Higher Education Digest – October 2021 – India Edition – Must Watch Pharmacy Colleges in India Speci by Connecta Innovation

INDIA EDITION

MUST-WATCH INDIAN PHARMACY COLLEGES IN 2021

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FEATURING INSIDE

P. E. SOCIETY’S MODERN COLLEGE OF PHARMACY SAROJINI NAIDU VANITA PHARMACY MAHA VIDYALAYA SCHOOL OF PHARMACY, CHOUKSEY ENGINEERING COLLEGE SHRI RAWATPURA SARKAR INSTITUTE OF PHARMACY SMT. KISHORITAI BHOYAR COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

Dr. M G Shivaramu Principal, Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, & Dean, Health Sciences (Medical), Adichunchanagiri University Neeha Nagpal Lawyer and Wellness Expert

Pawan Kamboj Director, LIMELITE Brand Solutions Pritika Singh CEO, Prayag Hospital

SSR COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

OCTOBER 2021

COLLEGE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES TO

MA KE A DIF F ER ENC E IN HUM AN Higher Education Digest October 2021 H E A LT H WOR L D WID E

Higher Education Digest October 2021

October 2021

Vol - 3 Issue - 12

Indian Pharmacy Colleges special Head of Advisory Board Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Anjana K Nikita Thakur

Navya Venkatesh Roshni Rajagopal Emma James

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MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

Pharmacy Education in the Post-Pandemic World

he pandemic’s multiple waves and subsequent national lockdowns have presented many challenges for India’s pharmacy education and pharmacy practice. However, educators and policymakers have risen to the occasion, and their response has advanced the profession. Since community-based pharmacists have played critical roles in providing care during this crisis, chances of job opportunities for pharmacy graduates and researchers will increase alarmingly in the years to come. To grab these opportunities, pharmacy colleges need to align their teaching and processes with technological advancements to produce future graduates in conformity with the industry’s requirements. At present, India ranks 3rd worldwide for pharmaceutical production by volume and 14th by value. The country has an established domestic pharmaceutical industry, with a strong network of 3,000 drug companies and over 10,500 manufacturing units. According to IBEF, India’s domestic pharmaceutical market is estimated at USD 42 billion in 2021 and likely to reach US$ 65 billion by 2024 and further

expand to reach USD 120-130 billion by 2030. In Post COVID-19 scenario, the role of pharmaceutical professionals is likely to increase, which will open more career opportunities in this sector. In a nutshell, there is no better time than now to take up programs in pharmacy, as it is likely to offer promising and enriching careers in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector at the global level with lucrative salary packages in the Post COVID-19 scenario. In this issue, we had identified ‘10 Mustwatch Pharmacy Colleges in India -2021’ that have created a niche for themselves by imparting an industry-oriented pharmacy education. Despite the challenge of a pandemic, these institutions have set an example of how prime pharmacists should conduct themselves in a global professional setting. We feature Nitte College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (NCOPS) on the cover, which aims to generate competent, skilled manpower to face the scientific and social challenges with a high degree of credibility, integrity, and ethical standards. Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

Higher Education Digest October 2021

ADVISORY BOARD Dr. Kuldeep Nagi, Ph.D, MBA, BSc.

Program Director of Ph.D, Recipient of Fulbright Fellowship Award & Dan Evans Award for Excellence and Writer columnist.

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD, MBA, MPhil, MCom, LLB. Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto, PhD, Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer.

6 Major General (Rtd.) Dr. Sunil Chandra, VSM (Vishishta Seva Medal), Ph.D, M. Phil, MA, M.Ed, PGBDA Ex-M D Army Welfare Education Society, ExCOO GEMS Education - India, Ex- Addl Dir Gen - Army Education, Mentor - Adventure-Pulse

Dr. Ajay Shukla, Ph.D, MBA, BE. Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Higher Education UAE

Mr. Amulya Sah, PGD PM & IR, PG Diploma in PM&IR (XISS Ranchi)

Shanthi Rajan (MSHRM, FHEA, AMCILT) Director, Institution Development, University of Stirling, RAK Campus, UAE.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Chief Human Resources Officer, Former Head HR group Samsung R&D Institute India,Transformative HR Leader, Change agent, Digitization facilitator, Engagement architect, Trainer and Diversity champion.

Mr. Sreedhar Bevara, MBA, B.Com Former Senior General Manager: Panasonic Middle East & Africa, Thought Leader, Speaker & Author of ‘Moment of Signal’ (Amazon’s International Bestseller)

Higher Education Digest October 2021

S T N E T N O C

16 COVER

STORY

NITTE COLLEGE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

Higher Education Digest October 2021

MA KE A D I F F EREN C E IN HU M A N H EA LTH WORL D W I D E

42 60 74 88 104

42 60 74 88 104 116

P. E. SOCIETY’S MODERN COLLEGE OF PHARMACY Aiding Students to Pursue Excellence in the Pharmaceutical Industry

SAROJINI NAIDU VANITA PHARMACY MAHA VIDYALAYA Preparing the Healthcare Providers of Tomorrow

SCHOOL OF PHARMACY, CHOUKSEY ENGINEERING COLLEGE Moulding Students into Leading Pharmacists

SHRI RAWATPURA SARKAR INSTITUTE OF PHARMACY Nurturing Pharma Leaders of Tomorrow

SMT. KISHORITAI BHOYAR COLLEGE OF PHARMACY Preparing the Healthcare Providers of Tomorrow

SSR COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

116

Reshaping the Face of Pharmaceuticals

Higher Education Digest October 2021

NEED FOR CERTIFIED AND ACCESSIBLE NUTRITION COURSES IN INDIA

Neeha Nagpal, Lawyer and Wellness Expert

Karunn Kandoi, General Manager & Head of India Operations, ApplyBoard India THE DEMAND FOR PHARMACY IN THE COVID ERA

Pawan Kamboj, Director, LIMELITE Brand Solutions 5 ISSUES HIGHLIGHTED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WITH THE CURRENT ED-TECH SPACE

100

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

E O C

Ankit Kapoor, Director, Pratham Test Prep

APTITUDE BUILDING FROM EARLY AGE, DETERMINES WINNER

HOW EDTECH PLATFORMS ARE DEMOCRATIZING THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY WORLDWIDE

Pritika Singh, CEO, Prayag Hospital

HERE’S WHY A CAREER IN HEALTHCARE CAN BE THE MOST REWARDING AND FULFILLING OPTION FOR YOU

26 96

100

Uttam Kumar Pandey, Founder & CEO, Perceived Design CHOOSING TO STUDY ABROAD FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

Mrunali Kulkarn, Founder, Vision International

Higher Education Digest October 2021

112

USING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE MEDICAL EDUCATION

IMPORTANCE OF CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK FOR THE GROWTH OF STUDENTS

Dr. Somali Ghosh, Asst. Professor Case Western Reserve University, and Chief Strategy Advisor, Kapdec

MENTOR’S MANTRA

ACADEMIC VIEW

Dr. M G Shivaramu, Principal, Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, & Dean, Health Sciences (Medical), Adichunchanagiri University

ENGAGING LEARNER’S BETTER

Dr. Vidya Shankar Shetty. Chief Academic Officer, Navkis-From the House of Ramaiah

124

IMPACT OF REMOTE LEARNING ON THE HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR

Sanjula Vibha, Chairperson, VMS Academy

12 LOSING GROUND ON LITERACY WILL IMPACT THE FUTURE OF INDIA

124

Dr. Sunita Gandhi, Founder & President, DEVI Sansthan

Higher Education Digest October 2021

MENTOR’S MANTRA

LOSING GROUND

ON LITERACY WILL IMPACT THE FUTURE OF INDIA Dr. Sunita Gandhi, Founder & President, DEVI Sansthan

12 Dr. Sunita Gandhi is India’s leading educationist and the vision behind the Global Education & Training Institute (GETI) and Global Classroom Private Limited (GCPL). With her several years of experience in the education industry, Dr. Gandhi has managed to create a space for herself in the history of revolutionizing the academic system. After completing her Ph.D. from Cambridge University, UK, Sunita went on to become President and Co-Founder, Council for Global Education, USA. While academics remained her first love, she wanted to leave an impact on the younger minds rather than spending her youth in a closed environment. And so, she traveled across the globe and studied the education systems of 39 countries and spoke at several conferences including the recently held BETTA Asia. This passion for education comes as a family heirloom to Sunita as they are known for running the world’s largest school, Guinness World Record holder, City Montessori School (CMS), Lucknow. CMS is also the world’s sole school recipient of the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Literacy is essential for the growth and progress within India

ducation and literacy are two of the most prominent markers of progress in a country. However, in India, home to the world’s second-largest population, education and literacy rates are widely disparate between states. In 2017-18, the National Statistical Office (NSO) recorded a literacy rate of 77.7% in India. Among the states, Kerala emerged as the most literate state with 96.2% (well above the national average), and Andhra Pradesh was the least literate at 66.4% (well below the national average). Such vast differences between the top and bottom also highlight a need for change. Literacy is the most pressing concern in India today. Education relies on literacy, and education is necessary for progress. A quick look at the demographics in India also reveals that female literacy at 70.3% is much lower than male literacy at 84.7%. This disparity significantly impacts family planning and population stabilisation efforts, which are essential for the country’s growth.

Literacy and Economic Growth In 2020, India recorded one of its lowest GDP numbers, incurring negative GDP growth for the first time in our history. While this is also due to the COVID-19 pandemic, education and literacy are essential to stabilise our economy. Human capital keeps an economy running and a country growing. There is a well-documented link between literacy and GDP growth in a country. According to UNESCO, literacy goes further than reading, writing, and mathematics. They argue that literacy involves “identification, understanding, interpretation, creation, and communication in an increasingly digital, textmediated, information-rich and fast-changing world.” This definition was perhaps most applicable amid the pandemic. Being literate, therefore, is an essential life skill. It ensures that individuals have the tools to be functioning, productive members of society. Additionally, literacy opens avenues of creativity

Higher Education Digest October 2021

like writing and nurtures important interests like reading and solving problems. These skills are essential in today’s dynamic economy that heavily relies on creative problem-solving over purely going by the book. Ensuring a standard of literacy within the country also creates many opportunities. As many younger generations get ready to enter the workforce, they deserve an equal level of skills. The unskilled labour population in India is large, and their livelihoods are often unstable. Literacy can help and lend some stability while improving prospects for people whose work deserves to be documented as contributions to the Indian economy. Thus, literacy is essential for the growth and progress within India. With literacy and education come family planning and other such measures that can further control population growth. Controlling the population in the country will make increasing the literacy rate easier since the government can distribute the resources the country has for literacy better with fewer people. While it may seem like these are far-fetched solutions, several states have successfully implemented programs for a literacy rate increase. The Role of the State in Promoting Literacy Kerala remains the best case study for understanding what systems can ensure higher literacy rates. The state government took the initiative to build primary and secondary schools accessible to everyone, especially the rural population in the state. As a result, 94% of Kerala’s rural population has a primary school within a 1km radius. Furthermore, the government significantly subsidised transport costs, further enabling access and bridging the wealth gap. There remains a considerable gap between urban and rural literacy in India – 87.7% of India’s urban population is literate, while only 73.5% of the rural population is literate. However, within Kerala, decisive government intervention has allowed many rural populations to access education. Such initiatives showcase the importance of the

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Education relies on literacy, and education is necessary for progress

15 state and the government in establishing literacy. There are several steps the government can take to promote literacy, but it must come from a place of understanding the importance of literacy. Literacy can create endless opportunities. These changes are best seen in states where female literacy has received importance. I have already discussed how literacy and education can slow down population growth, ensuring a healthier country that can share its resources better. However, there are also documented positive economic factors that come with female literacy. Returning to Kerala’s example, the increased female literacy rate (95.2%) has been connected with a low poverty rate. In contrast, a state like Bihar, which has a much lower female literacy rate (60.5%) owing to centuries-old prejudices and hierarchical structures, falls well below the poverty line. Only government intervention can successfully tackle these power structures that enable massive disparities between communities. While the

individual state governments may give certain incentives – Bihar, for example, offered children from low-income background Rs. 1/day as a reward for attending school – there needs to be a nationwide change for it to sustain. Several countries have successfully implemented largescale sustainable education and literacy models. In India, our population remains a significant hurdle to following such examples. However, if the government begins by implementing compulsory literacy within states that contribute most to the population, we can take steps in the right direction. I firmly believe that India can achieve 100% literacy. But this can only happen if the government views literacy as the essential skill it is. Losing sight of the importance of literacy to the nation will severely compromise India’s future and affect our international standing and our citizens. Therefore, it is up to us to take steps in the right direction, stay on the right side of history, and secure future generations.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

COVER STORY

NITTE COLLEGE OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

MA KE A D IFFER E NCE I N HUM AN HEALTH WORLD WIDE

Higher Education Digest October 2021

uilding a humane society through excellence in education and healthcare, Nitte college of Pharmaceutical sciences (NCOPS) envisions to develop as a center of excellence that imparts quality education in pharmacy. The institution aims to generate competent, skilled manpower to face the scientific and social challenges with a high degree of credibility, integrity, and ethical standards. The higher education sector is rapidly adapting to the digital learning and online teaching technology, which has revolutionized the delivery of education and research. NCOPS is

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Keeping in mind the growing needs and aspirations of the Pharma sector and student expectations, NCOPS has designed multiple avenues for self-development, soft skills, job enrichment and overall personality development in addition to the core pharmaceutical skills.

reorganizing and upgrading the teaching and learning methods by training the teachers and the students to use and understand online platform effectively. Students are trained appropriately to use technology and interact efficiently with peers and mentors. Scaffolding student learning by breaking the task into smaller and more manageable parts, we have implemented Focus Group Discussions. This initiative has empowered students to develop ideas and concepts, discuss ideas with each other, enable them to explore and understand concepts systematically, says Dr Kusum. One of the key pedagogies adopted by NCOPS is to encourage the students to design and fabricate advanced pharmaceutical evaluating tools and instruments through experiential learning. The students are assigned various small projects which enable them to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical endeavours. Students are given hands-on experience in using and operating state-of-the-art pharmaceutical equipment and instruments appropriately. These practical experiences

Higher Education Digest October 2021

20 ABOUT

DR. V. KUSUM DEVI Dr. V. Kusum Devi, the Principal of Nitte College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has been a consistent achiever throughout her career. Her remarkable academic excellence is reflected by her standing first to the Bangalore University during education. She is being known to excel by creating benchmarks in academics and research. Dr. Kusum has published more than hundred research papers in several high impact factor National and International Journals. She has presented her research findings in many prestigious National and International Conferences in addition to delivering invited talks in key areas of Pharmaceutical Sciences in India and abroad. Dr. Kusum has held prestigious positions such as Treasurer of APTI, Co-ordinator for Academic Staff College, BOS- Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science. She has also worked as a consultant subject expert for Abbott Laboratories Limited, a Canadian Multinational pharma company. As an active Researcher, she has procured many grants and most of her studies are recognized by pharma industry. Her projects are funded by prestigious national and international institutions in the pharmaceutical sector.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

enable them to design and evaluate various dosage forms with prominence to the regulatory aspects. The Proficiency Development Cell and Language Lab at NCOPS focus to train the students holistically not only to cater to the needs of the pharmaceutical industry, but also showcase their technological expertise effectively. NCOPS has established MOUs with reputed pharmaceutical industries like Manipal Natural Extracts Pvt. Ltd., Almora Botanica and Centre of Excellence (G-CEIP) in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), reducing the gap between the industry expectations and academic offerings. Industry institute partnership cell at NCOPS provides a platform through which the students can reach out to veteran and successful pharma professionals. At NCOPS, we believe that discussing the success stories of renowned personalities is an effective way to discover and leverage the entrepreneurship potential in a student, to glean critical lessons, as well as helpful tips. Efforts are in progress

NCOPS is well equipped modern infrastructure and has dedicated faculty with good research background.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

NCOPS focuses on the holistic development of students so that they are successful after they graduate from the institute.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

towards creating a Technology Transfer Incubation Centre in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry, to foster research activities and innovative skills among the students. The students are also trained at Jan Aushadhi pharmacy, which promotes awareness about cost-effective medicines and makes quality generic medicines available at affordable prices through a publicprivate partnership. NCOPS placement cell aspires to bridge the journey of a student from academics to their chosen prospective pharma sector. The placement cell gives training in highly innovative and industry oriented best practices for boosting their employability. NCOPS has developed various strategies for further growth and excellence. The key focus

Higher Education Digest October 2021

The institute is continuously seeking to upgrade in terms of education delivery and teacher research endeavors.

is on implementing innovative teaching methodologies and providing students with better experience in dealing with the industry. The institute has come up with a ‘Z to A Approach’, which attempts to explain the application part of a given concept first. The idea is to develop interest in students, which then leads to better understanding of the concept and creates a long-lasting memory and correlation of the concept. The comprehensive understanding of the chemical basis of drug action equips our pharmacy students with the expertise to answer the ‘why’ and ‘how’ related to drug actions. This exhaustive knowledge makes a pharmacist different from a chemical expert among healthcare professionals. “There is a gradual transformation of the Indian education system from the traditional approach to the new era of digital learning. Integration of information technology in education will be further accelerated and use of digital tools will eventually become an integral component of our education system” concludes Dr Kusum.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

HERE’S WHY A CAREER

IN HEALTHCARE CAN BE THE MOST REWARDING AND FULFILLING OPTION FOR YOU Pritika Singh, CEO, Prayag Hospital

26 Pritika has been a game changer and leader in the healthcare sector. Her business interests vary across many fields from healthcare business, beauty, mental health, yoga, meditation and the pharma industry. She is also actively pursuing women rights, philosophy, and is a relationship coach. She has worked towards women empowerment and other women centric issues. She became the CEO of Prayag Hospital at the age of 23. Under her leadership, Prayag hospital expanded and opened at 2 more locations. She has also organized free camps, yearly, for acid attack victims and undertakes around 100 surgeries at nominal costs to help better the lives of these survivors.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Gone are the days when people approached the healthcare services only for taking care of a physical ailment

f you are looking for a career option that gives immense satisfaction while you get to take care of others, the healthcare industry comes across as a feasible option for you. As it is widely known, healthcare is one of the noblest industries to opt for as a career. For those who are deeply passionate about the idea of helping others while on their job and derive joy in caring for other people and relieving their pains and sufferings, there can be no better career option than the healthcare industry. The Beauty of the Healthcare Industry Healthcare is one of those few industries where you directly interact with the individual and are able to help and make a difference. Unlike most other jobs out there, the healthcare industry facilitates you to operate with the philosophy of Sewa Parmo Dharma. The empowering life lesson from the Bhagwat Gita that says service is the highest religion forms one of the core values of the

healthcare industry. While the healthcare industry offers multiple options to practice and perfect your expertise, it also happens to be an evergreen industry. As more people are waking up to the importance of health and fitness, they interact more with the healthcare industry, creating even more opportunities. Healthcare is one of the rare industries where you have a chance of impacting thousands of lives directly. It is also a well-paying industry and can make one feel quite satisfied with their work. If you are good at your job, everything else falls into place. However, a health care worker, you need to be extremely compassionate, patience is indeed a virtue and one needs to be constantly on their toes and available for emergencies. Many Attires, Choose Whichever You Like The flexibility that the healthcare industry offers for choosing the desired role is unmatched in every sense. Sadly, society has built this perception that doctors

Higher Education Digest October 2021

are the whole and the sole healthcare system. However, a global pandemic like the COVID-19 proved that perception to be wrong. COVID-19 has proved that even though doctors happen to be the centre of attraction, they are just a part of the healthcare industry and not the entirety. An entire team of people work together to form up a smoothly operating system for healing others. Right from the hospital guard to the ambulance driver. From the GDA staff to the receptionist

Higher Education Digest October 2021

and admission counters staff. From the nurses to the doctors and housekeeping staff. From the pharmacist to the lab staff and many more. All of them come together and collaborate to form up the health care system. They are all the pillars of the healthcare industry. Even though the public perception fails to recognize the fact, it is true that if any of these pillars collapse, it will impact the entire structure. No matter what position you hold within the healthcare system, you are as crucial to

the industry as any other individual. Being a doctor is not the only way to pursue a career in the healthcare industry.

Healthcare is one of the rare industries where you have a chance of impacting thousands of lives directly

It’s a Bright Future When making a career decision, it is crucial to understand the prospects and the future possibilities. After all, it is best practice to make an informed decision backed up with facts, figures, and data. Well, you will find it reassuring that the global healthcare industry is looking at a growth mark of more than USD 75 billion in the next five years. Not just that, the projections also suggest that the healthcare industry will generate demand for 250,000 skilled professionals in the same time frame. Now that certainly seems like the guarantee of a bright future! Especially after the COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of a wellprepared healthcare system, international governments and business owners take more interest in developing the same. Such a newfound outlook will work wonders for the future of the healthcare industry. Mental Health Awareness = New Healthcare Opportunities Gone are the days when people approached the healthcare services only for taking care of a physical ailment. The world now recognizes the importance of mental health, thus creating many new opportunities on the front. People now register that a healthy mind and a healthy body can only exist in harmony. Such awareness will create multiple opportunities for mentalhealth-related roles such as psychologists and psychiatrists. This avenue of the healthcare industry will see a rocketing rise in the future. Conclusion Working in the healthcare industry is grounding, evolutionary, challenging, and a whole lot satisfying at the same time. There’s always a lot to learn, embrace, and evolve. If you love the idea of chasing satisfaction while being able to help others and impact their lives through your work, a career in the healthcare industry can be a rewarding and fruitful choice for you.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

ACADEMIC VIEWS

USING TECHNOLOGY

TO ENHANCE MEDICAL EDUCATION Dr. M G Shivaramu, Principal, Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, & Dean, Health Sciences (Medical), Adichunchanagiri University

30 Dr. Shivramu is the Principal and Professor of Forensic Medicine at the Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences. With 25+ years of academic experience, Dr. Shivramu has had various papers and books published, which has won multiple awards and accolades. Starting his academic career as a Lecturer in 1994, he joined the AIMS family in 2005 as the department head. Since 2010 he is serving as the Principal of the institution, and in 2018 he took the responsibility of the Dean, Health Sciences (Medical) of Adichunchanagiri University and has been contributing to educational development ever since.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Remote medical education is here to stay, even long after this pandemic is over

he use of technology in health care delivery has evolved rapidly in terms of expectations in patient care, adopting newer and advanced technology in diagnosis and treatment of clinical conditions and is also playing a vital role in patient education. This has also brought in several changes in medical education. Medical educators across the globe are challenged to use these innovations in technology in training the “next generation” physicians. The use of technology in medical education has gained enormous significance over the last decade. Advances in communication and information technology have been very rapid. They have diffused into our day-to-day life in the form of the internet, personal computers, and smart handheld devices. Adapting to this new norm has definite implications in education. Since its beginning, the COVID-19 pandemic has been reported to affect more than 1.6 billion learners in more than 200 countries and has deprived them of face-to-face teaching. Ever since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical education and training have been significantly disrupted. The absence of face-to-face teaching and lack of interaction with patients has greatly affected clinical training. Addressing the skill training of the

young doctors using online teaching has been an enormous challenge. The pandemic has further enhanced the need for adopting technology in medical education to deliver the curriculum in the absence of face-to-face teaching effectively. Online teaching and e-learning have become an integral part of the medical curriculum these days. Challenges to adapting to technology in medical education Even though cognitive, attitude, and ethical components have been addressed to a great extent using online platforms, the challenge remains in training in psychomotor skills. Practical and clinical component forms a significant part of the medical education curriculum and technology can play a considerable role in compensating for the absence of face to face teaching. The major challenge in adapting technology in medical education remains in recreating compelling, real-life clinical encounters, the doctor-patient interaction, learning essential clinical skills remotely. Apart from the clinical learning happening in the hospital, skill and simulation labs played a crucial role in training undergraduates and postgraduates. But, the absence of students on campus has resulted in a significant lacuna in professional training.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Another significant challenge is to provide all students uninterrupted access to learning resources. This may not be easy considering that most students still may not have access to good internet facilities and smart devices. Educators worldwide need to find ways of reaching out to every student so that no one is deprived of their right to access quality medical education. The pandemic has provided a great opportunity to medical educators to experiment, innovate in transforming the principles of medical education, pedagogical techniques, and assessments to address the void created by the pandemic. The real challenge is to adapt to this new norm by encouraging the use of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and learning engineering in the field of medical education. Medical educators across the globe have responded well in adapting to the newer need and challenges in implementing the medical curriculum during this difficult period of the pandemic. The response has included a rapid shift to the use of both synchronous and asynchronous modes of online teaching-learning methods, adopting effective learner involvement strategies, and also use of innovative assessment techniques to assist learning and also assess learning. Various web-based platforms, learning management systems, social media have been used vigorously by educators to provide the best learning experiences to medical students across the globe. Telemedicine, artificial intelligence, and chatbots are being increasingly used to

Higher Education Digest October 2021

achieve an easy connection between educators and students and doctors and patients. There has been an increasing trend in the use of open educational resources (OER). This OER are available free of cost to both educators and the students. Swayam Prabha, the free DTH channel for education, by the ministry of MHRD, Government of India, is one such example of an OER which is providing lakhs of medical students free and complete access to resources related to the medical curriculum. A wonderful initiative created by collaborative efforts of the eminent faculties across the country is trying to fill in the doid created by the pandemic. Remote medical education needs to quickly adapt to the six steps of Kern’s curriculum design. This calls for a collaborative effort from all medical educators across the world. All educators must assess the learner’s need in the online learning environment, define achievable learning objectives, focus on identifying ideal instructional techniques to engage the learner, assess the learner, provide feedback, and feedforward. As quoted by Said HT and Schwartz AW, the focus of the medical educators should be on the pedagogy but not the platform! Remote medical education is here to stay, even long after this pandemic is over. This transformative change will have significant benefits but will also throw several challenges at us. Ultimately, we need to look forward and adapt strategies that best suit the needs of our students and avoid scarring that the pandemic is threatening to leave behind!

Higher Education Digest October 2021

he pharmaceutical industry in India is valued at US$40 billion, being the world’s 3rd largest producer of medicine. According to the Department of Pharmaceuticals, India, their aim is to enable Indian Pharmaceuticals to play a leading role in the global market and ensure abundant availability of quality medicines at reasonable prices. With that in mind, the Make in India initiative has made it possible to produce medicines that are shipped to other countries, and investment in research and development has led to an increase in more effective medicines and drug treatments across the globe. Some of the hubs for pharmaceuticals include Ahmedabad, Sikkim, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai. As the industry flourishes in India, many educators have realised the need for pharmaceutical education, thus establishing various colleges and universities across the country to cater to the increasing need for quality education. With the evolution of western medicine, pharmaceutical colleges continue to work to stay relevant with in-depth research and innovations. Today, India exports over USD 20 billion worth of pharmaceuticals to all around the world. More recently, with COVID-19 changing our lives in unforeseen ways, health and wellness have become a prominent topic on everyone’s mind. To stay healthy many are resorted to taking medication to stay fit and maintain normal hormonal levels. That’s where pharmaceutical companies play an increasingly important role in healthcare today. Big Pharmas have been tirelessly working to create more efficient medicines that cut costs and better reach with immense research and experimentation. In this issue, we profiled 10 Must-Watch Pharmacy Colleges in India, with their innovative practices and opening doors to the future of medicine. With a forward-thinking approach and to inspire young people to explore the field of pharmaceuticals, we present “10 Must-Watch Pharmacy Colleges in India.”

Higher Education Digest October 2021

University Name

City

State

Amrita School of Pharmacy

Kochi

Kerala

JSS College of Pharmacy

Ooty

Tamil Nadu

Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Manipal

Karnataka

Nitte College of Pharmaceutical Science

Bengaluru

Karnataka

P. E. Society’s Modern College of Pharmacy

Pimpri-Chinchwad

Maharashtra

Sarojini Naidu Vanita Pharmacy Maha Vidyalaya

Secunderabad

Telangana

School of Pharmacy, Chouksey Engineering College

Mehmand

Chhattisgarh

Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Pharmacy

Dhaneli

Chhattisgarh

Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College Of Pharmacy

Kamptee

Maharashtra

SSR College of Pharmacy

Silvassa

U.T. of Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Higher Education Digest October 2021

ACADEMIC VIEWS

IMPORTANCE OF

CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK FOR THE GROWTH OF STUDENTS Dr. Somali Ghosh, Asst. Professor Case Western Reserve University, and Chief Strategy Advisor, Kapdec

Dr. Ghosh began her career with the elite Indian Economy Services within the Planning Commission of India. Having interacted with world-class economists and academicians, who ultimately inspired her journey into academia. Dr. Ghosh followed her dreams to pursue a Ph.D. in Marketing Management and currently teaching at a Case Western Reserve University in the USA.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Feedback is vital to help students become learners

he learning journey for a student comprises four critical steps, namely: (1) Learning (2) Assessment Feedback (3) Gap Identification and (4) Relearning. The outcome of the entire learning growth cycle is to break free of textbookish cookie-cutter solutions that depend on the memory of familiar situations alone, in favor of insightful extension of thought applied to unknown or unfamiliar situations. To maintain the continuum of the learning growth cycle, every step is equally important. However, there is one step that makes a substantial impact, that of “Gap identification,” which is the penultimate step towards ensuring the continuation of the learning growth cycle. Gap identification requires the student to understand and appreciate where logic or reasoning, or effort fell short of expectations. The transition from identifying gaps to relearning depends on a teacher’s effective communication with a student through insightful and constructive feedback. It is at this point in the learning journey that the importance of “HOW” feedback is delivered matters more than the “WHAT” the input is. As we all know, a half-filled glass can be seen as half full or half empty, depending on one’s frame of mind; if

feedback to a student focuses only on what is lacking and inadequate, that tends to introduce either a sense of desperation and academic deficiency or a defensive ego related bias in the student’s mind that then shuts down to the possibility of re-visiting the issue and understanding the logic that led to the feedback. It is hard to argue with logic, so the input has to be logical in its content and highlight aspects that may have been noteworthy or adding an encouragement or incentive (such as extra credit marks ) to help encourage a re-attempt at learning the matter at hand. Feedback need not be de-motivating; if anything, making a mistake is the first step towards learning and developing accurate insights into a subject. Feedback delivered with a sense of empathy and optimism is always a great idea. Students and especially young students who have impressionable minds can do wonders if encouraged and nurtured positively. It is scientifically proven that negative feedback floods the brain with stress-inducing hormones and prove counter-productive to the learning process. In contrast, positive feedback induces feelings of happiness, higher selfconfidence levels, and more creative and energetic brain functioning.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

2. Optimistic To instill academic confidence, there should always be a provision for amending the mistakes made, i.e., with a solution to how the student may demonstrate that they have fixed their flawed answer and understood the subject matter at hand. 3. Motivational and Incentive Driven It is always easier to motivate and encourage through incentives such as extra credit marks or even sincere appreciation of efforts. 4. Consistent and Timely Feedback must be ongoing, consistent, objective, accurate, and stable in tone and language to derive maximum value from of it. When feedback is not regular, it might demotivate or disinterest students.

The Existing Challenges in the Gap Identification in the Learning Process The problem with our current education system is that it is a system of letter grades. While it is a must to have a reward system with the hard work they perform and grades do provide a satisfying criterion for success. However, The grading system has one major flaw: students tend to focus on just the grade and lose focus of the primary objective of learning, which involves the value, performance, and mastery aspects of learning. A pedagogical shift from a grade-dependent system to a constructive feedback-oriented system is needed to do away with this approach and make the learning process a valuable journey for students. As we make this change, students are more likely to focus on potential and growth rather than mastering the art of shortcuts to get good grades. Structural Elements of Constructive Feedback Delivering feedback has several essential aspects that require careful consideration. Let’s explore the essential elements of constructive feedback in detail: 1. Student-Friendly To ensure that a student receives feedback well, it should be student-friendly, personalized, encouraging, and kind. As a teacher, one must respond to a student in a way that can be easily comprehended, with a clear and logical train of thought.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

5. Target – Oriented Feedback of any kind should be tied to a measurable learning outcome. Moreover, teachers should not only layout the expectations but also help students understand where they are in relation to the mentioned goals and tie these goals to success in the chosen subject matter down the road. 6. Concise Feedback should be concise and focused on areas that will have the most significant impact on student’s learning. Prioritized feedback is easier to implement and easily digestible for students. 7. Involvement Encourage student involvement in debating issues and in putting together, a remedial plan that the student has a partial role in formulating. 8. Specific Making feedback specific to performance or task for better, more pinpointed remedial actions from the student. Summing Up! Feedback is vital to help students become learners. Feedback may be offered verbally, digitally, or through traditional written comments on assignments. Whichever way it is given, feedback benefits every student and is a powerful tool to connect with them positively, provided it is personalized. How students receive, interpret, understand, analyze, discuss and act on feedback is as valuable as the quality of feedback itself. The way the students interact with feedback is the key to developing their learning process.

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Higher Education Digest October 2021

P. E. SOCIETY’S MODERN COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AIDING STUDENTS TO PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY 42

he COVID-19 has impacted drastically to the education sector. As a result, education has changed dramatically, with distinctive rise of e-learning. Research suggests that online learning has been shown to increase retention of information and take less time. “We believe that the integration of information technology in education will be further accelerated and that online education will eventually become an integral component of education.” opines Dr. P. D. Chaudhari, Principal of P. E. Society’s Modern College of Pharmacy, Nigdi, Pune. The abruptness of the pandemic caught teachers and administrations unprepared for this transition and was forced to build emergency learning management systems. To mitigate these challenges, it was necessary to implement learning recovery programs to ensure that slow learners receive the support they need to catch up with the advanced learners in-order to prepare themselves for future. “To recover from affected teachinglearning process, we immediately started online teaching-learning management where teaching staff and students were trained for online pedagogy through various virtual Faculty Development programs, MOOC and webinars,” says Dr. Chaudhari, adding “Examination patterns were redesigned for online exams during COVID-19 and the students were trained and counselled for online exams.”

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Progressive Education Society’s Modern College of Pharmacy was established in 1998 at Nigdi, Pune, and has produced many stalwarts in the pharma industry.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

ABOUT

PROF. DR. G. R. EKBOTE Prof. Dr. G. R. Ekbote, Hon. Chairman Progressive Education Society is a practicing surgeon & Professor of Surgery at BJ Medical College, Pune. He has actively worked as Member, Steering Committee on Higher & Tech. Education; Member,

Planning Commission, India; Dean, Faculty of Medicine; Member, Management Council; Member, Academic Council; Member, Senate, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune & MUHS, Nasik. He has also worked as Pro Vice-Chancellor, MUHS., Nasik. Owing to his outstanding contribution to the field of education, he has been granted an equivalence of Ph.D. by Maharashtra University of Health Sciences.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

As the higher education system is becoming more student-centric, syllabus restructuring is expected with respect to pandemic management and the role of a pharmacist. Our faculty is poised to take-up every challenge & opportunity that these critical situations are generating. An update in communication channel was need of time and hence teachers as well as learners have sensed this situation & have moulded themselves as per the changing demands. Our faculty have toiled a lot to develop educational videos and make them available on YouTube channel of the college. Imparting Quality Pharmacy Education One of the premier institutes in pharmacy education, PESMCP was established in 1998 by the Progressive Education Society. With a vision of achieving excellence in pharmacy education, innovative research, and provide service to the society and profession. The college imparts futuristic learning in pharmacy to develop a pool of professionally competent, ethically sound, and skilled pharmacists at par with global standards. Situated in the Industrial belt of Pimpri-Chinchwad harbouring many pharmaceutical companies like Lupin, SAVA, Emcure, Centaur, Nulife, Callidus, etc, the college is poised to intensify the instituteindustry interaction to boost professional skill sets and hands on experience among the students. The college has developed active linkages and MOU’s with Industry, Research Institutes and NGO’s to cater to the societal needs as a part of CSR. Frequent interactions are with industrial experts help students and faculty to acquaint with latest trends in pharma research.

Located in close proximity of the Industrial belt of PimpriChinchwad, the institute envisions to achieve excellence in pharmacy education, innovative research and provide service to the society and profession.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

To cope with current industrial research and to train students for fulfilling pharmaceutical industries’ requirements, the college organises State, National, and international level Seminars and workshops funded by various agencies like ICMR, AICTE, and the University of Pune, etc. The faculty are actively engaged in various consultancy projects from the industry and academic institutes. “A total of Rs. 1.84 Crores have been garnered in the form of research grants from various funding agencies like AICTE, DST, University of Pune, and ICMR, etc., in the last 5 years. The faculty members have published more than 700 research papers in various National and International journals till date. In all 5 patents are granted, and 7 patents have been published by the faculty,” points out Dr. Chaudhari.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

The college continuously strives for serving the community by frequently conducting various health camps and awareness programmes.

ABOUT

DR. P. D. CHAUDHARI Principal of PES’s Modern College of Pharmacy, Dr. P.D Chaudhari holds a master’s degree in Pharmacy, PhD, and MMS in Marketing. He is the president of the Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India; and member of various prestigious committees like the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association; and Member, Academic Council, Savitribai Phule Pune University. He has also served as the Dean of Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, and the Co-Chairman of Local Organising Committee 69th IPC 2017, at Chandigarh.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Having invested more than Rs.2.58 Crores on Laboratory Equipments like HPTLC, HPLC, FTIR, Lyophilizer, Spray Dryer, Probe Sonicator, Spheronizer, R & D Coater, particle size analyser, Digital Microscope, Autoanalyser, Plethysmometer, Cryobath, Cooling Centrifuge, Orbital Shaker, Texture Analyser, Incubator Shaker, Deep Freezer, etc. of leading brands. To develop skilled and jobready professionals, students are frequently exposed to and interacted with industry professionals by organising industrial visits, industrial training, and expert lectures from the industry. The institute also provides value-added courses in Clinical Research Educational Programme, cGMP, DRA & IPR. Dr.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Chaudhari says, “We have been recognised as a Research Center by Savitribai Phule Pune University for the Pharmaceutical sciences. More than 80 % of the faculty are PhD qualified and are recognised guides for PG & PhD research. The college has awarded PhD to 10 scholars and PG to 447 research scholars. Many research scholars are pursuing PhD with JRF, SRF and other fellowships”. It is heartening to state that reputed industries across the country visit this college for campus recruitment programs and recruiting around 75% of the graduates. The students have been employed in fields of Marketing, Production, Quality assurance, Quality Control, Pharmaceutical administration and regulatory

Every year the college organizes various guest lectures, seminars and workshops sponsored by AICTE, ICMR and Pune University.

affairs, Health/ Drug Inspectors, Hospital pharmacy in private or Govt. hospitals, Community pharmacy, Analysis in chemical and drug analysis laboratory, etc. “Some of our reputed recruiters are Cognizant Technology Solutions India Pvt. Ltd., Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., Troikaa Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Sciformix, Sciedge Abstracts, Randstad Ltd., GEBBS, Alkem Laboratories Ltd., Emcure Pvt. Ltd., Lupin Pvt. Ltd., British Biologicals Ltd., Centaur Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd, Ajanta Pharma, JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Stedman Pharmaceuticals Private Ltd., Pune, Agio Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Bhosari, Pune, Raptakos, Brett and Co. Ltd., MarksansPharma Ltd., Sun pharma laboratories Ltd., Stedman Pharmaceuticals Private Ltd., Fourrts Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Neon Laboratories Ltd., IT Cube, Glenmark Ltd. Etc.”, states Dr. Chaudhari.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Shaping Students into Competent Industry Leaders To instil confidence, knowledge, leadership qualities, organisational capacity, and professional skills, various curricular and extracurricular events are organised for the holistic development of our students. Every year, the college organises seminars, workshops, and conferences for the faculty and students. This activity helps in creating an effective learning environment, gaining expert knowledge, networking with others, and renewing the motivation and confidence of the participants. The IPA Pune Local branch is one of the active branches of IPA in India. Dr. Chaudhari explains, “The Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) has been celebrating the National Pharmacy Week every year. Every year, the college works in close coordination with the IPA Pune branch is celebrating National Pharmacy Week. During the NPW celebration, various competitions and events are conducted for students of the Pune region. This is done to create awareness about the pharmacy profession amongst the society.” Learning by doing is a major pedagogical initiative that includes Herbaria preparation, where students have been asked to visit fields for the collection of medicinal plants. Collection, field survey, and preservation of the herbarium specimen. Students are encouraged to develop 3-D Models (like virus structure, cell membrane, cell components, etc.) and working models of pharmaceutical

Higher Education Digest October 2021

instruments (like Planetary mixer, ball mill, Fluidised Bed Dryer, Hammer mill, etc.). In the Creative Learning method, students are asked to design histological models of internal anatomy for authenticating the crude drugs. “Our magazine, PANACEA, is published every alternate year where students make a major contribution. Students have participated in various extracurricular and co-curricular competitions like quizzes, debates, etc., to develop their latent talents. Students have also participated in various cultural event competitions like dance, singing, fashion show, etc. to develop social skills”, explains Dr. Chaudhari. Equipping and training learners with desired qualities stressing knowledge, skill, and attitude that contribute to the image and brand building of the college. The college is updating and upgrading their faculty by giving wider exposure to diverse academic events. Broadening the area of extension activities for the holistic development of learners, the institute is providing a conducive and cohesive ambience and state-of-the-art infrastructure for development, study, and research to impart and enhance the quality of pharmacy education. “We want to create a centre for excellence with a purpose of knowledge creation, and knowledge dissemination fostering frontline research in the key area of pharmacy and make Pharmacy education more relevant with current & contemporary needs to keep pace with knowledge & Information age,” concludes Dr. Chaudhari.

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ACADEMIC VIEWS

ENGAGING

LEARNERS BETTER Dr. Vidya Shankar Shetty, Chief Academic Officer, Navkis-From the House of Ramaiah

52 Dr. Vidya Shankar Shetty has a through and through career experience in Academics and Education ranging from K12 to Higher Education. Her career map has had her play diverse roles right from establishment to governance, ranging from setting up new schools in India and abroad, colleges, compliance, and project handling of a greenfield University to an established University. Her current role as the CAO at Navkis, From the House of Ramaiah, has her play a crucial role in handling the Academics and Operations of the various Institutions under the group apart from setting up new initiatives.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

COVID compelled us, educators, to break the barriers of time and distance and empower learning

magnitude change and a complete inclination towards online teaching and learning are what was anticipated a decade ago by all experts in the Education sector. So much so teachers who were digital immigrants and those who belonged to the old school of teaching in-person were shaken up by this new revolution and talk in education. Many explored the massive opportunities that were untapped for educators in India as Edupreneurs. A country like India, everybody claimed, needed the education to travel without boundaries to the remote parts and ensure that all youth were educated. Online teaching and learning were considered the best learning space and the challenge was to upgrade the teaching workforce to match these expectations. Everybody waited with bated breath to check on what such a disruption would cause and with its advent watch the magnitude of these changes in the education system. The benefit ultimately would be the student learner.

COVID breezed in and accelerated this space like a hurricane. Education became anytime and anywhere, from the cozy spaces of the drawing-room to the privacy of the bedroom to an empty classroom, teachers took it upon themselves to teach online and had no choice but to engage and adapt to this new opportunity that COVID brought in. A fast-evolving space indeed this has been! While the world of the learner transformed quickly and learners were ready to face this challenge, teachers have been finding it difficult to construct this new space. Just a decade ago educators were talking and reconstructing the world of education with a focus on outcome-based learning and outcomes were listed and teachers learnt to work backward. Today, the outcomes stay where they are and teachers are struggling with the limitations of the web camera, the mobile device which does not match as a classroom tool, poor network connectivity, bandwidth, and also limited access to the internet and devices. Ask a teacher and the constraints listed are many.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Meandering to my earlier strand of thought, our teacher training programmes never indulged in online teaching tools or methodology. While teachers were busy working on the VAK model within the classroom, collaborative and cooperative learning and also differentiated instruction and integrating ICT tools and content in the classroom and tweaking teaching styles to suit different learning styles of students; attention was seldom diverted towards training teachers to explore different technologies whether at the training time or thereafter. LMS was the focus as an application that could enable them to distribute several tasks efficiently while working with tools and content to make teaching more effective and interesting online was not a priority. COVID compelled us, educators, to break the barriers of time and distance and empower learning even during the pandemic through online teaching. Satiating the trust and appetite of parents and students alike, teachers face the largest challenge. Where do we begin with the second wave and the expected third, fourth ….countless waves of the virus that may continue to disrupt our lives. Our lesson planners need a revisit, our teaching tools need a re-visit and micro-planning is a must. The secret is not to cover all the portions but focus on concepts that are essential for the next level of learning of the learner. Teaching from the textbook or simply explaining and relying on the experience of having taught the subject for years is to be aborted. This space needs innovation consistently. Innovation makes you innovate and explore tools and techniques available on the online platforms to make these sessions interesting. For example, use a variety of audio-video resources to explain concepts. This demands long hours of research and exploration skills of the teacher. Content is available in abundance on the net, however, the challenge lies in picking the right content, ensuring that there is a right time to use this content, and trigger in-class

Higher Education Digest October 2021

discussions. Most of us are worried about the time what has stopped us from sharing stories in the taken for the response of students or do not have session, why do we hesitate to call out to a student the alertness or adeptness to read the comments to pitch in and explain a concept? Did we not form placed on the chat. The quicker we understand study groups earlier in a class? Why should we not that online classes are very different from an inbuild accountability in students by assigning them, person classroom session, the faster is our comfort groups? Mentoring and motivating learners have to in this space. An interactive class with interactive continue. Engage, connect and transform them has assignments which call for collaborative work and always been our goal. Share notes, call out notes, get discussion amongst students is a welcome rather them to engage in the online learning experience. than a one-sided lecture. Shared learning spaces One of the outcomes of all these efforts of where students can discuss and express their the current day teacher teaching online could be views on cases, on topics for that we will indirectly discussion, and participate save this profession rather than remain a passive from becoming extinct. recipient is a must. In retrospect, we have Digital India is the slogan been blessed with great used by the Government teachers who inspired us and by this time teachers throughout life, who were should not have had to face responsible somewhere to the challenge of coping with influence us into getting The world digital infrastructure. Network into this noble profession. and bandwidth issues remain Teachers are the ones of the learner unresolved. Thankfully the who flamed that passion transformed faster growth and penetration in us for a specific of the smartphone has subject, they are the ones quickly and enabled online education to who work more towards survive these days. In other job satisfaction than sheer learners were words with mobile-centric money. They are the ones ready to face this education, our adoption of who can bring a difference online education has been far in the life of a child. More challenge more pervasive in these times. than anything, this is one Smaller cities and towns profession that makes you also had teachers teaching a lifelong learner. These with limited resources using are difficult times and mobile phones. whatever we do, online Moving away from the teaching has been thrust textbook and ensuring that on us and some of us have classroom teaching online walked into it unprepared. does not go on with the If we could make that textbook in hand, preparing interesting ppts, using small effort to ensure education continues to slide shares, desiring the lesson plan differently be a gift, a teacher can hand over a gift to the is the need of the hour. Share articles of interest young people. If we could facilitate the process for reading, use conferences to discuss topics, of learning and make it accessible to all while check on opinions, call out to students and ensure working on the creative aspect of learning and their opinions are taken into consideration, and engaging. If we could in our own way inspire the more importantly refer to recent developments, next generation to join this profession and become discuss worldly affairs as part of the fillers in a the change-maker, sustaining this profession and classroom session of one hour. What has stopped influencing the young to become teachers may not us from engaging a guest speaker while in class, be as difficult as it seems to be today.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

APTITUDE BUILDING

FROM EARLY AGE, DETERMINES WINNER Ankit Kapoor, Director, Pratham Test Prep

Ankit Kapoor is a Management graduate from IMT, Ghaziabad. He has worked with Pernod Ricard India as a Brand Manager. Valuable brand management experience with Pernod Ricard India made him a confident brand marketer and his passion for quality education & paving career paths for students got him to IIFM. At IIFM he looks after brand ‘PRATHAM’ which has developed into a distinguished & trusted name amongst the student community for various entrance exams.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Experts always advocate that it is never too early to train your brain

ompetitive exams like all India law entrance exam (AILET), Common Law Admission Test (CLAT), Integrated Program in Management (IPMAT) or BMS DU entrance exam these days have garnered a state of utmost importance and so has its preparation process. As soon as the student is on verge of clearing class 10th, one important question which bothers everyone is which stream to choose and which career to pursue. And added to the current ongoing situation, which is quite uncertain poses different challenges in front of the students. In addition to this one should also keep in mind the proposed changes in the New Education Policy (NEP) and incorporating one test for central universities CUCET. Both of these talk about building aptitude and admissions to universities based on aptitude.

In this competitive era, when a student is burdened with expectations from parents, teachers, society, and expectations from self, it becomes very important for them to be very hardworking and sure about their preparation. Beyond doubt that the stress level period will prolong with multi-directional pressure including the ones from the peers. Students nowadays are sure of where they want to get in and they start working towards their career path as early as possible. However, if one is ambitious, handling pressure is the differentiating factor taking more efforts than the actual studying for the exams. If one is serious and reluctant to pursue a rewarding career in law or Management, then the right time to start preparing is now. While students from different streams require different preparation strategies, a science student aspiring for IIT’s

Higher Education Digest October 2021

or Medical, starts his basic fundamental preparations way before. But commerce or a humanities student starts the same thing once they enter class 12th or even after that. But this doesn’t mean that the students from the latter streams are not serious about their future but the basic mindset is that 11th is for fun and frolic. On the contrary, it is time to work on the basics which are important for any entrance examination. For International Education SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) students start preparing from standard 11th, so not only class 11th allows one to utilize their time at an optimum level but also acts as a foundation for a solid benchmark to be achieved in all the entrances. Any student gearing up for their entrance preparation should aim to start early and ensure more focused pedagogy.

Students nowadays are sure of where they want to get in and they start working towards their career path as early as possible

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Advantages of starting early – Kickstart from an early age Experts always advocate that it is never too early to train your brain. Young and energetic brains adjust to analytical thinking better than the ones who are already in the mold. Children should develop the spirit of competition early on to clear the entrance examinations. Therefore, preparing their minds early on can prove extremely beneficial for them. The parents need to decide whether they want their child to have fun now and struggle later when the focus shifts to board class to score a good percentage for a good college. Hence, focussing on developing the aptitude of the child early is recommended. It helps you master the topics asked in the aptitude test. Preparation for any entrance varies from person to person. The learners should understand their learning style and act accordingly. Any student who wants to ace such entrances should know that it is about three aspects LEARN, PRACTICE, and TEST. The learner should be pragmatic and not procrastinate in starting the process to lay the foundation for the same. A wise man once said that the right time to take action is NOW.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

SAROJINI NAIDU VANITA PHARMACY MAHA VIDYALAYA PREPARING THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS OF TOMORROW

lobally, India ranks 3rd in terms of pharmaceutical production by volume and 14th by value. The female representation in the pharma industry is just 11 per cent, of around 50 million strong workforce in India. It is this backdrop that the Exhibition Society, has established the first Women’s private pharmacy college in the erstwhile combined State of Andhra Pradesh. state - Sarojini Naidu Vanita Pharmacy Maha Vidyalaya, in 1997-98. The new college building in Tarnaka, was inaugurated by Sri K. Chandrasekhar Rao Garu, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Telangana State, was the outcome of the Exhibition Society’s vision of College of Excellence for Pharmacy, second to none. This corporate-styled building has state-of-the-art facilities such as modern modular laboratories, class rooms, air-conditioned auditorium, seminar hall, a wellstacked library on the top floor and the virtual pharmacy containing 2,500 medicine brands is first of its kind in the country. The strength of the college lies in the researchoriented, highly qualified & experienced faculty members. The COVID-19 had serious repercussions on the education system. The major shift was from conventional to online mode. Initially, the faculty members were trained

Higher Education Digest October 2021

The new Sarojini Naidu Vanita Pharmacy Maha Vidyalaya is the outcome of The Exhibition Society’s vision of College of Excellence for Pharmacy, second to none

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Courses Offered by Sarojini Naidu Vanita Pharmacy Maha Vidyalaya include, B.Pharmacy, Pharm.D & M.Pharmacy in Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Analysis & Pharm. Quality Assurance

Higher Education Digest October 2021

and were encouraged to attend online webinars for the conduct of classes online according to the UGC, AICTE, and OU guidelines, and the class work was conducted using online platforms like ZOOM, Google meet. The class recordings and powerpoint presentations were made accessible to students through Google classroom. The students were first informed to subscribe to sufficient bandwidth internet for uninterrupted classwork. At regular intervals feedback was taken from students to improvise the course content and presentation. “The virus has upended the business of our college, with a sudden shift of academics to remote learning overnight. The students took some time to adjust to the online learning mode, as some of them did not have access to laptops, smartphones, or internet connections in rural areas,” adds Dr. B. Prabha Shankar, Chairman, SNVPMV. Learning about planning and strategizing the academic and research goals and their implementation, SNVPMV made their online lectures and videos in such a manner that students do their learning and boost creative thinking. To equip their students with full knowledge of recent technology, measures adapted were to have

industry interaction along with industrial training. The institute has five MoU’s with industries to acquaint students with technical training. They are being mentored and nurtured according to their special interests in the industry.

Dr. B. Prabha Shankar, Chairman – SNVPMV Managing Director, Leads Pharma & Eurodrug Laboratories India

Providing Exemplary Pharmaceutical Education SNVPMV is located in Tarnaka, with an acre of prime land in the heart of the city. With the state-of-the-art facilities, the institution envisions to pursue excellence in pharmacy education, imparting knowledge, and networking platform for future women pharmacists. Providing needbased financial assistance to students, SNVPMV prepares their students for a formidable role in the pharmaceutical industry and helps them stand out in the competitive industry, especially for managerial and entrepreneurial responsibilities, leading to their increased participation in the pharmacy industry. An outcome of the Exhibition Society’s vision to build a college that is an epitome to excellent pharmaceutical education, SNVPMV aims to be an institute that imparts knowledge and networking platform for young women aspirants to make a change as accountable healthcare professionals and preparing them for competitive positions at all levels, especially for managerial and entrepreneurial responsibilities, and increase the participation of women in the pharmacy sector. Many youngsters enter the arena of pharmaceuticals without basic knowledge and awareness of the future requirements in the global village. Rigorous training is offered with sufficient motivation at every stage for improving their grades and placements in the top pharma as well as health care industry. The training program is designed to inculcate sincerity, strategy, regularity, and team spirit to prepare tomorrow’s pharmacists. They are motivated to work in harmony & utilize the state-of-the-art equipment of the institution which in turn makes the institution a center of research excellence. SNVPMV has focused on strong industrial interaction to bridge the gap between institute and industry and develop pharmacy professionals as per the needs of the industry. Institution-Industry

Higher Education Digest October 2021

The college has state-of-the-art equipment for preparing simple dosage forms to advanced novel drug delivery systems using rotary tablet machine, coating pan, triple roller mill, colloid mill, Tray dryers, homogenizers & Ultrasonicator

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Interaction Cell is established to provide closer links with industries. They make students familiar with the industrial environment and culture and provide an opportunity to them have a closer look at the manufacturing, quality control, packaging, and other operations that are carried out in the industries. The institute is working on changing the attitude of the students to focus on the next five years ahead and have a mindset to work in a 24x7 environment. “The Gap between and theory and practice must be minimized to produce effective pharmaceutical managers. For effective learning, students must join, receive the training, finish projects, Re-join the same or similar projects. work with perfection for career growth, and finish the cycle, which must go on in the institution year after year”, opines Dr. Prabha Shankar. Providing guidance and assistance to their students to achieve their career goals, SNVPMV has constituted a Training and Placement Cell to take the right steps to identify the demands of the

current industries and prepare their students for this need. Along with this, adequate emphasis is given to soft skill development that complements the regular academic programs. Aptitude tests and group discussions are conducted at regular intervals to enable the students to improve their performance in competitive exams as well as in placement interviews. “Our placement officer is assisted by the Head of the Departments and Student Representatives from all the courses. Our college also welcomes resource persons for taking guest lectures to the students. The last AY 2020-21 has witnessed 26 webinars, most of which are associated with international speakers. Our alumni have done a commendable job in this regard and guided the students on various topics which sometimes are beyond the syllabus and of industry-oriented,” adds Dr. Prabha Shankar. Moulding Industry-Competent Pharmacists One of the most forward-thinking and research-oriented institutions, SNVPMV has started an incubation center to foster innovation and enable our students to get first-hand experience in entrepreneurship, promote innovation-driven activities and provide comprehensive and integrated support which includes physical space, mentoring, training programs, networking, and an array of other benefits. The SNVPMV Incubation center at an operational level is entrusted with the responsibility

Higher Education Digest October 2021

The institute has highprecision analytical instruments for analyzing various dugs & their dosage forms using FTIR, HPLC, UV-Visible spectrophotometer, electrophoresis, pH meters among others

for nurturing innovative ideas by handholding the innovating students through the business proposal stage, identifying the target market, creating a minimum viable product/ service, technological guidance, industry exposure, pre-launch activities, consumer feedback and exposure to the investor community. “As innovation demands new ways of thought and experimentation, and hence we believe that an incubation center is essential in today’s competitive and fast-changing world. Through the incubation center, we hope to bring forth a revolution in how and what students learn and achieve while being nurtured and encouraged by faculty, management, and industry experts,” says Dr. Prabha Shankar. The training is imparted on analytical & QC equipment which include HPLC, FTIR, UVVisible spectrophotometer, conductivity meter, flame photometer, pH meter, electrophoresis apparatus, bath sonicator, while the manufacturing machines include rotary tablet machine, multi mill, ball mill, cube mixer, V-blender, ampul filling & sealing apparatus, filtration equipment, tray drier, probe sonicator, dissolution test apparatus, disintegration test apparatus, friabilator, hardness testers among other whole lots of pharma machinery which are quite similar to the industry. As a part of the curriculum, the students have to go for internships in pharmacy companies, where they are given a chance to work in various places to get real-life experience and they are

Higher Education Digest October 2021

68 introduced to the job opportunities once they graduate. The students are enrolled in various value-added skill development courses like soft skills, clinical research, medical coding, and Pharmacovigilance to make the students aware of recent trends and opportunities in the Pharma sector. These programs also help corporates gain access to a pool of trained graduates for suitable roles where the students are trained extensively in the latest technology to help companies find the right candidate. There are also pharmacist recruiters. commonly called “headhunters” who search to fill positions in various pharmaceutical fields. These recruiters seek students to interest and recruit them in positions that they are trying to fill, quite similar to many other professions. “On average around 70% students. take up higher education in India and abroad. The rest of the students are placed in companies like Leads Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Suven

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Sri Krishna Pharmacy, Mars Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Suraksha Pharma Pvt. Ltd., Micro Labs Ltd., MMC Laboratories, Chennai, and Hetero labs Pvt. Ltd.,” enumerates Dr. Prabha Shankar. The Way Ahead As the institute is growing, SNVPMV is striving to rise to the academic standards and meet the needs of the ever-changing pharma industry. They are finding new ways to help them thrive in the face of adversity and eventually they work harder in pursuit of success. The institute constantly motivates the students to take on the higher standards and persuades them with more elaborate & meticulous academic details to ensure that they’re up to the challenge. The institute has been gathering insights into student motivation and strongly focuses on students’ perceptions of our academic team. They stimulate the innate intelligence of the students, besides updating the

69 quality of the teaching they receive. “We have extended our library timings till 7.30 pm, a dedicated area for the digital library, and we have procured library books based on the student’s feedback. Focusing on recreation, we have provided music systems at the canteen and gym for the students to chill and relax during their breaks, which helps them research with more attentiveness”, says Dr. Prabha Shankar. Committed to imparting quality education in core and frontier fields of pharmacy through highly qualified faculty who are research-oriented & highly accessible to the students for guidance to success, SNVPMV is training their students in accordance with the latest industry trends and churning out employable graduates. They have partnered with TASK for conducting training programs and development of interview skills and are taking up steps to collaborate with local industry to provide the best research environment in the institution. Women’s education is central

to their mission, and they are producing tailormade, industry-ready pharmacists & researchers capable of addressing important medication- and health-related problems. The practice of pharmacy is undergoing rapid change, and the graduates of B.Pharmacy, M.Pharmacy& Doctor of Pharmacy programs are well-prepared to confidently take up the role of tomorrow’s health care professional. “We have an uncompromised mission & strategic plan of establishing a ‘Model Pharmacy Institution’. Our Institution has, is, and always will be striving for excellence in the field of Pharmaceutical education intending to offer the most employable and professionally receptive graduates from our Institution to the Pharma profession. In short, we aim at “a pharmacy institution like no other,” and I am confident that, with these strategic plans, our reputation as a leader in pharmacy education and research will continue to grow,” concludes Dr. Prabha Shankar.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

NEED FOR CERTIFIED

AND ACCESSIBLE NUTRITION COURSES IN INDIA Neeha Nagpal, Lawyer and Wellness Expert

70 Neeha Nagpal is a lawyer by profession and a fitness enthusiast by passion. 36 years old Neeha is a well- known lawyer and activist based out of Gurgaon. She has vast experience of over 13 years in commercial law and litigation. Neeha embarked on a personal journey two years back towards health and fitness through close understanding of nutrition. She is now committed to making a difference in this space by leveraging her personal transformation story and learnings thereof and taking it to a larger platform to help many others like her. In 2018, Neeha received the Forbes ‘Tycoons of Tomorrow’ Award.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Health and Nutrition coaching is going to be a definitive career choice for the nextgeneration of entrepreneurs

utrition, the science and study of what we eat and how it affects our health has never been more important than now. What has often seemed like a fad, has finally transformed to a matter of literally – life and death, as populations across the world fight obesity, allergies, reactions and other attendant maladies all connected in some way to the way we eat, what we eat and how much we eat. We often hear - You are what you eat - that popular saying that emphasizes the fact that food in itself is medicinal, or that your health is marked by your food habits. If you eat right, you won’t need medicines at all, it purposes to say. However, people often either fail to understand the gravity of these words or tend to forget them in the long run. What exactly do we eat, and how does one know its effect on the human body? Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins - where do they come from and how do they impact our body, health and well-being? The answer lies in the study of nutrition. Nutrition and food play a vital role in the life sciences - perhaps the most vital one. Every living organism, after all, is a machine and a machine needs fuel to sustain itself. For plants and animals, nutrition

serves this purpose: to refuel us from time to time with essential nutrients. However, as human beings, one also eats to satiate their taste buds or to seek instant gratification through the richness of culinary traditions. This means that lifestyle forgoes close control over the kind of food a person is consuming in favor of pleasurable gastronomic experiences. Consequently, one does not get the right nutrition, leaving vulnerable to illness and diseases. Nutrition Knowledge & Health Consciousness Underatanding nutrition empowers us to better decision making as regards our own health. Just like the knowledge of law helps us in acting with with caution and maintaining the social contract, thereby avoiding a breach of the rules and regulations vital for the functioning of the society. Similarly, one needs to think of this society as their body. For its proper functioning, everyone has to follow certain rules and regulations in terms of nutrient intake and avoiding damaging food. But a person can only follow these rules if they have knowledge of nutrition and food. In the long run, such knowledge will help develop a mindset to eat right and prevent disease, therefore, living a body positive life.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

At the same time, it is reasonable to imagine that the nutritional knowledge deficit canot be overcome overnight. That’s where a guided programme led by a certified practitioner can help us all. For example, a Nutrition Coach or Health Coach is today a necessary aid to the healthcare system. He or she can work closely with health aware individuals, patients, wellness seekers or even doctors help clients develop sustainable and mindful habits for a healthy and body positive life. In doing so, a Nutrition Coach/Health Coach also has the privilege of helping others lead a healthier lifestyle. Nutrition Coaching/Health Coaching industry has witnessed exponential growth in the last decade across the globe. Previously overshadowed by skepticism, the health coaching market reached $6 billion in 2017, a 15% increase from 2014. By 2022, the market is forecast to reach $7.85 billion, with 121,000 practicing coaches. Living in the unprecedented era of COVID-19, the pandemic having upended our lives, who can ignore health as a major priority? For perhaps the first time ever, the need for health consciousness has transcended all other concerns of our lives simply because the pandemic has ushered with it a need to develop sustainable habits for boosting immunity and staying healthy.

Health & Nutrition Coaching Practice Health and Nutrition coaching is going to be a definitive career choice for the next generation of entrepreneurs. Thanks to digitalization and growing work-from-home phenomena, the investment for setting up a Nutrition Coaching or Health Coaching practice is also not expected to be large. This gives rise to many exciting possibilities and makes nutrition coaching accessible to one and all for perhaps the first time in our history. It is certain to suggest that studying to be a certified Nutrition Coach or Health Coach has never been this exciting yet. Not only does it bring in large and varied socioeconomic benefits, but has the potential to change the lives of everyone connected with you, for the better.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

SCHOOL OF PHARMACY, CHOUKSEY ENGINEERING COLLEGE MOULDING STUDENTS INTO LEADING PHARMACISTS

he essence of education lies not only in theoretical knowledge from textbooks.It is about conditioning the minds to think innovatively. COVID-19 has compelled educators worldwide to reinvent the role of education in controlling a pandemic of this magnitude which has devastated the entire world.In the larger context of education, pharmacy education provides the most vital skill sets, which has a tremendous potential to serve the vulnerable society suffering from the atrocities of the COVID19. It is high time to revisit the current structure of pharmacy education in context to pandemic preparedness and ponder on the role of the pharmacy institutes to build a fleet of professionals towards serving the millions fighting with the deadly pandemic. School of Pharmacy, Chouksey Engineering College (SOP, CEC), takes pride in creating an atmosphere wherein both students and faculty can pursue boundless knowledge; a single roof where theory and practice go hand in hand and lead to a better understanding of oneself and the world. Education at SOP, CEC prepares its students to think boldly and act confidently in any industry environment. Focusing goes beyond education, the institution aims to transform its students into leaders. Their outstanding educational program has well-defined objectives and provides supportive educational materials, content, and methods that are student-appropriate. “A good educational program focuses on imparting knowledge to its students. We are strongly committed

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Established in 2004, School of Pharmacy Chouksey Engineering College (CEC), Bilaspur, is amongst the state’s prime center of education, excellence and research and has come a long way during the years of its existence.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

and fulfilling the demand of higher education program”, says Dr. Dheeraj Ahirwar, Principal, SOP, CEC. With an educational program that focuses on the personality development of students, SOP CEC promotes an advanced version of learning which aids students to be self-motivated, goal-oriented, creative, and skilled at resource management. Intending to become the center of excellence in education and research, SOP, CEC has been working on a mission to establish itself as an institute of global standards that can develop professionals with high moral and professional commitment to meet the healthcare needs of the society. The

Higher Education Digest October 2021

The institute is constantly striving to foster strong links with the industry so as to bring invaluable national and international experience into the classrooms.

institute envisions to impart global quality education to future pharmacy professionals by empowering them with knowledge and skills and facilitating their professional, intellectual and moral development to meet the challenges of the competitive world. Developing trained and skilled professionals through quality education and establish MoU through Academic-Industry interactions and consultancy works, Er. Ashish Jaiswal, MD, Chouskey Group of Colleges, pinpoints, “We are now working on to achieve the highest standards of intellectual, educational and research productivity through continuous improvement of the infrastructure and industrial relationships”.

Bringing Research at the Forefront To bridge research gaps in management theory and application, SOP, CEC has incorporated technology and a sound academic foundation to buttress its research programs. Although the future of postpandemic education is still unclear, SOP, CEC is ready to take up the challenge, backed by its wonderful team and their ever-ready spirit. “Our new program that was started in June 2021, i.e., the fulltime M. Pharm in Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, is a professional Master’s degree designed to help students transform their careers by developing their professional understanding, expertise, and industrial skills”, says Dr. Dheeraj.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Er. Ashish Jaiswal, Managing Director, Chouksey Group of Colleges

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Dr. Dheeraj Kumar Ahirwar, Principal With vast knowledge in the field of pharmacy, along withgood teachings skills, SOP,CEC has a faculty strength of more than 35, half of whom have Pha.D with an experience of more than 12 years. The faculties have extensive experience in the industry, research aswell as teaching. Their strength is a reflection of their skills, innovation, and drive. Along with good infrastructure, the classes at the institute were not disturbed for even asingle day, even during the pandemic lockdown. “The way they taught in the online mode of teaching iscommendable, from supplying notes to teaching, everything was planned and regulated well. Thecourse is continued to stay relevant along withan accurate number of credits and teaching hours. Overall, students were provided with very good knowledge”, shares Er. Ashish. Learning and Teaching New Innovations – Faculty at SOP Boasting of a highly qualified and extremely talented group of faculties who have been guiding its student community with their wide range of knowledge and

experience, SOP, CEC is focusing on industry training and real-world, hands-on experience, which they believe is essential in helping learners‟ transition to the actual workplace. “Each year, all faculty members regularly undergo a 15-30 days training in their Domain Area through Faculty Development Program (FDP) organized by the University and in Relevant Industry, International Seminar /Conferences / Workshops. Our faculty members are encouraged for Research Project /Research Publication etc., as per guidelines of UGC,” adds Dr. Dheeraj. At SOP, CEC, faculty members, soon after completion of project work, insist students publish their research work as well as their research work in reputed scientific journals respectively. Since 2004, a total of 300 publications were published, including 100 research papers and review articlespublished in international journals likeInternational Journal ofPharmaceutical Science and Drug Research, International Journal of Pharmaceutical andInnovations, International Journal ofPhytomedicine, Asian Journal of Research

Higher Education Digest October 2021

The hygienic, nutritive, and a well laid-out cafeteria of the Chouksey Group of Colleges noted for all the delicacies prepared therein.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

in Chemistry, Current Psychopharmacology, etc. “In the research area of pharmaceutics discipline, the majority workwas done in Formulation, Development and Evaluation of herbal drugs, Novel Drug Delivery System with the goalof bioavailability enhancement and stability achievement like Nanoparticles, Liposomes, Phytosomes, Microemulsion based Hydrogel, Thermo Reversible Mucoadhesive Gel, Herbaltechnology, Self Micro-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems, Solid Dispersions, Transdermal Patch.Few publications include the research work related to taste masking of the bitter and unpalatable drugfor oral use and solubility enhancement by carriers like Cyclodextrine,” explains Er. Ashish. Along with the best education and knowledge, SOP, CEC tries its best to bloom the overall personality of the students. Their Training & Placement Cell puts their maximum efforts for the placements in leading companies in the pharmaceutical industries. With a consistent placement track record in the past 16 years, the alumni of Chouksey Group of Colleges have consistently produced outstanding pharmacists, engineers and managers who have excelled in their careers and occupied a responsible position in some of the best-known enterprises in India and across the globe. Chouksey Group of Colleges is the only college in the Chhattisgarh region

to arrange campus placements where 112 companies visited in 2020-21, in which 80% of their students were recruited in the campus drive. “We wish to makea positive difference in our society through education and empower students from various socio-economic strata to level the playing field. Building world-class

research capabilities on par with the finest in the world and broaden student’s horizons beyond classroom education, we aspire to build a holistic educational institute of repute chasing excellence with great hard work successfully and help talented pharmacy students emerge as winners”, concludes Dr. Dheeraj.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

HOW EDTECH PLATFORMS

ARE DEMOCRATIZING THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY WORLDWIDE Karunn Kandoi, General Manager & Head of India Operations, ApplyBoard India

82 Karunn Kandoi, heads business operations for ApplyBoard- India and serves on its board along with other public limited Ed-tech companies. Karunn holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering and MBA from the University of Washington. Before beginning his stint with ApplyBoard, Karunn was associated with Extramarks Education India Private Limited as the Director- Whole Time & President Global Business. Karunn founded Shree Eduserve and created the largest brand for learning English in India. Karunn is skilled in creating and expanding businesses, operations management, creating technology-led products and driving growth from them. Throughout his inspiring journey, Karunn has participated in various panels on EdTech organized by the likes of Asian Development Bank, CNBC, News Nation, Education Department of the Govt of Kenya, FICCI-India etc.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Gone are the days when people from lower income communities couldn’t see education as a realistic option

rom Bangalore secondary schools bursting at the seams with pupils, to cozy 10-student classes in Weston, Missouri’s only public high school, the world is full of students who are hungry to learn. Whether those students ever get to pursue an education beyond the secondary level, has long been something of a lottery. There are 250 million students around the world who are about to, or have recently graduated secondary school, but have no access to higher learning. In a communal mission to level the playing field, EdTech platforms are working to equip international students with the tools and infrastructure to dictate their own futures by continuing their education journeys. Between tutoring services, online self-directed learning, international recruitment platforms, and a host of other tools, EdTech is laying the foundation for a world where post-secondary education is accessible for everyone.

Access to information A student’s lack of opportunity begins with a lack of access to information. Historically, a student’s educational path was navigated by circumstance. Where they lived, their family income and interests, and popular local career paths dictated their steps following secondary education. Students can’t pursue an education for a career or at a university they’ve never heard of, and don’t have the means to discover. As technology steadily weaves itself into the fabric of communities around the world, students are getting access to information like never before. EdTech platforms are leveraging that technology which permeates every facet of students’ lives, to help them gain access to the information they need to make informed choices about their post-secondary education endeavours. Perhaps the biggest and simplest step EdTech companies have taken to assist students with more

Higher Education Digest October 2021

selection process is pairing talented people with the right programs to build successful careers. We see this everyday at ApplyBoard as we continue to help hundreds of thousands of students through their international study abroad journey. So many students simply need the process to be accessible and straightforward, not complex and reserved for a select few. For those seeking education via a less traditional method, EdTech also offers a wealth of options that only require a phone, tablet or computer, and an internet connection. The best educators in the world are now accessible for everyone. Online platforms such as Coursera, LinkedIn Learning and even YouTube allow students in remote and rural areas to experience lectures and engage with coursework led by acclaimed instructors from top academic institutions. It doesn’t matter if your preferred method of learning is in a Scottish lecture hall or from the comfort of your couch in the Philippines, EdTech is empowering students to find the best fit for their learning styles.

opportunities to gain access to an education, whether in the comfort of their own home or out in the world experiencing a new culture. For learning to be effective, it needs to be personalized. Platforms that provide a place for prospective students and institutions to connect, determine the best offering to suit a student’s skillset, and put that student in an environment they can succeed, are breaking the mold of the international recruitment process. Students inclined to pursue a university or college level education are no longer limited by the restrictions of their local communities. Providing international students with access to information to help guide their post-secondary

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Breaking down cost barriers Money matters. For prospective students, a lack of it can often act as the dealbreaker which can quickly put limitations on an education. One of the most revolutionary aspects of EdTech is how it makes knowledge available to everyone at a much lower low cost. At the very least, it provides students, and parents, with choice. Gone are the days when people from lower income communities couldn’t see education as a realistic option. While most services do operate on some form of paid model, apps such as Duolingo and the Khan Academy offer free versions of their service which still provide students with a place to educate themselves with quality content. The additional layer of support that EdTech is incorporating into its lower cost offerings is structure. Previously, anyone could log enough Google and YouTube searches to find information about a topic or subject they wanted to learn more about. The difference with EdTech is that students receive information that is packaged and tailored for them.

As technology steadily weaves itself into the fabric of communities around the world, students are getting access to information like never before

There are an endless array of websites and apps available that provide students access to communities of experts and other students, in a format that allows them to acquire the skills they need to pursue a career in virtually any area of interest. Levelling the playing field Equality and diversity among race, sex and culture is being prioritized by more sectors today than ever before. That’s no different for education, and EdTech platforms are doing their part to move that needle by providing access to education for students from all walks of life. It’s no secret that fields such as engineering and medicine are dominated by men. It’s also no secret that women are more than capable of succeeding within any industry. For EdTech, the first step in reversing that trend is providing women in communities who may not consider certain career paths an option, the chance to learn about what those career paths look like. Access to learning tools and program information via EdTech platforms are beginning to open doors for

students who were forced to live with them locked shut. Choice and openness are at the heart of EdTech as it democratizes education for generations of students, whether they are still in grammar school or a mature student looking to go back to school for an MBA. The EdTech community is striving to achieve equality for all, regardless of background, by providing everyone with the tools they need to learn, grow and prosper. Closing Thoughts The reality of EdTech is to create a sustainable ecosystem that provides every prospective student access to education in a simple and cost effective manner. Recruitment platforms, online courses and tutors around the world are establishing a network that helps align students’ skills with the best fits for their career development. At the heart of EdTech is the principle that education is the gateway to a prosperous future, and the rapidly growing industry is looking to open that gateway for as many students as possible. An educated world is a prosperous world. And, that is only possible if everyone has a shot at the education they want and deserve.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

SHRI RAWATPURA SARKAR INSTITUTE OF PHARMACY NURTURING PHARMA LEADERS OF TOMORROW

harmacy colleges worldwide face unprecedented challenges in ensuring sustainable education during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The global COVID-19 pandemic has not only posed a challenge to education but created an opportunity to spearhead a digital transformation. A prominent college in Chhattisgarh, Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Pharmacy, has taken novel initiatives in delivering emergency remote teaching. The institute has been ensuring purposeful experiential placements, supporting displaced or isolated students, and communicating with faculty members, staff members, and students. “We had recently undergone a curriculum transformation that included increased active learning, a focus on skill development, more experiential placements, and a required research project. After prioritizing consistency, we adapted a sustainability mindset, promoting a ‘reduce, reuse, recycle, and renew’ approach. We reduced content, learning objectives, and synchronous learning requirements. When campus-based activities return, we plan to implement an intensive period when students will master skills they were unable to demonstrate fully online,” opines Dr. J.K. Upadhyaya, Vice Chairman, Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Pharmacy (SRSIP). Significantly impacting pharmacy education as lab-based and students could not come to colleges, SRIP faced a lot

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Pharmacy, established in 2004, has emerged as one of the premier Institute in the field of pharmacy. The Institute is located in Picturesque surrounding of Kumhari.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

90 The mission of SRIP is purported to strive for improving the health care system and to give access of pharmaceutical care to the needy.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

of challenges while imparting proper and thorough knowledge and skill. What added to this was some students not getting internet connectivity as they lived in remote areas. “Pharmacy education sector has switched to the digital media. We are trying to create a place for learning, discovery, innovation, expression, and discourse. Student’s academic as well as personality growth are our key concern areas. We are emphasizing on learning as well as skill development of our students,” says Dr. Upadhyaya. SRSIP has been interested in digital transformation since completing its interview with global leaders. The institute began its journey using the current COVID-19 pandemic as an accelerant for change. Digital transformation in any industry is not a simple undertaking. However, with planning, aligned organizational interests, consistent and regular communication, provision of resources and tools, engaging faculty, and creating accountability and timelines with deliverables the implementation can be successful. Online lectures had been supplemented with live interactive opportunities, seminars, questionand-answer sessions, and revision sessions. Although SRSIP set aside some of our academic traditions to

ABOUT

DR. J.K. UPADHYAYA, VICE CHAIRMAN, SHRI RAWATPURA SARKAR INSTITUTE OF PHARMACY

Dr. JK completed his Doctor of Philosophy from Agra University and then worked as a post-doctoral fellow at IIT Delhi. He excelled in academics right from his childhood. His school education was confined to his small village where he studied in Hindi medium school. His pre-university education was at a prestigious Govt. Inter College, Agra, which opened him to the world outside. From there, he moved on to obtain his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Physics from Agra University, Uttar Pradesh. He joined Indian Forest Service in the 1981 batch and retired as Head of, Forest Department. Dr. J.K. Upadhyaya took the responsibility of Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Lok Kalyan of Trust in 2015 at Raipur. He envisioned that this Institution would offer World-Class Education to students who would, in turn, create an indelible impact on society. Due to his passion for societal development and compassion for the underprivileged, Dr. J.K. has launched several schemes for uplifting the women and unemployed youth in the region to help them become self-reliant. He offers scholarships to students from disadvantaged sections of society to enable them to pursue higher education. He has established the Universal Higher Education Trust to create opportunities for higher education for every deserving student in the region. He has adopted several villages with the motto of improving the quality of lives of the rural people under the scheme of AICTE. His vision of transforming Raipur into a greener and cooler town by planting many saplings has begun to yield fruit. Dr.J.K’s farsightedness extends beyond horizons.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

deal with the acute phase of the pandemic, their strength as long-term planners will be critical as they enter the chronic phase. “The teachers prepared videos, gave live teaching as well as lab demonstrations by which digital skills of teachers, as well as students, were developed. By organizing lecture series of Professionals of National and International level student’s knowledge exposure was enhanced,” adds Dr. Upadhyaya. Grooming Industry-Competent Pharmacists Established in 2004 as the first private Pharmacy College of Chhattisgarh, SRSIP has emerged as one of the premier institutes in the field of pharmacy. The institute has B. Pharm, D.Pharm, M.Pharm in five branches Pharmaceutics, Pharmacognosy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance, and Pharmacology. Institute is approved by the Pharmacy Council of India and affiliated with Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekananda University, Newai. Envisioning to be a center of excellence in the field of education by adopting innovative approaches and to build the structure of dynamic intelligence, Dr. Upadhyaya, adds, “We want to inculcate humanism, tolerance, reason, progress, fearlessness, and truthfulness through our education and produce integrated men and women free from fear.” Imparting quality and effectiveness in all activities, networking, helping in the holistic development of technocrats based on long-cherished values and principles, SRSIP trains its student pharmacists

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Dr. Chanchal Deep Kaur, Principal

in accordance with the skills the healthcare sector is in desperate need of. Final-year projects had been equally affected, with students working digitally, rather than in the lab or on placement. The institute is using a timetabled booking-in approach to maximize lab space and time while observing social distancing. “We are regularly seeking feedback from students, so we can adapt the digital elements of our courses, where needed, to fully meet students’ needs. Recent student surveys show that our students found the transition

The college houses spacious well laid out, well equipped & well maintained laboratories for different branches of pharmacy.

to online learning earlier this year to be positive, with a good provision in place and lots of support available. We will continue to listen, adapting what we offer, and focus on delivering high-quality learning to all of our students,” adds Dr. Upadhyaya. With a qualified staff who are helping students achieve academic excellence, SRSIP is a well-equipped laboratory with ambient infrastructure. Their IT Infrastructure manages all on-premise enterprise data center and communications facilities, including all enterprise data networking, voice communications, and related supporting technologies, have computer System Laboratories, E-library, Hobby Clubs, and CPCSEA approved Animal house. SRSIP has always given importance to their students to work for their dream. No matter which field of academics a

Higher Education Digest October 2021

student is pursuing, there will always be an area in that field that excites and drives them. Education is a never-ending subject, and the more the students immerse themselves into it, the more they discover. An important key to motivation is to keep learning new skills. While specialization is always valued, the job market today requires multi-skilled individuals. “It is important for students of all disciplines to learn the essential skills particularly digital skills that are much in demand today. And to bring the hidden talent out, we have several clubs in which students participate according to their interest and serve towards the society,” explains Dr. Upadhyaya.

SRIP offers fresh and vibrant environment with excellent resources and facilities. Set in the picturesque, SRIP is the perfect place to work, learn and play.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Overall Upskilling of Students Encouraging their students towards innovative thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and exponential communication skills, SRSIP aims to make innovation and communication two of their four critical skill sets necessary for the overall development of their students. The institute uses a variety of non-traditional teaching methods and leads students to develop original ideas. “We have our patent cell and innovations in research leading to patenting of methodology/ product is encouraged at all levels. We have made various

95 extracurricular hobby clubs, we organize National level Conferences, Seminars, Workshops, and Webinars for the global exposure of our students and faculties,” Dr. Upadhyaya points out. Industry and academia partnerships not only create a synergy but a multiplier impact to develop and scale up solutions at a pace that is needed in the current scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students should expose more practical experience apart from theoretical knowledge. As the world is becoming more and more professionally competent, it is paramount to enhance the professional standards of graduates to keep their wheel moving. This is possible through industry-academia collaboration. Academiaindustry interaction should consider as part of the education and industries should come forward and align the course contents with their needs. Academia also should bring changes in the educational system to ensure that industry expectation is met without compromising academic goals. Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Pharmacy has several MOUs with different industries in which their students are placed regularly. “Our students and faculties have achieved various Awards by National and State agencies. Pooja

Gupta was a University topper and was included as a student representative in the Board of Studies of our University CSVTU, Newai. SonuSonkar B.Pharm student qualified GPAT and achieved All India Rank 133 in GPAT 2021,” states Dr. Upadhyaya. Creating a center of excellence for R&D in the field of pharmaceutical sciences with an inter-disciplinary approach with a focus on industry-academia interaction and cooperation at the National and International level, SRSIP is developing and maintaining the facilities to carry out the institutional research projects for undergraduate as well as postgraduate students. They are developing their Center for Continuous & Lifelong Learning for Professional Excellence (CCLPE) to ensure the successful development, delivery, assessment, and continuous improvement of all the courses under the Pharmacy program. With their concern lies in the development of their Industry Collaborations, the institute is planning to create frequent opportunities of exposure of students by the knowledge of Experts of National and International level through Guest lectures and National and International Seminars and Conferences, aiding them to the top leaders in the pharmaceutical industry.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

THE DEMAND

FOR PHARMACY IN THE COVID ERA Pawan Kamboj, Director, LIMELITE Brand Solutions

96 Pawan Kamboj is the Founder & Director of LIMELITE Brand Solutions, one of the leading PR Agencies in Delhi NCR founded in 2011. He is a dedicated Entrepreneur who has experience in all verticals clients and brands such as education, technology, fashion, Ed-tech, etc. He earned his Graduation in Mass Communication from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology Hisar and holds a degree in LLB from Chaudhary Charan Singh University Meerut. Mr. Kamboj also works for an NGO serving underprivileged children for their study and requirement for basic needs.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

The pharmacy fresh graduates can open their business and run it successfully on a small scale or large scale

he pandemic situation has given the universities and colleges to open up the medical courses like pharmacy if it was not enrolled before, the sudden demand of medical facilities in every corner of the world given the new job opportunities. The study of Pharmacy is preferred by Science students preparing to take admission either in undergraduates, diploma, or postgraduates programs. It involves the main core subjects of chemistry, biomolecules, biology, and pharmaceutics. Pharmacists are the healthcare professionals who used to give information about the medicine and their usage required for the treatment, they have the well–known knowledge of all types of medicine. While completing the study of pharmacy one can work in hospitals, dispensary, chemist shops, pharmacy companies, etc. Pharmaceutical science is available to all students seeking admission in the science stream and thinking to gain knowledge in the world of chemistry and biomolecules. Therefore, it is the branch of science which deals with drug design, drug analysis, drug action, pharmaceutical chemistry, and pharmacoeconomics. The courses available for pharmaceutical science for bachelors is B.Pharma

or B.Sc in pharmacy after 12thfor three years of the program, Diploma courses in pharmaceutical science (D. Pharma) duration comprising from six months to one year while one looking for pursuing masters after their graduation can opt for M.Pharma. If someone is interested to opt for higher studies and get a doctorate in pharmaceutical science can go for research (Pharma.D) or Ph.D. in Pharmacy. Beneficiary to opt Pharmacy degree as your career Treatment and curing disease The desire for helping others is the main core for choosing pharmacy as your subject, as a pharmacist you have to come up with curing disease with the best treatment providing and curing. This is the job done by all pharmacists and service required, where the developed skills can use in any corner of the world. Patients - centered Responsibilities The profession required the full responsibility of patients, as the medical devices prescribed by a pharmacist on their illness. Pharmacists are responsible to recommend medicine as per the symptoms of

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Career opportunities after Graduation/Post- Graduation Hospital Pharmacist Hospital pharmacist gives their services in hospital responsible for medications, testing, monitoring, ensuring safety measures of drugs usage, participating in clinical rounds required by all healthcares. Drug Inspector A drug inspector is a profession where a pharmacist expert has to monitor and execute efficiency, quality, safety, and usefulness of drugs from the initial stage to the final stage of production. This is a demanding job for all candidates seeking jobs here and has to give exam conducted by UPSC and SPSCs.

98 the patient whether mild or severe, fulfilling patients’ needs and have to address them. Advance knowledge gain and skills enhancement This career makes you involve in different nature of understanding of medicine, assessment, and treatment. While being in the course of pharmacy one can gain the knowledge of medicine, professionalism, good communication, pharmaceutical instrumentation, law, and ethics relatable to medicines supply. Versatility to work in different sector If you are a pharmacy graduate many opportunities are waiting on the door in a different industry where the skills acquired during the study can be utilized. Graduates don’t need to do jobs only in pharmacy/ drugs Company or healthcare company they can explore in different sector of technology, content marketing, research sector, government jobs, education, etc.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Pathological Lab Technician This is the field that opens up the students who want to work in a pathology lab in hospitals, medical labs, clinics, etc. The work assign here is the preparation, storing, and examination of the given specimens like blood samples or any sample to check as per the requirement. Clinical Research Associate This profession is to test drugs for their effectiveness, risks and used to run in the market at its safest mode. The associate is the representative of the pharmaceutical companies or any organization on new or existing drugs involving the stages of the investigation, monitoring, and checking their side effects. Chemist Shop The pharmacy fresh graduates can open their business and run it successfully on a small scale or large scale and can earn easily with their existing skills. Many small types of diseases are curable through prescribed medication by a pharmacist only in cases like cold, flu, cough, headache, vomiting, etc. So, people sometimes consult on chemist shop for minor problems, other than going to clinic or hospitals.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

5 ISSUES HIGHLIGHTED

DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WITH THE CURRENT ED-TECH SPACE Uttam Kumar Pandey, Founder & CEO, Perceived Design

100 Uttam Kumar Pandey is the Founder and CEO at Bangalore-based Perceived Design. The visionary strived to set up a brand that would work to bridge the gap between the physical world and the digital world seamlessly. With this vision, he has successfully built a content creating product which enables brands to design experiential digital engagement like AR and VR in a few clicks. Uttam is working with dedication to cater to the Education field, E-com, Market Research and Real Estate and is successfully driving content creation with multimedia production.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Online learning has made the educational experience for students digitized, flexible and convenient

he pandemic’s outburst last year brought about major disruptions. Be it our lifestyles or businesses, every aspect of our life upturned. Owing to COVID-19 induced lockdown and social distancing norms, every organization resorted to the online medium to ensure their survival and continuance of their operations. The education space was no exception and the emergence of ed-tech at the global level picked up pace primarily due to coronavirus. Over the years, India has been one of the prominent ed-tech markets across the globe. IBEF’s reports highlight a similar trend and state that out of 1400 ed-tech companies in the world, our country has the second-highest number and accounts for 10% of the global market share with 327 ed-tech firms. The Indian online education sector was valued at $247 million in 2016 and is expected to hit $1.96 billion by the end of 2021 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 52%. The major reasons for this growth will be changing consumer preferences and the adoption of online learning along with improvements in the sector’s offerings. Roadblocks faced by ed-tech space in India However, tech-based learning in India comes with its fair share of challenges as well. Be it, teachers, parents,

or students, moving from the physical mode of teaching to the virtual space for learning was indeed a major and sudden shift. More than a year with the surging pandemic, the ed-tech sector has witnessed a significant growth. However, with the ongoing unstable times come various road bumps that the industry faces at various levels and is trying to cope up with. These challenges primarily arise due to the lack of proper innovative strategies and the execution of the processes along with the absence of required assistance in the form of tools and technology to upscale the ed-tech industry. We have identified and enlisted a few problematic areas that need to be improved so as to enhance the overall Indian ed-tech segmentLack of interaction and practical exposure Irrespective of however a boon online learning has emerged to be, it is indeed an undeniable fact that keeping the students engaged during the online lectures is a hassle. Without the physical presence of the teachers and in the absence of face-to-face communication, keeping the students motivated, focused, and engaged in the studies is a major issue that almost all the teachers face with the concept of virtual learning. Another major concern area is the unavailability of extending the practical exposure of theoretical concepts.

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102 This has prominently affected all fields especially subjects like science for schools and courses of nursing, art classes, journalism, etc. The handson learning of science labs of schools and courses relying on experiential learning or physical presence and communication suffer since these subjects follow a practical based approach and are impossible to be taught without in-person instructions and interaction. Students need to implement the learnings and learn along with the teacher so as to grasp the subjects well.

into account prior learning, make up for the classroom environment, and should be robust enough to motivate the students to study well and achieve their educational goals effectively. They have to come up with creative teaching methodologies that would ensure knowledge sharing from their end along with active self-learning and pro-active knowledge gathering from the students’ side as well. This approach is essential as it helps in creating a collaborative, encouraging, and supportive tech-based learning environment.

Learning Pedagogy Flexibility Online learning has made the educational experience for students digitized, flexible and convenient. However, it has also increased problems primarily for the teachers as they have to focus on not only ensuring that the learning process is high-end and engaging but they also have to keep into consideration the learning-centered and teacher-centered pedagogy. This implies that they have to bring about innovations in their teaching style and chalk out a process that will extend a thorough, holistic, and good quality educational experience to the students. It should take

Feeling of isolation The students while studying from their respective screens at their home without having teachers, friends, and classmates around them, end up feeling isolated. This not only decreases their involvement and interest in studies but also leads to demotivation and lack of attentiveness. The learners no longer remain proactive in their approach towards studies or getting queries resolved promptly and their learning process suffers significantly. Even though this is a psychological factor but it renders a huge impact on the students’ motivation and

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Keeping the students motivated, focused, and engaged in the studies is a major issue that teachers face with virtual learning

learning progress. They have always been brought up with physical contact with the teachers and face-toface communication. They were accustomed to the routine of going to school every day and spending their time in holistic learning while sharing experiences, cracking jokes with their peers, communicating with professors, having fun times with friends along with gaining social skills, and enhancing their personalities. For the students, the classroom was no less than a sanctuary which has now been taken away! Assessment and supervision Right after the online learning experience, another issue that the ed-tech sector faces is a concrete way of assessment and supervision of the students. While analyzing the kids’ progress was easier in the school and physical classrooms, doing so in the virtual space becomes tough. The traditional methods won’t work with online learning and hence teachers have to come up with new ways to assess the progress of the students and their learning methodology via a combination of tests, quizzes, and online examinations. In the present times, educators are treading on the path of a recognized researcher and professor, Steven Osterlind. A 2002 study by him states that there exists numerous literature on test and measurement

theory and analysis with little details on planning, development, and test items writing by instructors. He puts forward the theory of item analysis and points out that it is the process by which items are examined critically and analytically. This concept can be applied to test items and offers opportunities to monitor and improve their quality so as to utilize them optimally and effectively for future assessments. Lack of Structure & Self-Discipline Shifting from a routine structured day at school perfectly combining learning and extra-curricular activities to a completely unorganized flexible learning at home can be tough to adjust to for the students. Preparing children especially the young generation to sit for long hours before the screens for studying and attending live classes is indeed a tedious job. For college goers, focusing on the lectures on Zoom or Google Meets can also prove to be an arduous task since there are a lot of distractions while being at home, be it smartphones, social media, or home activities. Furthermore, not only has virtual learning impacted our socializing skills but has robbed off the students from instilling public etiquette, developing their personalities, and moved them away from gathering self-discipline and organization. Summing Up! In addition to the above, there are some other key issues that are faced by various socio-economic groups from the tier 2 and 3 cities of India as well. These challenges range from gadgets shortage, crashing systems, and connectivity glitches due to unavailability of technology, along with computer literacy, and act as barriers for the growth of the edtech segment in these areas. It is indeed an undeniable fact that no matter how much we try, replicating the physical classroom experience in the online space isn’t possible! However, ed-tech firms have enabled students and teachers to continue their learning process in the online space flexibly and conveniently while staying at home. Yes, the sector is presently facing various challenges due to the turbulent times, all thanks to the global pandemic crisis! However, the dire need is to resolve these hurdles at the earliest so that the ed-tech space can proliferate at a significant pace in the times ahead. With the right attitude, approach and support, the segment can expand prominently and its future indeed seems promising.

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SMT. KISHORITAI BHOYAR COLLEGE OF PHARMACY PREPARING THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS OF TOMORROW

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hri Sadashivrao Patil Shikshan Sanstha, located in Kamptee near Nagpur, was established in 1985 under the guidance of Hon’ble Shri. Y.K Bhoyar. With a commitment towards serving the cause of education, especially in the rural area like Kamptee, the Sanstha has been catering to the needs of the society through various higher, technical, educational and professional institutes for the last 36 years. One of the prominent institutes among them is Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy (SKBCOP) started in 1997 offering a four-year Degree course in Pharmacy (B. Pharm) with the intake of just 20 seats, which soon rose to 60 seats. With the constant quest for excellence, the institute extended its reach through innovation and research. SKBCOP quickly introduced the M. Pharm program in four specialisations, including Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, and Quality Assurance. Today, SKBCOP also offers PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences. “We are persistently obtaining high academic standards with excellence in teaching and research by providing quality Pharma education and developing various laboratories carefully and updating them with latest sophisticated equipment periodically. We have therefore become one of the most reputed institutes in central India. As we grow, we expand

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Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy, Kamptee was established in the year 1997-98 with an objective to nurture the pharmacy education and to support the healthcare system through skilled Pharmacy graduates.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

The institution has excellent infrastructural facilities and pedagogical methodologies used for teaching learning process, which are properly maintained from time to time.

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Higher Education Digest October 2021

into new technologies, methodologies, disciplines, resources and even attitudes,” shares Dr Milind J Umekar, Principal, Smt Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy (SKBCOP). A NAAC (A) and NBA accredited institute, SKBCOP has been amongst India’s top 50 pharmacy institutes as per NIRF, MHRD, Govt. of India for the last 4 years. SKBCOP has recently received the prestigious AICTE LILAWATI Award for its contribution to society. With a vision to become a versatile source of knowledge, skill and attitude in pharmaceutical sciences, SKBCOP aims to educate students to become adroit pharmacy professionals to improve the health care of society. Even in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, the college has left no stone unturned to assist the students in their academic endeavours. “We are making our students

ABOUT

DR MILIND J UMEKAR,

PRINCIPAL, SMT KISHORITAI BHOYAR COLLEGE OF PHARMACY (SKBCOP) With over 24 years of academic and administrative experience, Dr Milind J Umekar has been the Principal of Smt Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy (SKBCOP) since 2010. Under his excellent leadership, SKBCOP was accredited by NBA & NAAC with an “A” grade and managed to be among the top Pharmacy Colleges in NIRF Ranking. Today, SKBCOP is the only institute having NBA, NAAC Accreditation & NIRF ranking in the region. An MPharm and MBA graduate from RTM Nagpur University, Dr Umekar holds PhDs in Pharmaceutical Science and Management, Commerce. He has presented more than 80 research papers at global and national sessions and guided seven PhD students. He has also attended 15 International and 40 National conferences,

chaired/co-chaired

scientific

sessions at national conferences, and delivered 18 scientific talks and five presidential addresses. Dr Umekar had been shortlisted for Vice-Chancellor of Shivaji University, Kolhapur.

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Faculty members of Smt. Kishoritai Bhoyar College of Pharmacy have published over 400 Research publications in National & International journals with high cumulative impact factor and citation index.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

future-ready by training them and upgrading them with the latest knowledge and skill. We provide industrial exposure and research experience to our students through additional industrial training. We also arrange regular guest lectures and leadership sessions for our students by industry stalwarts,” states Dr Umekar. During the pandemic, when colleges were forced shut taking education online, SKBCOP strived to deliver the best to their students

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virtually. The college organised webinars and interactive sessions featuring spokesperson from the industry, Food and Drug Association, Research and development, and hospitals to enlighten the young minds and keep them going in the tough times. “In the pandemic situation, we have constantly been vocal about the need of upgrading the student skillset as they have a tag of being a batch with online assessment,” says Dr Umekar, adding, the college has utilised the

lockdown period to enhance the infrastructure of the college by adding a new open-air stadium, ATM machine and a new hostel to the campus. Making the Students Industry Ready SKBCOP is a popular institute for conducting unique initiatives, seminars, conferences, programs and other professional and social activities throughout the year. One such unique initiative was the first Pharma HR Summit in

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2012, organised to bridge the gap between academia and the pharma industry. During this summit, 32 HR leaders from different Pharma companies like, Sanofi, Bharat Serums, Ajanta Pharma, Indoco Remedies, Emcure Ltd, Microlabs etc. came together on a common platform to interact with the students. Through this first Pharma HR Summit evolved the Pharma HR Society, which is a brainchild of Dr Umekar. He explains, “Throughout the year, we conduct new initiatives and programs like Pharmaoogle, DHRUV and many more for our students in collaboration with Pharmaceutical Companies and Pharma HR Society where experts from industries train our students. This helps our students to upgrade themselves and become employable and industry-ready. These programs aim to make our students industry-ready by focusing on aptitude enhancement lectures, technical test series, soft skill sessions, mock interviews and CV writing demonstrations.” Currently, the institute has more than 35 MoUs signed with reputed Pharma Companies like Sanofi, Lupin Ltd, Mayons, NM Pharma and many more, through which they provide industrial exposure to students. For instance, Lupin Ltd, with its MoU called Campus Connect, recognises SKBCOP’s toppers with Lupin Scholar Award and cash Prize. The company also provides industrial training and placement to the SKBCOP students. “We are proud to say that 90-95% of our students are placed in reputed companies. Considering the vaccine development Pharmacovigilance is the preferred choice and need of the companies, we have placed a lot of students in companies like TCS, Cognizant and Covance. Apart from these, a lot of students are placed in F&D, AR&D, QA&RA in companies like Lupin Ltd, Alembic Pharma Ltd, Rusan Pharma, Cipla and Alkem Ltd,” states Dr Umekar.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Students - Torchbearers of a Good Name! The students of SKBCOP have created a brand for the college. The industry is always in praises for their sincerity and hard work. Many of the SKBCOP students are successful entrepreneurs or at higher designations in pharmaceuticals industries worldwide. “Our students are serving the pharmacy profession as academicians, scientists or as policymakers. The strict discipline that college follows has been highly instrumental in imparting good work ethics among our students. Lately, with the surge in accreditation activities, slowly we have realised that we are far ahead in having an impact on society than what we thought we were doing,” opines Dr Umekar. Currently planning to focus on the teaching and learning in the covid scenario, SKBCOP’s main motto now is to go for academic autonomy, with an aim to start innovative programs in collaboration with Pharma industries. “A major challenge in front of all colleges is to create strong professionals without letting the virtual medium cause a backlog in any usual activities. From conducting innovative practical’s to hosting various events to boost the mental health of our students, we as teachers have the greater benefit of our students in these unprecedented times as the major goal,” pinpoints Dr Umekar. With the help of a highly experienced faculty pool under the leadership of Dr Umekar, SKBCOP hopes to build a strong infrastructure to tackle any such situations in the future and extending its services smoothly through both online and offline modes. “As always, we strive hard to increase our research and development capacities through various collaborations and grants and working actively for placement of students to serve the nation better,” concludes Dr Umekar.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

CHOOSING TO STUDY

ABROAD FOR HIGHER EDUCATION Mrunali Kulkarn, Founder, Vision International

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Mrunali Kulkarni is the Founder of Vision International. Her background in Commerce and her initial job profile of working in Human Resources took a sudden turn when she realized that from the time she was 14, all she really wanted to do was to start a venture of her own. Mrunali’s passion is actually being passionate.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Some school districts are recognizing that they can help overcome future shortages in teachers by ‘growing their own’

t was reported that over 6,000 teaching and support staff vacancies were left unfulfilled in Illinois, U.S., in 2020. The corona virus pandemic has only added to this number. In late 2020 one-third of the present teachers surveyed by the Illinois teacher union found to considering an early retirement! Many of them indicated safety concerns as the pandemic continued. The three most checked responses were: Don’t want to be a teacher anymore; Considering early retirement; and It has made me re-evaluate my career path. Seventy percent of the teachers surveyed indicated they were more burned out than normal with heavier workloads in having to prepare for both remote learning and in-classroom teaching. The Illinois Teacher Retirement System reported a 50% increase in teacher retirements in 2020 over that a year earlier.

These shortages and ‘looming’ early retirements appears to becoming widespread throughout the United States. For the last few years, there has been a national teacher shortage and recently the state of Pennsylvania has started to see the impact. A teacher leader cited low pay, pension plan changes (reductions) and less respect as reasons why fewer college students are going to get teaching certifications. He also explained that now with coronavirus which is multiplying concerns in the classroom, the American Federation of Teachers said they are seeing a mass exodus they call the “brain drain.” England Severe shortages exist in the fields of mathematics and science and several other teaching fields and have placed staff recruitment as a top priority. As many as half of the science and math teachers presently lack degrees in these areas they are teaching. The ‘target’

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for teacher recruitment has been reported as having been missed for five consecutive years.

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Australia There are reports of a decline in the 40% range of persons applying for and entering teaching programs in the Australian universities during the 2015-2017 years. Teacher retention is a significant area being focused on at this time. A second area of focus is in trying to offer lower workloads and make the field of teaching more attractive for those who may aspire to become teachers. According to the Australian Education Union (AEU), there should be a greater investment in appropriate salary and reward structures to attract high quality candidates into teaching. Another area of concern highlighted was the lack of respect teachers now receive from parents, some administrators and others. The Independent Schools in Queensland estimated their annual teacher shortage would reach 110,000 prior to the 2017-2018. The outlook was predicted to be even worse for the years ahead. The ‘critical’ year was predicted by NSW Secondary Principal’s Council president to be 2020. Attracting teachers at all levels in the prior year was difficult. Severe shortages were reported in technology, English, physical education, mathematics and science. India The teacher shortages in India Universities has been reported to over 50% of position vacancies and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has asked all of the institutions to fill up all vacancies at the earliest in order to retain or gain accreditation. The shortage of teachers in India is considered even more ‘acute’ than had been estimated and much of the shortages are focused on those schools where there is high-poverty and teachers often lack in the credentials that are required for teachers.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Severe shortages exist in the fields of mathematics and science, and several other teaching fields have placed staff recruitment as a top priority

Where do we start? New recruitment approaches, training, and retention Grow your own Some school districts are recognizing that they can help overcome future shortages in teachers by ‘growing their own’. This includes identifying students and adult students in secondary schools, community colleges and universities who may return to their towns and cities where they are, or have, grown up. Financial support for tuition and other college costs can go a great way to allowing low income and/or minority candidates to be supported and successful. Educators Rising This U.S. program provides opportunities for high school students to learn about teaching through school clubs, early teaching experiences as tutors or by mentoring younger students. It has been proposed to expand these programs throughout every state. Where it has been tried it has increased the number of interested in pursuing a teaching degree. Merit pay and High Stakes Testing Research over a 45-50 year period these researchers have found merit pay initiatives in the U.S. had failed in most areas of the country where it had been tried. High Stakes Testing in the U.S. and some other countries now award ‘merit pay’ to those teachers whose students score highest on these tests. This system has done much to destroy cooperation among teachers as selection of students is now too often based on selecting the best

students to enroll in their classes to raise test scores. One teacher explained it as follows: “The first school I worked in had pay for performance (merit) and there was virtually no collaboration and none of the first-grade teachers got along or worked together. It was horrible! I have only worked in one school where there was any teacher recognition, and the morale, collaboration, and congeniality at that school was significantly higher than it was at the other two schools I taught.” Summary comments We have tried to present a few of the growing concerns on the present and ‘looming shortages of teachers’ in a few countries. These concerns are present in many other countries as well. It is time to get serious about retaining those excellent teachers who are presently in the schools across the world. At this time there is a highly significant departure of many of these teachers who are taking early retirement, changing careers and moving on to other careers with better pay and less pressure than they are finding in teaching. Some of the important ways of attracting new candidates to teaching are through the Educators Rising, Grow Your Own, and other similar programs that can identify, nurture, mentor and support new persons who may soon consider entering the teaching profession. There is not enough time now to wait to start wide implementation of these types of programs. The pandemic of 2020-2021 has created a new pressure on our teachers everywhere but can be overcome through hard work and creative new ideas in the months and years ahead.

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SSR COLLEGE OF PHARMACY RESHAPING THE FACE OF PHARMACEUTICALS

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hri Sanjibhai Rupjibhai Delkar, the tribal rights activist, desired to create a world of education in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, a tribal territory, for the betterment of the people and to provide firstclass academic training to elevate the lives of those living in the area. To fulfil this vision, Shri Mohanbhai S Delakar, his son and a former member of the Lok Sabha, established the SSR Memorial Trust as a tribute to him. Thus started the journey of setting up an education hub in the year 2003, particularly keeping into view the requirement of the residents and industrial community. Since then, the SSR Memorial Trust has catered to the need of society with the highest quality education and to improve the employability of students, particular in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. “The dream of providing higher education in the tribal region was accomplished by active support and association of academicians, professionals, industrialists, and technocrats. The motive was very clear to have local students understand that they do not need to move to the metro city for education,” says Dr Sanjeev R. Acharya, Principal, SSR College of Pharmacy. SSR College of Pharmacy was built with the highest-quality lab infrastructure, acid-resistant platforms, ample working space, and high-quality equipment. In addition to this, it caters to students through a unique mentoring policy where each faculty is allotted 20 students to constantly provide technical and professional guidance to build a career through an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the students. Through this program, mentors encourage learners to remain focused on their goals and support them to achieve growth in specific courses and careers. To keep them

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Approved by All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), SSR College of Pharmacy was established in 2007 under the aegis of SSR Memorial Trust.

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on track, the institute also has a Daily Assessment pattern for Practicals with 9 different parameters like Attendance, Viva, Experiment performance, Results of the experiment performed, Document Writing Skills, etc. This encourages them to study and attend college regularly. “Weak students are given personal counselling to motivate them and bring them back in the flow of regular students. They are also supported by remedial coaching, assignments, tests, etc.,” says Dr Sanjeev.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

During these unprecedented times, SSR Institute strived to make education accessible. With COVID-19 in mind, the management, like many other institutions, was forced to adopt an e-learning platform to train future pharmacists. Overnight, the college acclimatized this move with an online timetable and became one of the first colleges to start teaching through online mode. Totally, 194 lectures were conducted till the end of the semester, and no student missed out on the learning process due to the pandemic.

Online exams also proved to be a matter of concern during this time. But, SSR Institute managed to have a smooth transition by exposing students to an examination system with 40 exams and innumerable practice tests, making them ready to tackle bigger challenges and preparing them for real-life situations.

With an aim of overall development of the students, SSR College of Pharmacy practices student centered learning keeping into view forte and capability of all the students on individual basis.

A shift for the better “Sudden changes due to pandemics have inspired everyone to rethink the traditional model of the education system,” says Dr Sanjeev. With education becoming more theoretical than practical, students miss out on the handson experience they would have attained if not COVID-19. At SSR College of Pharmacy, various initiatives have been taken up to maintain the quality of the teachinglearning process. Initially, practicals were demonstrated online. As the COVID peak flattened in the first wave, a one-week practical model was adopted. Each class could visit the institute for a week once a month. Students were required to perform their laboratory task for one week, and for the rest of the 3 weeks, they could study theory by virtual learning. This proved to be convenient for the students as they didn’t have to visit the institute every day, thus safeguarding their safety and wellbeing while providing a rounded education. For assessment of the teaching-learning process and to cater to the need of Pharma Industries, the institute implemented DE NOVO Rubric system, which inculcates knowledge with skill. Swayam was one initiative that was introduced in this regard. Students and faculty came together to create courses on YouTube and proved to increase the technical knowledge of the student and give them an edge over other competitors while conducting placement drives. Around 30 students have completed the Swayam course of their choice, where they learned new ICT tools for easy sharing of material and delivery of course. Also learned new software like TESTMOZ, Quizizz, Nearpod for online examination and made the theory session more interactive. Apart from academics, SSR Institute also encourages students to show off their creative side through several cocurricular activities. GLP workshops, Entrepreneurship Awareness Camp, Alumni talks, and guest lectures have been organized to make them ready for the future. SSR College of Pharmacy changed its perspectives and improved on the system by including industry collaborations with Alumni, Medical companies, and other leaders from the medical field. The institute has MoU with BDR Pharma, Valance Life Sciences, Green

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120 SSR College Campus has a unique facility of centrally air- conditioned Auditorium equipped with all modern requirements such as a high class audio system and stage.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

Cross Heath Innovation for research activity and other services. Industries have also helped the institute by donating high-end equipment to the institute for the training of students. “The institute has also collaborated with the industry for joint projects for the development of their new products. However, there is huge scope for SSR College of Pharmacy for much more extensive collaborations, and the outcome on the base of this is yet to come,” says Dr Sanjeev. Preparing for the Future SSR Institute conducts numerous activities for students to make learning more hands-on, including regular industrial visits to bridge the gap between academic curriculum and pharmaceutical industrial practice under the guidance of Industrial-institute interaction cells. This plays an important role in gaining practical knowledge of the industrial process and equips students to better understand how the industry works. Students are also given industrial training during their course, where they undergo training under various departments such as production, quality control, quality assurance, packaging, and engineering. This allows the students to figure out what to choose for their career path and gain interest in the industrial process. With knowledge of the process, comes the understanding of safely. Using chemicals and hazardous instruments, students are made to understand the safety profile of each chemical and

its handling, as per the Material Safety Data Sheet of each chemical they use for their practical work. “The institute takes additional efforts by organizing guest lectures from industry professionals for the overall development of the students. Each laboratory is maintaining documents as per GLP norms, and this makes the students ready for industry from day one,” states Dr Sanjeev. As technology continues to advance, there is a need to constantly update oneself with the latest innovation in the industry. Active learning techniques such as mobile learning, the use of ICT Tools for demonstrations, and industrial visits inspire students to explore the pharmaceutical industry’s future. By encouraging students to participate in conferences and seminars about the latest trends in the field, it brings out their creativity to come up with inventive ideas and methods. Few examples that indicated creativity in students were Sonal Pandy, who secured Second Rank at the University-level research project competition, and; Avishkar, Dipesh Surti, who

secured Second Prize for poster presentation in Annual National Convention of Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTICON). Over the years, SSR Institute continues to outdo itself. As a record, each year, students from the college secure a position in the top 10 ranks at Savitribai Phule Pune University. Priyanshi Patel, an SSR Institute Alumni, received the “Academic Merit Award 2017” from Indian Pharmaceutical Association, Mumbai, for securing the top position in Savitribai Phule Pune University Examination. “There are around 57 publications by M.Pharm students and 5 publications by B.Pharm students in peer-reviewed journals. Few research projects and Patents are in progress. Academic to Industry transits is generally difficult, but due to our day-to-day affairs, even faculties of the institute are being absorbed in Pharma Industry,” says Dr Sanjeev. Being one of the top colleges for Pharmaceutical studies, the training that students undergo makes them immensely valuable upon graduation. To this effect, many students

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get placed at various companies like Sun Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., Macleod’s Pharmaceuticals limited (Sarigam), INTAS Pharmaceuticals Limited, Meril Diagnostic Pvt. Ltd, Zentiva Pharma, Ankleshwar, IQVIA RDS(India) Pvt. Ltd, and IPCA (Athal). Students are employed straight out of college in various departments, including QA, QC, R&D, and Production. Many also took up an academic career path and chose to become professors in institutions across the country. As the importance of the medical sector continues to drastically rise, there is a need for more people to get quality medical education to create skilled individuals in order to avoid scarcity. In an effort to be qualified enough, SSR College of Pharmacy is pushing to attain a 12B certification

Higher Education Digest October 2021

from University Grant Commission (UGC, New Delhi) to get financial assistance from UGC. The college is also planning to get NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) Accreditation for testing laboratory and plans to set up a Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF) for the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli to fulfil the research needs of the institute, nearby other institutes as well as industries. Upgrading laboratories of college and technical facilities with the Modernization and Removal of Obsolescence (MODROBS) scheme of AICTE is one more plan of the institute as they continue to plan a Research Center for PhD students and help nearby MSME sector for analytical and other support.

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Higher Education Digest October October 2020 2021

ACADEMIC VIEWS

IMPACT OF REMOTE

LEARNING ON THE HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR Sanjula Vibha, Chairperson, VMS Academy

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Sanjula is an educationist and an entrepreneur who is passionate about mentoring rather than teaching pupils .With a post graduate degree in Accounts from Ranchi University she has been associated with the coaching industry as coordinator as well as teacher since the last 15 years . Armed with the experience she started VMS Academy to provide coaching and guidance for various intermediate ,degree courses and competitive examinations.

Higher Education Digest October 2021

The role of educators as effective knowledge dispensers is undergoing huge change

ur country holds an important place in the global education industry. The education system is comprised of four levels i.e. lower primary, upper primary ,high and higher secondary. With a large network of higher education institutions ,India is the second largest market for E-learning after the U.S . Significant changes are being brought in by initiatives like Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and the Right to Education Act .The Indian Government has valued the importance of education as reflected in our economic policies over the years. According to a report of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India conducted a survey on higher education and observed that there are 993 universities, 39931 Colleges and 10725 Stand Alone Institutions listed on their portal, which contribute to education. These institutions further reflect the student density of India as the total enrolments in higher education every year are nearly

37.4 million, reflecting the expanding horizons of the education industry. This pandemic named COVID-19 shook the world to its core. In India, the government closed each academic institutions a part of the nationwide lockdown. Consequently learners right from schoolgoing kids to postgraduate college were affected. The pressure on students and higher education institutions turned very high. Schools and universities have been closed for a very long time and exams postponed. Classrooms are going virtual and admissions for the upcoming academic year are fraught with confusion. Among the Indian college going students ,many chose to pursue higher education abroad. As per reports, India is the second-largest source of international students in the world. Given the travel restrictions and health risks, this exodus may transform -at least in the immediate few years -to an influx into Indian institutions . This option will provide boost to our education sector.

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The economy also took a severe hit during the pandemic era. The job ready students were left in a limbo. As unemployment is predicted to increase and the financial incomes of Indian homes come under stress, an expected drop in enrolments and challenges with tuition fees will emerge. Even the Public Institutions may face a threat of reduced

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funding. On a brighter note ,the pandemic could also prompt reform in fee structures and creation of more cost-effective programmes. Some research findings suggest that online learning does increase retention of information, and takes, less time, meaning the changes brought about by COVID-19 might be here to

Higher Education Digest October 2021

stay. Such a shift away from the classroom leaves us wondering whether the adoption of online learning will continue to post -pandemic period. Even in the pre-pandemic period ,there was already high growth and adoption of language apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools and online learning courses in education sector, there has been a significant surge in usage since COVID-19. This unplanned and rapid move to online learning -with no training ,insufficient bandwidth and little preparation will result in a poor user experience ,that is unconducive to sustained growth in this area. There are speculations of emergence of a hybrid model , that will combine both approaches of remote learning and in-person learning , to improve student experience and ensure learning continuity, in preparation for partial reopening and potential virus resurgence. In the times to come, we will see the emergence of multidisciplinary and modular pedagogy that can afford transferable skills and customised learning. An amalgam of e-learning and mainstream face-to-face teaching may get a boost from traditional universities and the ed-tech sector. Student mobility and practical exposure through exchange programmes ,internships ,participation in conferences may see a temporary halt. Global sharing of knowledge between institutions through joint-teaching ,virtual guest lectures, the e learning platforms and various Learning Management Systems will see growth. Even the role of educators as effective knowledge dispensers is undergoing huge change. They need to gain regular insights on their lecture delivery, frequent assessments to gauge the effectiveness of student learning and their ability to interact with students through technology-based media. In India the new remote teaching has rendered most of our students becoming passive learners and a section being disadvantaged due to the digital divide that is a part of many developing nations . Post COVID-19 is thus an opportunity to transform the higher education system by rethinking, redesigning a sustainable framework of curriculum design, collaborations with ed-tech sector ,skill development and faculty involvement – keeping the development and well-being of the student community as well as their employability in mind.

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Higher Education Digest October 2021