Education Insider by MK Menon

RNI No: 114514 KERENG/2012/41957

Exclusive Interview: Vlad Debovskiy, Founder, Startup Festival

Quality education a major concern in India Pauline Rose

Director, EFAGMR, UNESCO

May 2013 l `50 $5

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ENTREPRENEURIAL COLLEGE Oxford University, UK

BRAINWAVE

Michael Fischman

CAMPUS FOCUS DTU Delhi

CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION Changes for the better

Entrepreneurship UNLEASHED Education Insider offers you a list of 10 startups with high potentials in the future

IIRM

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(Jointly set up by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority and Government of Andhra Pradesh)

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Campus learning one year (two semesters) Life Insurance, General Insurance and Risk Management

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EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

I B M T

from the editor

Dream to become

“T

employers, not employees

he trick is going to be creating some kind of balance between a society and an economy that is open enough that allows people to start companies and take risks and a country that is flat enough that the fruits of the economy are distributed widely and fairly”–this recent comment made by Malcolm Gladwell, author of global bestsellers on business like The Tipping Point, Outliers and Blink points out the need for more entrepreneurs in a growing country like India. As Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sramana Mitra puts it: “Rather than just a handful of companies building up to become billion-dollar enterprises, we need millions of companies building million-dollar businesses.” I have quoted these two practical thinkers to tell you about the importance of a startup revolution in an emerging economy like India. Look at the Indian economy: it is evident that entrepreneurship is alive in the country in spite of the economic slowdown. And, the most notable factor is that there has been a fantastic increase in the rate of student startups in the country for the last few years. Breaking the traditional notions, now more and more youth, just passing out of campuses, show courage to set up innovative ventures. No doubt, it is the golden age of startups. Our cover story ‘Entrepreneurship unleashed’ is an attempt to unearth a few of the high potential startups founded by some vibrant young entrepreneurs who want to change the preconceived notions about entrepreneurship in India. You haven’t heard about some of these enterprises, and

many of them are in spaces you wouldn’t expect. What’s common between these 10 entrepreneurs? They all shared a spirit while they were students. When many of their peers dreamt of becoming high-paid professionals in multinational companies, they dared to step in the world of business, not as the last option but as the primary endpoint of their life. During their college days, the entrepreneurs we have featured–whether Deepak Ravindran of Innoz or Varun Agarwal and Rohn Malhotra of Alma Mater–had dreamt not to become employees, but employers. Undiluted passion towards entrepreneurship drives these business leaders of tomorrow. At a time when entrepreneurship education gains more importance and becomes a hot point of discussion among educationists, our cover story on startups assumes great significance. As many of the successful businessmen and thinkers say entrepreneurship cannot be taught in colleges, we have a different line of thinking. That’s why Education Insider introduced the section ‘World’s most entrepreneurial colleges’ some months ago. We strongly believe that business schools have a defining role in bringing out the entrepreneurship mettle in students. The history of Stanford, MIT and many universities tells us that studying in an exceptional college is worthwhile for any entrepreneur to have great innovations. We bring you an exclusive report on the entrepreneurship promotion initiatives of Oxford University’s Said Business School, one of the most acclaimed entrepreneurial schools in Europe. Plus an exclusive interview with Vlad Debovskiy, the man behind Startup Festival and Unstoppable.in and much more. Meanwhile, tell us what you think of this issue once you’ve read it.

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

CONTENTS

23 COVER STORY THE REGULARS

44 Inspiration Vlad Debovskiy, a Russian entrepreneur and founder of Unstoppable.in is always an inspiration for the budding entrepreneurs

10 Edu Capsule 14 News Plus Regent’s College to become UK’s second Private University

46 Close Range “I believe that equal access to quality education is the biggest crisis we face in education,” Pauline Rose, Director, EFAGMR, UNESCO, tells Education Insider

Entrepreneurship unleashed

78 Motivation The child actor Minon, the central character in the movie Noottonnu Chodyangal, directed by actor Siddarth Shiva, is more of a prodigy than the character he enacted in the movie

BRAINWAVE 60 Michael Fischman The founder-member and president of the US Art of Living Foundation speaks on spirituality and education

Education Insider offers you a list of 10 startups with high potentials in the future. So what inspired these people to become entrepreneurs? How did they raise the funds for their startups? How did they name their ventures? And, much more interesting facts… These budding entrepreneurs shae their experiences with Education Insider

67 CRACK IAS The Civil Service Examination, conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, has been recast with a few critical changes in 2013. Dr B Ashok, IAS says the changes are for the better

EXCLUSIVES 16 ENTREPRENEURIAL COLLEGE Saïd Business School, one of the most acclaimed institutions at the prestigious Oxford University, promotes entrepreneurship and innovation in an impeccable manner. The institute has become the most vital element in the British entrepreneurial scenario

18 Dr Indira J Parikh With over 30 years of experience in the field of education, Dr Indira J Parikh, founder-president of Foundation for Liberal and Management Education (FLAME), believes that liberal education makes students experience the depths of wisdom, knowledge and skills

COLUMNS

52 Pavan Soni There are indeed multiple pathways to success: What is yours?

70 T P Sethumadhavan Courses in Palliative Care, Public Health, and Microbiology are gaining more importance

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

55 FOREIGN CAMPUS Imperial College London Imperial College, located in London, the United Kingdom, is a public research university. Formerly a constituent college of the federal University of London, Imperial College is a major centre for biomedical research and a founding member of the Imperial College Healthcare Academic Health Science Centre

Indian Campus

62 Delhi Technical University DTU is Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading technological university, inspired by talent and driven by innovation. The father of Pentium Chip, Vinod Dham, graduated from this prestigious institution, and so have the CMDs of BHEL, EIL, BEL and HAL as well as chairman of CEA

50 Interview Kapil Rampal, the Director of Ivory Education, talks about various programmes of the institute and new trends in online education

58 Media Is media a boon or a curse? Have we ever asked ourselves how all of this affects our reasoning, our power to choose and our lifestyle?

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

EDUCAPSULE

British Columbia introduces EQA seal BRITISH COLUMBIA: British Columbia reinforces its position as one of the most sought after destinations for international students with the Education Quality Assurance (EQA) seal. Being the first seal of quality for post-secondary education in Canada, the EQA destination helps students, parents and agents identify the institutions that

NIIT Imperia invites application for Executive Programme have met or exceeded provincial government quality assurance standards and offer consumer protection, allowing them to make the best-informed decisions on studying in British Columbia. There are over 100,000 international students studying in British Columbia from the UK, China, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and North America.

Gujarat plans three more private universities GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government is set to introduce the Gujarat Private Universities (Amendment) Bill in the State Assembly with the aim of establishing three new private universities in the state. With the establishment of Lakulish Yoga University in Ahmedabad, Team Lease Skills UniversityITI at Tarsali in

NEW DELHI: NIIT Imperia, in association with Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM-C), has invited applications for a six-month Executive Programme in Corporate Regulations. The programme has been designed to offer indepth understanding of regulatory and legal framework in business transactions to working professionals in joint ventures (JVs), mergers and

acquisitions (M&As), and in MNCs. The Executive Programme gives an overview of fundamentals of business law and contracts, corporate laws involving JVs and M&As, law of investment, competition and consumer protection law, labour laws, environment and regulatory challenges, WTO law and development, international dispute resolution, and protection of IPRs.

Executive PG Programme at IIM-Indore Vadodara, and C U Shah University in Wadhwan, the total number of private universities in Gujarat will rise to 13. The Gujarat Professional Technical Educational Colleges or Institutions Bill, 2013 would let the students from other states on vacant seats in professional and technical education colleges and institutions, besides centres of excellence.

INDORE: Indian Institute of Management, Indore, has invited applications for an intensive, one-year residential programme, Executive Post-Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), starting in September 2013. Specifically designed to enhance skill, knowledge, capabilities and perceptions for senior management positions, the EPGP combines skillbuilding with exploration

of good management practices. It provides opportunities to specialise in Strategy, Leadership and International Business in the programme. The candidates seeking admission to the EPGP programme will have to appear in the Common Admission Test or submit their GMAT score. The application form, along with the processing fee, should be submitted on or before May 24, 2013.

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

EDUCAPSULE

Entrepreneurship programme at Jamia Millia NEW DELHI: The university placement cell and entrepreneurship club of Jamia Millia Islamia University recently launched the ICICI Trinity programme on innovation and entrepreneurship. Regarding this programme, the university has signed an MoU with ICICI bank. The programme will provide a platform for young minds to innovate in the field of banking, financial services and insurance to

Visual art presentation by Swiss artist held nurture the innovation potential of the students and to foster entrepreneurship. The programme consists of three main stages – Ideate, Prototype, and Be an Entrepreneur. Teams which display successful prototypes will be awarded cash awards up to Rs 25,00,000 and they will be invited to present their plans before the bank’s investor panel at the entrepreneurship stage. If selected, they will receive help from the bank in establishing their venture.

MASCOM course in print journalism KOTTAYAM: MASCOM (Manorama School of Communication) has invited applications for one-year Post-graduate Diploma in Print Journalism for the 2013 session. Selection will be based on an entrance examination. The exam will be held in Delhi, Mumbai,

NOIDA: A visual art presentation and an interactive session ‘Andan’ – in collaborated with the Swiss embassy – was recently held at Genesis Global School, featuring the famous art work of Swiss artist Sarah Burger. The artist’s thought process and her commitment to art motivated the young students to showcase their talent and creativity. The interactive session provided guidance on the current art scenario in the West.

Prof M Aslam is VC of IGNOU Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and various centres in Kerala on May 18, 2013, and an interview at MASCOM in Kottayam in July. Requests for the prospectus and application form should be accompanied by a demand draft of Rs 500 in favour of MASCOM, payable at Kottayam, Kerala.

NEW DELHI: Prof. M Aslam has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Currently. He has been appointed for a period of five years. With over 20 years of experience at IGNOU, he has served as acting ViceChancellor from

October 2011 to July 2012. He is a Fellow of the Economics Development the Institute of the World Bank and has authored/jointly authored seven books. He has been consultant to various international/UN bodies, including the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

and Wi-Fi enabled Campus.

news plus

Regent’s College To Be Uk’s Second Private University

ONDON: Regent’s College in London will soon be re-launched as the second private university in Britain after receiving official approval to change its name to Regent’s University London. Being a non-profit institution, the Regent’s College has received confirmation Regent’s College in London will become the

largest private University in Britain. Its 4,500 students make it twice the size of University of Buckingham, being the first private university granted a royal charter in 1983, and the largest single undergraduate educator outside the state system. Founded in 1984 with its campus on Regent’s Park in Central London, Regent’s College is a registered charity, governed by trustees, and receiving no government funding. Fees for full-time undergraduate courses around $ 14,000 a year, along with its post-graduate fees. While annual fees in the colleges

teaching MA in Luxury Brand Management rose to $18,700, fulltime undergraduates at University College London would pay annual fees of $ 9,000. Prior to the grant of degreeawarding powers, the students at Regent’s College received degrees and certificates from a network of partnerships with other accredited institutions, including University of Wales, Open University and Chartered Management Institute. Being best-known for its management and business-based degrees, along with Americanstyle ‘liberal arts’ degrees, only 15 percent of students from Britain are included in Regent’s student body, out of which 40 percent is from other parts of the European Union, and 15 percent from the US. Regent’s College draws students from 130 countries, and student fees are the same regardless of nationality.

NEW IIT-JEE norms from this year

EW DELHI: The norms and regulations of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) are being changed this year. A student who scored 60% marks in Standard XII was eligible to try for admission to IIT till last year. This year onwards, one has to be in the top 20 percentile of one’s board concerned for write IIT-JEE. Till last year, students could appear

for two individual examinations, including AIEEE (an entrance examination for IITs and NITs, among others) and the IIT-JEE. Being regarded as the first stage of examination, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), centrally-funded technical institutions (CFTIs) and institutions funded by several

participating state governments such as Gujarat, Nagaland, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh would rely on the JEE Main examination. JEE Main is conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) under the supervision of the JEE Apex Board. Almost 1.26 million students across the country would appear

for the JEE Main entrance examination for about 10,000 IIT seats, and about 1.5 lakh toppers in this will enter the JEE Advanced examinations. A student who does not excel in one entrance examination would not rule out success in another examination. The new examination format was announced in mid-2012 soon after the HRD Ministry’s proposal of ‘One Nation One Test.’

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Entrepreneurial College

Fostering future entrepreneurial leaders

by Dipin Damodharan

ne of the most entrepreneurial business schools in Europe, Sa誰d Business School, University of Oxford, takes pride in developing a vibrant generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs. A 17-year-old school in the 800-year-old University of Oxford, the institute combines the magic of Oxford with the entrepreneurial spirit of an international business school. The institute, which is known for its entrepreneurial character,

Many say entrepreneurship cannot be taught, but genuine entrepreneurial business schools can provide valuable lessons to aspiring entrepreneurs to help them conceive and define business ventures of tomorrow. Entrepreneurial schools educate and inspire the future generation of entrepreneurial leaders. Sa誰d Business School, one of the most acclaimed institutions at the prestigious Oxford University, promotes entrepreneurship and innovation in an impeccable manner. Having a tremendous track record in cultivating good leaders, the institute has become the most vital element in the British entrepreneurial scenario. acts as a link between students and the business world. Sa誰d Business School is ranked 15th worldwide in the prestigious ranking of full-time MBA

programmes, compiled by Financial Times (2011) and was ranked 11th in the European Business School Ranking (2010). Having a strong track record in innovation, Oxford

University has produced over 100 companies with a combined market capitalisation of over 贈2 billion. According to the management, Oxford

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Many open entrepreneurship programmes are offered by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship for members of Oxford University. The programmes are aimed at giving the participants a chance to engage with the realities of venture creation. Here are some of the programmes: Building a Business: This is a lecture course of basic business skills. It covers good business practice with a focus on science and technology entrepreneurship. Silicon Valley Comes to Oxford: This is Entrepreneurs is the largest student entrepreneur society in the UK, with over 7,000 members, and one in ten of whom running own company. Dr Andrew White, Associate Dean for Executive Education at Said Business School, Oxford University, tells Education Insider: “More than ever, organisations need to innovate to gain competitive advantage in a global and dynamic marketplace. The opportunities and threats facing business are complex, and executives need education that goes beyond simple skills training. At Oxford, students are encouraged to think innovatively to generate new ideas and insights that will help them, as leaders, to create an impact within their organisations and to develop solutions to some of the global problems the world is currently facing.” On the programmes of Saïd Business School, Peter Tufano, Dean and Professor of Finance at Said Business School, explains: “Said Business

Andrew White, Associate Dean for Executive Education, Saïd Business School

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

School’s programmes include our topranked undergraduate programme in Economics and Management; our MBA Programme, Executive MBA Programme, specialised offerings in Financial Economics, Law and Finance, and Major Programme Management; doctoral programmes, and a host of executive education offerings. All of these programmes provide world-class education, but benefit from our school is deeply embedded in the University. Our deep engagement with a premier university permits our students to not only benefit from deep business training but also to get the breadth and grounding from interacting with leaders from a variety of other fields.” For more details about the courses at Said Business School, visit http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/ degrees/Pages/degrees. aspx the entrePreneurshiP connection Oxford’s most talented students come to Centre for Innovation

the leading European entrepreneurship forum, pioneered by University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. The programme has succeeded in bringing business leaders from across Silicon Valley to Oxford for a period of focused interaction with faculty, research and student members. Science Innovation Plus: This is a programme for science research students who wish to take part in the MBA ‘Technology and Innovation Strategy’ elective. and Entrepreneurship at Said Business School to turn their career into entrepreneurship. “Students on the MBA and the Executive MBA programmes have access to a broad range of electives, project work, a venture fund, student societies, such as Oxford Entrepreneurs, and open programmes to build up their understanding of entrepreneurship and innovation whilst studying at Saïd Business School,” says Dr Andrew White. “The Oxford Entrepreneurship Centre, based at the school, is the focal point for entrepreneurship research, teaching and practice across the University of Oxford. It brings together academics, practitioners, spinout companies, and student entrepreneurs to study and practise entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship permeates our programmes, For example, students on the MBA programme undertake the Entrepreneurship Project (many of which evolve into successful ventures)

can select from a variety of electives relating to entrepreneurship and have access to a number of venture funds and student societies. As a result, on an average, 7 percent of the class goes on to start their own ventures. The Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship leads the way in researching and developing entrepreneurial approaches to social change,” according to Dr White. Many MBA entrepreneurship projects evolve into successful new ventures, and Saïd Business School alumni companies now number over 150. About one in ten of the School’s MBA graduates set up a new venture upon graduation. According to the authorities, the centre has created a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and spinouts connected to the school that enrich the offerings for students and outside firms alike. Find out the details of various programmes at http:// www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/centres/ entrepreneurship/

The Oxford Entrepreneurship Centre, based at Saïd Business School, is the focal point for entrepreneurship research, teaching and practice across University of Oxford. It brings together academics, practitioners, spinout companies, and student entrepreneurs to study and practise entrepreneurship

Expert interview Dr INDIRA PARIKH

t n e r e f f i d r o f y read f education kind o in the xperience h, e f o s r a 30 ye Parik With over ation, Dr Indira J n tio duc field of e esident of Founda r p founder- nd Management la that for Libera LAME), believes ts (F en Education ation makes stud uc liberal ed the depths of e c experien owledge and kn wisdom, ed to govern uir q e skills re ces and th a p s fe li their ves. perspecti le ip lt u m w nt intervie er, In a rece id cation Ins t u d E h it w u talks abo Dr Parikh es su various is ducation, e regarding om the ranging fr stem sy Gurukula w to the ne trends in r. the secto

by Dipin Damodharan

ou were a member of the faculty at IIM-Ahmedabad for over 30 years. What do you think of the quality of management education today? IIM-Ahmedabad started 50 years ago. When it started, it was the pioneering institution in the field of Management with IIM-Kolkata as they both started just

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

one month apart. The country was ready for the management education and the kind of education the management institution offered. For 50 years, this management education has provided industry and organisations with educated and professionally oriented managers who eventually grew into leaders of industry. The education was relevant for what the country needed at that point of time. As the country grew in industrialisation and as the country transformed from an underdeveloped country to a developing country, to an emerging economy, and as the country shifted from scarcity to a booming economy, the focus and nature of management needed to change. The country opened its economy and began to be global. As generation after generation experienced a different lifestyle, the same education was not adequate for them to respond to the education being given to the management students. Today, the templates of management have become global and universal. However, the country and the world has transformed dramatically. As such, it is time for management education to make its template and design relevant and meaningful to the present generation and the generation to be born. What inspired you to start FLAME? Could you tell us about its beginning and its mission? When the founder-directors and donors wanted to start an educational institution, their aspiration was to contribute to society with a unique management institution. When we discussed this dream, they also talked about the pioneering initiative which the IIMs started. Over the years, I had recognised that, in management education, we needed to shift the focus from preparing industry-ready individuals to more holistic education, which would prepare individuals for life. My own education has been anchored in Liberal Arts tempered with immense travel and exposure to diversity. I had also been reflecting on what could be possible in education. Incremental changes were not going to be adequate. Relevance, meaningfulness and education for life and living as well as in the workspace were required. Liberal education, little different from Liberal Arts, was what I first proposed for the undergraduates and management education anchored in Liberal Education. As we discussed and explored further, the

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Dr Indira J Parikh whole design emerged which we have now translated into both undergraduate and postgraduate education. From this emerged a new and different School of Communication and School of Performing Arts. We have four schools, each providing catalytic possibilities to the students and integrating the multiplicity of disciplines. Our Vision at FLAME is ‘Knowledge is a runway for thoughts and imaginations.’ Hence, at FLAME School of Liberal Education, we aim to facilitate the assimilation, dissemination and generation of knowledge. We strive to provide an environment that fosters the exploration of new ideas and the processes of validating these ideas. We endeavour to help the students grow into individuals and with broad horizons, who are able to think multidimensionally. At FLAME School of Liberal Education, we seek to provide a non-judgemental and unbiased environment that is conducive to disseminating knowledge and developing students’ analytical and problem-solving skills. We aim to train students to free themselves from dogma, preconception and ideology. We strive to shape the students to become conscious of their opinions and judgements, reflective of their actions; and aware of their place in the social and natural world. We encourage students to break free from the herd and become independent thinkers. What makes FLAME different from other management institutions? Why did you think of liberal education? What makes FLAME’s management education

Expert interview Dr INDIRA PARIKH unique is that IIM-Kolkatta have added many dimensions of life and living to the management and functional templates of education. For example, our induction programme focuses on socialisation process and facilitating transition from primary social systems and educational institutions to the secondary residential institutions of learning. We also respect them as adults. We focus on the roles and identities of individuals anchored in culture, society, family, as well as work organisations and both the national and global environments. We have a special focus on investment and provide additional learning on investment. We have added elements of personal growth and life values to the learning process. Performing arts, understanding social and cultural issues and how the individual can make a difference individually and collectively through entrepreneurial initiatives are some of the value additions that we try to give the students. Could you compare liberal education with traditional education? The Indian heritage of education had been very broad and very holistic. That it was not available to the masses is a reality. The education in the Gurukulas was indeed holistic, anchored in values and multi-disciplined. The multiple streams of knowledge were simultaneously available and so were the processes of integration and differentiation. In that sense, liberal education is similar to the traditional education â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it makes available multiple streams of knowledge, its continuities and discontinuities, and opens up to the students the wisdom of centuries and civilisation to learn from. The students experience the depths of wisdom, knowledge and the skills required to govern their life spaces and the multiple perspectives. They then struggle with understanding the similarities and differences and make choices of what their calling is. What do you think of the acceptance of this kind of education method in India? For liberal education, it took us some time to convince the parents. Students were ready for they needed time and space to make a choice of the stream. Though they were excited about the whole new way and methodology of teaching, it also demanded commitment and involvement from their side. I do believe that the country and the young generation are ready for a different kind of education. The young are different, their experiences are different, the world they have grown up is different, and the families they are a part of are also different. Therefore, the education and the learning environment also need to be different. The education which the country provided was relevant for the times. It produced excellent

The Indian education has not failed. So far, the industries have grown and have some of the most dynamic leaders only because of the education and learning, which has been available.

Education is a creation of a learning environment, where the geniuses to the average grow to the best of their potentials, where the students have the freedom to meander through the multiple streams of knowledge and experience the centuries of wisdom which is distilled into it

leaders of industry and academia both nationally and globally. However, today, the parents as well as the present generation are seeking something more meaningful and relevant. They do not know what; it is up to the educationists who must make the effort to identify what would make sense to both the parents and the young students. Once we identify and present it to them, the acceptance will be there.

There is a strong argument that the Indian education system has been failing to produce employable students. What is your opinion? The Indian education has not failed. So far, the industries have grown and have some of the most dynamic leaders only because of the education and learning, which has been available. Today, every parent wants education for their children so that they can have better employment. However, what has happened is that the industries have run so much faster, and, in so many new sectors and directions that the education and the industry have not understood each other, and are not aligned with each other. Both have not understood the transformations which have occurred. The new generation, which has expectations and experiences of growth like never before, requires changes in both education and socialisation and interaction process at the time of entry into organisations. Industry wants employable individuals, and the young generation wants experience and growth. It is time that the young generation is understood in more sensitive terms, and, for this, the education needs to be transformed into a learning environment. The industry also needs to help shape the future generation of contributors to organisationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; growth. It is with these aligning EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Industry wants employable individuals, and the young generation wants experience and growth. It is time that the young generation is understood in more sensitive terms. For this, the education needs to be transformed into a learning environment. The industry also needs to help shape the future generation of contributors to organisationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; growth

The country will have to rise for the future directions of new knowledge

together that the country would move forward.

The young are different, their experiences are different, the world they have grown up is different, and the families they are a part of are also different. Therefore, the education and the learning environment also need to be different

What about the growth of the education sector in India? I believe that India is ready to grow into providing education to all the young of the country. Many new institutions of learning will emerge. Many will experiment and bring new initiatives. New horizons of learning, occupations, sectors and streams will surface which are relevant for the times, the country and the present and future generations. Institutions will have to respond to the call; the country will have to rise for the future directions of new knowledge. Many institutions will be created. Some will fall by the wayside, some will be commercial, and some will create new knowledge and create benchmarks of learning environment. The students and the parents will make real choices, as only in the midst of plenty and many opportunities that real choice can be made. It is only in the times of scarcity that compromises are made and the potentials are not actualised. The country has the potential, the young are talented and gifted and both the social and ideal values exist. It is only a matter of time that the education in India will contribute to new directions and new knowledge. Technology has a profound impact on democratising education. Your comment. Technology is going to revolutionise education across the country as well as across the world. Opportunities of learning are going to be made available to each and every child. The parents from the rural most areas of India are aspiring to educate their children â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether the child is a girl or a boy. This determination is inspired by the availability of technology, which the elders and the villagers all EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

are beginning to learn. In this endeavour, they open up new horizons for themselves and visualise what is possible for the next-generation mobiles, media, and availability of learning technology. This trend is visible and is the hope of the country.

What is your vision of education? Education is a creation of a learning environment, where the geniuses to the average grow to the best of their potentials, where the students have the freedom to meander through the multiple streams of knowledge and experience the centuries of wisdom which is distilled into it. They can freely discover their calling and be able to dive deep into the depths of the ocean of knowledge. The learning of the students are tempered and humbled by the human civilisation and its evolution. With this, they learn to live life anchored in values of growth and relationships. They also learn the art of making a difference and not forget that the harmony with nature is the only way for human survival. New knowledge will emerge, new technologies will be discovered, and the world will become accessible. The focus of excellence and performance are necessary, but, with this, the human heart, soul and spirit will need to learn to live with the diversity of race, religion, colour and gender. They will also have to learn to live in harmony with the complexity of the environment, and the relationship with people. It is only then that the generation of today and tomorrow will grow into good human beings, responsible citizens and caring family members. It is only then they will be ready to take the responsibilities of an adult and create work spaces which will be dynamic and vibrant.

Toc H Institute of Science & Technology NA AC A c c re d i t e d & I S O C e r t i f i e d I n s t i t u t i o n Arakkunnam P. O., Ernakulam Dist, Kerala - 682313 Tel : 0484 274838, 2749600 Fax : 0484-2748388 Email : mail@tistcochin.edu.in Website: www.tistcochin.edu.in

Celebrating GLORIOUS YEARS

Toc H Institute of Science & Technology (TIST) is situated at a lush green rural background, just 20 KM away from Cochin city, the Institute is approved by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi and recognized by Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT). The campus is spread over a sprawling 26 acres of land.

Highlight

Celebrating GLORIOUS YEARS

Registration started for admission to B.Tech, M.Tech & MBA for next academic year Contact : 9995043464 Dr. K. Varghese

Founder Director & Manager

Prof. P. J. Joseph President

Dr. V. Job Kuruvilla Director

Meeting place for innovative minds

Dr. B. Justus Rabi Principal

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

by Lakshmi Narayanan

‘‘An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he’ll quickly learn how to chew it.” Roy Ash, Former State Senator, California

oung businessmen striving to work for multinational companies–this phenomenon seems to be changing in India as startup revolution is kicking up in the country. To become an entrepreneur is the dream of many students in this country. As the Web-based and mobilebased startups have opportunities in plenty, a considerable rate of students passing out of the engineering campuses directly step into the world of business. Here, Education Insider offers you a list of 10 startups with high potentials in the future, along with an exclusive interview of Vlad Debovskiy, the man behind Startup Festival and unstoppable.in, an online platform to inspire and promote budding entrepreneurs globally. So what inspired these people to become entrepreneurs? How did they raise the funds for their startups? How did they name their ventures? And, much more interesting facts… These young entrepreneurs have become an inspiration to students who wish to become employers, not employees

1 6 2 7 3 8 4 9 5

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

BETTING ON THE ALUMNI a mater RE: Alm VENTU ngaluru g firm ION: Be handisin c r e ) LOCAT m otra (24 SS: Cloth 09 n Malh h o BUSINE 0 R 2 ), : 4 al (2 ISHED n Agarw ESTABL S: Varu R E D N FOU

lma Mater is the result of inborn entrepreneurial spirit and evergreen friendship between Varun Agarwal and Rohn Malhotra. After their graduation in Engineering and Commerce, respectively, Varun and Rohn thought of doing something different to earn their livelihood. The Bengaluru-based duo never wished to do a job under someone. In the beginning of 2009, an innovative idea of customised merchandising of cloths struck their mind. Thus, Alma Mater, an online brand for official school and college merchandise, was born. Now the firm has 23 employees and thousands of potential clients, including 1,500 schools and colleges, 400 corporate firms and 300 other organisations. In October 2012, Indian Angel Network (IAN) announced its plan to invest in Alma Mater. Varun and Rohan talks about Alma Mater

run, BE ION: Va T A IC m QUALIF n, B Co m); Roh ised (Teleco m E: Custo d alumni NATUR an ndising mercha abilia memor

Concept

Alma Mater is an online brand for customised merchandise and alumni memorabilia primarily focusing on schools and colleges. We started Alma Mater in November 2009, and, in a short span, it has become one of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading customised merchandise brands, having supplied products to over 1,200 educational institutions spread over 120 cities and six different countries. The company has partnered with leading schools and colleges across India to sell its memorabilia online.

Behind the name

We initially wanted to go with Backbenchers Inc., but thought that would be too informal. Alma Mater is a Latin word, and, in the modern context, refers to the institution you studied in. Since we are a company focused on schools and colleges, what better name than Alma Mater?

Getting in

We never saw ourselves as entrepreneurs. We had this idea of merchandise for schools and EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

al and

rw Varun Aga

colleges and we really believed in it. We knew we had to make the idea work and in the process had to become entrepreneurs. So it is really the idea that inspired us.

On entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is about having a great idea and the will and passion to execute it irrespective of the risks. Also, entrepreneurship comes from within and is not something that can be taught. A true entrepreneur is someone who eats, breathes and lives his business idea.

Initial fund-raising

We started Alma Mater with a small capital of Rs 2 lakh. This was the personal savings that my partner and I had. For two years, we never took a single loan or investment. Only in October 2012 that we were funded

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

a Mater

unders, Alm

lhotra, Fo Rohan Ma

by the Indian Angel Network.

Plans

To work with as many schools and colleges as possible, and make Alma Mater a brand for anything to do with schools and colleges in India.

EI SH

OOTOUT

The idea, investment, entrepreneur â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which one of the three plays the key role in the success of an enterprise? It is the entrepreneur who plays the key role in the success of every enterprise because the entrepreneur comes up with the idea, nurtures the business and manages it. Besides, most venture funds invest in the entrepreneur rather than just the idea.

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

FINE BLEND OF INNOVATION,SCIENCE, ENTREPRENEURSHIP

s hnologie noz Tec In : E R U mobile luru VENT e using : Benga N in g IO n T e A h LOC Searc SS: Q&A BUSINE 009 2 : D ISHE ESTABL

Concept

? ery? a qu swer

e n etting Hav ow the a 5444 kn to 5 up a S you SM company at a young age has so many risks. But, Deepak Ravindran, CEO of India’s leading mobile technology start-up, says it has so many advantages also. “When we started Innoz at our young age, we were free to follow our dreams without any commitments,” Deepak says He started his venture in 2009 with the support of his three young friends–Hisam, Ashwin and Abhinav. Their initial investment was just around Rs 1 lakh. Within 3 years, that multiplied many hundred times in terms of revenue. Now, the organisation has 50 employees and 120 million active users around the world. It has services in countries like Dubai, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

nce an (25) ter Scie Ravindr k a p e e Compu D : in n R o E te s a D e Gradu FOUN focus re that ATION: tu IC n IF e L v A QU nology n E: Tech novatio NATUR eless in ir w d n a e mobil

Innoz is a technology venture that focuses on mobile and wireless innovation. Innoz has developed a technology and algorithm to identify high value context segments of the mobile search market and build a couple of products around it to address these opportunities. The flagship product, SMS GYAN, is a Q&A search engine that delivers knowledge bits over SMS.

Behind the name

The name Innoz has been derived from the word ‘innovation’ since we wanted innovation to define our company.

Getting in

I’ve always wanted to become an entrepreneur. At the age of 16, I founded Swades Solutions, an offshore Web design/SEO firm, in 2005. However, I did not take it forward to pursue a bigger dream. From the confidence that I gained from my first venture, I moved to bigger and bigger ideas, realised that chasing bigger dreams gives you more space to think. I never felt bad about failing and never stopped experimenting, either. I also launched an ecommerce/deal website Just4sale.in during the summer vacation in high school and sold it to a friend of mine by the time I got admission to college. At the age of 21, after joining Kannur University to study Computer Science, I dropped out of college and cofounded Innoz along with my three friends Hisam, Ashwin and Abhinav.

On entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is creating jobs instead of seeking jobs. If a Silicon Valley can exist with the brains of twenty-something, creating some of EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Deepak

, Founder, Ravindran

the most exciting businesses and Fortune 500 companies, we need to realise our potential, and the best way to do it is to experiment and turn entrepreneurs.

Initial fund-raising

We begun with an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh collected from our family. Thereafter, the details of the investments received later are given below:

Plans

Innoz has big plans to go global. Our success in India is a clear indication that consumers are hungry for information, whether they are connected to internet or not. We will launch our services shortly in different countries. We are also planning to launch of our services in Africa and EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

nologies

Innoz Tech

South-East Asia this year as these regions are also SMS-dominated.

EI SH

OOTOUT

According to you, what are the benefits of mobile app-based enterprises? Mobile technology has become an inevitable part of our life. In future, everyone will have a mobile phone. Apart from helping in staying in touch with our families and friends, today our mobiles help us to do practically anything, from sending mail to reading the morning news and planning our day. With more and more Android and I-phones being sold, life is becoming more and more convenient. Today, we have apps with interesting games to keep our kids busy; we have apps to check directions and even to monitor our health. People and enterprises have realised the importance of mobile apps. Hence, I feel mobile app-based enterprises are all set for big growth and will play an important role in the advent of useful and productive apps for end-consumers as well as enterprises in the near future. All that is needed is the right business model in place. The ones who are able to crack this will survive and make profit in the long term.

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

Three friends, three different streams, one idea me RE: Mob vananthapuram VENTU iru h ION: T tions LOCAT less solu e ir w : S S E IN BUS 2006 ISHED: ESTABL

bout six years ago, three friends in Government Engineering College, Thiruvananthapuram, from three different streams, got bored with their routine way of life. They wished to do something different, which should be of multiple use based on profit and entertainment. They were innovative, had lots of guts and a little money in their pocket. They had an innovative idea, which gave rise to Torque, a telecommunication network for closed groups. They got Rs 10 lakh as profit for their prime venture and, which turned them seriously into entrepreneurship. Their decision was not a wrong one –after one year, Torque was renamed Mobme, a Techno Parkbased startup, and widened its services to network solutions, value-added services, enterprise solutions, etc. The three friends – Vivek Steve Francis, Sanjay Vijaykumar and Sony Joy – are quite happy to be a big part of student innovative startup.

Sanjay cis(28),

), mar (28

Vijayku

ve Fran ivek Ste V : S R E ices, FOUND ed serv (27) h lue add c a y e v o J T , s y B n n : N So solutio ICATIO etwork QUALIF vides n o r P : E . NATUR ons, etc e soluti is r p r te en

Concept

Mobme’s main focus is Mobile Express, a plug-and-play ecosystem that combines the security and non-repudiation properties of Digital Signature Certificates with the convenience and simplicity of mobile phones. Mobme holds the exclusive licence of SIM-based W-PKI solutions from Finland-based Valimo Wireless for the Indian market. Valimo is a subsidiary of Gemalto, world leaders in digital security and smart card applications. It also provides excellent services in network solutions, value-added services, and enterprise solutions.

Behind the name

The name Mobme is a blend of Mobile, Media and Entertainment. Based on these three things, Mobme functions and provides services.

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

m jay Vijayku

rancis, San

F Vivek Steve

Getting in

Ultimately, Mobme is a product of campus innovation. We didn’t think of becoming entrepreneurs, It was after the success of Torque that we wished to be entrepreneurs. We began with seven employees and now it has grown up to 160. The initial profit of Rs 10 lakh has grown up to a turnover of over Rs 100 crore. All these happened only because of the spark of entrepreneurship and innovation that we received from the campus.

On entrepreneurship

Effective entrepreneurship is primarily a product of unique innovation. Profit, whether small or big, and success of the venture make an entrepreneur more passionate about his investment.

Initial fund-raising

Initially, we started Torque, the mother organisation, with a very small investment that we saved from our pocket money during our college days. The base of Mobme’s investment was a part of the profit that we earned from the success of EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

bme

unders, Mo

y Joy, Fo ar and Son

Torque. We also had a .25-million-dollar support from angel investors in 2006 and 2007.

Plans

Mobme has decided to enter the stock market as Kerala’s first private IT firm in its 22 years of history. Since it is listed as one of the top 50 budding ventures by NASCOM, the company promises more mileage in the IPO sector. Mobme will soon spread its wings across all continents and hopes to be the best of its kind from an Indian startup.

EI SH

OOTOUT

What is your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? Be innovative. Always dream of big things. Money does not matter. Twenty years of experience in your profession and a rich dad is not at all mandatory for a startup; instead, you need sheer determination and hard work. What is most important is effort. Always be open to change and prefer angel investors for initial funding.

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

GET READY FOR A RIDE! gO RE: ridin luru VENTU nga e B : N IO LOCAT Taxi n SS: Car E IN S n Moha U 2 B : D Srivatsa E 201 l, H a IS h s L o B ESTA rdhan K ERS: Va y FOUND rthsarth ithra Pa v a P d n a

ure, these three friends, Vardhan Koshal, Srivatsan Mohan and Pavithra Parthsarthy, will make your ride comfortable in Bangalore city with their innovative start-up , ridingO. The three friends, after completing their BTech, decided to step into some business, but on one demand: the idea of their organisation should be a unique one; it should focus on serving society and be nature-friendly along with financial benefits. Also, it should provide equal financial benefits to the users.Vardhan Koshal and Srivatsan Mohan, engineers in electronics, along with Pavithra Parthsarathy, a computer engineer, worked on many ideas. In the end of aggressive discussions and developmental talks, the trio came out with the concept of ridingO, a Web-based platform, which aims to bring together a large number of trustworthy car owners and riders to share rides while going to office and back. Now, ridingO is officially supporting Bangalore Traffic Police in their carpooling campaign. ridingO has 1,000 registered users, and aims to have 25,000 users in the near future. Vardhan, Srivatsan and Pavithra talk to Education Insider about the venture

h in ) (B Tec ) shal (29 o tronics K c n le a E h ech in T N: Vard r (B IO ) te T 8 u A IC omp an (2 QUALIF ch in C an Moh 6) (B Te ) Srivats (2 s y ic n th o a r Electr rthasa afe and ithra Pa -free, s le and Pav s s a h in a g rides Science E: Sharin R U T y A a N eficial w ely ben extrem

Concept

ridingO is a Web-based platform for a large number of trustworthy car owners and riders, who earn an amount along with the parent organisation. The concept of ridingO is based on the following features: • Rewarding: Car owners get fuel worth more than what they spend daily. Riders get the rides at rates comparable to bus. You do not need a car to get a ride. • No awkward cash exchange: Cash exchange is for taxi drivers. Buy point online and we will take care of transactions. • Multi-layered safety checks: Only people working in reputed companies get in. Women ride with women only, or with approved friends. • Universal operability: No smartphones or internet needed once registered. Just use a phone to give us a missed call and we will do the rest for you. • Support for existing carpoolers: We provide coordination and cost-sharing support at a very low cost to people who are already pooling cars or sharing rides within their circle. We also have a live MAP based platform developed in-house, which helps people share rides to events like IPL Matches EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

tsan Moha

shal, Sriva

o Vardhan K and Concerts. Similar application is developed for airport cab-sharing.

Behind the name

We wanted a catchy name, which had .com and .in available. Nothing else behind selecting this name.

Getting in

We saw a problem which could be solved using technology. We had the right (hopefully) mixture of skills and thought that there lies an opportunity to make a positive impact on society.

On entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship encompasses creating sustainable value for society or a section.

Initial fund-raising

We have spent close to Rs 1.5 lakh till now, and it was all from our pocket. But, now we have raised some money from friends and family.

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

nders, ridin

rathy, Fou

Parthsa n, Pavithra

Plans

Covering Bengaluru first. Then get to other major cities in India.

EI SH

OOTOUT

According to you, what are the problems faced by budding entrepreneurs in fund raising? How can one overcome this? If you are not able to raise money, then following are the possibilities: • Market is down • Your product’s market does not excite investors • In that case, working on revenue model and getting some proof will helps. This might require dedicated efforts and expenditure. If you are confident about the product/service, then the dedication and initial money will not be a problem. There are many free tools/ products/services available online for tech entrepreneurs to build something for free and take feedback from people.

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

PLAY FOR HEALTH AND WEALTH (28) aurabh ics inash S v A lectron E : R in E h c e T B FOUND N: ICATIO es QUALIF mploye ation ic n u m ess to e n m ll o e C w d an place E: Work NATUR

u joo BE engalur RE: Zoo ngala, B a VENTU m a r o ION: K LOCAT ing SS: Gam E BUSIN 2013 : D E H IS ESTABL

ames are not only designed for leisure and pleasure, it has wider dimension of safeguarding health and generating wealth. Safeguarding health with games? You might wonder, no doubt. But, Avinash Saurabh, 28, from Bengaluru, has the answer to this. With his gaming firm Zoojoo BE, Avinash focuses on the employee wellness of famous MNCs. Avinash explains how his idea of entrepr eneursh ip works.

Concept

Employee wellness is very critical to the bottom line of a company, and we believe that it should be an integral part of the growth strategy of any organisation. Our cloud-based and mobile-based workplace wellness platform integrates employee wellness with company’s growth. By using analytics, gamification and behaviour modelling, we not only engage employees with their health but also provide the company with a way to measure tangible results and get ROI for the money that they are spending on wellness. Now, this is important because until now, there was no way that corporates could get their hand on such tangible data. As a result, workplace wellness has always been viewed as an employee benefit rather than a growth strategy. Zoojoo BE is changing that.

Behind the name

The name was inspired by superstar Rajnikanth’s famous dialogue. After every fight sequence in a movie, he used to say ‘jujube’ – indicating how easy it was for him to defeat the bad guy. We want to say the same after we have defeated our enemy –bad health.

Getting in

I feel that deciding to be an entrepreneur is like taking a ‘leap of faith.’ There are many factors that need to come together so that you can take the leap. However, nothing else is more important than believing that it can be done and that you are the right person to do it. EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

joo BE

under, Zoo

urabh, Fo Avinash Sa

For me, that happened when I realised that all the stuff that we see around has been made by people who were no different from us and that I can also build things that others can use.

On entrepreneurship

The closest synonym to ‘entrepreneurship’ is ‘doing.’ The ability to implement is the key to success as an entrepreneur. As with most entrepreneurs, you may not always implement the right thing, but if you have to do mistakes, then do it fast!

Initial fund-raising

At the initial stages, we bootstrapped and also raised some money from friends and family. We invested almost Rs 10 lakh.

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Plans

We will be expanding our presence in the major IT hubs across India by end of 2013.

EI SH

OOTOUT

What are your suggestions to an aspiring entrepreneur who has some .com-based ideas to get them into the final stage? My suggestion is that, if you won’t do it, then someone else will! If you have an internet product idea, then create an MVP (minimal viable product) and test your idea. For internet products, it is very easy to get quick user feedback.

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

CONNECTING

TEACHERS AND STUDENTS 2) nand (2 ineering ishek A ical Eng h tr b c A le : E S ER for ch in FOUND latform N: B Te rning p ICATIO a IF le L d A e s U Q -ba E: Cloud NATUR nts e d tu s s and teacher

itnote RE: Orb VENTU lhi ION: De system LOCAT arning le e : S S BUSINE 2012 ISHED: ESTABL

deally, teacher-student interactions have to be the driving force behind any kind of innovation. However, in India, the teacher-student interaction, many think, is not conducive to the developing new thoughts in students. The result is the repeated hullabaloos –the students are not employable, and lack of entrepreneurial spirit in them. This motivated 21-yearold Banaras Hindu University Electrical Engineering student Abhishek Anand to introduce Orbitnote, a Cloudbased learning platform for teachers and students to bring their education experience online. It connects students with teachers using course management tools and social media tools. Started from his alma mater BHU, Abhishek aims to provide the service of Orbitnote in educational institution all over India. Abhishek talks about his expeditions with Orbitnote….

Concept

Currently, interaction between teachers and students is minimal after the class hours, across most of the educational institutions. Most of the students are shy of asking questions in class and clarifying their doubts. This often results in their poor understanding of concepts. Orbitnote solves these problems by providing a central platform where teachers and students can interact with each other online, share lecture notes, and collaborate on topics taught in the class in a secure, easy and social manner. Students can now ask contextual questions and receive answers from their classmates and teachers and thus clear their doubts. They can now integrate videos and links of articles from the internet into their digital classes and make their learning experience more rich and informative. Orbitnote also provides tools for assignments and quizzes, which will significantly save the time of instructors in managing the homework submissions and evaluating their students.

Behind the name

Orbit signifies the path taken by an object while revolving around or centred around another object. In our case, our entire application is centred around improving the learning experience of the students; hence ‘orbit’ and ‘note’ relate to the idea of learning. Orbit+note=Orbitnote. Moreover, it sounded good and the Google search for this name was not giving any meaningful results.

Getting in

The stories of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Sunil Mittal where one

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

itnote

ounder, Orb

nand, F Abhishek A

person creates an enterprise on his own merit have inspired me a lot. Before Orbitnote, I had tried to start many ventures in my college days: from building solar-lighting solutions for rural electrification to organising the street food vendors under one brand and improving the quality of food supplied by them. These attempts made me realise that I loved creating new things, new products which solve the problems faced by our society, our friends. It also gave me a lot of courage and confidence. So, I decided to pursue this path after my college.

On entrepreneurship

I think that entrepreneurship is essentially the act of spotting opportunities and creating solutions for them. Entrepreneurs are problem solvers. They are executors. They always look out for challenging problems and use the resources at their hand to solve those problems.

Initial fund-raising

I have not raised any fund so far. Orbitnote is currently bootstrapped and working with own initial investment of about Rs 1 lakh. EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Plans

We are currently beta-testing our application with IIT BHU. We will soon be rolling out to other colleges and schools.

EI SH

OOTOUT

What are the major things that we should be aware of before starting an IT-based venture? Be passionate about the problem you are trying to solve. That is the only thing which will keep you going in the difficult times. Building a successful company takes time, so do it only if you are in for the long haul. Knowing your target customers is very important and keeping your focus on approaching only them will help save a lot of time during initial days. Focus on solving one problem at a time; do not build too many features before launching your application. Iterate based on the feedback you receive from your customers. It is also important to realise that not every software product can go viral after its launch. Marketing of an application is as important as building it. Targeted marketing helps achieve your goals and this is especially true for enterprise software startups.

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

THE APPS ENTREPRENEUR kal RE: Plac VENTU ngaluru ION: Be LOCAT ile apps b SS: Mo BUSINE 2011 ISHED: ESTABL

ohn Paul was always passionate about software and apps. After completing his post graduation in Computer Applications, he chose his own way. Instead of going for a job in an MNC, he wanted to do something different, but it had to be based on apps. After his college days, John Paul spent six years in converting his idea of an app-based startup into reality. Thus, at the age of 30, he started his dream project, Plackal, a Bengaluru-based enterprise, which develops consumer apps for mobile devices. Plackal is the first prize-winner at the Samsung Smart App Challenge-2012. At CEO’s hot seat, John Paul describes his entrepreneurial journey. Now, Plackal’s apps have clocked a million downloads worldwide.

) cations Paul (32 r Appli n te h u ise o p J : m ER enterpr in Co FOUND N: MSc pps and IO a T r e A m IC nsu QUALIF lops co E: Deve es ic v e NATUR d mobile r o f s n solutio

Concept

Plackal develops consumer apps and enterprise solutions for mobile devices. Plackal’s expertise spans all major platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows 8, Bada and Blackberry. We create proprietary applications and publish them on all major mobile ecosystems. Managed by a team with extensive experience in software development, mobile platforms, design and usability, we develop apps for a global audience.

Behind the name

There is nothing special in having opted for this name. It is my family name and I love it a lot.

Getting in

Ever since my college days, Japanese entrepreneurs have fascinated me – especially Akio Morita, of Sony Corporation, and Soichiro

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

John Paul,

Honda, of Honda Motor. Both the companies were founded when Japan was going through trying times. Honda and Sony are now multi-billion-dollar corporations and are leaders in their respective fields. My vision for Plackal is very similar.

On entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the art of marshalling limited resources to achieve your goals. Irrespective of his chosen field, an entrepreneur will always have more to do than the resources available at hand. By resources, I mean time, money, manpower, technology and everything else that form the building blocks of an enterprise. Entrepreneurship is all about rising above these limitations and executing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision.

Initial fund-raising

Plackal was started using funds from my personal savings and contributions from family, friends and angel investors. The initial seed we started with was Rs 20 lakh.

Plans

Right now, we are in the middle of rolling out EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

lackal

Founder, P

our second app, JusWrite, on all mobile platforms. JusWrite is live on Android and won us the first prize at the Samsung Smart App Challenge-2012, a worldwide competition for Android apps. It will go live on iOS and Windows 8 by end of April 2013. We plan to increase our portfolio of consumer apps as well as the reach of our existing applications. We are currently expanding our engineering team and are on the lookout for great talent.

EI SH

OOTOUT

What is your opinion on approaching angel investors for funding? Approaching angel investors is one of the best ways to get started as an entrepreneur. Not only do they bring funds to the table but angel investors also can help validate and refine an idea right from its inception. Investors also have access to resources that can help an entrepreneur execute faster. However, before approaching an angel investor, it is important to get cracking on the idea and create a prototype or a well-thought-out business plan.

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

WHEN MEETING ROOMS GO ONLINE y RE: Tyd VENTU ngaluru e B : ooms N IO eeting r LOCAT ll e ing m S : S S E BUSIN 2011 ISHED: ESTABL

vailability of land and buildings is becoming scarce with incre asing population, especially in major cities. Now, meeting rooms are available online. You just need to log on to www. tydy.com to arrange your meeting rooms anywhere according to your convenience. It is the idea of two young men, Kiran Menon and Nikhil Gurjer, to sell meeting rooms online. The Tydy network has now over 100 registered teams. Kiran and Nikhi on their Startup...

r il Gurje 1), Nikh (3 n o n n Me ER: Kira FOUND N: MBA eeting IO T ICA ysical m h p e QUALIF th s E: Take line NATUR gs it on in r b d n room a

(31)

Concept

Tydy gives teams a perpetual meeting room. With more and more teams and businesses managing people across multiple locations, Tydy takes the physical meeting room and brings it online. Groups can discuss and converse in a closed space, share documents to collaborate on and even assign tasks and reminders as follow-ups and outcomes of meetings. Tydy allows groups to manage a single space for everything before, during and after a meeting. Keeping track of recurring weekly and monthly meetings is also done by Tydy.

Behind the name

After identifying the problem that teams face in creative collaboration, we realised there needed to be a simpler and cleaner way of managing the process. This is where the word tydy originated from - tidy became tydy. A simple and tydy way to manage creative collaboration.

Getting in

There were a couple of things that inspired Nikhil and Kiran to be an entrepreneur. Since school, we have had a dream to start a company and build it to a global powerhouse. This dream never died. We always knew we were going to start a venture; the only decision was to determine the right time. Around late 2011, we started talking about this shared dream and felt that entrepreneurship in India was picking up and the ecosystem was starting to grow. Nikhil and I decided this was the right time to start the venture together. Soon after, I moved back to India from Norway and we started work on Tydy. The most important factor for us as entrepreneurs is to create a product that is valued by its customers and is simple to use. From our early EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Kiran

feedback, it seems like we have achieved quite a lot by simplifying our product so that the learning curve is really short.

On entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the creation of something of value. Entrepreneurship is not a period in your life, but it’s a feeling and a sense that exists with you through your entire life.

Initial fund-raising

We raised a very small amount at the beginning, to help us get started. Our goal was to build a product, launch it, get traction and then go in for further funding. Now that we have launched and started getting good traction, we will look at the fundraising process in the near future.

Plans

We plan to add a lot of features to the product, including, Audio Recording, EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

, Tydy

r, Founders

hil Gurje Menon, Nik

Conferencing and other such features that will make us even more valuable to our customers. We also plan to hire staff to manage the growing development needs. And, most importantly, our goal within the next 12 months is to build a global customer base that refers Tydy to others. After all, without customers, there is no business!

EI SH

OOTOUT

What about the role of getting fund from right angel investors for a startup? I believe that the angel funding ecosystem in India is really starting to pick up. The key for any entrepreneur should be to find angels who can also double up as mentors in the space that the company is being built. I believe that it is very important to get ‘experienced money’ early in the company’s life.

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

BOOKING BUS TICKET MADE EASY Bus RE: red VENTU ngaluru e ION: B LOCAT maker SS: Trip BUSINE 006 2 ISHED: ESTABL

(32) e ra Sama r Scienc g bus hanind ompute P C : dinatin r R o in E o D h c c y e b T s B FOUN u : b N ICATIO travel in QUALIF ges safe n a r r A : E sers NATUR rs and u operato , s r e n ow

Concept

hanindra Sama, lovingly called Phani, always says that real entrepreneurship and success of enterprise comes out of the entrepreneurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal experience. The Bangalore-based, 2006 startup, which collabrates technology and travel, has now 580 staff members and a wide network of users around the globe. It brings the travellers to the destination through safe bus travel. Phanindra tells Education Insider about the idea of redBus

redBus.in is the consumer-facing bus ticketing company. It is one of the highest transacted websites in the country. BOSS, which stands for Bus Operator Software System, is an ERP given to bus operators. Over 800 bus operators in the country use BOSS because of which redBus.in gets real-time access to hundreds of bus operatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inventory. SeatSeller is an inventory distribution platform to agents. Over 10,000 agents use SeatSeller platform to sell bus tickets.

Behind the name

As the enterprise is mainly based on arranging bus trips, the name suits it well and it is easy for a traveller to remember it.

Getting in

Prior to redBus, the ticket booking system was done manually, passengers go to the travel desk and book EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

der, redBu

ama, Foun

S Phanindra

the tickets. Travel agent calls up his choice operator’s office to check ticket availability. Then the travel agent gives a receipt against the payment for ticket. This results in opaqueness in inventory discovery and a potential loss of sales for bus operators and travel agents. Being an engineer, I thought why couldn’t there be a computer system where all the bus operators put their inventory and all travel agents picked up inventory from there on a first-come-firstserved basis. Besides, I always wanted to become an entrepreneur. The idea of entrepreneurship always comes out of our own personal experience.

the terminology of investment and all the related activities needed to close the first round of investment. They also helped in building confidence in potential investors in the company. The company is funded by three venture capitalists–Helion, Seed Fund, and Inventus.

The seed capital of Pilani Soft Labs Pvt. Ltd. was raised in 2006 amounting to Rs 5,00,000. During that time, TiE, Bangalore Chapter, called for business plans for mentoring. I and my partners (Charan Padmaraju and Sudhakar Pasupunuri ) presented our plan and got selected. TiE as mentors also helped with market research to find out the market size, customer needs, competitive landscape, etc. Later, mentors helped in raising investment, understanding

Pilani Soft Labs, the backbone behind redBus, collects payments from the customer (for the tickets sold), deducts its own commission and passes the payment to operators. For agents and bus operators using SeatSeller and BOSS, they pay a commission to Pilani Soft Labs, for every seat sold. It is a highly efficient cash-flow system that minimises capital investment from the company’s side while providing a win-win solution for all parties concerned.

Initial fund-raising

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Plans

redBus is always striving to better the customer experience. With innovations, we are getting new features for our customers and bus operators. In the future, we plan to bring all government RTCs onboard. Also, there are plans of going international.

The redBus model

COVER STORY 10 Cool Startups of India

INNOVATION,

FUN AND ENGAGEMENT ons

licati a and app aluru obiTatv g ts n c M e u : B E d , o R am ed pr VENTU lleswar ity-bas ION: Ma f mobil o g LOCAT in n ig SS: Des BUSINE : 2011 IN D E FOUND

or Chirag Patel, ‘life’ starts at 40. After the failure of his first startup at the age of 27, Chirag has become a successful entrepreneur at 40 with hard work and dedication. The man who believes age is not at all a barrier for entrepreneurship has set foot in the gaming industry by making best use of his technical education and potential of new media. It was in 2011 that he founded the startup MobiTatva, a socially committed venture. With MobiTatva’s flagship app CramBUddy, Chirag is on the move to provide innovative, fun, engaging and reward based application in the education sector, including creating the potential for green schools (paperless classrooms) as well as creating unique and niche channel for brand recall and advertisements. Chirag talks about MobiTatva

l (41) cience ag Pate puter S ir m h w o C C : R E ch in ough ne FOUND N: B Te ities thr IO v T ti A c a IC d e QUALIF lly bond E: Socia s ie NATUR g nolo on tech generati

Concept

The concept of MobiTatva came from my experience in the first venture Agni Software and my passion for being involved with children. Being a technocrat for the last 17 years in the business and ERP domain, I have harnessed sufficient experience to apply technology into designing mobility-based products/ applications in the education sector, which would be wellaccepted by my target audience.

Behind the name

We have always been working on technology, dominated by sound and logical reasoning, we have always been walking the path with our legs firmly on the ground. Just like the basic elements, we strive to bring a brilliant user experience, a unique product/service, sustainable business, fun, education and lot more into a collaborative synergy on mobility devices. Hence the name ‘MobiTatva.’

Getting in

In the beginning of my career, I started off working for one of the top MNCs. But, hailing from a family that has been in varied businesses and my thirst for experimental and innovative freedom with the pleasure of providing employment rather than being an employee led me into being an entrepreneur. Of course, I am a rebel of sorts that I did not get into any of my family-run businesses; rather I paved my own path in the IT sector.

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

l, Founder,

te Chirag Pa

On entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is about a group of like-minded people coming together with a great amount of passion, dedication and perseverance. A team that fights against all odds and be together is the first essential component of entrepreneurship. Great minds do come with great ideas; the challenge is to keep the idea realistic and ensure that it solves a real-life business problem. Hence it becomes sellable. A great team, great product/idea and great deal of time define entrepreneurship.

Initial fund-raising

MobiTatva is currently bootstrapped. Current investments are to the tune of about Rs 18 lakh, excluding certain resources without financial considerations, which are voluntary by some of the founding members. We are currently in advanced stages of raising venture capital funds and hope to have a closure soon.

Plans

My project CramBuddy has had a great start; we look forward it to be a popular MCDF (mobile content delivery framework) where user identifies EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

MobiTatva it as a wonderful platform for associating fun with education. During this course, CramBuddy will also be a well-known channel among popular teachers and reputed tutorials to be associated with. Changing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective takes time. I am sure we will be there! We plan to reach a user base of over 150,000 students.

EI SH

OOTOUT

While managing funds, what is the most important thing to keep in mind? For a startup, fund management is like crossing a desert with a bottle of water; every drop counts. When you have limited resources, it is crucial to plan your spending and revenues. There is no end for surprises, but adhering to the plan and executing it shows quality of a successful business. Funds for an entrepreneur is like playing a computer game with no lifelines; it takes a lot of courage to do it right the first time. Risk-taking is obviously one of characteristics of a startup game, but how do you mitigate it? The answer is sampling. It is highly essential to try out a few aspects of it, convince yourself and your well-wishers on its outcome/ results and then take a big leap.

INTERVIEW

Bengaluru Future global

entrepreneurial capital

Vlad Debovskiy, a Russian entrepreneur and founder of unstoppable.in that partners with cities around the world to build entrepreneurial ecosystems, is always an inspiration for the budding entrepreneurs. His project unstoppable is a global initiative which found its way to India in the name Unstoppable India and organised a successful event called Startup Festival in Bengaluru, the IT capital. It opened up wide opportunities to the budding entrepreneurs to find out investors and mentors. Many startups have taken place here by Shalet James

y analysing the potential of Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem and to convert the entrepreneurial dreams of Indian youth into reality, Vald Debovsky, a Russian entrepreneur is planning to widen his vision and mission of converting India, especially Bengaluru, to the world’s number one entrepreneurial destination. In a recent interaction with Education Insider, Vlad Debovskiy shares his ideas on Indian entrepreneurship and its future” Bengaluru is known as the IT capital of India. Do you think it has the potential to be known as

entrepreneurial capital in the near future? Sure. Initially, Bengaluru was 19th in the list of top startup hubs in the world. The question was, why was it so? Why can’t be it in the Top 10? The energy of the city is coming out of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Bengaluru will soon be declared as an entrepreneurialfriendly city, because it has a correct proportion of public – private partnership to promote the budding enterprises. You can see that many hundreds of startups have already established here, still there is space for new startups. As we are going through a world based on technology,

internet-based startups have a unique place. Different from other Indian metros, Bengaluru has a sense to explore this potential – that is because many foreign investors also are also interested in investing in Bengaluru. I am sure that, soon, Bengaluru’s position as IT capital will be replaced with entrepreneurial capital where IT will be the base of greater part of startups. You are a Russian having own startup in the US. Even then, you opted for India to organise the first Startup Festival, What was the idea behind this Startup Festival ? I already said that India, especially Bengaluru, would be a good entrepreneurial destination in very near future. The people here have a blend of innovative ideas, capital and the best of management skills. As an entrepreneur, I have great passion and respect for that. But, still there are many aspirants who are behind the stage, waiting for their chance to explore the world of entrepreneurship. A festival like startup village will provide them a platform to make use of their ideas and help them make it practical. Our aim is to bring Bengaluru in the list of Top 10 within a few years. Such festivals do such efforts to make it so, and we will make Bengaluru a most sought after destination for entrepreneurs. What specialty have you noticed in Indian EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

entrepreneurs? Though I am a Russian, I lived and worked in Closter, the US, which has the highest density of entrepreneurs in the country. I have had experience with Russian, American and Indian enterprises. India has opened a wide vista of new investment before me. This is because of the innovative ideas of the Indian youth, clubbed with advanced technology. They make use of each and every change in IT and related apps. This change in Indian entrepreneurship took its origin from Bengaluru. The city’s specialty is that, wherever we go, we can strike a conversation on startups. Business is not about products in business, we need to have the right people, right supporters, right capital and right workforce. Entrepreneurs should have a culture of helping each other. There is a big difference between Bengaluru and cities abroad. Entrepreneurs in Bengaluru are strong. Do you think the established entrepreneurs here can be a driving force for the startups? Definitely. Entrepreneurship really takes place in cities where founders of great companies have early succeeded. You can think of successful companies like Flipkart, redBus, Alma Mater, etc. When these companies become angel investors, they started giving money to upcoming entrepreneurs.

This kind of ecosystem is building up in Bengaluru, so I see that membership is always strong here and Bengaluru can easily become a hub of entrepreneurs in three years. Mentorship is also strong in Bengaluru as is known as the IT city. According to you, what types of enterprises are suited to the Indian business culture? Absolutely anything. Because the people here are extremely diverse. Everywhere in India, we can see creative people. People here are talented enough to excel in their enterprises. In terms of retail, India is emerging. There is so much real estate development here, and there are also big opportunities in infrastructure and technology. Is it essential to have a degree in management to be an entrepreneur? No. If you want to become an entrepreneur, an MBA degree will not give you everything about the field. First of all, you should have experience in the field. I feel that the new trend of education has more practical exposure from which the upcoming entrepreneurs can benefit. What is your message to the budding entrepreneurs of India? My message to the emerging entrepreneurs is that they must focus on the customers and then on the company. People who have the patience, determination and have the willingness to work for great cause can become good

entrepreneurs. What are the key factors that are inevitable for an entrepreneur to achieve success? First, don’t build the product but focus on the customers. Second, don’t hide in the room; instead, go out and talk to the people and then get the right people. Third, don’t carry ego problems that will kill you and your dream.

Your plans? India is a land of culture and diversity. Bengaluru is such a good place, I love the people here and I have also been to Kerala, which is my favourite place. We will definitely take startup festival around the world, and, sooner or later, we would also like to organise a startup festival in Kochi.

FOLLOW-UP Education for all

“I believe that equal access to quality education is the biggest crisis we face in education,” Pauline Rose, Director of Education for All Global Monitoring Report, UNESCO, tells Education Insider

‘Quality education a

major concern in India’

by Dipin Damodharan

o you think ‘Education for All’ is still an unfinished agenda?

Education for All is definitely an unfinished agenda. We are not on track to meet the six goals by 2015. Currently, 250 million primary school-aged children cannot read or write. In addition, while the name ‘Education for All’ implies that progress in education should reach all children equally, our new World Inequality Database on Education (WIDE) shows that this is not the case. In particular, the poorest girls living in rural areas are often left behind. What about the feeling of

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

participants from different parts of the world at the Dakar Conference on the objective of achieving education for all? Having just returned from the Dakar Conference (we took the interview in the last week of March), I can report that there was a general agreement that new and ambitious targets need to be set for education post-2015. Our own suggestions for the way new goals could be worded and measured were discussed at the meeting. In addition to our own proposals, many others had their own opinions of what goals and what measurements should be chosen. There was a general agreement that three areas are absolutely vital for education in the future: equity, quality, and expanded access. What were the major issues for EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

discussion at the Dakar forum?

the post-2015 goals?

The major issues were what priorities and goals to focus on after 2015, and how to measure the goals. This also raises the question of how any future goals could be financed. Our latest research has shown that the financing gap for achieving basic education (including pre-primary and primary education as well as adult literacy) in poor countries has grown from $16 billion a year to $26 billion. This financing gap is primarily owing to aid donors not living up to their commitments to finance education in poor countries. I was, therefore, pleased that the principle that no country should be left behind because of lack of resources was re-affirmed at the Dakar forum. Do you believe we can achieve

I do believe that we can achieve our post-2015 education goals, but this will require effort from all stakeholders involved: developing countries, donor countries, NGOs, philanthropists. New, innovative funders must commit to financing education, and be sure to prioritise funding for those who need it the most. The Education for All Global Monitoring Reportâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new calculations show that the financing gap for education extends to $38 billion a year if we intend to provide not only basic education but also lowersecondary education for all as is proposed after 2015. It is possible to fill this gap if donors live up to their commitments, national governments continue to maintain spending to education, and new

FOLLOW-UP Education for all

Prior to becoming Director of EFAGMR, Pauline Rose was Senior Policy Analyst with the GMR team for three years, leading research on the themes of governance, marginalisation and conflict. primary, primary and lower-secondary education. In addition, many governments can expand their income by managing natural resources better and improving tax systems.

What is your message to developing countries and private donors to bridge the gap?

Before joining the GMR, Pauline was Reader in International Education and Development at the University of Sussex. She has worked closely with international aid donors and non-governmental organisations, providing evidence-based policy advice for the past 20 years on a wide range of issues aimed at fulfilling commitments to Education for All. She has worked on large collaborative research programmes with teams in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Pauline is author of numerous publications on issues that examine educational policy and practice, including inequality, financing and governance, democratisation, and the role of international aid. donors such as the BRICS and the private sector increase their contributions. Currently, the BRICS combined give only $163 million to education. If just China committed to putting 0.7% of its gross national income to development aid as have many European donors, this would easily fill the entire funding gap. Alternatively, our research shows that new innovative forms of financing have much untapped potential for contributing funds to education. The gap could also be filled if philanthropic organisations gave as much to basic education as they have given annually to the health sector on an average over 2005-2010. How can developing countries raise more money to fund education?

The first way to fund education is to make it a top priority: we recommend that countries direct 20% of their budgets to education and prioritise pre-

While the gap sounds large, our calculations show that a significant portion of it can be bridged simply by fulfilling existing commitments. Like developing countries, donors should direct 20% of their budgets to education and prioritise basic education. European donor countries, which have agreed to allocate 0.7% of gross national income to aid, should fulfill this commitment, and other countries should do the same. These two actions combined could reduce the annual gap for basic education from $26 billion annually worldwide to just $3.4 billion.

Where does India stand on funding for education? India has made tremendous progress in reducing the number of out-of-school children, from 20 million in 2000 to 2 million in 2008, but the quality of education remains a major concern. The Right to Education Act is certainly a major step forward, but it also demonstrates the need to reinforce the right with clear rules and adequate financing. In addition, India plays a unique role in international education because it both gives and receives education aid: India has become a new education aid donor in recent years, along with Brazil, Russia and China. However, currently, these new donors’ (the BRICS) contributions make only $163 million a year. It is crucial that emerging economies such as India look to increasing their funding for education as we aim at more ambitious progress after 2015. What, according to you, is the biggest crisis in education?

I believe that equal access to quality education is the biggest crisis we face in education. Unfortunately, there is still a large gap in many countries between education opportunities for students from different backgrounds. In India, for example, children from rich households are nearly twice as likely to complete lower-secondary education as poor students. To tackle inequalities in society, we must tackle inequality in education. It should not matter where children are born, or what gender they are – all children should have equal access to quality education.

(This article is a follow-up of the cover story of Education Insider’s April issue, ‘All for Education, Education for All’)

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

online education

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Indian education should create talent for the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

by Dipin Damodharan

Kapil Rampal is the Director of Ivory Education, one of the market leaders in the modern education system. The institute focuses on executive learning, e-learning and virtual learning. Ivory Education works in close collaboration with premier institutions like MICA (The Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad), IIT Delhi, ADSA, Educatis University, Switzerland etc. In an interaction with Education Insider, Kapil talks about various programmes of the institute and new trends in online education

Kapil Rampal

ould you explain the flagship programmes of Ivory Education? Ivory Education offers several programmes that have become landmarks in the industry. These include Post Graduate Certificate in Advertising Management and Public Relations by MICA, Post Graduate Program for Executives by IMT Ghaziabad, Post Graduate Certificate in Market Research Data Analytics by MICA and Post Graduate Certificate in Retail Management by MICA. What about the employability of your programmes? Ivory Education makes a considerable investment in building programmes in order to create talent for the industry. We do an extensive research with involvement of the industry and the institutes before the programme is offered to the students. Companies actively recruit our students before they complete our programmes. What is the response from students? We are receiving good feedback from students for our programmes. We take extensive feedback from current, potential and past students and always try to improve our services. What are the new trends in online education? The technology in the area of online education is continuously evolving. One recent trend is that students are moving from centre-based education to programmes that can be done through internet. With the everincreasing speed of internet connectivity, it is now possible to connect to synchronous learning at the convenience of office or home. It is also now more suitable for those who are continuously travelling. There is an increasing amount of practical multimedia content to aid in learning. We are also developing analytical tools to do a real-time evaluation EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

and assessment that we believe will change the way education functions. How big is Indian online education market? Online education market in India is a little over Rs 500 crore per year. It is continuously growing. As per our estimate, it will be a billion dollar industry within a decade. What makes Ivory Education unique ? One thing that sets us apart is our focus on research in order to cocreate programmes that address the future needs of the industry. Our programmes are set to make students directly employable. Ivory Education has a technology team that conducts researches in technology development . One of the biggest drawbacks of the education industry in general is that it approaches education merely a programme. We see our role as a partner to our students in the growth and development of their career. We are also starting a repository of information and sources for our students on their sector, which will also be available to them even after the programme. We also invest in providing professional support and placement to our students, which is missing in the industry. What about the impact of technology on education, especially in a country like India? There have been great advances in technology in education. India has been one of the key countries that have taken to technology in education. There is an increasing outlay of public and private funds in education, which are increasingly being used for education. The adoption is increasing. Language labs, introduced just a few years ago, have helped in better language learning of

students. Online education has not only made the world-class education available to Indian students, but it has also enabled them to undertake programmes from premium institutes. Ivory Education also has a large pool of international students that are addressed by the finest Indian academicians. Drawbacks of Indian education system? Indian education system needs to evolve in order to create talent for the industry and make people employable. Higher education system in the country lacks disciple, relevance and efficiency. Higher education in public sector is the privilege of underprivileged, quotabeneficiaries, gifted and superprivileged. We need to create a sustainable higher education for the middle-class. India has a large percentage of youth, which can be both an asset and a liability. In case we are unable to create the talent needed for the industry, or creating the acumen to be entrepreneurs, we will waste a generation of youth. India will not remain a country with young population forever. Unless with focus on giving the right direction to the youth of India, in no time we will be a country of old people, with a small young population to take care of them. In my opinion, Government of India is missing on a tremendous opportunity by wasting public money in schemes like mid-day meal, MNREGA and other schemes that are spending mind-boggling sums of money every year. Instead, there should be a largescale focus on spending in higher education with a mechanism of creating a mechanism that is sustainable. NSDC is a step in the right direction but for a similar initiative is needed for higher education.

INNOVATION

Pavan Soni

There are indeed multiple pathways to success: What is yours? For me, success is the distance travelled in life multiplied by the number of lives influenced

ause for a moment and observe the sheer variety around yourself. Isn’t it interesting that there is always someone deeply engaged in doing a chore that you might find uninviting or even repulsive? Isn’t it that a task invariably finds a doer, and people ‘discover’ things that they like doing? Why is that the world doesn’t stop evolving, and things don’t stop moving, even if people change? It is largely because we live in a very complex world governed by some very simple rules, and that there is an extreme amount of variety on this earth that makes the place dynamic and attractive. If the world is built upon dynamism and variety, and if we know that there is a living for every person, then why do we force our children into some set pathways? When the nature has ‘created’ us as unique, why do we force-fit our coming generations into our own frames of thinking? One reason is perhaps that we have a very skewed definition of what is success, and another is that we are increasingly growing risk averse, even though the actual risk has been mitigated considerably. But before I jump

into drawing out nuances on how parents and children can chose and traverse their pathways, let me offer a definition of success. For me, success is the distance travelled in life multiplied by the number of lives influenced. Without sounding mathematical, I could offer that one is successful is he or she has moved from a position of disadvantage to one of advantage through own efforts, and while doing so has influenced a number of people around in a positive manner. By this token, those who are born with a silver spoon and remain so, don’t qualify, neither do the people who live for themselves and selfishly accrue all the value generated in the process of getting there. Success has no meaning if it doesn’t inspire others, and help the society at large, for remember we are a product of our society. Having said that, let me also add to it that there are many paths to success, and all one needs is to discover the one, and travel arduously. Let me decipher the process of making of such choices. I come from a small town, more specifically an industrial township. During my childhood there prevailed strong stereotypes EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

of what is success. Success for most was about cracking IIT- JEE entrance, or getting an MBBS seat, and that was pretty much the end of the story. Imagine a factory where the raw material comes in all shapes and sizes, and a variety of valuable attributes, and then these are cast into moulds, for those who fall by the side are despised by the factory workers. That was

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

the kind of society that I came from. If one doesn’t demonstrate considerable competence in science or mathematics, then attending to tuitions was the only resort, and in this while the child’s parents were feeling the embarrassment. Any form of art had no space, even as hobbies once the child moved from wearing a half- pant to a full-pant in the school.

When I look back, many of my friends did secure an engineering education, but interestingly very few are now working in jobs even remotely related to engineering! Most of my old buddies are actually making a living out of doing things far removed from their formal education. It’s same as if the material once forced into the mould is regaining its shape, or the elasticity in action? If they were to follow their hearts, then why wait? Fast forward to today, when I am in Bengaluru. Here I don’t often see parents forcing their children to factories which prepare them to gain seats in engineering or medical colleges. Parents and children are waking up to diverse options that suite their children’s appetite and ambition. The fundamental differences between small towns and big cities are many, but let me highly the three most significant ones. Firstly, since small towns have more of a homogenous population than cities, and that to densely packed, the social networks in action are strong. While people in such places enjoy rich social capital, there are strong sanctions if someone tries to attempt something different. In small places there are very strong and set notions of success and failure, and since people are densely packed, such notions get proliferated and strengthened over time. This issue is stronger in the case of industrial townships, such as Jamshedpur or colonies of Atomic Power Projects or Bokaro Steel City, among others. Secondly, the small towns and townships have very limited role models. Since we know, people, especially younger ones, are influenced by the role models around them; a narrow range of role models make smaller towns more insular. Students and their parents alike aren’t exposed to other pathways of being successful and making a living. To the contrary, larger cities with the influx of population from all parts of the country, or perhaps the world, offer a greater variety of role models. For instance, Chennai and Hyderabad have students seeking tennis coaching, and those in Bengaluru are

Innovation Pavan Soni

What’s the worst that could happen to a student? Getting failed, getting into drugs, or smoking, or may be meeting an accident

inspired to take up cricket. Music, and literary activities are still vital in parts of West Bengal, and so are sports prevalent in parts of certain northern states. These are the network externalities that we talk in economics. The third reason that cities offer a wider canvas to craft a career is because of the presence of a wide range of institutions on a variety of domains. Such institutions include schools and colleges, vocational training institutions, avenues for offering part- time employment, and clubs for like- minded people, among others. These support institutions, and rivalry among students is a perfect recipe for the emergence of newer careers, and newer levels of excellence. Reading the aforementioned differences between cities and small towns may make one feel hopeless about the future of small towns, which is not the intent here. Small towns have their own benefits, in terms of not getting

overwhelmed by the noise of all kinds. Children can craft their career living in small towns and townships as well for as long as they are ready to get exposed. In the connected economy, where the media and the Internet is a big leveler, students in small places shouldn’t feel left out at all. Here is my one suggestion on how students and their parents can help shape a career which is lasting and rewarding for oneself and the society at large, without getting disillusioned in the short run – Let parents and teachers cover the downside, and let the child explore the upside. What’s the worst that could happen to a student? Getting failed, getting into drugs, or smoking, or may be meeting an accident. Frankly, as Daniel Kahneman would say, most parents think of extremes when they think of their children. Rarely do children in closely knit societies, like that of ours, meet with such horrifying futures. Most children are perceived to be not doing well when they don’t score good in exams or spend too much time playing or watching television or being in front of computers or with a cell phone. If only parents could cover the downside risks of children committing gross mistakes, and leave the kids to achieve the upside benefits, both the parties would be happy. Frankly, parents are increasingly out of positions to guide their child’s career in any substantial manner, and what’s best to offer is a sense of freedom to experiment. A year or two lost during the childhood or even during schooling or in colleges, is worth more than a lifetime of

living while fulfilling somebody else’s dreams. Parents must cover for the downside, by not engaging in activities that they would not want their children to engage in, among others, but by no means can they ascertain the upside. Letting the child experiment with a hobby or two, making friends with people outside the ‘community’, taking up some weird sounding chores, or by simply engaging in seemingly unrelated tasks is the best that could be done. Am adopting the word ‘letting’ very carefully, as by not letting, parents would develop a sense of friction in the family and that’s lethal. Remember; though the world is governed by simple laws of physics, there remains a lot of causal ambiguity, for we don’t really know what leads to what. So, if success has no sure recipe, how good is a parent than a child? Helping the child experiment with life in general and career choices in particular is what parents should prepare themselves for. One needs to always keep in mind that there are infinite ways of travelling the distance and influencing people around in a positive manner. Getting into a narrow mindset in the short term thinking that there are only some tried and tested means of success is dangerous. While cities certainly offer greater avenues, role models, and institutional support for crafting careers, towns are no disadvantageous, if one chooses to explore the avenues. Remember, limits are in the minds and not in the real world, and for those who can challenge the self- imposed rules are the ones who are best suited to lead by setting examples. EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Campus focus

World’s major institute for biomedical study, research

Aiming to be a leading institution for scientific research and education in the world, Imperial College London sustains quality and intensive research aptitudes to address the challenges by Biyanka Merlyn John

mperial College London (Officially The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine), located in London, the United Kingdom, is a public research university specialised in Science, Engineering, Medicine and Business. Consistently rated among the world’s best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with its excellence in teaching and research. Founded in 1907, the institute offers the best quality of education for students from all over the world. Aiming to be a leading institution for scientific research and education in the world, Imperial College London sustains quality and intensive research aptitudes to address the challenges of today and the future and to develop the next generation of researchers, scientists and academics. Wide range of programmes Imperial College London provides rigorous and intensive undergraduate degree courses, which are designed to produce graduates. Imperial College is organised into four main academic units – Imperial College Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College Faculty of Engineering, and Imperial College Business School – within which there are over 40 departments, institutes and research centres. The College London offers undergraduate courses such as M Eng and MSc as well as Master’s

campus focus imperial college london degree programmes. (M Eng and MSc are considered as the additional one-year course of undergraduate programme). A prospective student can pick from over 110 undergraduate courses and 120 post graduate courses. The Bachelor’s degree courses include M Eng Aeronautical Engineering; BSc Biochemistry with Management; BSc Biology with a year in industry/research; M Eng Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering; B Eng Biomedical Engineering; BSc Biotechnology; BSc Chemistry and Management; M Eng Electrical and Electronics Engineering; MBBS/BSc Medicine; and MSc Physics with Theoretical Physics. The Master’s degree programme include M Sc Advanced Chemical Engineering with Biotechnology; MSc Advanced Chemical

Engineering with Process Systems Engineering; M Res Biodiversity, Informatics and Genomics; M Res Bioimaging Sciences; M Res Biosystematics; M Res Cancer Biology; MSc Computing (Architecture); MSc Epidemiology; M Res Experimental Neuroscience; and MSc Finance. Imperial College has around 13,500 full-time students and 3,330 academic and research staff members. It had a total income of £705 million in 201011, of which £299 million was from research scholarships and bonds. Admission procedure With the aim of pursuing its excellence and considering and evaluating individual potential, selection for entry is based on consideration of academic ability, motivation for study,

interest in the subject area, and the potential both to benefit from the experience and to contribute to college life during the course. Lucy Handford, Press and Communications Officer, Communications and Public Affairs, Imperial College London, says: “Over 10,000 home/EU students and 4,300 overseas undergraduate and post graduate students are currently studying at Imperial. As the admission process for all students applying to the college is the same, Imperial College London sticks on to ensure indiscrimination against each individual until pursuing his or her graduation degree.” Students need to apply via UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service) and complete an online application form, which consists of personal information, previous education,

references and predicted grades for an undergraduate course of study. They are expected to complete a personal statement of 4,000 characters expressing his/her intent to study the relevant subject, and are allowed to choose five courses from all the UK university options. The deadline for applications for Medicine is October 15, whereas January 15 will be for other courses. Students are requested to submit an online application form via the Imperial website in order to apply for Master’s degree programme. Students are required to provide two references from academics they have previously worked with during their undergraduate course and are also expected to submit the statement expressing their intent to study their preferable course. Applications can be made from November prior to the commencement of the academic year. Research programmes Formerly, a constituent college of the federal University of London, Imperial College is a major centre for biomedical research and is a founding member of the Imperial College Healthcare Academic Health Science Centre. Getting engaged with three broad levels, including core disciplines, multi-disciplinary research, and global challenges, which are interdependent, research at Imperial College aims at creating knowledge and provide solutions to societal and economic issues, including energy, environment, health care and security. The college’s long-term, theoretical research will continue to generate fundamental outputs, which are central to making new discoveries. Post-graduate students who apply for a research programme EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Imperial College London, located in London, the United Kingdom, is a public research university. Formerly a constituent college of the federal University of London, Imperial College is a major centre for biomedical research and a founding member of the Imperial College Healthcare Academic Health Science Centre should get in touch with a potential supervisor before making a formal application. The student should provide the supervisor a copy of the curriculum vitae and indicate the proposed topic of study, potential starting date and how he/she plans to fund the project. A formal application can be made online once the supervisor oversees a student’s research programme. Applications can be made throughout the year. Imperial College London offers summer research placements to students from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), Hong Kong University (HKU), and Tsinghua University for their undergraduate degree course. Tie-ups The college has created or participated in several largescale international activities such as the new joint Medical School with the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, the Knowledge Information Centres, the Abu Dhabi Diabetes Centre, and the Qatar Biobank.] “We have a number of

research-led tie-ups with Asian universities such as IISc Bangalore, Tsinghua University, Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, the University of Hong Kong, Seoul National University and a number of the IIT’s, says Lucy Handford.

Scholarships offered “There is no special selection policy for overseas students. There are a number of scholarships on offer for international students and it is in students’ best interests to do as much research as they can into the range of funding opportunities available at Imperial. The college’s website contains up-to-date information on scholarships,” according to Lucy Handford. At the post-graduate research level, the college has developed scholarships with the Imperial College Indian Foundation to fund two Indian students at PhD-level. Recently, it was announced that Imperial would fund an additional 50 full PhD scholarships for students from all over the world. World rankings Imperial College of London is consistently ranked among the top universities in the world, ranking 24th in the world in the 2011 Academic Ranking of World Universities, 6th in the world in the 2012 QS World University Rankings, and 8th in the world in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings-2012. Being a part of the Golden Triangle of British Universities, Imperial is a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Association of MBAs, the European University Association, the G5, the IDEA League, the League of European Research Universities, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and the Russell Group.

Media

Achal Paul

Is media boon or bane?

s media a boon or a bane? Everything in this modern age is powered by media from the moment we wake up until we sleep at night. Have we ever asked ourselves how all of this affects our reasoning, our power to choose and our lifestyle? Since mass media is used to communicate and interact with people from various walks

of life, it can often result in a conflict of opinions. The media, specifically in India, represents a convergence of paradoxes: tradition and modernity; anarchy and order; diversity and unity; conflict and cooperation; news and views; feudalism and democracy; the free market and monopoly. Mass media enjoys a very prominent role in our lives.

Therefore, there are various effects of mass media on society at large.

Mass media a boon? The wide reach offered by mass media is phenomenal. It can target both local and global audience. Over the years, mass media has played an important role in making people understand the meaning of democracy. We

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

also come to know about the strengths and weaknesses of the economy of our country, the various problems faced by the nation, achievements of the nation in different sectors, through the prompt and precise reporting of different forms of media. In a country like ours, where there are many castes, religions and languages spoken, media has even more tough responsibility of conveying the true news to the citizens. Media has done much good to society by exposing various scams, scandals, frauds, embezzlements and many other cases of corruption, leading to initiation of inquiries and other processes of prosecution against the perpetrators of these crimes. Some of the recent cases are witness that the Press has been instrumental in putting an end to atrocities. It has also brought to light some of the rustic practices like child marriage, dowry, etc., and has empowered women especially to come to the forefront and express their grievance. Media has not just become a form of disseminating information and entertainment but also the most trusted form of advertising. Millions of consumers and advertisers today receive a flood of information through commercial advertising. Recently, online media has become an improved modern method of interaction. Its quick and easy access at the touch of a button has not only made media powerful but also helps in keeping us updated even on the move. Mass media can be used for educational purposes in an effective manner, and media is a boon for all age groups and people from different walks of life in many ways. Mass media a bane?

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Media is a boon if it is socially responsible, unbiased, non-political, informative and educative to the masses but not to a class alone However, media suffers from some pitfalls; growing consumerism and materialism have adversely impacted our media. At times, the information reported may not be authentic from every angle. Hence, there may be a misinterpretation of a situation. News can be manipulated to influence the minds of the audiences. For example, a particular political party may manipulate reports in their favour, which would indicate the political control in the media. Media bias

can occur due to various issues. A journalist or an editor may give personal preference to an issue. A particular event or a celebrity may receive undue importance and set wrong ideals before the youth. It may present an ostentatious lifestyle, which may inculcate wrong ideals amongst youngsters. Unnecessary sensationalism of an issue may project incorrect information to the public. There is the danger that comes when making money is more important than quality of information flow. It clearly hampers the honest and unbiased functioning of the organisation. Due to the rise in social media, we have become a population that is afraid to be ‘left out’ – we need to know things that really has no value, and, to a certain extent, we are at risk of filling our lives and brains with worthless information at the expense of meaningful dialogue and interactions. Wrong interpretation of news may even blow things out of proportion. This would create further unrest in any place or even violence in case of extreme situations. Media is a boon if it is socially responsible, unbiased, non-political, informative and educative to the masses but not to a class alone. But, it is a curse if it carries information or coverage to sensationalise, create curiosity among the public, misrepresentation of facts at the cost of someone’s reputation. For long-term solutions, we will have to bank on the educational institutions to educate, train, groom and prepare the youth to be more discerning viewers rather than passive spectators or participants in order to avoid any irresponsible influence or working of the media. (Achal Paul is Director of BUZZ Communications, Delhi)

BRAINWAVE

Spirituality is synonymous with being natural Michael Fischman, a former advertising executive with Ogilvy & Mather, is foundermember and president of the US Art of Living Foundation. He is also the CEO of APEX (Achieving Personal Excellence), the corporate training division of the International Association for Human Values by Neethu Mohan

Please tell us about your book

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the story of my life. I was born in New York City as the son of a Holocaust survivor. Then, through some mysterious turn of events, I met the man who changed my life completelyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The purpose of the book is to expose people to spirituality and break a number of myths and concepts.

regulations, formalities and stiffness or hierarchy. I think that these do not allow people to be free and express themselves.

What brings you to India? What is the best thing you like about India?

I am here promoting the book. I am here on, national tour so that people can learn about the book and have exposure to spirituality. What do I love about India? Everything. The people here are fantastic, values are different from those in the United States, the family values, and the food.

Who is a wise teacher? what are the five qualities that a wise teacher should possess.

First of all, I think a wise teacher should have a high level of integrity. He should not speak about something he does not know or has never experienced. Another important quality is unconditional love, because if you are not accepting a student for whatever he/she is and if you are judgemental, then knowledge does not flow. You feel intimidated. So unconditional love is very important. There should not be a lot of rules,

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

A wise teacher should have a high level of integrity. He should not speak about something he does not know or has never experienced. He has to give confidence to the student and support the student. In other words, a teacher should be a mentor

A teacher has to give confidence to the student and support the student. In other words, a teacher should be a mentor. Another aspect of a good teacher is that he allows intimacy to happen. Intimacy on the level of heart, because it is love that will inspire anybody to do anything.

What is the role of spirituality in education?

The purpose of spirituality is realising the self, helping one to become more normal. As far as education is concerned, what I think is the big obstacle for many students is that there is a lot of pressure on them and they are stressed out to become academic toppers.

Let us say they should have some way to come back to innocence. I think that their stress level is preventing them from becoming their best.

What do you think of entrepreneurship in students?

I think that you have to have courage and you have to have confidence in yourself.Being an entrepreneur is doing something different from the standard, preconceived notion of the direction of the student. I do not think that you should do something just because you are going to make a lot of money or just because your parents want you to do that. I think you should do something because you really believe that this is what is going to bring you satisfaction.

What are the things that you would like to change in the US?

Well, if I am going to compare India and the United States, one thing that is very obvious is the nuclear family. It is more stronger in India than it is in the US. I think the attention that the Indian parents give to the children to be successful in education is very inspiring, and I think that, if those values are brought to the West, then it will be a good thing.

What is the difference between the student community in India and the US?

In the West, there is much more freedom. We are not so concerned about our status and operating the way that everybody expects to be. Individuality and freedom are very much part of the West paradigm. What I find in the Indian student community is that they have a tendency to fit in. They are much worried about their parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations about them. This is problematic.

Any message to the youth? Follow your dreams!

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

indian campus

Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s illustrious tech varsity by Neethu Mohan

Delhi Technical University (formerly Delhi College of Engineering) is Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading technological university, inspired by talent and driven by innovation. It has an illustrious history spanning over 71 years and has a highly distinguished alumni presence throughout the world. The father of Pentium Chip, Vinod Dham, graduated from this prestigious institution, and so have the CMDs of BHEL, EIL, BEL and HAL as well as chairman of CEA.

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

stablished in 1941, Delhi Technical University (DTU) was formerly known as Delhi College of Engineering (DCE). DTU was established with the sole aim of catering to the needs of Indian industries for trained technical manpower with practical experience and theoretical knowledge. The national diploma awarded by the institution was recognised as equivalent to degree-level for the purposes of employment. In 1952, the college was affiliated to University of Delhi and started formal degree-level programmes. The institution was set up at historic Kashmere Gate campus. It comprised a multi-disciplinary and multi-level institution offering wide-ranging programmes in engineering, technology, arts and sculpture, architecture, pharmacy, and commerce. The Department of Architecture later became the School of Planning and Architecture, now a Deemed University and

institution of national importance. The department of Arts and Sculpture became College of Arts, and the departments of Chemical Technology and Textile Technology were moved out to mark the beginning of IIT, Delhi, on its new campus at Hauz Khas. The Department of Commerce was later abolished, and the faculty of Management Studies of University of Delhi was established by Prof. A Das Gupta, of DCE. Delhi College of Engineering is thus the mother institution of a number of national projects, including IITD, SPA, College of Arts, and even the famous FMS. Till 1962, the college was under the direct control of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. In 1963, the administration of the college was handed over to Delhi Administration. Delhi College of Engineering was under the administrative control of the Department of Technical Education and Training, of the

Delhi Administration. For academic purposes, the college was affiliated to University of Delhi in 1952. From July 2009, the DCE has become Delhi Technical University vide Delhi Act 6 of 2009. The courses offered by the institution include Bachelor of Technology (B Tech.), Master of Technology (M Tech.), Master of Science (M Sc), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph D.) and Master of Business Administration (MBA). Core engineering courses include Computer Science, Electronics and Communication, Information Technology, Mathematics and Computing, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, and Civil Engineering. There is Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree course in Production and Industrial Engineering, Engineering Physics, Biotechnology, Environmental Engineering, Polymer Science, and Chemical Technology.

“today’s students are more fortunate”

Dr P B Sharma

rof. P B Sharma, ViceChancellor of Delhi Technical University, is a renowned academician who has directed DCE for the last two decades and brought it to its eminent position. Prof. Sharma, who has a doctorate from Birmingham University, is a former professor of IIT, Delhi, and was the first Vice-Chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi Technological University, Bhopal. Prof. Sharma is Fellow of World Academy of Productivity Sciences, Fellow of Aeronautical Society of India, Fellow of Institution of Engineers, and elected Fellow of Indian Society of Technical Education. He is also former president of the Engineering Science Division of Indian Science Congress and former expert member of Central Advisory Board of Education of the Government of India. He has received the Eminent Engineer Award-2008 from Institution of Engineers and the Lifetime Achievement Award-2009 from Indian Institute of Industrial Engineering.

BRAIN WAVE

indian campus delhi technical university

Excerpts from an interview with Prof. P B Sharma, ViceChancellor of Delhi Technical University: What are the unique features of Delhi Technological University? The DTU has successfully percolated the research and innovation culture right from the undergraduate-level and has taken major initiatives to create a seamless environment for synergy between science and engineering. The focus in DTU is on empowering young engineers and technocrats with the wings of knowledge and power of innovation with which they shall take flights of success,

medals for Best Student Best Project have been introduced. • Samsung Electronics, the leading MNC in cutting-edge digital technology, has entered into partnership with DTU for industry-relevant technology training and student innovation support. M Tech programme in Software Technology was started in December 2011 for Samsung Electronics (India). In all, 20 engineers of Samsung are enrolled in this programme, which focuses on knowledge and specialised skills of mobile computing, design of future smart-phones, and software quality and testing as per global standards. • FICCI and Texas-based Lockheed Martin have

In the last three years of its functioning as a technological university, several new initiatives were taken to foster industry-relevant research and innovative educational programmes at DTU paint the canvas of tomorrow’s science and technology and serve society with devotion and professional and work ethics. DTU has research collaborations with the following renowned R & D organisations and software companies: • Lockheed Martin, the worldrenowned aerospace company, has funded sponsored research at DTU for design and development of new-generation unmanned aircraft for urban application. • Parallel Hybrid Car development at DTU is supported by Indian Oil Corporation and Maruti Ltd. • TCS is partnering with DTU for faculty development and technology workshops. TCS gold

approached DTU for establishing a technology and innovation incubation unit. • MoU with National Singapore University (top-ranking, worldclass university) has been signed by the Department of Computer Engineering of DTU for faculty and student exchange. • MoU with Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, a major R&D Laboratory of CSIR relating to fuel, combustion and international combustion engines, has been signed to create the desired synergy between academia and R&D organisations in areas of national relevance. • MoU with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for joint R&D, consultancy and indigenisation of Metro

technologies. The MOU also shall facilitate internship to DTU students in Metro projects and joint educational and training programmes for capacity building. • Microsoft (India) has offered 3,000 free passwords for Microsoft Dream Spark Package of Software for Design and Development. • DTU signed MoU with the National Physical Laboratory to offer advanced MTech and PhD programmes and conduct joint research and training.

What are the major initiatives taken during your tenure as Vice-Chancellor? In the last three years of its functioning as a technological university, several new initiatives were taken to foster industryrelevant research and innovative educational programmes at DTU. The major achievements of DTU after being incorporated as a technological university in July 2009 are: • Five new UG programmes and eight PG programmes were added in emerging areas of engineering and technology, which are highly relevant to the industries. These programmes include areas such as Nanoscience and Technology, VLSI Design and Embedded Systems, Microwave and Optical Communication, Software Engineering, Information Systems, and Intelligent Power Systems. • Soon after becoming a university, DTU completed a major exercise of curriculum innovation for its UG and PG programmes and introduced innovated curriculum for all the 15 UG and 18 PG programmes. • DTU has achieved excellent placements for its UG and PG programmes. Leading corporate which visited the campus include Microsoft, Google, Goldman Sachs, Directi, Texas EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

An aerial view of the campus Instruments, Indian Oil, Maruti, Yahoo, Oracle, Samsung, EPIC, Alstom, CSC, Deolite, McKinsey, Adobe, NTPC, GAIL, BHEL, MUL, EIL, DRDO, L&T, and TCIL. The highest annual salary package has gone up to Rs 60 lakh a year. Six students who were offered Rs 60 lakh a year include four students from the Software Engineering and Information Systems programmes, which were introduced after DCE became DTU. • New faculty added: In all, 52 new regular faculty members were added in various departments of DTU as assistant professors. Further, another 24 faculty members joined at associate professor and professor levels (All of them were selected through Statutory Selection Committees and open advertisement). • DTU has strengthened its industry interface and R&D collaboration with leading R&D organisations and world-class universities in India and aboard. • DTU offers a highly studentfriendly, open environment for creative research and innovations. It promotes inter-disciplinary engineering student teams to engage in cutting-edge research and world-class innovations. The first solar car of India, designed and developed by the DTU student team, Solaris, participated EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

in the World Solar Challenge-2011 in Australia. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of DTU has earned a pride place among Top Three in the world competition organised by AUVSI at Maryland, the US, in June 2012. • The DTU campus is an inspiration to the talented student community and faculty to engage themselves in strengthening India’s S&T capabilities as also participate in world-level design competitions. • The lush green DTU campus, spread over 163 acres, has 110 solar streetlights as well as solar water geysers in its eight hostels. The campus also has a 3,000-litre- capacity wastewater reprocessing unit. DTU is a selfsustained campus as far as water is concerned as the university does not draw a single litre of water from MCD. • With its academic, research and innovations aligned towards creating the power of science and the might of technology, the DTU, as a technological university, is being rapidly transformed into a world-class technical university. For higher studies – Master’s and PhD – even today, the best students go to the US and Europe. Why is it that we do not have world-class institutions for higher studies?

For this, major investment is required to create worldclass research facilities in our universities. Further, the universities in India should adopt the best practices of renowned world-class universities for developing the desired ecosystem for world-quality education and research. This would mean adaptation of tenure track faculty recruitment, flexible pay packages for faculty commensurate with their capabilities and expertise, peer review-based performance appraisal, and implementation of an academic and research policy to bring academic rigour in Indian universities. In fact, India’s higher education today is in search of world quality, industry relevance and is on the threshold of a great opportunity for excellence. The time to act is now, or else we shall miss the bus. Indian universities should internationalise by preparing themselves as world-class global education providers and the universities should be shaped as major pillars of strength for the industries at home and abroad. This requires a major focus on knowledge creation and internationalisation of our research and innovation systems. How do you compare the attitude of the students of your

indian campus delhi technical university

The students of today are more fortunate than those of our times in the 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Today, they have all the access knowledge to --revaluation as they are empowered with internet. Further, they are living in times of science and technology advancements and are in a position to see the value and worth of their education much better than in our days. times and today? The students of today are more fortunate than those of our times in the 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Today, they have all the access to knowledge revaluation as they are empowered with internet. Further, they are living in times of science and technology advancements and are in a position to see the value and worth of their education much better than in our days. For example, it is far more easier to become a world-class technoentrepreneur today as also become an innovator because of the innovative and creative environment in the universities and institutions. What do you like the most about the Indian education system? The best part of the Indian education system is the intense desire and urge on the part of the students and their parents

to take admissions for higher education. This is further strengthened by abundance of talent in the student community. However, what is disturbing is that the universities and institutions often are not able to create the desired peer pressure to help the students attain excellence. This is primarily because of academic rigour and lack of research integrity. Rapid and rather uncontrolled expansion has further made the situation worst in the Indian technical education system.

Is the education system in India undergoing a churning process? We have major reforms on the anvil. However, our success will be determined by our use of ICT technology intensive education environment supported by a vibrant culture of research and

innovation. Currently, India scores much more on use of ICT in education and in respect of its share of knowledge creation and intellectual property development.

What are your plans for DTU? New PG programmes in the areas of high relevance to industry such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics and Machine Vision, Design Engineering, Clean Energy Technology, Solar Power Engineering, and Medical Engineering will be added in the coming years. The future focus of DTU at UG-level shall be on dual-degree programmes in areas of high industry relevance as also on twin-degree programmes with leading technical universities abroad. We in DTU are seriously engaged in preparing our technical university as an innovation university of tomorrow. EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

CRACK IAS

Dr B Ashok IAS

Civil Service Examination: Changes for the Better The Civil Service Examination (CSE), conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), has been recast with a few critical changes in 2013. The Civil Service Examination conducted in three different stages is used to recruit young graduates into the highest civil positions available in the country, including many senior positions under the various state governments and departments and agencies of the Government of India. The senior-most civil echelons are recruited through this examination, including that of Cabinet Secretary

he three important constitutional All-India Services (AIS), namely, Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, and Indian Forest Service and the Diplomatic Service (IFS) are selected

EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

through this common examination, which usually spreads over about 18 months. The examination is open to all qualified graduates holding a graduate degree approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) or equivalent qualification. It

attracts about 3-4 lakh applications a year and about 2 lakh serious competitors at the first stage of competition, now known as the Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT). The Union Public Service Commission selects about 10-

crack IAS 12 times the total number of vacancies of the year for competing in the main written stage of the examination and about twice to thrice the number of vacancies in the personality test. A merit list is produced based on the aggregate scores achieved by the candidates in those competitive subjects in the main examination and the personality test (interview) taken together. Only 2 out of 1,000 applicants figure in the final merit list, and candidates need to be in the first 300 ranks to be allocated their services of first or second choice. In

terms of the number of applicants and the degree of competition, the examination is possibly unmatched in the entire world. Apart from banking, private sector management and teaching professions, the Civil Service offers best general opportunities for employment in the job market in India. Since 2011, the Union Public Service Commission has been making various changes to the pattern of the examination to reduce its predictability and increase its competitiveness. These changes are notified for the present year in UPSC’s notifications dated 5-5-

2013 and 26-5-2013 available in the UPSC website www.upsc.gov.in (Referring to the website is advised while you continue to read this article). The changes introduced in the preliminary stage of the examination were implemented in 2011. The first change was to replace the subject-based optional paper in the preliminary examination with a general paper making CSAT an examination of 400 marks (200 marks each in two papers) conducted on the same day across India. The subject content of the two papers is provided hereafter.

Preliminary EXamination (CSAT) The examination shall comprise two compulsory papers of 200 marks each.

Paper-I (200 marks) Duration: 2 hours Current events of national and international importance History of India and the Indian National Movement Indian and world geography – physical, social, economic geography of India and the world. Indian polity and governance – Constitution, political system, panchayati raj, public policy, rights issues Economic and social development, sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives, etc. General issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change – that do not require subject specialisation. General sciences.

Paper- II (200 marks) Duration: 2 hours Comprehension Inter-personal skills, including communication skills Logical reasoning and analytical ability Decision-making and problem-solving General mental ability Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), data interpretation (chart, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level) English language comprehension skills (Class X level) Note – 1: Question relating to English language comprehension skills of Class X level (last item in the syllabus of Paper II) will be tested through passages from English language only without providing Hindi translation thereof in the question paper. Note – II: The questions will be of multiple choices, objective type. There is negative marking on all questions answered at the rate of one-third of the mark allotted otherwise for the question. As students form Kerala are generally very well-versed with the idea of negative marking, we need not elaborate it here. The questions in the CSAT are of multiple-choice type, and candidates are only required to

select an appropriate answer from the options given in the question paper itself. As this format of testing is extremely common, this need not be elaborated here. It may be noted that Paper II has more marks per question and hence losses could affect prospects more. The multiple-choice question type does not give you any freedom to guess answers blindly as wrong

answers carry a minus mark equivalent to one-third of the mark provided for the right answer in the same question. The change of supplanting the optional subject paper in the preliminary stage has been done deliberately to introduce a highly competitive comprehension section, testing communication skill, logical reasoning, analytical ability, general mental ability and EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

numerical ability of the candidate, in addition to History, Current Affairs, Geography, Polity, Governance, Development, and General Science, which are tested in Paper I. The CSAT is a highly competitive screening test, and mere graduation is not sufficient to clear it. What is important is diligent and directed study lasting about a year in its subject area and adequate practice using highly competitive question papers, which are available in the market. Being a multiplechoice question paper test, which has to be completed in two hours per paper, one needs to answer a question almost every minute. Accuracy and speed matter and periodic tracking of the progress in the objective format is completely essential. Mere reading will not help. This is a very skill-based test. As the subject paper has been replaced by an ability-based paper, the candidates need to peruse the previous question papers focussing on English comprehension, Maths, Mental Ability and Logical reasoning ability which are so common in Bank, MBA, and GRE examinations. This new paper introduces a lot of scope for able candidates with good basic Maths and logical skills to outshine candidates who are having subject expertise only. Similarly, it was felt that the various coaching institutes have gained a lot of expertise in tackling the subject-based paper as they were coaching candidates over long periods in the erstwhile CSPE Paper – 2. This disruptive change for CSAT is meant to introduce a bias towards originality and skill in the candidates, requiring much more than subject knowledge. EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

In addition to the changes in the preliminary examination, one can see that the main examination format has also been transformed considerably this year.

Changes in Main Examination Usually, the Commission revises the examination scheme once every 10 years. This time, the implemented changes follow the recommendations of an Expert Committee constituted for the purpose, chaired by Dr Arun Nigavekar, former Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC). The Commission discussed the proposed changes with senior Central and State officials and the state-level Public Service Commissions before seeking the final approval of the Central Government. It may be kept in mind that the initial notification issued on 5-5-2013 was further amended on 26-5-2013 and it is most essential to read both notifications completely before deciding to apply this year for the examination. Please do not base the application only on the 5-5-2013 notice, which could be completely misleading. These changes were warranted because of the criticism which arose regarding certain restrictions in the initial notification imposed on the use of regional languages both as medium as well as optional subject. The changes made on the basis of the recommendations of the Expert Committee were in the nature of increasing the importance of General Studies by adding two specific papers as well as introducing a compulsory English paper, which all candidates have to attend. It was further stipulated

initially to allow optional subjects in literature of languages only to those graduates who have studied it as their main subject of study in graduation.

The rationale for removing the second optional is explained as follows: As most graduates tackled a new subject for the second optional, many commercial coaching institutes were fleecing the aspirants to teach the basics of a second subject in the few months available before the main examination ‘as crash courses.’ It was also found that the second subject, often taught only for the purpose of the examination, did not add any lasting professional value to the aspirant. It was also felt that various candidates are succeeding by focussing exclusively on what was known as ‘highly scoring second optional subjects’ which gave them a distinct edge over candidates who scored more evenly over their chosen subjects and General Studies. Some of those subjects were hardly studied at university-level, like Public Administration. The present changes clearly make the General Studies, which will have four papers instead of two previously, the area to focus as it will carry a weightage of 1000 marks in the written examination consisting of 1750 marks. Apart from the conventional essay and basic English and regional language, which comprises the first paper (Part A & B), General Studies will have four papers with subject areas detailed below. The scheme of Main Examination can be discussed in the next issue for easy understanding.

Prospective Courses

T P Sethumadhavan

Palliative care

getting more

attention

Courses in palliative care, public health, and microbiology are gaining more importance

Neuroscience

Neuroscience focuses on how specific components of the nervous system such as ion channels, synapses and transmitter receptors contribute to the properties of neurons and the operation and function of the nervous system. Invertebrate, amphibian and mammalian models of neural function are used: Drosophila, to study the genetic determinants of neural properties; the Xenopus embryo, to study the operation of neural circuits in intact nervous system; and mammalian brain slices, to study the properties of synapses and neurons in the neonatal and adult brain. Understanding how the expression of ion channels and the properties of neurons and synapses are regulated throughout development forms an important unifying theme.

Economics

Department of Economics comprises a number of overlapping and interlocking groups, organised around research workshops in developmental studies, public economics, economic theory, econometrics, development economics, economic history, industrial economics, labour economics, and macroeconomics. The public economics group, in particular, is developing fast. In macroeconomics, one focus of interest is international financial crisis and international monetary arrangements. Dynamic general equilibrium models, especially with market imperfections, are used in the study of fluctuations and in the design of policy. Specialised areas include computable general equilibrium, global trade patterns and environmental issues. Research in industrial economics is both theoretical and empirical conducted at both the macro and the micro levels. Important issues of public policy arise in several areas, such as industrial strategy, regulatory policy, the economic analysis of trade unions and the economics of technology policy.

MSc Palliative Care

Recently, palliative care has been getting more attention in the health care system. Post-graduate programme in palliative care through its innovative work-based approach enhances the level of expertise to practitioners who hold a degree but wish to gain specialist palliative care skills.

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Through this programme, students will develop a valid vision on palliative care and attitudes and learn to appreciate the life pattern of people experiencing life-threatening illness and how best to respond from within a holistic framework. Moreover, the student will gain knowledge on approaches to care and appreciate the social context of death within contemporary society and its impact on care across diverse cultural boundaries. Globally, palliative care has become a significant focus area for development within multiple healthcare settings like hospitals, nursing homes and community care centres. Therefore, there is immense career potential for experienced practitioners or graduates seeking basic palliative care skills.

MSc Public Health

‘Prevention is better than cure’ – and so the public health system acquires more importance. It can control epidemics and can act as a pre-requisite for the healthcare system. Courses on public health are aimed at medically and non-medically qualified people. This include those in primary or secondary care, nursing and professions related to medicine, health promotion, health care research, health management, veterinary public health, zoonotic diseases, emerging diseases like swine flu, avian influenza and anyone wishing to develop a career in public health. The student will benefit from an innovative work-based approach focusing on practical and critical public health skills and opportunities for research. Public health has become an increasingly significant focus of government plans, initiating developments at both local and national levels within multiple healthcare settings. On successful completion of the MSc Public Health, the student will be equipped with specialist skills and attitudes needed to pursue career in this area.

Microbiology

Microbiology involves studying a diverse range of microbial systems with a view to understanding how such organisms interact with and respond to their environment. Organisms that are essential for major

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biochemical processes affecting the climate, such as phytoplankton and bacterial plankton in the marine environment, are one of the areas of interest. Factors that permit organisms to grow on specific substrates or to cause disease under particular environmental conditions are studied using a variety of biochemical, molecular biological and genetic techniques.

Aviation

Global demand for air travel passenger is projected to grow by five percent yearly for the next 20 years. Moreover, cargo sector will grow by six percent a year. This will create new opportunities in the aviation and airspace sector in the world. According to International Air transport Association, Intra-Asia-Pacific air travel is becoming the world’s largest aviation market. In order to manage this dramatic growth anticipated for the air transport sector, tomorrow’s managers must know how to operate complex and growing aviation systems efficiently and effectively by applying the best managerial and leadership practices. The challenge is to meet the environmental and economic sustainability demands of society to meet the needs of an increasingly interconnected world. As the world continues to offer more opportunities for the public to take to the skies, a highly skilled professional workforce is required to meet the needs of the individual traveller. Across the world, aviation and aeronautical universities have created a range of educational programmes at the undergraduate and graduate levels to create skilled professionals in critical support areas like weather forecasting, air traffic management, aircraft engineering and design, aircraft and engine maintenance, and safety and security systems. These programmes help the students get a better career in the aviation sector.

Dr T P Sethumadhavan is Academic Consultant and Officer on Special Duty Directorate of Entrepreneurship Kerala Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, Mannuthy, Thrissur, Kerala, India.

FOCUS AJ Aviation Institute, Bengaluru

Ideal for aviation studies There are not many aviation schools like AJ Aviation Institute in Bengaluru which offers fulltime degree courses and management courses that enable students to seek higher jobs in the aviation sector by EI Bureau

J Aviation Institute, located in the part of Baengaluru city, aims at delivering excellent management professionals and top quality customer service in the aviation industry. AJ group entered the aviation sector in 2009, after the success of its nursing college, which was established in 2004. AJ Aviation Institute has many full-time degree courses such as BCA, BBA and BCom with aviation as a subject. The management courses BBA, BCA and BCom are affiliated to Bangalore University. Hence, a graduation from AJ Aviation enables one to seek higher jobs in the aviation sector. The Master’s degree courses

like MIB and MBA also provide opportunities to study aviation. Many diploma courses such as Diploma in Ground Handling and Cargo Management, Diploma in Airport and Airline Management, etc., are taught at AJ Aviation Institute. Praveen G Thambi, Managing Director, says: “Our courses are affiliated to Bengaluru University. While most institutes offer part-time diploma courses, we provide full-time degree and diploma courses. We have one-year diploma course in Airport Management, Customer Care Management, Cabin Crew Services, and Airhostess Training as well as six-month diploma course in Ground Staff Services.

Also of MBA and BBA degree courses in Aviation. Have offer diploma courses in Tourism and Hospitality, which, in future, would develop along with aviation industry.” The institution is keen on producing skilled professional professionals to meet the requirements of the aviation industry at the domestic and global levels. The full-time courses of in Aviation come with dual certification along with UGC and DEC, which are approved by University and Aviation Academy. About the campus, Praveen G Thambi says: “The three-acre campus of AJ Aviation Institute is suitable for developing future management professionals EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

of the aviation industry. The institution has classrooms with four-star facilities. Each student is given laptop computer, and there is a full-fledged computer lab. The teacherstudent relations are warm. On the institute’s teachers, Praveen Thambi says; “The highly facilitated classrooms and excellent faculty are the strengths of AJ Aviation Institute. Aviation is a glamorous field. Brilliant students are admitted to our campus and they need skilled faculty to teach them. We bring experienced faculty like airport professionals as guest lecturers. Our regular teachers are skilled and efficient.” Describing aviation as a fast-growing sector, Praveen G Thambi says: “There is good scope for aviation courses. Today, a majority of people have no awareness about the aviation industry. For example, many people in Wayanad and Idukki districts are ignorant of the industry. The situation is bound to change, and now we have airports with private-public partnership. This means plenty of job opportunities in the field. That is why job-oriented studies are in demand. The glamour of IT and medical-based courses has come down. This also has led to the fast growth of the aviation industry-related

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courses.” On educational loan, Thambi says that “the students with poor background, need educational loans to do the course. That the institute is affiliated to a recognised university makes the students avail educational loans. AJ Aviation is planning to make connections with international universities, which would enhance the job opportunities of our students.” The institution provides 100 percent placements. It has tie-ups with 38 airlines and airports, which give many opportunities to the students. The institution offers separate hostels for boys and girls, very near the campus. Hygienic mess provides nutritious food. South Indian foods, especially Kerala foods, are available. The institute is in the forefront regarding sports and entertainment, according to Thambi. “The amenities for recreation and sports activities in AJ Aviation Institute encourage the students in extracurricular activities. Facilities are on the campus to play cricket, badminton, table tennis, chess, etc. For a student who wishes to take up aviation as a career, AJ Aviation is the right institute.

FOCUS

Unique institution that’s IIRM

Institute of Insurance And Risk Management, IIRM, aims to serve the learning and developmental needs of emerging markets in the context of their contemporary challenges in Insurance sector. Known as an international research-based institute, IIRM offers many unique courses like the International Post Graduate Diploma in Life Insurance, the International Post Graduate Diploma in General Insurance, the International Post Graduate Diploma in Risk Management etc.

by EI Bureau Located in Gachibowli, Hyderabad, IIRM is a joint venture of the Insurance Regulatory Authority of India and Andhra Pradesh Government. Its managing director Vepa Kamesam says: “It is the only institution in the world where insurance regulatory authority has collaboration with a state government.”The 5-acre campus of IIRM was donated by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. According to Vepa Kamesam, “IIRM is devoted exclusively to furthering insurance education and related subjects.” The institute offers many courses in insurance such as Post Graduate Diploma in General

Insurance, International Post Graduate Diploma in Risk Management, Post Graduate Diploma in Actuarial Sciences etc. The full list of courses is available at http://www. iirmworld.org.in. IIRM is open to graduates having a minimum of 50 per cent marks in any subject. Students appearing for the final year examination can also apply for the IIRM courses. The students aspiring to join IIRM include those with MBA, MSc, MCom, BIRM, BCA, BBM, BTech, BE, BA, and BSC degrees. Admission is given on the basis of personal interview and academic excellence. IIRM also offers distance

education programmes. PGD in Risk Management benefits both consumers and product providers. Nowadays, even small changes in the political and economic fields affect both domestic and international markets. Therefore, to analyse the situation well, proper study is required. All the students have to study five general subjects – Insurance Law, Economics and Business, Insurance Business and Finance, Marketing Insurance Products and Services, and Insurance Cooperative Management. IIRM is connected with many international organisations in the field such as Chartered EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

IIRM made me realise my dreams and equipped me with confidence and advanced professional skills to turn them into reality Deeksha Pandit, Alumna, IIRM

There is a saying “Well begun is half done”. For those who dream to have a well beginning of their career in insurance industry, IIRM is the best. Madhupriya, Alumna , IIRM Insurance Institute (CII), London. About the prestigious collaboration with CII, Vepa Kamesam says: “We are proud of being connected with CII, an institution having excellent academic standards. Our postgraduate diploma courses have accreditation all over the world.” IIRM is associated with other international associations like Insurance Supervisors and American Institute of Insurance. Its advisory panel comprises wellestablished professors from abroad. IIRM started PGD course in Jakarta in 2003. EDUCATION INSIDER I May 2013

Vepa Kamesam is the Managing Director of IIRM. Earlier he was Advisor to IIRM. Kamesam was also the Managing Director of State Bank of India. He was appointed, in july 2001, as Deputy Governor of RBI for two years and his term was extended till December 2003, when he retired. While at RBI, he was in charge of several operational departments and notable progress was seen in currency Management and Information Technology areas. He was on the Board of NHB and NABARD representing RBI. Post retirement he served as Chairman, IDRBT, Hyderabad till December 2004 and Chairman, BRBNMPL, Bangalore till 31st March 2005. He is also honorary visiting faculty at ASCI, Bellavista, Hyderabad.

F0CUS

IPE: Excellence in education, research, consultancy

Prof R K Mishra, Director, IPE

The Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE) is a pioneer institution in management studies with a proud heritage of half a century. This research institute with tremendous scope in training and consultancy has been producing management professionals with exceptional skills. Satyan N Kondulo, Senior Administrative Manager of the IPE, and Prof R K Mishra, IPE Director, talk to Education Insider about the perspective of IPE.

he Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE) in Hyderabad is an educational society that is reputed for excellence in the education sector. IPE is acclaimed for its dedication to delivering education, research, training, and consultancy for both private and publicsector ventures and research programmes. Satyan N Kondulo, senior administrative manager of IPE, says: “Basically, IPE focuses on research, training and consultancy. Our teachers do research, which is a unique way of teaching the PGDM course. We do a lot of consultancy at both government and private levels.” The Institute of Public

Enterprise, started in 1964 in Hyderabad, has transformed itself into one of the renowned educational centres in India. S S Khera, the then Cabinet Secretary, had put forward the idea of an educational institution in the public sector that focuses on research. V V Ramachadran, Head of the Commerce Department of Osmania University, turned Khera’s idea into reality, and the Institution of Public Enterprise was set up. In the beginning, it was a non-profit society. In 1978, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and the Ministry of Human Resource Development recognised the institute as a Centre of Excellence in the field of

social science research. The Government of Andhra Pradesh and ICSSR provided funds to the institution. In 1981, management courses were started in the institution. Prof. R K Mishra, director and member-secretary of IPE, spoke to Education Insider about the institute’s uniqueness. “Ours is the largest institute for management studies in the private and public sectors. At IPE, you can see a blend of private, public and government sectors. We have with us the chairman of ONGC, former chairman of ONGC, and chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, besides top officials from corporate bodies and private institutions.” On the complaint from

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IPE provides big opportunities for practical exposure for the PGDM students. From the first semester onwards, the students have to conduct seminars, and they have to submit six to seven papers in a year. They have a senior executive from a company to guide them

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the industry that students coming out of the universities are not industry-friendly, Prof. Mishra said: “Here, we can quote Ratan Tata. Two years they (the students) spent in the universities and two years they spent getting trained with us. What can we do? In many matters, the industry, the institution and the government have to work together. In matters like placement, industry ownership and campus recruitment, a linkage is needed among them, and IPE has this linkage.” The admission process is tough. CAT score, group discussion, academic

records, and personal interview are the criteria used in the selection procedure. On the facilities provided for the PGDM students in IPE, Satyam N Kondulo, senior administrative officer, says: “IPE provides big opportunities of practical exposure for the PGDM students. From the first semester, the students have to conduct seminars, and they have to submit six to seven papers in a year. They have a senior executive from a company to guide them. They can make their personal views on the subjects of seminar and get them

evaluated by experts in the field. Students conduct cultural and art programmes. All these will help them manage and organise finance as future businessmen.” IPE is located in 20 acres of beautiful land adjacent to the Shameerpet Lake, 28 kms from Hyderabad city. In all, 600 students study in the institute. IPE has a large library. The institute will shift to a new campus where lodging will be provided, which will help the students spend more time in library. The students who have passed out of IPE are in top positions in India and abroad.

motivation

Minon,

perspectives, Minon is a multitalented genius. He believes that the education system in our society is not scientific and that education should enable a child to develops the inborn talents and the tastes within him. He recommends that everyone develop scientific way by EI Correspondent of learning. A child must be free to get involved in nature as well, he said that we do not expect from a child Minon says: “Newton’s Law of 13. He has become a versatile originated from play, from simple wunderkind at this tender age. logic. What we need are genuine Minon was given the Newtons, and, for that, we need opportunity to be self-reliant play plus thought. Whenever I through homeschooling by his want to play, I will play. We should parents, as they consider children enjoy whatever we do. Enjoy as the common asset of society. whatever we learn with the utmost They believe that parents’ views interest at the time of doing it.” should not be imposed on the Minon is a painter too, and children. They do nurture both has held 65 painting exhibitions their children, Minon and his so far. He has 3,500 paintings to younger sister Mintu, by letting his credit. He has portrayed many them have a free education of the characters in the works without being sent to school. of great writers like Vaikkom According to his parents, “Minon Muhammad Basheer. The pictures learned everything by himself. We of famous Basheer characters like provided him with all possible Ettukali Mammoonju, Pathumma support whenever he was in need and Suhara have been acclaimed of help. He learned and developed by the Kerala Sahithya Akademi. language by himself,” they said Basheer and Mark Twain are With definite and matured Minon’s favourite writers.

multi-talented genius at 13

inon John Baby is a voracious reader and known for his erudition. He conducts lecture classes in subjects such as Environmental science, Mathematics, Painting, Social science, and Literature for school students and college students. You might think that Minon is a highly qualified adult with high salaries. He is not. He is just a 13-year-old boy who happened to learn a lot without stepping into school. The child actor Minon, who played the Anil Kumar Bokaro, the central character in the movie Noottonnu Chodyangal, directed by actor Siddarth Shiva, is a prodigy. This National Award winner has achieved many things

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