of Universities.
A
recent half-page advertisement by the Govt. of Kerala in major dailies, bullets was around 50 achievements of the State Government in the last two years. Higher education is conspicuous by its absence, while the Govt. is justly proud of ‘Pothu‘Vidayalya Samrakshana Yajnam’, a mission to rejuvenate the ailing public schools. Is higher education left out as the Govt. finds it hopeless? Let us hope not. Most Governments and political leaders have a half-century old vision of Universities. The mention of the University brings up the imagery of a number of affiliated colleges with thousands of students
and the issue of delay in examination results. This is of course a reality that cannot be wished away. However, this view degenerates the Universities to examination directorates, in which role they seem to be performing rather poorly. When world over Universities are being looked upon as turbines of knowledge generation and innovation, our political leadership is yet to recognize this view. Most Universities in our country lack of a clear working definition for innovation and therefore its promotion is consequently compromised. While world class Universities count their innovation in hundreds, our Universities
Prof. Achuthsankar S Nair
June 2018
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are not even aware of the small number of innovations taking place within them. Teachers and students of different age groups, different subject streams and different institutions hold strikingly different understanding of the concept of innovation. In addition, university leadership, depending on their world exposure (or lack of it), also hold varying and often confused views of innovation. There are then cases of politicised leaderships in Universities who have no genuine interest in understanding or prioritising innovation (and for that matter, quality and excellence too). India has declared 2010-20 as the “Decade of Innovation”, and established a National Innovation Council. Government and industries seem to be comfortable with the “patenting–commercialization– economic development” interpretation of innovation. The term ‘innovation’ is seen to be used inter-changeably with ‘applied research’, ‘translational research’, ‘patenting’, ‘technology transfer’, ‘student start-ups’ and ‘incubation’. All these are intimately related to innovation, but clarity and big picture view are required for effective planning and action. Science, Technology & Innovation Policy of Govt. of India (2013) says: Scientific research utilizes money to generate knowledge and by providing solutions, innovation converts knowledge into wealth and/ or value. Innovation thus implies S&Tbased solutions that are successfully deployed in the economy or the society. Wikipedia says innovation is producing “effective products, processes, services technologies or ideas that are readily available to markets, governments and society”. In other words, INNOVATION = INVENTION + ECONOMICALLY OR SOCIALLY SUCCESSFUL USE. This definition causes an important dilemma. It is S&T-centric and ignores
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that innovation can happen social services, arts humanities, University administration, event management, student politics, teaching, assessment and what not. When the great saint of Kerala, during days of caste discriminations, consecrated an idol of Siva, he was challenged by the upper caste. He responded by telling them that he has consecrated an ‘Ezhava Siva’, a god of his own caste and they need not feel concerned. If this is not innovation, what else is? For a multi-faculty University, the interpretation of innovation needs to be more wide and general. The “idea generation” phase of innovation is not automatic in multi–faculty Universities as may happen with engineering colleges.
INNOVATION =
INVENTION + ECONOMICALLY OR SOCIALLY SUCCESSFUL USE
A generally agreed notion is that an innovation ultimately creates wealth, through economic, social or environmental activity, by creating value, solving problems, creating jobs, etc. Almost everything we use or see in dayto-day life was at one time an innovation that had revolutionary effect on life of the time. Clothes, wheels, toys, tools, food, building materials, construction methods, traditional home utensils, appliances etc., almost everything human-made that we use today, are evolved forms of great innovations of the past. Not only products, but systems such as family, democracy, religions were also innovations brought in to serve certain purposes and they thrive today. In modern times, life-saving drugs, IT gadgets and services (Facebook, Google and WhatsApp), LED lights and a bunch of techy products and services have become the face of innovation. Small families, acquiring soft skills, green living, gender equality etc. are social innovations. While innovations that catch attention of media are by and large high-tech, there are innovation which are triggered by common-sense and are unique for their frugal nature. Examples like “mitti cool” refrigerator are today branded as “Jugad innovation”. Jump-clips, stapler pins, hair pins, safety pins, ball-point pens etc also are Jugad innovations that continue to have markets. These need to be promoted along with high-tech innovations. The Sree Chithra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in Kerala transferred the technology of its heart valve to TTK Health Care and about 100,000 patients live with the heart valve produced by the Sree Chithra Institute. The first patient who used it, survived for 25 years. SCTIMST has also transferred technology
of non-toxic PVC formulations for blood bags. These stand as towering examples for higher education institutions in Kerala. There are a few aspects of higher education institutions in Kerala that need addressing if our institutions are to appear in international radar. Most of the Universities in the state have less that 200 faculty members working in them. This needs to jump 10 fold if we are to see a noticeable research output from them. Permanent positions of such huge numbers may be a great challenge. Tenure positions may also be required for meeting this. Professional management of Universities is of course a well known demand but, there is no hope for it, as Governments continue to fill the supreme bodies with people who have very narrow visions of leading the university, mostly related to minor politicking and distribution of favours. Political leadership will have to take a
The best University from our state is the University of Kerala, according to NIRF.
call on this soon; as societal aspirations on Universities are soaring (public school system is a pointer in this direction). Another matter is internationalisation. Universities need to attract foreign students to its fold. This is pragmatic only on a credit transfer basis, given the international standing of our Universities. University of Kerala successfully demonstrated this in 2014 and this could be scaled up. I would like to end on a positive note. Universities in the state are waking up to international demands for quality and are becoming more and more self-aware.
The NAAC accreditation process has been the first trigger for this. Now the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and THES World University ranking have given yet another trigger. The best University from our state is the University of Kerala, according to NIRF, which is ranked 29th at the national level. THES ranking features University of Kerala and CUSAT only in the bottom of the ladder. Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge may be far away, but we must at least aspire to reach the levels of JNU. Writer is a teacher, researcher, popular science writer, amateur historian, green activist and musicologist. He has held various positions in the University including Dean of Applied Science and Technology, Director of Quality Assurance, Director of International Affairs and Director of Technology Business Start-up Centre. June 2018
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igher education
TIME TO FOCUS ON LIFE SKILLS The curriculum in our educational institutions is not catering the overall development of the individual or failed to enhance the competencies of a person.
Dr. A. Radhakrishnan Nair
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W
orld Health Organization (WHO, 1993) defined life skills as, the abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with demands and challenges of everyday life. UNICEF looks upon life skills as, “a behaviour change or behaviour development approach designed to address a balance of three areas: knowledge, attitude and skills.” To Dohmen (1996) life skills are the abilities necessary to apply the conceptual thinking and reflection in concrete situations; they involve psychological prerequisites for successful performance, such as problem solving capacities, self-confidence and skills for critical thinking. Universally, life skills education is considered as a competency building method, as well as a behaviour modification technique. Life skills are there in everyone. Many of us are not recognising it, and not taking an effort to sharpen it. The curriculum in our educational institutions is not catering the overall development of the individual or failed to enhance the competencies of a person. Education is supposed to develop the skills and competencies of a person. But the question is whether our present education system enables a person to develop his core and professionals skills, professional knowledge and right kinds of attitude that enable him to lead a successful and positive life.The need of life skills and its applications vary according to the individual, their circumstances, the issues which a person is handling, etc. Draft National Education Policy, 2016
says that, the core objectives of education in the coming years should encompass four essential components – i.e. building values, awareness, knowledge and skills. As per the UNFPA’s State of the World’s Population Report with 356 million 10-24 year-olds, India has the world’s largest youth population. However, recent employment figures indicate that the absorption of the Indian youth into the labour force is not as high as one would expect. This is perhaps due to the poor employability of the workforce, which is severely affected by a deficit in educational attainment and health. Life Skills education is an integral component of employability skills which are prerequisite for harnessing demographic dividend. The Convention of the Rights of the Child and a number of international rights based treaties directly or indirectly highlights the need for life skills education from the very nascent stage of human life. Life skills education aims at facilitating the development of psychosocial skills that are required to deal with the demands and challenges of everyday life. It contributes to the promotion of personal and social development, prevention of health and social problems, and the protection of human rights. It enhances mental well-being in young people, equips them to face the realities of life and help individuals to behave in pro-social ways. Life skills help adolescents to transit successfully from childhood to adulthood by healthy development of social and emotional skills, develops social competence and problem solving skills, which in turn help
it att
adolescents to form their own identity. It helps to weigh pros and cons of the situation, regulate behaviour and teach anger control. It assists in differentiating between hearing and listening and thus, ensures less development misconceptions or miscommunications regarding issues such as drugs, alcoholism etc. It also promotes the development of positive
e g ed l w o ke n
tud
ills sk
e g d le w o kn
e d u t i t t s l a l i k s self-esteem and helps them to protect themselves from abuse. In fact, considering the importance of life skills among children from kindergarten till the point of their professional studies, life skills education should be an important discourse while framing the new education policy. Life Skills education integration is an apt response to the need of reforming traditional education systems, which appear to be out of step with the realities of modern social and economic life. Problems such as violence in schools and student drop-out are crippling the ability of school systems to achieve their academic goals. Furthermore, in addition to its wide-ranging applications in primary prevention and the advantages that it can bring for education systems, life skills education lays the foundation for learning skills that are in great demand in today’s job markets. National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF, 2013) framed and notified by Govt. of India is a competencybased framework that organizes all qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills and aptitude. These levels, graded from one to ten, are June 2018
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defined in terms of learning outcomes which the learner must possess regardless of whether they are obtained through formal, non-formal or informal learning. NSQF is a quality assurance framework. NSQF are defined by the extent of demands made of the learner in broad categories of competence, i.e. professional knowledge, professional skill, core skill and responsibility. Over a lifetime of learning, individuals will move to higher from lower levels or across levels of qualifications as they take on new learning and acquire new skills. Each level of the NSQF is associated with a set of descriptors made up of five outcome statements, which describe in general terms, the minimum knowledge, skills and attributes that a learner needs to acquire in order to be certified for that level. The statements of learning outcomes in five domains are known as level descriptors. These five domains are: Process, Professional knowledge, Professional skill, Core skill and Responsibility. If one analyzed closely, you will understand the standards prescribed are nothing but life skills. If we combine the levels stipulated in NSQF together it is nothing but the four pillars of education (Delors Commission Report, UNESCO, 1994). NSQF has given us a competency model in education and training. Again the same question, does our education provides this to our children? Aspiring Minds, National Employability Report of Engineering Graduates – 2014 reports that less than one out of four engineering graduates are employable in the country. The study further shows that, “of the 1.2 lakh candidates surveyed across multiple states, 91.82% lack programming and algorithm skills, 71.23% lack soft and cognitive skills, 60% lack domain skills, 73.63% lack English speaking and comprehension skills and 57.96% have poor analytical and quantitative skills.” If the skill gap in the high profile science and technology sector is this
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Life skills education needs to find its place in the proposed new National Education Policy.
much, what about the graduates of social sciences? Are we enabling them to face the competitive world confidently? Can we quip them with skills required in the global job market? If social sciences fail to equip students with competitive edge, then the existence of the subject as a study itself will be questioned. Here comes the need of life skills education cutting across all the subjects in all levels. Life Skills Education at School level: When developing in-school life skillsbased education, it is important to place it in the context of wider education sector reforms. Ultimately, to be effective, life skills must be taught in schools that are inclusive, child-friendly, adequately resourced and provisioned, staffed by trained and motivated teachers, and which utilize participatory and experiential methods (including continuous assessment). It is important to stress here that LSE should begin in the junior grades and continue through the higher ones, applying age and context appropriate life skills, over time, to more sensitive and complex issues. Life skills education at graduate,
post graduate, professional level and vocational education/training: In the current scenario, we will find a plenty of young unemployed graduates and post graduates in our country who in the absence of social, communication and interpersonal skills, lack of ability of coping with stress are unable to find a place for themselves in the job-market. The graduates lack core skills beside on the academic or technical qualifications. The top three most important general skills identified were integrity, reliability and teamwork, while the top three most important specific skills are entrepreneurship, communication in English and use of modern tools and technologies.The Life Skills Education at graduation and post-graduation level will be of great utility and therefore Life Skills Education should be made mandatory in all the vocational training programmes in the Nation to make the courses NSQF compliant. One model we have in Kerala is ASAP (Additional Skills Acquisition Program). It’s a unique program in skilling the youth of the state and a pioneering initiative in the country. When many states are still reluctant, Kerala came forward almost a decade back. But it requires a thorough evaluation to see whether the training under ASAP is yielding the results it envisages and revisit the modules according to the needs of the market. Life skills education needs to find its place in the proposed new National Education Policy. The Minister for HRD always highlights the need of life skills and value education whenever he talks about new education policy and one hope that it will be listened by those who are finally drafting it. Author is thankful to the members of IALSE, Delhi Chapter, especially Ms. Asheema Singh who contributed in developing the paper. Writer is Registrar, Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod
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RIDE THE
igher education
IDEAL ‘BUS’ Success follows an optimist. An optimist will find an opportunity in every difficulty and a pessimist will see a difficulty in every opportunity. Opportunities are in plenty, and are flying around us from all directions.
Dr. Nirmala. A
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s usual in the month of May Appu’s results came. He was much disappointed. His father brought him to me for a chat. I told Appu about ‘BUS’ Belief:- Believing in yourself Unlearn :- Unlearning old and redundant ways Smart: - Learning to work smart instead of simply working hard. Appu should change his attitude. He was having lack of self confidence. The twenty sixth president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Believe you can and you are half way there”. This is absolutely vital. You need to believe that you actually make it happen. It is said that a young man visited Greek philosopher, Socrates, in search of secret to success. He was surprised when Socrates took him to lake and drenched his head under water. As the man struggled to come up for air, Socrates continued holding him under. Later, after recovering, when the young man asked Socrates why he had nearly drowned him. Socrates replied, “What was it that you most wanted when you were under water?” “Air” the young man replied. Socrates responded that it is the secret to success. When you want success, as intensely as you wanted air under water, then you will have it. There is no other secret. Success follows an optimist. An optimist will find an opportunity in
every difficulty and a pessimist will see a difficulty in every opportunity. Opportunities are in plenty, and are flying around us from all directions. We have to open our eyes wide to see them and greet them. Be assured Institutional that in every difficulty there time is a hidden advantage. We won’t attain anything, if we are sitting in a comfort zone. Success is not something Personal that we time run into by accident. It takes a lot of preparation
Study time
Extra curricular time
Black holes
and character. Everyone likes to win, but most people are not willing to put in the effort and time to prepare to Social time win. It takes sacrifice and self discipline. There is no substitute for hard work. Henry ford said, “The harder you work, the luckier you get”. Persistence results from commitment and which leads to determination. Athletes put in years of practice for a
few seconds or minutes of performance. Persistence is a decision. It is a commitment to finish what you start. When we are exhausted, quitting looks good. But winners endure. Lots of people who are failures began well but never finished anything. Persistence comes from purpose. Life without purpose is drifting. A person who has no purpose will never persevere and will never be fulfilled. A day is 24 hours for everyone. If we are able to manage the time, we will be able to achieve our goal. For most students the day is usually spent in six ways.
Everyone likes to win, but most people are not willing to put in the effort and time to prepare to win.
Institutional time: Time spent in classes Personal time: Time required for eating and sleeping Study time: Time needed for homework Extracurricular time: Time for hobbies Social time: Time spent with family Black holes: Non productive time spent watching tv, smart phone usage. If we minimize the black holes, we are the winners. In short set a smart goal for yourself and prepare a daily time table for yourself and work according to the time table and evaluate yourself every day. You have to accept your limitations and try to go beyond them. So wake up, plan your timetable and start working – SUCCESS IS YOURS Writer is Principal & Child Psychologist, Shanthiniketan School, Trivandrum June 2018
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igher education
Gender Justice Issues of social/ gender justice, inclusiveness, equity and so on come to play within and outside the sphere of higher education in diverse forms.
Dr. Lakshmi Priya N
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ny discussion on gender needs to begin by problematizing and clarifying the nuances of the conceptual and performative difference the word ‘gender’ has with related words. Sex is a biological categorization primarily based on reproductive capabilities whereas gender is socially constructed by defining specific gender roles to the male and the female, i.e., the ways in which a male or a female is supposed to perform her biological sex. Gender issues are not limited to the personal or domestic narratives. It’s a domain by itself in public discourse and gets essentially manifested
through socio-political and cultural performances. Higher education being a representative space mirrors the social realities prevalent in a society. Issues of social/gender justice, inclusiveness, equity and so on come to play within and outside the sphere of higher education in diverse forms. The ideologies formed and perpetuated through higher education have far reaching consequences in shaping the perception of a society.
Politics of Enrollment Total Enrollment in Higher Education in India has been estimated to be 33.3
million with 17.9 million boys and 15.4 million girls. It has been noted that girls constitute 46% of the total enrollment. Kerala, undoubtedly, has a better graph of female education when compared to other states of India. However, on a closer analysis certain patterns or ratio difference tend to emerge from this substantially better manifestation of gender sensitiveness. Girl students outnumber boys in UG, PG, M Phil and Ph.D. These courses form part of our set concepts of education in the sense of learning. It’s more or less a kind of consumption where knowledge is mostly consumed rather than produced to make a living. Coming to new age courses like Diploma Courses, Integrated Courses, Polytechnicand so on, which directly links education to work/earning a living and survival, one can see a reversal in the male-female enrollment ratio. One needs to look in to the politics of this reality. Education for girls is still to a large extent synonymous with gaining a kind of social respectability/complementing domesticity than equipping them to move out in to the world to find a living of their own with the help of the skill they have acquired from education. In spite of her education she is primarily expected to nurture the family. Whereas a man follows his subjectivity, and thus a career of his choice, a woman narrows herself down to the four walls of domesticity and a career without compromising her essential domestic duties.
Choice of Instruction In close association with the above observation, one needs to have a critique of the disparity in the choice of instruction of male and female students. Science for men and fine arts for women is an oft quoted life situation one comes across books on gender and education irrespective of region. The belief that women are less equipped to learn technical/scientific subjects than men and are more inclined to humanities, arts
Education and Work ratio of women
highly qualified
71.36%
Mere numerical increase of women in higher education won’t help in the betterment of living conditions for women.
and fine arts can be traced back to the particular kind of social belief that men are strong, courageous and sharp and women are week , docile and subtle. The difference in the temperament attributed to both the sexes in turn link it with the enlightenment idea of rationality getting attributed to the ‘reasonable’ man and sentimentality to the ‘emotional’ woman. This fixity of belief led to the wider notion favoring men for technical/science subjects which needed a scientific and reasonable temperament and woman ever suitable for humanities and arts which were viewed as a more leisurely subjects (that could fetch sufficient time for domestic commitments) not in need of a scientific temperament. The disparity in the choice of instruction that is very prevalent in our society is the result of such beliefs that have been carried out down generations. A look into the gender disparity in arts and science colleges would show the dwindling number of boy students. Currently girls outnumber boys in every arts and science colleges of the state. And when it comes to PG courses the situation is worse with the numbers getting to bare minimum of one or two in humanities courses. The picture would attain more clarity if one observes the disparity in the number of newly appointed Assistant Professors across the state/country or the gender ratio in each humanities
workforce
24%
department.
Curriculum and Syllabus Another very important arena that creates and propagates gender notions in higher education is curriculum and syllabus. Though modern education unified the syllabus for male and female there are inherent gender biases which get represented through the content prescribed. When the entire history of knowledge is prominently male history what gets propagated to the students also naturally follow the same course of action. Whether it be studies in technology, science, arts or humanities the major schemata of the courses designed take up the history that has come down to us and not the histories that has been hidden or wiped off. Naturally, what has come down to us has little gender justice in content and ideology communicated.
Education and Work Higher Education is seen as a step to employment. The percentage of women entering productive employment is low compared to those who attend college/ university. While 71.36% attend higher education, only 24% women constitute the work force of the state. It critiques the constraints on women to make career choices in spite of their education. Mere numerical increase of women in higher education won’t help in the betterment of June 2018
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living conditions for women. In this 21st century when the concept of employment is fast transforming from white collar jobs to a much broader levels of conceptual and technological development, the practice of education should need to undergo transformation. Even now a student’s methodology of learning and scholarship is analyzed by his/her theoretical and textual knowledge, that too based on outdated systems of knowledge formations. The educators of the current generation need to focus on various kinds of skill development instead of limiting knowledge formations between the outer covers of text books. More over Employment and self-sufficiency need to be seen as a necessity not only for the male, but to other sexes as well, for whom employment is easily replaced by marriage or other options (sex work and begging for the transgender). Living Smile Vidya in her autobiography, I am Vidya:A Trangender’s Journey shares her disapproval of NGO for Tirunangais (Transgender) when she says, “No Indian NGO had fought to liberate tirunangais from begging and sex work. What kind of rehabilitation was it to tell them, ‘Go on being sex workers, but do it safely?’ (123). Vidya shares the trials she had to face to get a job as a means of living even though she had a MA degree in Linguistics.
Protest Movements Though the number of girl students have risen in technological institutions much more remains to be acquired in treating them as equal individuals within the academic society. To pinpoint a clear case of distinction is the hostel rules applicable to girls alone. At a time when the campus and libraries are live up to late hours girl students are directed to enter hostels by 6 or 7pm. When the boys from the same stream enjoy limitless freedom of movement, girls are asked to move around within a circle that has
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been drawn. An argument that can come up is that of the question of ‘safety’ of girls. But then, the rhetoric of safety is yet again problematic. Such attributed safety measures are nothing but social closures in disguise. The protest movement initiated by the girl students of the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram (CET) in March 2015, Break the Curfew,initiated wide protest against the disparity in hostel timings only for the women’s hostel. They questioned the logic in asking just the girl students to be present in the hostel before 6.30 p.m. even when the library functioned till 8pm and the computer lab opened till 9 p.m. They also raised the issue of female students being given easier subjects for project which does not require them to spend too much time outdoors. The observations and demands put forward by such Student Movements should be taken in to consideration and rules re- coded. It’s essential to make such gender sensitive revisions ‘official’ so as to prevent it from fading away in the patriarchal power games of the party politics. The NDTV reports of the Break the Curfew initiated similar protest movements in Delhi called PinjraTod: Break the Hostel Locks
Critical Pedagogy As institutions of higher education are spaces where conscious efforts need to be taken to sustain the democratic and secular norms that’s under threat, esp. in the contemporary scenario, one needs to take special care to nurture the same among the student population. A sense of critique need to be developed among students who are fast becoming silent consumers in a capitalist world. Critical Pedagogy as a tool of constant realizations and resistance need to be inculcated within the entire field of education as a process of knowledge formation. Paulo Freire, one of the prominent theorists of critical pedagogy
A sense of critique need to be developed among students who are fast becoming silent consumers in a capitalist world.
who wrote The Pedagogy of the Oppressed talks about his disparagement of what he calls the “banking” system of education “where a student is seen as an empty account waiting to be filled by the teacher”. A similar idea is shared by the lines of a very popular song by Pink Floyd which says, “We don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought-control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom - Teacher, leave those kids alone! All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall.”
Feminist and LGBT Pedagogy Critical pedagogy branches out to feminist pedagogy and LGBT pedagogy when addressing issues of gender and power. Discussions about gender concerns in higher education definitely need to configure to the modus
within a classroom. Gender sensitization is not a matter for students alone but is required for all sections - students, teachers, office staff and administration.
Self- financing and Autonomous Institutions
operandi of the feminist pedagogy/ LGBT pedagogy not just theoretically but in the practical everyday interaction within and outside the classroom. All discussions on gender sensitivity in higher education still lingers around the claims of justice for the girl students. The presence of transgender and their basic rights as human beings are still ignored or invisible to a larger extant. There is yet another one sidedness when one sees girls or women as a homogenous entity. Within our hierarchical social system there are divisions based on class and caste in addition to gender. Class/caste variations trigger gender insensitivity adding woes to the already subdued sexual categories.
Gender Sensitization This concern takes us directly to the question of gender sensitivity among teachers and the dismantling of the power structures with the campus and classroom. Only a gender sensitive teacher can lead the students to such a broader awareness. s/he needs to check herself/himself constantly to undo the deep structures of patriarchy that functions within one’s own self. The
classroom situation in form, structure and content has very much to do with the substance of hierarchical structures of power in the teacher-student binary. The present day teacher needs to shift his/her role from an omniscient instructor to a participatory facilitator. The very structure of classroom need to be changed, from the dictating teacher on the one side and the students seated as a group/ crowd on the other as passive listeners, to a space of regular give and take free of power positions. The bench and desk on which the students crowd together is a big hindrance from seeing them as individuals. Doing away with the benches and bringing in individual chairs is a very important first step to be taken within a degree classroom to ensure initiation of subjectivity, even though most of us may fail to realize the very subtleness of its necessity. And the seating pattern need to be changed for good from verticalhorizontal hierarchy to a circular pattern with the students and teacher shifting the seating pattern every day. The teacher needn’t stand apart, but be one with the students. This has lot to do with bringing to open girl/lgbt students who tend to group together to the left or right corners
All the above discussed concerns would be graver in self-financing and autonomous colleges which work on hegemonic power and neo –liberal market tendencies. Private Universities too would have the same everyday reality. There is no scope to imagine social justice and gender justice would be taken care of in such a political atmosphere. Students as well as the teaching community would be distanced from the socio political interventions and constantly under check through punching machines, surveillance cameras and movement registers. The peculiar cases of such institutions, where the idea of justice or democracy won’t prevail, would be the most burning concerns of higher education in the near future. In the present socio political situation, when fascist threats manipulate faith and religion for political motives, thus taking people backwards in their attitudes and perceptions, gender justice may probably be the worse to affect among all kinds of social justice.Though working things out on a broader canvas like constitutional amendments, policies or legislations would serve as initial step, what is more essential is to make do/bring about pluralistic vision in to the everyday life of the general public. Only an open and democratic societal mindset can function as the ground on which rules and regulations can be fruitful. The nuances of the patriarchal politics dominating all spheres of everyday life can only be decentered with a regular resistance for which the field of higher education should be made a tactical tool. Writer is Assistant Professor, Department of English, Mahatma Gandhi College, Trivandrum June 2018
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column BUsiness economics Dr. Kochurani Joseph drkochurani@gmail.com
Higher education is a critical mechanism for socioeconomic advancement among aspiring individuals and an important drive of economic mobility in our society.
E
ECONOMICS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
ducation at the higher level is crucial to economic development simply because of the possibilities for sustained growth by utilizing high level human capital. This capital is essential for the organisation and innovation required in today’s global information economy. Higher education is a critical mechanism for socioeconomic advancement among aspiring individuals and an important drive of economic mobility in our society. Moreover, a well educated workforce is vital to our nation’s future economic growth. The general higher education and training that takes place in a university, college, or institute of technology usually includes significant theoretical and abstract elements, as well as applied aspects. In contrast, the vocational higher education and training that takes place at vocational universities and schools usually concentrates on practical applications, with very little theory. In addition, professional level education academic disciplines are both vocationally, professionally, and theoretically research oriented, such as in the law, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and
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veterinary medicine. When employers in any profession consider hiring a college graduate, they are looking for evidence of critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills, team working skills, ethical judgment, decision making skills, communication
doctors and lawyers are generally the highest paid workers, and have the lowest unemployment rates.
skills (using both text and speech), problem solving skills, and a wide knowledge of liberal arts and sciences. However, most employers consider the average graduate to be more or less deficient in all of these areas. So from where the degree is taken is very important as each institution has different mode of formation and status imbibed in their candidates. Different institutions have wide
variety of fee structure and finance management. For example, in the United States, there are large differences in wages and employment associated with different degrees. Medical doctors and lawyers are generally the highest paid workers, and have among the lowest unemployment rates. Among undergraduate fields of study, science, technology, engineering, math, and business generally offer the highest wages and best chances of employment,
Professional Higher Education The economic returns to higher education remain high and provide a pathway for individual economic mobility. Public colleges educate the vast majority of the nation’s students enrolled in institutions of higher education. Historically, society provided a significant subsidy to young people through the widespread availability of inexpensive public higher education. However, over the past several decades, there has been a substantial shift in the overall funding of higher education from state assistance, in the forms of grants and subsidies, to increased tuition borne by students.
learning opportunities, enhance employability, offer qualifications and stimulate innovation, for the benefit of learners and society.
Studying Abroad
Students get various scholarships and financial assistance for pursuing higher education. For details visit the websites www.ugc.ac.in, www. dcescholarship. kerala.gov.in, www.inspire.gov.in, www. kscste.org https://www. Scholarships. gov.in The intensity of integration with the world of work (which includes enterprise, civil society and the public sector) is manifested by a strong focus on application of learning. This approach involves combining
phases of work and study, a concern for employability, cooperation with employers, the use of practice-relevant knowledge and use-inspired research. Examples of providers of professional higher education may include graduate colleges of architecture, business, journalism, law, libraryscience, optometry, pharmacy, public policy, human medicine, professional engineering, podiatric medicine, scientific dentistry, and veterinary medicine. Its function is to diversify
Universities worldwide have seen a constant rise in the number of Indian students enrolling for a degree away from their home country. Universities from several countries provide top quality higher education, far better facilities and most importantly, focus more on research. The top five countries where Indian students choose to go abroad are Canada, Germany, Australia, United States and Italy. Popular study options in these universities include business master degrees, environmental science master degrees that combine academics with research medical and engineering technology etc. The cost of higher education has surged since 1985. There are yearly increases in college tuition and fees often doubling to quadrupling as price increases for other goods every year. Though the cost of higher education has skyrocketed in recent decades, the accessibility of higher education and the diversity of higher education students also increase. Indian students who plan to study abroad can apply to several merit based but also need based scholarships. For merit based scholarships, you will have to prove either academic or non-academic excellence (e.g.: voluntary activities), while need based scholarships are solely offered to students who can’t afford to cover their study costs. To conclude with what Barack Obama once said “We can’t allow higher education to be a luxury in our country. It’s an economic imperative that every family has to be able to afford.” Dr. kochurani Joseph is the Director of Institute of Public Speaking and Placements in Kochi. June 2018
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food
A TEMPTING TALE OF UNNIAPPAM Shyamala and her husband Mohandas, who hails from Palakkad, started the shop ‘Padmanabha Stores’ at Thiruvananthapuram in 2001. Initially, they used to outsource unniappams. Later when they found it lacked the quality, they started making it on their own.
Aswathy A & Lakshmi B
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F
or anyone born and brought up in Kerala, the aroma of unniappam would definitely unlock their childhood foodie memories. Be it for a festivity like Navarathri or a ceremony like baby shower, unniappam is an unbeatable presence in Malayalee households. More than that, among our religious delicacies (nivedyams) Shabarimala unnippam, Athazapuja unniappam of Guruvayoor temple, Udayasthamana appam of Madhur Ganapathi temple and Kottarakkara Ganapathi unniappam have been tempting recipes ever since its evolution. Biting the dark brown crispy crust made of rice flour, banana, roasted coconut pieces, roasted sesame seeds, ghee, jaggery and cardamom powder and then slowly chewing the soft, delicious inner layer
is a delightful experience for all greedy guts. Traditionally cooked in a bronze pan called ‘Appakara’, it is also called Karolappam in some parts of Kerala. Google gives some basic facts on Malayalee’s organic spongy snack to non-Malayalee gobblers and informs that Æbleskiver is a similar dish in the Danish cuisine. It was an old friend who told us about one of the best unniappam outlets in Trivandrum. It was a tough ride for us to reach Thekkenada of Sri Padmanabha Swami Temple, as the road turned to a war field due to ‘PWD work in progress’, we moved cautiously.
The mouth melting unniappams were the only driving force as we struggled to reach our destination. Good things are rather unassuming, the shop we were hunting stood there unsophisticated, on the banks of a mud pool, with a blue and red pointer ‘Padmanabha Stores’. Shyamala chechi with a pleasant smile responded to every query made on her soft unniappams. She readily shared the secret of her inviting treat. Her husband Mohandas and she hails from Palakkad. They started the shop many years ago in 2001, and initially, they used to outsource unniappams. Later when they found it lacked the quality they desired to serve, they started making it on their own. She says, “Standard ingredients are very important for making classy unniappams”. She buys quality products from a nearby store in the next street and whenever she feels jaggery isn’t up to the mark or rice is extra sticky, immediately the shopkeeper would change the brand as never to compromise on quality and taste.
An average of 500 unniappams are made every day, and it sells out by 11 in the morning!
Unniappams are made every day in the early morning at 4 o’clock, her husband helps her in the process, and their son runs the business in two stores adjacent to the temple. There is high demand as she says, “An average of 500 unniappams are made every day, and it sells out by 11 in the morning”! They also take the bulk order, with a reasonable rate of Rs 6/ piece. Appams are soft to the core, “I have never used baking soda, a small portion of kootu (mix) of the day-before is kept in the refrigerator and added along with the fresh batter every day”, and willingly she reveals the secret. She has many customers ranging from people who order for rituals and festivals
to the ones who take home for a day’s snack. The shop also serves flavoursome buttermilk with ginger and green chillies. The way back from Shyamala chechi was much easier for us as the delicious unniappams by her served as a drive, tickling our taste buds as we leave the blessed premises of Padmanabha Swami Temple. Munch & Crunch, a food series by Lakshmi B & Aswathy A, explores the vivid tastes of Kerala June 2018
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techno biz
Security vulnerability on optical fiber networks Most of the backbone networks are changed to optical fiber due to the high demand for high traffic data traffic and huge bandwidth.
Dr.Suresh Nair
T
ext book on fiber optic communication always highlights its advantage as immune to electromagnetic interference and data security. This is now challenged, and many physical layer data tapping threats are reported. This
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article lists those challenges and also describes the technological solution to proactively identify and prevent those threats. As of now, most of the backbone networks are changed to optical fiber due to the high demand for high traffic
data traffic and huge bandwidth. Even the last mile is built on optical fiber, and they are commonly referred as FTTx, x:Home, Curb, Office, etc. As the existing devices like computers, Television cannot take the optical data directly; all these optical connections are terminated in a device (commonly called ONT) which converts the optical signals to electrical. It is well known that copper communication lines and cables can easily be tapped using parallel wires. Wireless networks are also prone to such tapping through the use of high band width receivers. Therefore most of the strategic networks are made optical, assuming that no physical tapping is possible. Intrusion possibilities in optical networks: Any optical network system will mandatorily have design margins to take care of any inadvertent losses in the network, and the system should function properly with no data loss even during such situations. For example, if someone steps on a bare fiber cable, some loss can be introduced, and this should not introduce any break in the data flow. The design margin can be as high as 10 dB, which indicates that even if an attenuation of 10dB is applied in the network, the system will still function smoothly. This feature can be misused to intrude into fiber networks to tap the signals. There are several reported global security breaches on fiber optic networks. “In 2000, three main trunk lines of Deutsche Telekom were breached at Frankfurt Airport in Germany. International incidents include optical taps found on police networks in the Netherlands and Germany, and on the networks of pharmaceutical giants in the U.K. and France” (SearchTelecom.com). “Security forces in the US discovered an illegally installed fiber eavesdropping device in Verizon’s optical network. It
was placed at a mutual fund company, shortly before the release of their quarterly numbers”(The Wolf Report). Unheard is much more than what is heard. If a micro bend can be introduced in a fiber, light can be made to leak out of the fiber, which can be easily taken out and used for tapping the data. Such devices may introduce a loss of 0.1 dB as against the system tolerance of 10 dB. There are many such clip on couplers available in the market as a tool to identify the lit fiber vs dark fiber
in a bundle. However, these common clip on couplers or tap couplers are not featured with any external output, but there exists very sensitive sophisticated devices used for intentional intrusions. Thus fiber optic networks are vulnerable to noninvasive, undetectable tapping as well as denial of service attack from intruders; contrary to the belief that it is a safer communication medium. Unfortunately, the existing network monitoring equipment are not capable of identifying such physical layer intrusion attempts and hence are
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prone to tapping and denial of service attacks.
Arguments In a DWDM network, how can one take data and make good sense of it? Most of the strategic data are encrypted before transmitted, so even if the intruder gets the data, what is the use? These are all good arguments, but the fact remains that the intruder is more intelligent than the designers, and what ever encryption done by human can be decrypted by experts. The arguers mean that let the data be with an intruder and assume that they will not be able to do anything with that. The best strategy would be why at all allow any data fall into their hands. Proactively identify any such threat attempts and prevent any data reaching them.
Technology Solution The common optical systems use DWDM 1550nm band and 1310 nm(WDM) bands. These are the wavelengths in which the optical data flows. Any attempts to monitor these data and identify any intrusion attempts cause worries to the clients, as the data is taken out by such monitoring device. After years of long research and development, NeST group
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fiber optic networks are vulnerable to noninvasive, undetectable tapping as well as denial of service attack from intruders
has come up with a solution which can identify any intrusion attempts (both physical and data layer) and reroutes the data path to other networks and ensures that no useful data falls into the hands of intruder. This uses synthesized optical signal away from the common optical band, and undergoes artificial intelligence process to identify any intrusion attempts. This is fully network managed and can even
specify the location with an accuracy of 20 m. The solution developed can be easily integrated into any optical network system without altering the existing architecture and are featured with: Dedicated monitoring with advanced event analysis functions. True 24/7 monitoring, quick in response less than 10 milliseconds. Prevents “denial of data� situation intruder can pump in more optical power into the network and saturate the receiver, thus no data can be detected). Information security plays an important role mainly in strategic sectors and any attempt of intrusion threats needs to be prevented. A fiber optic platform that offers a complete solution to monitor, manage, maintain and safeguard the fiber optic infrastructure is presented. These systems are installed at various strategic locations and currently safeguard the optical networks from potential threats. It is expected that the intrusion prevention sector will grow to heights due to its economic and social impacts. Writer is Global Chief Technology Officer, NeST, SFO Technologies
health
How vision changes as you age In the years after you turn 60, a number of eye diseases may develop that can change your vision permanently. The earlier these problems are detected and treated, the more likely you can retain good vision.
Dr Devin Prabhakar
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t’s a fact of life that vision changes occur as you get older. The first change you might notice would be difficulty in reading at near distance. This can usually be corrected with reading specs. But some causes of defective vision might not be easily corrected and may lead onto permanent loss of sight. Knowing what to expect and when to seek professional care are important steps to safeguarding your vision. As you reach your 60s and beyond, you need to be attentive to warning signs of age-related eye health problems that could cause vision loss. Many eye diseases have no early symptoms. They may develop painlessly and you may not be aware of changes to your vision until the condition is quite advanced. But wise lifestyle choices and regular eye exams can significantly improve your chances of maintaining good eye health even as you age. You may not realize that health problems affecting other parts of your body can affect your vision as well. Individuals with diabetes or hypertension (high blood pressure), or taking medications that have eye-related side effects, are at greatest risk for developing vision problems. Therefore, regular eye exams are even more important as you reach your senior years. In the years after you turn 60, a number of eye diseases may develop that can change your vision permanently. The earlier these problems are detected and treated, the more likely you can retain good vision. The following are some vision disorders of which you should be aware:
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease affecting the macula, the center of the light sensitive retina at the back of the eye, causing loss of central vision. Although small, the macula is the part of the retina that allows us to see fine detail and colors. Activities like reading, driving, watching TV and recognizing faces all require good central vision provided by the macula. While macular degeneration causes changes in central vision, peripheral or side vision remains unaffected. Diabetic retinopathy is a condition occurring in people with diabetes. It is the
Many eye diseases have no early symptoms.
result of progressive damage to the tiny blood vessels that nourish the retina. They leak blood and other fluids that cause swelling of retinal tissue and clouding of vision. The condition usually affects both eyes. The longer a person has diabetes, the more likely they will develop diabetic retinopathy, which can cause blindness. Retinal detachment is a tearing or separation of the retina from the underlying tissue. It can be caused by trauma to the eye or head, health problems like advanced diabetes, and inflammatory disorders of the eye. But it most often occurs spontaneously
as a result of changes to the gel-like vitreous fluid that fills the back of the eye. If not treated promptly, it can cause permanent vision loss. Cataracts are cloudy or opaque areas in the normally clear lens of the eye. Depending upon their size and location, they can interfere with normal vision. Usually cataracts develop in both eyes, but one may be worse than the other. Cataracts can cause a decrease in contrast sensitivity, a dulling of colors and increased sensitivity to glare. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases characterized by damage to the optic nerve resulting in vision loss. People with a family history of glaucoma, diabetics and older adults are at higher risk for developing the disease. Dry eye is a condition in which there is an insufficient amount of tears or a poor quality of tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye. Dry eyes are a common and often chronic problem, particularly in older adults. Yearly eye exams can ensure your eyeglass or contact lenses prescription is up to date and provide for early detection of any developing eye health problem. Writer is Director, Divyaprabha Eye Hospital, Trivandrum
info Driving Safely After 60 If you are 60 or older, driving a car may be increasingly difficult. Age-related vision changes and eye diseases can compromise driving ability, even before you are aware of symptoms. You may be noticing difficulty judging distances and speed. Bright sunlight or the headlights of oncoming traffic at night may impair your vision. Some age-related vision changes that commonly affect seniors’ driving are: l Not being able to see road signs as
clearly
l Having difficulty seeing objects up
close like the car instrument panel or road maps l Changes in color perception l Problems seeing in low light or
nighttime conditions
l Difficulty adapting to glare from
headlights
l Experiencing a loss of side vision
These tips can help you stay safe when driving, especially at night: Use extra caution at junctions. Many collisions involving older drivers occur
at intersections due to a failure to yield, especially when taking a left turn. Look carefully in both directions before proceeding into an intersection and turn your head frequently when driving to compensate for any decreased peripheral vision. Reduce your speed and limit yourself to daytime driving. If you are having trouble seeing at night or your eyes have difficulty recovering from the glare of oncoming headlights, slow down and avoid driving at night or on unfamiliar roads, whenever possible. Avoid wearing eyeglasses and sunglasses with wide frames or temples. Glasses with wide temples (side arms) may restrict your side vision.
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leisure
Languish in the grandeur of Mother Nature and heal yourself at Mango Meadows, the unique agriculture park at Ayamkudi, Kottayam
Ananthu Narayan I B
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EMBRACE THE MIRACLES OF NATURE
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he mesmerizing beauty and abundance of Mother Nature find its true expression in Mango Meadows, an aesthetic natural park perched in 30 acres of land made possible by the unrelenting will of an avid nature lover. The distinctiveness of the vast spread of rare species of flora makes this park the most sought after destination of nature lovers and travelers. Approximately, there are more than 4500 species of plants and trees. Being one of the most bio diverse pieces of land in this part of the planet, the structural identity of this park takes you to the nostalgic memories of the past when nature was at its full swing. The calm and silent environment of this agricultural park makes it different from other amusement parks. For anyone who seeks peace and wishes to flex his mind and soul, Mango Meadows will never be a disappointment. Project Mango Meadows was the brain child of its Managing Director N.K. Kurian, a civil engineer and NRI entrepreneur. His
innovative ideas and love towards Nature led to the birth to this artistic piece of land. “Being a civil engineer, I could have turned my route towards different jobs. But I decided to go for the preservation of nature because it’s something which the new generation is least bothered about’’, says a candid Kurian who spent double of his entire earnings for this project. In the initial stages, the struggles and obstacles encountered by Kurian were chaotic and unpleasant; he kept his hopes high and waiting patiently for a better result. “There were some risky situations; like sometimes I even brought plants from Lebanon which was a herculean task”,
kurian spent Rs. 107 Cr and fifteen long years to accomplish his long cherished dream.
N.K. Kurian
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recollects Kurian, while narrating his unforgettable expedition to collect rare species of trees for the park. As the gates open to Mango Meadows, we see a paradise of birds, animals, trees, water bodies, fruits and many more. Nakshathravanam, one of the special spots here, is a junction where one can find trees associated with zodiac signs. Also there is an alluring ‘Eden Gardens’ situated in the heart of this park which has an array of trees and plant specimens with exotic fragrances which would make the visitors slumber on the lap of Mother Nature. The statue of Adam and Eve at the middle of the garden depicts the moral relationship between humans and nature during early stages of earth. There is an animal farm where you get to see the lifestyle of foreign as well as local breeds of different varieties of cow, rabbit, birds, goat, emu, horses, dogs and so on. Mango Meadows comprises of four lakes spanning across four and a half acres in area with thirty eight varieties of crabs, fishes and even red snappers. Activities like pedal boating, canoe rowing and e-boating are also offered for the visitors. You also get the opportunity to feed fish by the food provided by guides. “Well, you know there is a belief that we can get rid of all our sins by feeding the fishes“, says Shantha, one of the trained
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Mango Meadows comprises of four lakes spanning across four and a half acres in areA.
guides at the farm. The installation of a sarpakavu in Mango Meadows has helped tourists gather information about sarpakavu and the myths associated with it. “Before installing sarpakavu, I did a lot of homework on plants and trees usually present at sarpakavus and the exact myth behind this. I even travelled to Thanjavur to find an answer for this. Finally, the answer which I got was indeed shocking! Actually, the concept of sarpakavu existed ages before when human beings were less in number. It actually acted as a protection cover for trees from the hands of human beings. The idols of Nagaraja, seen around this actually act as the guardian of that place. Interestingly, sarpakavus aid in reducing global warming and it can be considered as a divine blessing,”, explains Kurian with utmost enthusiasm. Kurian believes in adopting creative methods for the presentation of flora and fauna at his park. The Valentine’s
Corner, a place meant for couples who want to share their love in the midst of nature, is an innovative example. The farm is open to public and Rs.350 is charged per head for a day’s outing in the park. Bullock carts, cycles, go-karts and e-rickshaws are available to move around in the park. Those who wish to stay in the park can avail facilities like floating cottages, standard and deluxe rooms, and honeymoon and premium cottages. The construction of a cave cottage project, which will be a unique experience for nature lovers, is also progressing in the park. “We are going to open the largest aquarium to our visitors which will be far above the expectations. Another specialty cottage named Kootukudumbam exclusively for joint family members who visit here is also under construction. Many other projects are also progressing and by August we plan to complete 50 percent of the works,” adds Kurian with excitement written on his face. Unlike every other amusement parks, Mango Meadows is everyone’s cup of tea. It is indeed a green haven where children, adults and even the elderly can find peace of mind and enjoyment. If you could spare a day from your hectic schedules, Mango Meadows is the best choice as, ‘To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles’.
personality
SOUNDS OF SUCCESS SEA has grown up to become India’s only institute which provides a one year full time programme exclusively for Audio Engineering.
Aparna Sreevalsan
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ound Engineering Academy (SEA), is the realization of the long nurtured dream of a twenty year old boy who once dreamt of becoming an expert in Audio Engineering and realized his ambition by sheer hard work and will power. The journey of A R Vishnu, Director & CEO of Sound Engineering Academy, at Jagathy, Thiruvananthapuram, has been packed with tales of risks, challenges and yielding innovations. From a humble beginning in 2004, SEA has grown up to become India’s only institute which provides a one year full time programme exclusively for Audio Engineering. Vishnu recollects his success journey and shares the future plans with Brand Kerala. “My parents actually wanted me to pursue a career in engineering after completing my graduation in Computer Science. But the events took a turn when I happened to see a talk show
on Sound Engineering in television. This was the first time I got the idea of doing a course in Audio Engineering. The main provocation behind this was my affinity to music. I have got basic training in Carnatic music, Violin and Mridangam. My parents were against this but I somehow managed to convince them and went to Chennai to do a one-year diploma course in sound engineering. But I was not satisfied with the syllabus and the way they handled the subjects. After completing almost eight months of the course, I discontinued it and came back to Trivandrum and started working in the IT field and did a part-time job in a recording studio. My stint as an IT professional lasted only for three months since my mind was totally into Audio Engineering. But I couldn’t find any institute offering a curriculum of international standards for audio engineering. So I decided to start my
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own institute and learn on the go, with a capital of Rs. 10,000, which I borrowed from my mother,” says Vishnu. “If you have the passion and the determination, you will succeed no matter what. After borrowing money from my mother I started this academy with a very few number of students and one faculty member K.S. Ravi (He is now the head of the department of this institute). At that time, SEA functioned in a rented space in Poojappura. Now we don’t have a competition in India, in the Audio Engineering segment. From 2010 onwards, we are on the top position in the industry ranking. We never had a business intention behind this institution; I will wind up this institution if we are compelled to change this into a business centre. Providing good quality education for the students who take admission here is the fundamental policy of this institution. SEA is the only institute in India that
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“SEA is an institution that builds employability skill in its students. Every employer looks for the employability skill in each candidate. A R Vishnu,
Director & CEO of Sound Engineering Academy
gives a one year full programme in Audio engineering with all the facilities at an affordable cost,” he adds. In the past fourteen years, the academy has contributed hundreds of Sound Engineers, Sound Designers, Audio Technicians, Sound Recordists, Broadcast Engineers and Live Sound Engineers to the Pro-audio industry. “We have two intake systems in a year; once in February and the next in July. When the first batch completes one semester, classes for the second batch will start. There are three steps of screening processes for the students who wish to study this course. Based on the documents students submit along with application forms, first screening will be held. Second stage is to conduct a telephonic interview for the students who got shortlisted from the first process. This is mainly aimed at students coming from other states who find it difficult to come here just for the interview. The third stage is to give a training about the institution, timing, rules, mode of studies and syllabus for those who passed the second stage. After the training is given, it is purely their choice whether to join here or not,” Vishnu explains. The one year Audio engineering course in SEA includes theories, practical, research, case studies, thesis, thesis presentation and the final project. Also one night shift and one early morning shift is there in every week. Floating campus is conducted on every Thursdays. The classes will be conducted in any of the historically important places in Trivandrum city. This is to make the students familiar with the places in the city, especially those who come from other states. Students are also given accommodation facilities. For a group of ten students, one house/villa is provided. They have to take care of the entire house and at least once in day students are made to cook food for themselves.
“SEA is an institution that builds employability skill in its students. Every employer looks for the employability skill in each candidate. Other than MBBS, courses in IIT & IIM, I don’t think any other course in India builds the employability skill in students. The major concern in the education system is, the student and his/her parents will have much interest in one course; but from the very first day of class onwards his/her only aim is to pass the course somehow. Our biggest challenge is to change this mindset and make students think beyond the syllabus. We guide them to apply the knowledge gained and to explore it. All the training sessions we provide in this institution equip the students to survive in any situation other than just doing a job in this field,” clarifies Vishnu. For the final project, students will be divided into different project batches with a maximum of seven members in each group. Final project contains three segments and the first segment is based on sound reinforcement of a live show. Each project batch has to identify a professional band and organise a show of that band for the public. Students are supposed to run the entire show without taking any external help. The other two segments are based on film and music albums; the sound for a twenty minute short film and recording, editing, mixing and mastering of a music album. Every year the standards of this final project will be updated. SEA has five studios exclusively for the use of students- one each for recording and mixing, editing, MIDI, dubbing and effects jamming/ practice pad, where they can work on their skills. First Asian who got the opportunity to work in the world’s technically best Opera Theatre in Oman was a student from SEA. He was recruited right after he completed the course. Many foreign students, mostly
info facts about sea Received the ISO certificate in 2008. SEA is the only institute that owns maximum number of Audio Engineering equipments in Asia. Teaming up with the German company BOSCH, SEA started its own enterprise called SEA PRO which is now the leading live sound rental company in the Trivandrum city. SEA PRO arranged light & sound systems for National Games, Run Kerala Run, Radio Mango Music Band Festival etc.
from Asian countries, are applying for this one year Audio Engineering course in SEA. “SEA does not support any campus placements, but till date no student who have passed out from this institute are rendered jobless. We never tie up
with any industry to conduct regular campus placement sessions. We do get a lot of enquiries from various media firms which we share with our pass outs and they directly apply for the posts. We don’t give any third party certificates; we give our own certificates. SEA is not affiliated to any government or non-government agencies. SEA has got strong representation in UAE, Saudi & other Asian countries right now. Our students have worked in big budget Indian films like Bahubali, Dangal, newly released Race 3 etc. There is a strong presence of our alumni in A.R. Rahman’s technical team. Our next step is to find our place in Hollywood film industry. It’s a very tough task, for that a major change in the thought process of our faculty, students and those related to us is required.” concludes Vishnu with contentment. June 2018
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art&culture
OF PAINTED SCRIPTS & SCRIPTED PAINTINGS Coffee shops in the city are Krishna Murali’s favourite spaces where he settles down for sketching, painting, writing scripts and meeting people.
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rishna Murali, an artist and an aspiring filmmaker from the city, has made his mark in the world of art and cinema. Born and brought up in Trivandrum, Krishna quit his high paid job in Dubai to come back to his comfort zone and continue his life with colours and films. Garbed in his trademark cap and a shoulder bag, Krishna is an active face in the city’s cultural circuit. “I lost my father when I was a child. I was interested in sketching and painting from a very early age. Though my mother didn’t want me to become an artist, she never discouraged me. She took me to various competitions and bought me everything I needed for my passion. I used to write also but I was never serious about all these. Each time when I lost in
competitions, mother asked me to stop. Then I stopped going for competitions and used to pull out Amar Chithra Kadha and other comics, because I loved writing stories and drawing pictures. Later, after my studies, I went to Dubai, worked there as supervisor for MICE for some time. But I had to come back and get settled here due to various reasons. My mother also passed away during that time. I had nothing to do except painting. Other than painting, filmmaking was one of my passions, so I started writing scripts. Cinematographer Harish, who is a friend of mine, told me that my script is good enough and I should direct it. Harish Krishnan and his brother Girish Krishnan encouraged me a lot to pursue my passions. This led to my first short film Let Me in 2010 which was appreciated widely,” recollects Krishna. Coffee shops in the city are his favourite spaces where he settles down for sketching, painting, writing scripts and meeting people. Themes are always traditional Indian ones, with much detailing. His paintings, blended with strong, vivid colours, are popular for the mural, tribal and other traditional subjects. “A good portrait, for example, tells you what the subject was or how the artist viewed it. What the artist thinks or feels, consciously or unconsciously, is embedded in the work. Painting both represents the world and creates its world. My paintings are a continuation of traditional art forms. ” He explained. “People like my style of art. In Soorya Festival, I was
selected as one of the 68 creative artists from India, and that was a great honour for me. My paintings were exhibited along with other great artists’ from the country. I take very less time for doing both paintings and films. I always love to do short movies. I am waiting for an apt producer for my next short film since I don’t compromise in the quality. I have done five short films. The third one 60 ml Last Order was the most popular one among the five. It was shot in mobile and was telecast in certain television channels also. The film is about 15 years of an alcoholic’s life who is also a singer. At a turning point in his life, he realises that he missed many of the good things in life. My favourite genres are thriller and horror. I have different subjects in my mind in these genres, but it is very hard to find apt producers.” he adds. His famous paintings include Ravana playing the veena, traditional Indian wedding, Indian family, Queen of forests Hidumbi etc. Krishna describes each of them with too much excitement. “Dravidian King Ravana was portrayed colourfully, playing the Veena. Many
His famous paintings include Ravana playing the veena, traditional Indian wedding, Indian family, Queen of forests Hidumbi etc.
people asked me on what basis I portrayed King Ravana in this way. But, this was the picture of him in my mind. Ravana, I feel, is like any other King who loves art and music. Another one is Hidumbi, the Asura queen of the jungle. This painting is a mixture of Indian tribal art and modern abstract medium. Also, I have done a painting on Vasantasena
and Charudutta. It is about the courtesan who fell in love with the young Buddhist monk seeing his noble nature. A happy Indian three-generation family, a typical nightclub during 200 BC in India, South Indian Brahmin marriage, Coral life, Peace, A balcony view, which is a collage art done with 58 paper cuttings are some of my popular works.” Krishna was a part of Facets Media, a group that focused on creating corporate videos, advertisements, movies and educational documentaries. He brought to light a teaser promo video for his ambitious film project titled Kanam, which he believes was the first of its kind in India. “I am also planning to do a feature film. It might be a bilingual in Tamil and Malayalam. I am welcoming youngsters who can prove themselves in different fields of filmmaking to my world of films. I am getting ready for an art expo featuring my thirty-five paintings and collages. My other plans include setting up an exclusive place for those who want to pursue a career in art. Artists need strong support and backup to bring out their talents, but unfortunately we lack such a system here. I want to start an art hub too,” concludes Krishna with his trademark smile. June 2018
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auto biz
THE GAME Yaris treats us with the familiar family grille, it’s like a toned down version of Altis, much toned down.
T
oyota is the market leader in US of A, African continent and the Middle East not to mention Japan. They have a wide portfolio in all these countries ranging from the now defunct iQ to the mighty Sequoia. India has always been on the map of Toyota, and they never seem to have gotten a foothold in the thriving segment of hatch or sedan. Fortuner and Innova are in a segment of their own, so those don’t count. But now the true international sedan is here, Toyota Yaris.
All sense all sedan
Jiji Varghese
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Most of you might have already been in a Yaris, if you are in the Middle East especially. Well that was a hatch and the car we have here is a sedan, not the made up sedan like a proper one. Yaris treats us with the familiar family grille, it’s like a toned down version of Altis, much toned down. Side profile shows the length of the car, it’s pretty long and a high waist line cascades down into a flowing boot. Cuts and creases are limited, the strong budge on the hood and projector headlamps swooping up makes it friendly nothing out of this world. Rear end is clean, sleek look, with neatly integrated boot topped off with
LED guide lamps. Wheels are a bit small for my liking, but efficiency on the mind its good. Boot space is comparable with others 478 liters to be exact, two big suit cases will fit side by side; enough for the big family vacation. Need more space just tumble down the seat, a 60:40 split ensures you can carry all and more.
Feature savy We love Japanese technology and the Yaris is bundled with some new and 1st in segment features. Safety being the top aspect here Toyota made sure that all the variants are equipped with 7 AIRBAGS, now that shows commitment towards your customers. These are supplemented with front and rear parking sensors, hill-start assist control with ABS and EBD with Brake Assist and 4 wheel disc brakes. Projector lamps and LED rear guide lamps are standard, gone are the days where you can distinguish variants by looking at headlamps. Past years one would consider these as luxury but as time changes, we (Indians) should move up in the automotive world and welcome it. On the inside, seats are firm not plush but good enough for long highway trips, Toyota hasn’t forgotten about the need for luxury inside- The driver seat
is electronically adjustable, the steering wheel has all the necessary controls for the 4.2 inch MID , infotainment and telephony controls. The infotainment system is in a class of its own, it has a very user friendly interface, video playback and with navigation pre-loaded; for now only Apple Car Play is integrated. The steering wheel is only adjustable for rake not reach, tall drivers like me will find that a little bit discomforting. All is made up once you push the Engine Start button and settle into the silence of the cabin, courtesy of acoustic control glass. Centre console is a tried and tested waterfall design, with infotainment on the top, AC vents on the side and soft touch controls for it too. Again the Infotainment has some cool party tricks up its sleeves, just wave in front of it for changing the
tracks or wave down for volume control. Slide into the rear seats and you are greeted by the roof mounted AC vents, it directs the cool air from front to rear. They have their own fan controls, they reminded me of the air vents on planes, not aesthetically I think the positon on roof and the blue ambient light made it feel like that. Seats are wide enough for three, but two will be more comfortable. The little details like, padding on doors to rest your arms, 2- power outlets, a privacy shade on the rear glass makes you feel like you are travelling in a higher segment car.
Disciplined On the move you are perfectly isolated from outside world, be it the honking trucks or the chattering public. Yaris can negate almost all the not-well paved roads, potholes the size of a water drum are heard inside with a thud. There’s a bit of weight that’s tuned into the
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won’t even notice the shifting. The tall gearing has its advantages, and the 7th cog is for highway cruising. Even under 2000RPM the speedometer is steady at 80 and ready climb more. This is the secret of high-efficiency even in petrol engine. Engine power is on par with competitors. Engine choice is limited to petrol, Toyota is following the global trend of removing diesel engines from their portfolio and paving way for future in hybrid and EV environment in foreseeable future. Price Rs. 8.75 lakh – Rs. 14.07 lakh Engine In-line 4 VVT-i Rated output (hp) @ rpm 107 at 6000 Displacement 1.5 L (1,496)
Transmission 7–Speed CVT/ 6-Speed Manual torque 140 at 4200 length 4.425 m
brand kerala
Wheels/Tires 185/60 R15 Fuel Consumption 17.8 km/l (Auto) / 17.1km/l (Manual)(ARAI Certified)
Weight 1,135Kg
steering even at low speeds, helping the car feel heavier than it is Suspension duties are handled by McPherson set up in front and Torsion beam in the rear. 15 inch alloys with high side wall tires make sure no road noise or vibrations are transferred into the cabin. This is definitely not a corner carver, but none in the segment are! Enter a corner with high speed the car will definitely let you know it doesn’t like it, it will make the turn rather unwillingly but not to be worried you have VSC (stability control) to keep things in check. Body roll is similarly controlled by lane changes and the Yaris has a way of making you forget what speeds you’re doing. I, being a driving enthusiast this car settled me with manners and discipline. No hooliganism, no sudden directional changes just peace of mind. I like it, and when I feel like I need some speed just downshift on the paddles and floor the
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Yaris is equipped with a new age 7-speed CVT with intelligent shift.
pedal the petrol 4-pot 105 horses will cover distances in no-time.
Momentum uninteruppted Automatics were once considered for lazy, in experienced and reserved for highend luxury cars. Gone are those times, nowadays some automatics even have higher economy compared to their manual counterparts. Yaris is equipped with a new age 7-speed CVT with intelligent shift. CVT’s are infamous for their lag and gear selection delay, but Toyota has worked its magic and it’s livable. Normal drivers
A sedan like no other Toyota Yaris has set its eyes on being the segment leader. The segment is filled with worthy competitors who are already setting the sales charts on fire. Toppling them is a distant dream, but Yaris has all the necessary perks to set it apart from other and its main USP being maintenance and warranty. Astonishingly, Toyota offers 4 years warranty of the showroom floor and an option to extend to 3 more years. Now that’s hard to keep up, and being a Toyota I am pretty sure this is going to outlive its owner! The convenience and peace of mind owning a Toyota is second to none, have any doubts just look at May 2018 sales figures of Fortuner and Innova. Toyota successfully dispatched close to 2,500 Fortuners and 6,000 Innovas, need more statistics that this is a class product? I really like the fact that the Yaris doesn’t try too hard to be an all-rounder. Like we’ve seen with many other cars that are average at everything and not really excelling at say, ride comfort or safety, the way the Yaris does. Sure, I do wish the engine had more punch for quicker overtakes but the driving experience is otherwise stress-free and superbly comfortable. Vehicle Provided by Nippon Motor Corporation Pvt. Ltd., Trivandrum-695008 +91 99470 86001
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for more information and registration info@brandkerala.biz Brand Kerala Media House Associates SRL A 32, Sankar Road, Sasthamangalam P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695010 Kerala, India. Tele : +91 471 231 1377/231 2377
horoscope June 21 to July 20 2018 Suresh kumar + 91 9496795629, vishnushangu@gmail.com
Aries
Success is possible in all the works and affairs. Pending works will be completed. If you are in search of new opportunities or job this period may prove to be a beneficial one. You will be able to prove your knowledge or skills in interviews or negotiations related to business affairs. Your financial matters are favourable for new startups and business proposals. Money will be spent for religious and auspicious functions. For the people working in fine arts and industry there may not be satisfactory benefits. Speculations and long term investments must be done with the consultation of experts. Cordial relations will be there in family. You will become restless mentally. Care must be taken in journeys and food habits.
Taurus
Your professional goals and worldly desires are more vital than home and family during this period. Regarding the Career, you will get wonderful career offers, but it is prudent to evaluate the prospects and tread with caution before you accept them. Your Monetary prosperity will be excellent and will zoom further after 24th. This can be achieved with plenty of diligence, good communication and overpowering hindrances from social contacts and associations. All important procurement, financial agreements should be taken up after the 24th. Presence of Jupiter in your sign will bring money from your spouse and investors
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for your financial projects during this period. Relationship with your spouse or partner will be highly tentative and Taurus compatibility will be highly turbulent. There is a sea difference between your cravings and feelings and those of your partner. Your Health will be admirable throughout the month.
Gemini
depends on how you will adapt yourself to these transformations successfully. Your Monetary situation will be delicate before the 28th of June. More effort is required to earn money and reduce expenses. Emotions are ruling your business activities. After the 28th of June you will be more practical. Your partner is under stress due to personal difficulties and this is impacting the love relationship. The situation will be under control by the 28th June. Your Health will be excellent.
Leo Use this period to review your career growth and make necessary improvements to your career path. You can employ these strategies when career becomes important in the future. Your focus on professional issues will not be productive. You can allow time to take care of these problems in due course. Financially this month will be tough as you may have to spend much money for family and health issues. It’s better to take precautions and try not to spend money on unnecessary things. If you are planning to purchase house or property better postpone it as you may spend more than expected. Family wise this period is good. This is not a good period to have investments and expansion of business. Your Health will not be problematic this month.
Cancer
Your career will be momentous this period. Jupiter will help you in accomplishing your professional goals as he enters your House of Career on the 28th of June. You will get very good career openings in the current organization. The office environment will be harmonious during this period and you are able to get things done easily. If your job is related to fine arts, your progress will be wonderful. If you are looking for better jobs outside your company, you will have no problem getting them. Your monetary situation is tough during this period. You have to exert yourself more to enhance money flow. Mercury, Financial planet is moving backwards till the 28th of June. This will result in deferment of inflows and postponement of new financial projects. Your physical fitness will be normal this period.
Virgo Your career situation will be highly unstable. The organization where you are working is under turmoil and is undergoing major alterations daily. There will be change of strategies, change of guard, change of procedures and change of targets. Your success
Career wise you will have a good time,
especially from the 24th of June. Those who are trying for abroad chance or better change in place, they will get desired result during this period. Financially you will have a bit average time. You may need to spend money for family members and purchasing home appliances. There is also a chance of purchasing vehicle or property after the 28th of June. Family wise you will have a good life partner. Health wise you will have a better time. There might be some health issues related to skin and eyes are indicating this period. Business people will have a good growth in their business. This is not a good period for investments and expansion of business. Students will have a good time and they will get new opportunities and increase interest in studies.
very important alterations in your professional life. The organization where you are employed will be thoroughly overhauled during this period. There will be a need for restraint when you are buying costly equipment or when dealing with major financial ventures. Partnership projects need detailed scrutiny. Relationship with your spouse will be pleasant till 28th. Singles will find love in rich patterns and the courtship may lead to marriage. Your love mate will be actively involved in your monetary affairs and will help you to accomplish your financial targets. Your physical fitness will be excellent throughout this period.
Sagittarius
Libra
Your Career will reach the annual peak in profession as the Sun crosses mid-heaven on the 24th of June. The Solar Eclipse will change the career path and there will be significant alterations in the organization. There is need for proper scrutiny before you make major investments or procurement. These things are affected by the retrograde of Money Planet, Pluto. Monetary prosperity in June will be powerful after the 22nd. There will be regular skirmishes between you and your spouse or partner. Love will be highly emotional and volatile till the 22nd and there will be high levels of affection and bitterness. You end up settling these fights amicably later. Neighborhood will be subjected to important changes. Friendships will be under trial. Your Health will be very much enhanced during this period and can be maintained with proper care.
Scorpio
Career and worldly desires will rule over family affairs and emotional matters for the next few months. Your Career planet, the Sun is a part of the Grand Square aspect and this will lead to
Your professional matters take precedence over home and family concerns. Career will be based on emotional stability gained during the earlier months. Professional environment will be stormy and relationship with your colleagues will be strenuous. It is advisable to lie low till the 24th when the career planet, Mercury is not beneficial. You can make positive moves after that. Your Monetary situation is good and it is not in focus during this period. All pending matters with Government agencies will be resolved. You have a sound and enjoyable social life this month. Single will have ample romantic opportunities to form love partnerships. Health will be fragile till the 24th and will improve remarkably after that.
investments require through analysis. The Lunar Eclipse of the 15th will create tensions between you and your love mate. Compromise and understanding will help you to resolve the problems. Your health can be improved by physical exercises and spiritual healing. Health will be delicate after the 24th.
Aquarius
Your authoritative work remains undisturbed. A rise in reputation does not look far. Good prospects of gaining respect and fame. Success in new endeavors is denoted. There will be modifications at the work place regarding the job profile and job environment due to the Lunar Eclipse of 15th. Your earnings will be sluggish due to the retrograde of the Money Planet, Neptune. Your financial intelligence is not that good and you have to be careful while making big procurement and major investments. Proper study is necessary before making financial commitments. There will be conflict of during this period between your personal monetary requirements and those of your spouse and investors due to the Grand Square phase of planets. Health will be fabulous throughout this period.
Pisces
Capricorn
Your career will be active till the 24th of the month and you will be busy with professional targets. You have to work harder and the environment at the workplace will be chaotic in this period. Situation has to be handled intelligently to accomplish your targets. Your monetary situation will be tight and you have problem in balancing your income with expenditure. All big procurement and
This month will be full of conflicts and trials. You have to use all your ingenuity and foresight to face the turbulence and come up with suitable answers. There will be changes in profession initiated by the Lunar Eclipse of the 15th. The corporate structure will undergo significant alterations. There will be conflict of interest between personal monetary policies and friendships. Your productive ideas in business will give you much more chances to prove your talents. This time you will soon become a man of social services. Your political works may also give you wider reputation. Your heath will be excellent throughout the period.
June 2018
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June 2018
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